GOODBYE  BIRDFEST NATURE FESTIVAL AND HELLO MIGRATING BIRDS!

 

JOIN THE SPIG BIRDERS FOR A FIELD TRIP, THURSDAY, MARCH 11TH, MEET AT SPIG CLUBHOUSE AT 8AM.

DETAILS:

We are set for Los Ebanos Preserve on Thursday.  The cost is $4 for seniors (but that is all of us!!)
The weather sounds promising, if not hot...did I say HOT!?  I don't think the wind should be much
of a factor since the area is so sheltered. Maybe the mosquitoes will be though. I would like us to stop at Julia's for lunch (in Los Fresnos) so any of you that want to join me, plan on that.  For those of you that don't, you can carpool together and just come back. We will probably bird along Hwy. 2480 on the way home after lunch so please don't plan to be back until 2:00 or so.

 

 

 

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MARCH 6TH

4th Annual Birdfest

Nature Festival

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND GOLF CLUB CLUBHOUSE

#1 OCELOT TRAIL

LAGUNA VISTA, TEXAS

9AM -5PM

Exciting informative speakers, booths, amateur photo contest, children's art and bird calling contest, and new public and private tours of local birding hotspots.

Celebrating the amazing wildlife

in our coastal community

Festival speakers

Mark Klym with the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife.  Mark is an author and authority on Hummingbirds and will the sharing" Texas Hummingbirds And Their Habitat.

Melody Lytle is an international birding photographer who will be sharing her secrets to great nature photography as well as her latest birding treasures from South Texas.  Melody is a returning speaker and a festival favorite!

Butterflies and Butterfly Gardening will be presented by Carol Goolsby with NABA International Butterfly Park in Mission. 

photo by Gloria Yeazel

South Padre Island Golf Club, Laguna Vista

Our Wonderful Sponsors

Town of Laguna Vista

Toucan Graphics

Coastal Current and Island Breeze

Lee and Alma Zieger

Port Isabel Press

South Padre Island Golf Club

South Padre Island Realty

John and Janet Magee

Who We Are

Birdfest was hatched by 2 sisters, Sara Lacy and Janet Magee. As Valley natives, a love for our Coastal habitat and its wealth of wildlife took hold after experiencing a "Fall Out" a phenomenon that occurs when migrating birds are forced to stay because of a late spring cold front. The sisters became backyard birders gone wild! Their passion grew as they discovered where they lived was not only a fishing, beach, and golfing destination but was actually a birding mecca. A mecca that held rewards as close as their own backyard.  Join them in enjoying all Laguna Vista has to offer. 

Thank you SPIG Birders for all your help at Birdfest.  What a great success it was.  You are making a difference for our birds, wildlife, and community!

Congratulations Photo Contest Winners:

Patricia Burke, 1st place

Carolyn Cardile, 2nd place

Rosemary Varnum, 3rd place

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Festival Schedule and Speakers

7am and 3pm Guided Birding Tour - leaves from the South Padre Island Golf Clubhouse

8am - 4pm Lakeside Scope Station (behind clubhouse) and Backyard Birding Sites (look for the “Bird Here” signs in yards)

8am - noon Coffee, Art and Birding

9am
Mark Klym “ Texas Hummingbirds and their Habitat”
Mark is with the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife. He is an author and authority on identifying and attracting hummingbirds.

10am
Mike Heep “Let’s Go Native”
Since rediscovering Esenbeckia runyonii a tree thought to be extinct in the Texas wild, Mike now grows and shares his knowledge of native plants to help make our backyards go from ho hum to wildlife friendly.

11am
Carol Goolsby “Butterflies and Butterfly Gardening”
Carol is with NABA International Butterfly Park in Mission. This is the class everyone has been asking for!

Noon
Lunch with the Birds sponsored by the SPIG Birding Group. Enjoy dining by the Lakeside Scope Stations behind clubhouse.
Children’s bird calling contest

1pm
Melody Lytle “Photographing Nature in South Texas”
Melody is an international birding photographer who will be sharing her secrets to great nature photography as well as her latest birding treasures from South Texas. Melody is a returning speaker and a festival favorite!

2pm
John Brush “E-Birding”
John Brush is a naturalist at Quinta Mazatlan in McAllen and currently attends UTPA studying biology. He has enjoyed birding for more than eight years.

3pm Guided Birding Tour - leaves from the South Padre Island Golf Clubhouse

amateur photo contest:
Photos must be taken no further than 20 miles from Laguna Vista. They must be printed on 8.5 X 11 and delivered to the SPIG sales office no later than noon on March. 5th. No frames or mats. Name, phone number and email on back. No pictures returned.

Discovery

Birding Classes are held in Laguna Vista at the South Padre Island Golf Course clubhouse. Beginners as well as seasoned birders are welcome. Class is taught by Janet Randall and Bill Foster and they always make it informative and fun. Join us as we learn when, where, and how to bird. Check out our calendar page for class time.

Sharing

Art contest and birdcalling competition for local children motivates kids to get back outdoors! Children are asked to draw a bird, animal or insect they have seen" in their own backyards".  We provide software and instructions for the birdcalling competition and working with the local school we make sure each child is honored for his efforts. Lots of good memories made here and hopefully a new appreciation for our

Celebrating

What better way to celebrate than by having a party! Hosting Birdfest Nature Festival each March helps us to meet all our goals but the highlight of the event is the photo contest. The wow factor is huge as guests question that the photographs of the birds and wildlife were really taken locally and were not taken by professionals!  Add the amazing guest speakers, booths, scope station, and tours -  Whoo Hoo Laguna Vista look out!

2009's Birding Festival

Hosted at South Padre Island Golf Club

It was a windy but wonderful event!

Our fiirst guided tour hosted by Janet Randall and the SPI Birding Class Volunteers counted over 40 bird species within one hour just at the golf course.

Children's events were over the top wonderful thanks to teacher Debbie Davis - participants came from Laguna Madre Christian Academy.

Dr. Ernesto Cabrera won Best of Show in the Laguna Vista Birdfest photo contest for his photograph of a cedar waxwing. 

WINNERS

Best of show - Dr. Ernesto Cabrera

Birding Division
1st Place - Jim Bovard
2nd Place - Janet Randall
3rd Place - Dr. Ernesto Cabrera

Wildlife Division
1st and 2nd Place - Jo Carlson
3rd Place - Jim Ochoa

Children's Bird Calling Contest Winner
Annette Palerma

What fun we had learning about the amazing wildlife found in Laguna Vista and our neighboring communities. Our backyards are a true Birder's Paradise.

Backyard Birding Stations

Backyard Birding opportunities were available ALL DAY.Guest looked for the "BIRD HERE" signs scattered around South Padre Island Golf Course. Homeowners welcomed folks to go birding in their backyards.  Marge Ford not only opened up her backyard but her house too! Her art and gardens were are impressive as the birding opportunity.  Thanks Marge

Guided Birding/Wildlife Tours

Two Guided Backyard Birding Tours were offered. Birdfest for the first time. Presenter Janet Randall took groups of 15 on tours to all the best birding hotspots at SPI Golf Club sharing birding tips along the way.

Tram Tours with Birdfest Volunteer Guides at neighboring Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge were available.

Sunset Wildlife Tours with Birdfest Guides at Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge were also available. 

Thank you Madeleine Sandefur and Janet Randall for running the tours.

Booths

We had plenty of booths featuring nature themed art, home decor, native plants, and plenty of birding treasures you'll love.  The binoculars and scopes were a BIG hit!

This shot was taken from Gloria Yeazel's backyard on Ocelot Trail. 

This is one of our Backyard Birding Stations that was open to the public for the festival. Thank you Gloria Yeazel for sharing your magnificient birding site!