The weekend of October 17 and 18 promises to be an exciting time in the world of birding. It’s peak time for migrating birds, so birders from around the world are joining together for a major birding event called Global Bird Weekend. Birders from over 70 countries have already registered. They will be birding from backyards, from their parks, from boats, and even on road trips. Sightings will be logged on the bird reporting app/website, eBird, hosted by Cornell University.
Register here for the event. (Click and website appears, click again.)
Saturday, October 17, will be October Big Day and is a 24-hour opportunity to count and report the birds you observe and coordinate with birders from around the world. This is an opportunity for you to join the world community of birders in a common goal of documenting “what birds are found where” on a mid-October day – worldwide.
The trails at Doeskin and Warbler Vista are all open so get out to the Refuge, bring your binoculars and your bird guide, download the apps eBird and Merlin Bird ID, and come check out who might be winging their way back to their wintering grounds in Central and South America. With 98.5 percent of the neotropical birds migrating through Texas, you may be surprised what—or who—you find.
Birders hope to surpass 2019’s record of 20,000 participants, 42,700 checklists and more than 6,700 species seen. The goal of this event is to support worldwide efforts for conservation and protection—a goal right in line with our refuge’s mission and purpose. Hope to “see you out there in the wild!”
Record these hours at: FR: Bird Populations:TMN Field Research Hours