FIELD TRIPS

To ensure our members and visitors have maximum opportunities to observe birds and nature, Audubon Dallas, Fort Worth Audubon Society, and Prairie & Timbers Audubon Society have agreed to put links on our Field Trips pages to the web pages of the other chapters. To check out what the other chapters are planning, you can go to these links. Let’s go birding!

http://prairieandtimbers.org/fieldtrips.htm

http://fwas.org/

And don’t forget about Free Third Thursdays at Trinity River Audubon Center. For more information including directions, go to Trinity River Audubon Center.

NOTE:  It is very important that you RSVP for every trip you plan to attend.  Scheduled field trips may be cancelled due to weather or for other reasons, at the discretion of the field trip leader. Notice of last minute changes will be posted, if possible, on the Late-Breaking News forum of the “Bird Talk” page. Be on time because trips will depart at the “meeting” time.  Most field trips are free and open to everyone, beginners to veteran birders, however some may have an associated fee which will be indicated. Be sure to dress for the weather and conditions, bring food and drinks as indicated, and be prepared with insect repellent, sun block, and a hat.  At press time, possible additional field trips are still in development, so please check the Field Trips page on the website regularly for updates.

Saturday, January 30, 2010 at 9 AM
Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge
Leader: Jim Varnum - RVSP required for this trip (jevarnum@aol.com or 214-543-2055).
Meeting Place: Refuge Headquarters Office. (GPS: N33°44.344, W096°45.112)
Directions: Take US 75 (toward Denison) to Exit 63 for US 82. Turn left (west) onto Hwy 82. Go approximately 1.7 miles on US 82, exit and turn right (north) on FM 1417. Go north approx 4.0 miles on 1417 to Refuge Road (look for sign for refuge). Turn left and go west approx 6.3 miles to Refuge Headquarters.
Description: Wintering waterfowl including Snow Goose, Ross’ Goose, and White-fronted Geese and multiple species of ducks.
Field Trip Length: all day  To TOP

Saturday, February 6, 2010 @ 8:00 AM
White Rock Lake & Old Fish Hatchery
Leader: Chris Runk - no RVSP required for this trip.
Meeting Place: From Garland Rd. turn on Winstead and go past the old parking area which is now closed. Stay on Winstead until you reach the stop sign at the end of the park on your right. Turn right - this is White Rock Rd. Continue straight on White Rock Rd. until you meet W. Lawther on your left. This is a T intersection and you must turn 90 degrees right to stay on White Rock Rd. After turning, you'll go down a hill under the old RR tracks. Keep straight past the guard house, past the new Sculling Center and park at the end of the road in the big, new lot!.
Description: Join us for a field trip on foot at one of Dallas' prime birding locations. Insect repellent and poison ivy protection in season highly recommended. Beginners welcome!
Field Trip Length: approximately 2 to 3 hours.  To TOP

Sunday, February 7, 2010 @ 7:00 AM
John Bunker Sands Wet Land Center
Leaders: Bob Stone and Chris Runk
Meeting Place: Meet at church parking lot in Kaufmann County and then we'll caravan to John Bunker Sands Wet Land Center.
Directions: Take Highway 175 and turn right onto Combine road into the church parking lot -- it is immediately to your right after you get onto Combine Road. The Combine Road exit is 7.8 miles south east of LBJ Freeway and is the first exit after you see the Kaufman County line sign. After meeting in the church parking lot, we will take you to the John Bunker Sands Wet Land Center.
Description: We will see ducks and geese. For more information, go to to www.wetlandcenter.com.
IMPORTANT: You must call or email Bob Stone at rgstone@sbcglobal.net or 214-287-9940 before 6:00 pm January 31, 2010 and provide a telephone number. Bob will confirm your place on the accepted list by e mail or phone. Iif no positions are available, he will confirm by e mail or phone. Participants must sign a liability waiver when they arrive.
Field Trip Length: Half a day
RSVP Mandatory: Bob Stone, To TOP

Saturday, February 12-15, 2010
Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC)
You have 3 ways to participate in the GBBC:

• On your own. (1) Select a site -- your backyard, a local park, anywhere. (2) Visit the GBBC web site for instructions (www.birdsource.org/gbbc), then count birds on any of the four dates. (3) Re-visit the web site and report your sightings. It's that simple. And it's free!
• At Cedar Ridge Preserve. If you want to participate and not get involved with GBBC instructions and reporting, participate in CRP's own GBBC on Saturday, February 13. MN Jim Varnum leads a walk at 8:00 AM. Or come any time and browse around on your own or with Jim. Our goal is 25 species on that day. More Info - contact Jim Varnum at jevarnum@aol.com or 214-543-2055.
• In Irving. Friday, February 12. Volunteers needed to help children and youth participate in GBBC. Contact Marcy Brown Marsden mebrown@udallas.edu or 972-721-5245 To TOP

March 18-21, 2010
40th annual Rivers and Wildlife Celebration in Kearney, Nebraska
Description: The 40th annual Rivers and Wildlife Celebration will be held March 18-21, 2010, in Kearney, Nebraska. Organized by Audubon Nebraska and the Nebraska Bird Partnership, the conference gathers together nature enthusiasts from across the county to witness the migration of over half a million sandhill cranes and millions of waterfowl and other birds through central Nebraska. Events include guided field trips, workshops, a family fun room, and daily visits to river blinds operated by Audubon’s Rowe Sanctuary for up-close views of cranes roosting on the Platte River.

Local and national speakers will present information on a variety of wildlife and conservation topics. Main speakers are Scott Weidensaul, author of more than two dozen natural history books, including Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds, a Pulitzer Prize finalist; Mike Forsberg, nature photographer and author of Great Plains: America’s Lingering Wild; Ron Klataske, executive director of Audubon of Kansas; and Chris Wood, eBird Project Leader, Cornell Lab of Ornithology. More than twenty local environmental organizations will have information booths and hands-on activities on Saturday.

The celebration is open to the general public. Registration materials can be found beginning in mid-December at www.nebraska.audubon.org. Or contact Audubon Nebraska to be put on the mailing list: Nebraska@audubon.org; 402/797-2301. Rowe Sanctuary has information about viewing the sandhill crane migration, 308/468-5282; www.rowesanctuary.org. To TOP

Saturday, May 8, 2010 @ 7:00 AM
Southside Water Treatment Plant
Leader: Bob Stone
Meeting Place: Meet at Southside at 7:00 AM
Directions: From the junction of I-45 and Hwy 175, take Hwy 175 (C.F. Hawn Freeway) about 12.5 miles south/southeast to S. Belt Line Road exit. Turn right on S. Belt Line Road and go approximately 1.7 miles to the gate at Southside Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Description: We will see residents and migratory waterfowl.
IMPORTANT: You must contact Bob Stone and give your name, address and phone number to be placed on a list. This list of participants will be provided to Southside's administration the following day. No Exceptions! In addition, you must bring a picture ID so that the security guard can check your name against the list of participants attending. Again, no exceptions! By following these procedures we can return to Southside and hopefully continue to do so. Participants will also be required to sign in at the office and sign a form. You must confirm with Bob Stone at (214) 351- 2940 by 6:00 PM the Sunday before the trip. Limited to 12 participants. Beginners welcome!
Field Trip Length: approximately 3 hours
RSVP Mandatory: Bob Stone, (214) 351-2940  To TOP

June 4-19, 2010
TOS Alaska Trip
Leader: Jim Hailey, Vice President of the TOS and Field Trip Director
Description: This is truly an amazing place-a land of majestic vistas, grizzles,
reindeer, musk oxen, and beautiful birds dressed in their Sunday best. The
first weeks in June are the height of the northward migration period and the
beginning of the summer nesting season; a very special time to be in Alaska
if you are a birder. The Texas Ornithological Society (TOS) Alaska Field trip
targets breeding and migrating species and the opportunity to find a few
vagrants that drop in on the area sporadically. Last year it was a
Black-tailed Gull in Nome and a breeding plumage Ruff in Anchorage! We bird
Anchorage, Seward (pelagic), Nome, Barrow and the Denali Highway.

The trip begins on June 4 when we meet in Anchorage. The following day we
fly to Nome for five days of hardcore birding. There are three roads out of
Nome (but they all dead end) into the vast wilderness area outside this
isolated community. All three are approximately seventy-five miles long and
we will spend a full day exploring each. In addition to the great birds,
these roads often produce musk ox, red fox, arctic hare, reindeer, and
grizzly bears. At Nome we have the added attraction of Safety Lagoon, a
large inland water feature that attracts shorebirds, waterfowl, swans,
gulls, and more. From Nome we go to Barrow where we expect to see all eider
species, Snowy Owl and possibly even polar bears before returning to
Anchorage. The day after our return to Anchorage we leave for three days on
the Denali Highway. Here we expect Smith's Longspur, Northern Shrike, Hawk
Owl, Northern Goshawk, Horned Grebe, waterfowl, swans, Arctic Warbler, and
more. After our final return to our Anchorage base we will bird Potters
Marsh, Westchester Lagoon, Hillside and Kinkaid parks, and Eagle River
Nature Preserve. Target species will be Boreal Chickadee, Hudsonian
Godwits, American Dipper, gulls, waterfowl, Red-necked Grebe, and whatever
else shows up. In addition, we will take a pelagic out of Seward into the
Kenai Fjords NWR were we can expect humpback whales, sea otter, harbor
seals, orca, two puffins, three murrelet species, Red-faced Cormorant,
Short-tailed Shearwater, Parakeet and Rhinoceros Auklets and have lunch
watching glaciers calving into the sea.

Other target species include-Snow Bunting, Red Phalarope, five loon species,
Bluethroat, two redpolls, three ptarmigan species, two swan species,
scoters, Harlequin Ducks, Barrow Goldeneye, and Bristle-thigh Curlew. And
many, many more! My Alaska list currently has 231 species and, needless to
say, Alaska is my personal favorite place in the world to go birding.

If you want to join this trip you need to act quickly. This year's trip is
filling fast; it is currently near full with two currently in the process of
making their decisions. All proceeds above cost go to the TOS.

For More Information: Contact Jim Hailey - irasciblej@gmail.com

Trip Cost: $3350.00-does not include air fare/from Anchorage, lodging,
meals or incidentals. All transportation within Alaska is provide, pelagic
trip, and entry fees. To TOP