“We saw a flock of Sandhill Cranes flying over our house!”
“This morning I saw a Golden-winged Warbler at Brison Park!”
“Last night we heard a Chuck-will’s Widow singing in the woods at Lake Bryan!”
“We saw our first Purple Martin of the year!”
“Mississippi Kites are back!”
It’s hard not to get excited in spring. We are in the midst of what I call The Greatest Show on Earth: the annual spring migration of birds. From as far south as Argentina, birds are moving north to their ancestral nesting grounds. Many species are making their way as far north as the stark tundra of Northern Alaska and Canada. Other birds migrate no further than the Brazos Valley. Many of the latter, like the Purple Martin, arrive as early as mid-February and are common breeding birds of Central Texas.
With its geographic position on the Gulf of Mexico, Texas straddles fortuitously the Mississippi and Central flyways. Migrating birds often land in Texas to refuel as they head north. It is no wonder that birdwatchers from across the world visit the Lone Star State to enjoy The Show.
One of the places to which birdwatchers flock during spring migration is High Island. A mere 63 miles from Houston as the crow flies, this otherwise sleepy town rightly enjoys a reputation as one of the top Birding Hot Spots in the United States. Each spring song birds flying over the Gulf of Mexico land exhausted at wooded lots at High Island to feed and refuel before they continue their journey north. Serious birdwatchers from Texas and beyond find their way annually to this bucolic village with the hope of seeing Baltimore Orioles, Black-billed Cuckoos, Cerulean Warblers, and other dazzling gems.
Nearby Bolivar Flats enjoys a similar reputation, but it is shore birds that people flock to see. Bolivar Flats occupies a sheltered beach on the Gulf of Mexico and is a short drive from the terminus of the Galveston-Bolivar Ferry. American Avocets, Black-necked Stilts, Wilson’s Phalaropes, and dozens of other species stop at this important birding area to fatten up before resuming their trip north. Like High Island, Bolivar Flats is a great place to enjoy The Show.
You don’t have to leave the Brazos Valley to witness spring migration. Local birdwatchers treasure places like Lake Bryan, Lick Creek Park, and Brison Park to catch glimpses of migrating birds. But you can also enjoy The Show from your backyard or front porch! Many local birdwatchers report seeing migrating birds while sipping their morning coffee. Just the other day, a friend texted me: “We have a Rose-breasted Grosbeak at our feeder!”
Written By: David Scott – College Station, TX