RGDA’s March 2009 newsletter

Rio Grande Delta Audubon
(RGDA)- Rio Grande Valley, Texas
E-Newsletter Vol.14 No.04 - February 2, 2009, Monday 6:30PM
Location - Historic Brownsville Museum directions below

Christmas Bird Count for Brownsville, Texas December 30, 2009
Organizers
Katherine Miller of Resaca de la Palma
Lee Zieger - Rio Grande Delta Audubon - Compiler

Spring Hatch preparation for our local birds.
Short Presentation on a Hawk hatching process.

Audubon Art Prints - Talk Wednesday Jan. 28 3:30PM
A collector's Guide to Every Edition

Cool Cities Report

Mr. & Mrs. Harris Hawk and three chicks - 10-10-08

Christmas Bird Count for Brownsville, Texas

Come see where the birds spend their Christmas in Brownsville, Texas. Katherine's work at Resaca de la Palma, Brownville's World Birding Center, shows just what fablous birding we can expect from this piece of land closed up for over half a century now opened up for us. A list from CBC's past reports were updated with new and rare birds. Thanks to a great team of birders. Leaders like Juan Arias - TPWD, John Yochum - TPWD, Bob Gibson, Kyle O'Haver - TPWD, Martin Hagney - Valley Nature Center, Josh Rose - TPWD, Katherine Miller - TPWD, Hugo and Magda Rodriguez, Erin Allen, David Benn, Peggy Knopp, and Lee Zieger. Other leaders and many birders and recorders participated for a great experience.
See how the areas were divided for the bird count and their specific reports. Brownsville was very fortunate to have a team of mostly paid professionals who will keep this process going for years to come.

See the Audubon CBC web page http://www.audubon.org/Bird/cbc/

Spring starts the first round of nesting birds.

A short presentation on a Harris Hawk family plus some other images. You will see how you can enjoy the experience of our native birds growing families.

Audubon Art Prints:
A collector's Guide to Every Edition
Wednesday January 28, 2009, 3:30PM
Estero Llano Grande State Park, Weslaco, Texas

Bill Steiner is a field ecologist and accomplished bird-watcher who, with his wife Peg, owns on of the most magnificant private collections of Audubon Prints in the United States. He is the author of the book Audubon Art Prints: A collector's Guide to Every Edition, and he was the technical adviser and fact checker for the recent Audubon biography by Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Rhodes.

Mr Steiner would be happy to view your old prints and discuss them with you at the end of his lecture

Mr. Steiner is a graduate of Virginia

Many thanks to Leo Gustafson for the great presentation on his activities in maintaining and creating wetlands for our area and specificly Laguna Atascosa NWR at our January 2009 meeting.

Recycling in Brownsville by Marta Martinez plus SPI and PI
Ecologist Services & Dispositions Co. (ESD) Call 956-350-3696 to get yourself recycling.
Harris Hawk - Parent and chick November 5, 2008


White-tailed Hawk shopping for a Spring 2009 nest.

Event:
The Rio Grande Delta Audubon Chapter will hold their monthly meeting on Monday, February 2, 2009, 6:30 p.m. at the Historic Brownsville Museum at 7th and Madison Streets in Brownsville, Texas. A locator map is on this web site. Contact Lee or Jennie at 956-831-4653 - 866-279-1775 e-mail riorvpark@aol.com for any questions.

Cool Cities
We may talk about the work done towards making CoolCities out of Brownsville, Port Isabel, South Padre Island, and Laguna Vista. Joe Lee Rubio on Brownsville, Madelene Sandefur for Laguna Vista, Cate Ball for Port Isabel, and Nancy & Baxter Moyer for South Padre Island who we hope will have time to attend and let us know what is happening in their area. You can be a part by joining the group representing your area. Reference Web Sites Cool Cities for Sierra Club and Green Program for Audubon with Toyota support.
Up Coming Events
Nature Birding Festival McAllen, Texas April 2009 El Cielo Birding Festival coming up.
Laguna Atascosa NWR - Laguna Loop
New - Tram Fridays and Saturdays 10AM and 2PM. Just have to show up. The refuge is open including the Loop. Call 956-748-3607 for up-dates.
Right - Harris Hawk on nest
This Harris Hawk nesting is a fall hatch. The picture was taken September 23, 2008. As of this e-newsletter the female has been on the nest for four weeks so far.

Fall nesting of a Harris Hawk family

There were 3 chicks at the beginning -- only 2 survived. View the process from the female protecting her nest to the Family. Look at the pictures from the nesting female below to the whole family. You can see the chicks' growth.

Harris Hawk on the nest

Harris Hawks - This is November 2, 2008

Websites - Nature & Conservation
Gladys Porter Zoo
Sabal Palm Preserve
Resaca de la Palma State Park
Frontera Audubon
Valley Nature Center
Los Ebanos Preserve
Laguna Atascosa NWR
Santa Ana NWR
SPI Nature Center
RGV & NE Mexico Butterfly Map
Birds of RGV
Bird Guiding - and linked trip reports with species and photos
Landscape Ordinance-Bro
Sea Turtle, Inc.

About Us..
Rio Grande Delta Audubon is dedicated to conservation of our native habitat for the protection of birds, other wildlife, and for the enhancement and appreciation of our
environment.
Web Site:
RioGrandeDeltaAudubon.org

Officers & Board
Lee Zieger, President
Greg Vail, Vice President
Mary Jean Garcia, Secretary
Laura Duval, Treasurer
Dorothy Greaney
George Garcia

Privacy Policy
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Newsletter Editor & Contact Info:
Lee Zieger:
8801 Boca Chica Brownsville,Texas 878521
Office:(956)831-4653 or 1-866-279-1775
Fax: (956) 831-0147
RGDAudubon@aol.com

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