May 31, 2008
Exxon Station (SH 6 & SH105)
7:00 AM
Limit: 15 People
Fee: $200 (about $15 per person)
Darrell Vollert has volunteered to take 15 birders on private property in the Navasota River Bottoms in search of nesting Swainson's Warblers. Darrell offers this trip to the public every spring and he knows the territory very well and he knows where the Swainson's Warblers are likely to be. Other nesting species we are likely to encounter are Painted Buntings, Mississippi Kite, Acadian Flycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, White-breasted Nuthatch, Northern Parula, Prothonotary Warbler, Kentucky Warbler, Summer Tanager, Lark Sparrow, Blue Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting and Dickcissel, We could also find nesting Black-and-white Warbler and Orchard Oriole and we should encounter quite a few migrant passerines on this trip as well.
This will be a full day trip from 7:00 to 5:30 with much of the morning spent on foot walking in the Navasota Bottoms. So you will need to bring a lunch. We will be walking up to two miles in the Navasota Bottoms. The property is long and narrow. The ground will be fairly level but there is a low water crossing that we will need to cross on our walk to the river and parts of the trail have holes so you will need to wear rubber boots or sturdy water-proof hiking boots while in the Navasota Bottoms. The afternoon will be spent birding the Brazos Bottoms in Brazos and Washington Counties including Washingto-on-the-Brazos. The afternoon will not require much walking.
This should be a great trip were we will have a chance to see both nesting and migrant passerines. We should have a good total by days end. So you will not want to miss this trip. If you are interested in going on this trip please let me know.
Directions: From Houston take IH 10 west to Loop 610. Go north on Loop 610 to US 290 and then proceed west on US 290 to where SH 6 splits from US 290. Take SH 6 north towards College Station/Bryan. When approaching Navasota take SH 6 Business Route into Navasota. The Exxon Station is on the left side of SH 6. You will need to take the Hwy. 90/SH105 exit off of SH 6. Once you exit SH 6 turn left at the light at SH 105 and Hwy. 90. Drive under Hwy. 6 and the Exxon will be on your right.
Be sure to bring: Binoculars, plenty of water, rubber boots or water-proof hiking boots, lunch, snacks, hat, sunscreen, camera and spotting scope.
~ Adam Wood, OG Field Trip Coordinator, birdsondabrain@earthlink.net, 713-515-1692 |
