Passport to Texas

 Christmas Bird Count Feeder Watchers: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Get out your binoculars and note pads, because it’s time for the Christmas Bird Count—a project of the National Audubon Society. December 14 through January 5, volunteers count birds during a 24-hour period inside defined 15-mile diameter circles throughout the state.

05—But there aren’t any on December 25th—you can’t compete with family time and ripping open presents.

There is that. Non Game Ornithologist, Cliff Shackelford says volunteers submit their observations to the lead person, called a compiler.

05—That compiler then crunches all the numbers and turns in—nationally—a count for the whole circle.

Now, if you can’t get to a circle, but you have bird feeders in your yard, you can still contribute as a feeder watcher.

23—That’s someone that just merely watches out their back window and looks at the birds coming to the feeder and just counting those things. It’s a really good niche for someone that’s not able to get out if it’s too cold, or you’re just not physically able to get out, or maybe you have a newborn at the house, These are people that might have their eyes open watching the feeder and can contribute.

Find additional feeder watch programs that take place at other times of year; just do an online search and use feeder watch as your search term.

The Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… supports our series as well as conservation programs in Texas.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti

 Christmas Bird Count: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

More than a hundred years ago people participated in a time-honored Christmas tradition.

06—People would go out and do what was called a side hunt, and the winning group would come back with the biggest pile of dead critters.

The majority of critters in those piles were birds. Cliff Shackelford, a non-game ornithologist with Parks and Wildlife, says conservationists had a better idea.

05—Early conservationists thought that we ought to count birds and not try to collect birds.

Today we have the nationwide Christmas Bird Count. This season—between December 14 and January 5—groups of volunteers, armed with a bird list, head into the field and count birds over a 24-hour period.

15—What people do is they get into teams, and they have a defined 15 mile radius circle that they’re counting in, and that circle never moves. The hope is that you would count that circle for decades and decades and over time you would see trends.

Different groups pick different days within that three week period to count birds. Researchers then use the census information to assess the health of bird populations, and to guide conservation action.

It’s not too late to get involved this year if you like.

05—They might need a full year’s heads up to chew on it and figure out, hey, I want to do this next year.

Sure…there’s always next year if you prefer. Go to www.Audubon.org for more information. The SFWR supports our program. For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

 Birding Legend Victor Emmanuel: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Serious birders all know the name Victor Emmanuel. More than fifty years ago he founded the Freeport Christmas Bird Count.

Since 1976, Emmanuel has operated a nature tourism company that takes people to birding hotspots around the globe.

And it all started with a desire to make his passion his work.

51—I’ve been interested in birds and nature ever since I was a little boy. And I always wanted to know how I could find some way to make a living doing it. And I met a man named Peter Alton who was doing it for the Massachusetts Audubon Society, and thought, well maybe I can do that.

Peter Matheson went on one of my first tours as a celebrity leader. I got to know Roger Tory Peterson, who was kind of the person who developed bird watching as a hobby in the united states by his field guides. And he helped me. So, I had a lot of lucky breaks, and a lot of people joining me—friends of mine—who helped me get started.

Learn more about birding in Texas when you go to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

FIND A CHRISTMAS BIRD COUNT NEAR YOU

 Baffling Bird Behavior: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Birds are fascinating to watch, which is why so many of us hang feeders outside our windows for up close viewing.

05—There is no place better in the world for attracting birds than right here in Texas.

Mark Klym is an avid birder and oversees the Wildscaping program at Parks and Wildlife. Common feeder fare is the black oil sunflower seed, which attracts various species, including cardinals, finches, and sometimes chickadees.

06—And watch the way they feed. Some of them will actually sit and break the seed right there on the feeder and eat it.

If you’re new to feeder-watching, some of the behavior you observe may seem perplexing.

14—We get people who are frustrated all the time; they say, ‘how come that bird comes in and throws half the out?’ Well, what they’re doing is, a bird like a chickadee or titmouse, they don’t have a bill that’s designed to crack that seed. So they’ve got to go back to the branch and bang it on the tree to break it.

But what are they doing when they hurl seed to the ground?

07—They’re actually weighing the seed to make sure there’s enough weight there to make sure it’s worth their while to fly back to that branch before they get their meal.

Now you know. Find birding information on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

This is Passport to Texas

Think of cats and you’ll probably think of your family’s own animal companion…but for the state’s natural wildlife predators, those same pets are tapping into their food sources…

06—Some people estimate that cats will take a total of 39-million prey animals per year.

Kelly Bender is an Urban Wildlife Biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife. Even well fed pet cats allowed to roam outdoors prey on the same food sources…including birds and mice…posing a risk to native wildlife.

04—From a wildlife management standpoint, we really should be keeping our cats indoors…

To limit the competition, locate bird feeders in areas that don’t provide cover for cats to lie in ambush. And don’t keep pet food dishes outdoors.

:09—…and realize that by not spaying or neutering our cats, we are producing an awful lot of predators each and every year.

Above all, do not release unwanted cats in rural areas, thinking it a more humane option than taking them to a shelter.

It is, in fact, an inhumane practice. Dumped in an unfamiliar setting, they are vulnerable. If they survive, this is when they become a threat to wildlife…and it’s not their fault.
Contact your local animal welfare organization for help.

That’s our show. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, Cecilia Nasti.

 Killer Kitties: Birds Beware: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download