THE PRESIDENT’S PEN
By Lynn Barber

Sometimes when I write this column, I feel called to expound upon some good cause, you might say, to preach about an issue, to use this column as an environmental pulpit.

But today, I have a far more concrete goal in mind: FORT WORTH AUDUBON NEEDS YOU!! Really! In addition to our usual needs (see below), I have two really specific needs that I’d like to present to you and see if I can interest you in volunteering to help.

First, and very importantly, I need you to consider helping us with our educational mission. As you may know, Fort Worth Audubon provides Audubon Adventures to a number of elementary school classrooms in Tarrant County. This is an excellent, interesting publication that helps children learn about the environment, and more and more teachers are finding it a valuable addition to their classroom. Coordination of this program, along with working with other chapter members to get speakers on birds for local groups, is what the FWAS Education Chair does. Unfortunately, Regina Biel, who was our Education Chair last year and through this last summer, is unable to continue in that position for personal reasons, and we therefore have need for a new Education Chair. There are many people whom the Education Chair can call on for help if needed, but we need someone to coordinate this effort. How about you? If you are interested, please call me to discuss, or contact Regina (see www.fwas.org), who is handling this for the time being as much as she can, until we find her replacement. This is too important a task to let lapse for lack of a chair. Please consider helping.

Second, we still need a Hospitality Chair. While this position may not be as important in furthering FWAS’s overall goals, it is very important to many of our members. The basic duty of this person is to coordinate others to provide refreshments (e.g., cookies or whatever else) for our monthly meetings, September through May. Ideally, this person also makes sure there is a beverage, such as punch (and coffee, if the person is really energetic) at the meetings. Unless we find a volunteer for this job (or a group of people willing to share it), there will not be any beverage(s) at the meetings, and there will only be the cookies if some kind volunteers happen to bring them. I expect we can survive without this, but it sure would be nice to have a volunteer to help with hospitality. How about you?

OK, I said at the beginning that I’d also mention our “usual needs.” Our usual needs that our members can help us with include the following: We need people to attend our monthly meetings and enjoy and learn from our monthly programs (2nd Thursday of each school-year month). We need people to come to our field trips to see the birds, butterflies, trees, flowers, etc. (See www.fwas.org for details.) We need people to help with our various projects that we may announce from time to time. And the members of our excellent board, as well as other FWAS members, would like to meet you!! Come join in.

FWAS AWARDS SCHOLARSHIP TO CHAPTER MEMBER
Mindy Halligan, an outstanding young lady and loyal member of the Fort Worth Audubon Society, was awarded the 2005 Environmental All-Star scholarship for her active participation in Chapter activties, and her commitment to making a positive difference in our world. The $500 scholarship was made possible by the dues of FWAS Chapter-only Memberships.
In addition to serving as chapter Hospitality Co-chair, Mindy also constructed a butterfly garden at the Old State Fish Hatchery as part of the chapter’s efforts to develop an attractive site there for wild creatures and those who enjoy them.
Mindy also received this year the Girl Scout’s highest award, personally presented by Governor Rick Perry. She is a freshman at Tarleton State University, with a major in wildlife management.
In a recent card to FWAS, Mindy expressed her sincere gratitude for the honor and promised to attend meetings when she could, and that she will bring cookies, too.

REMINDER: CENTENNIAL PHOTO CONTEST
Got some photogenic feathered friends? Caught that feisty Damselfly on film? Get your 15 minutes of fame by entering them in our Centennial Photo Contest, open to all Audubon staff and Chapter members. AUDUBON magazine’s eminent Art Director and Photo Editor will judge entries, with the winners’ photos highlighted on our website and Intranet. Licensed Products prizes will be awarded to the top finisher in each of the six categories, and one overall Best in Show. Photos submitted will help to build our photo library. Please contact Kim Phillips at kphillips@audubon.org for entry forms or answers to any questions you may have. Best of luck and happy shooting!

LIGHTS, CAMERA… PUFFINS! THE PUFFIN CAM IS NOW LIVE
Matinicus Rock, Maine, August 5, 2005 - Today, Audubon announced that researchers, students, and bird lovers worldwide will have the chance to get intimate views of puffins and other Maine seabirds. The Project Puffin seabird camera is now beaming live-streaming video from Matinicus Rock-Maine’s largest colony of Atlantic Puffins and Razorbills. Matinicus Rock is located 22 miles south of Rockland, Maine. This is the first year that that Matinicus Rock seabirds will appear on the web - to watch, click on www.projectpuffin.org.
The robotic camera was funded by grants from MBNA Foundation and the Disney Wildlife Conservation Fund. The video signal is beamed by microwave 25 miles to Rockland where it is linked to an Internet connection at the site of the future Project Puffin Visitor Center.
When the Center opens, a unique camera feature will allow visitors to pan all directions, zooming in and out for closer views, visitors will be able to operate the camera. The camera is an invention of Daniel Zatz of SeeMore Wildlife Systems of Homer, Alaska.

Audubon.org’s EDUCATION PAGES SPORTING A NEW LOOK
The education pages on Audubon.org have been redesigned to provide a more engaging and kid-friendly look and feel. The same rich content is still there, with pages focused on Audubon Centers, Audubon Adventures, Audubon Camps, and Audubon educational publications for schools and families, as well as Bird & Wildlife information and links to complementary Audubon At Home pages.
Click here www.audubon.org/educate/index.php to view our new look!

THE TRAVELING BIRDER
By Lynn Barber
As I write this, it is raining furiously outside, but I am delighted in the rain and delighted that “my” Rufous Hummingbird has just returned for the 5th straight year! Of course, I don’t know if she is the same bird as I have had before, but I prefer to think so. So, while I’m waiting for the rain to end so I can get out and bird some more, let me tell about my “Big Year” travels since I last wrote.
Although last month’s column was correct in the total number of species seen when the newsletter was published (495), I hadn’t really had time to write about the summer birding travels since the Spring Bird Count in that newsletter, so much of what I report below occurred before I actually reached 495. Some of the highlights of my birding travels since what I reported on last month follow.
My husband and I headed out to Fort Davis the second week of May. New western birds were everywhere! The road to Davis Mt. State Park produced a male Western Tanager, a Common Black-Hawk on its nest, and a Western Wood-Pewee. A trip to Big Bend National Park resulted in sightings of Bullock’s and Scott’s Orioles, a Lucy’s Warbler and an Elf Owl. I lugged camping gear and water up the Chisos Mountains past singing Colima Warblers to Boot Springs, and was rewarded with sighting Band-tailed Pigeons, and hearing Whippoorwills, two Flammulated Owls and numerous Western Screech-Owls after it got dark. In the morning, there were Painted Redstarts and Blue-throated Hummingbirds around the springs. Back down on the desert were Varied Buntings at Sam Nail Ranch.
North of the Fort Davis area, I found singing Black-chinned Sparrows and more Varied Buntings, while in the Davis Mountains were Hepatic Tanagers, Broad-tailed Hummingbirds, Plumbeous Vireos, Grace’s Warblers, Buff-breasted Flycatchers. I finally got to see Montezuma Quail by going to a private residence where they were coming in to feed on the ground, and I had to go all the way down to Ruidosa to find Gambel’s Quail, where they were easily seen sitting up on fence posts. High in the Davis Mountains were a MacGillivray’s Warbler and a Dusky Flycatcher, both singing, and in the Guadalupe Mountains was a singing Gray Vireo.
After that, a trip east to the Sabine Woods area near Port Arthur was not too fruitful, but there were Wood Storks at Brazoria NWR. Then, unbelievably, I heard that an Olive Warbler had been found in the Davis Mts, so back I went!! And got to see and photograph it!!
Finally, a few days in Ft. Worth, and then I headed down to New Braunfels for a Green Violet-Ear in someone’s backyard. I took a break from Big Year birding and did my three Breeding Bird Survey Routes in north Texas in early June, and then the pelagic birding season began on June 16. A great trip out on to the Gulf from South Padre Island, where I added Masked Booby, Red-billed Tropicbird, Cory’s and Audubon’s Shearwaters, Bridled and Sooty Terns, and Band-rumped and Leach’s Storm-Petrels to my year.Then back west to Fort Davis where a White-eared Hummingbird and Magnificent Hummingbirds were coming to feeders, and to the Guadalupe Mountains to find a Spotted Owl, and then back down to South Padre Island where there was a Brown Noddy. And finally, one more pelagic bird was added on the July 29 trip out from South Padre Island.
It makes me tired to write about it. But the year is just 7/12 over. All of the above bring me to 496 [or 495?] bird species for the year. Whatever else I get to see will be very slow going. But there are birds that still are possible. I hope my “new” car, purchased at the end of May and now having over 17,000 miles on it, holds out. If you want to see the full list so far and pictures of some of the birds seen, see www.lynnbarber.com.

CONSERVATION
By Jim Sipiora
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service(FWS), USDA Forest Service, and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources have been working with numerous other organizations for 30 years to save the endangered Kirtland’s Warbler. This year preliminary results indicate a population of over 1,400 singing males up from last years record of 1,341. Conservation measures to benefit the warblers include intensive habitat management, control of Brown-headed Cowbirds and most recently research on the birds winter range in the Bahamas. The research is centered on the island of Eleuthera where the warblers are color banded at 12 different sites to gather information on wintering habitat use, site fidelity, and annual survival. The species, like many other neotropical migrants, spends nine months on its wintering grounds each year. Bahamian students are being trained to fill the local conservation positions. A recent search for birds on their breeding grounds in Michigan that were banded in the Bahamas led to the discovery of a male that was banded as an adult in 1995. This bird which is at least 11 years old is the oldest known Kirtland’s Warbler on record.
A federal judge has ruled that Mute Swans are not protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. This allows the state of Maryland to resume its control of the birds on Chesepeake Bay.
Mute Swans are not native North American birds. Five birds were accidentally introduced in 1962 and today the population numbers more than 3,600. The swans are voracious eaters of bay grasses, destroying the food source for native birds and habitat for blue crabs and other marine life. The American Bird Conservancy and the National Audubon Society have fought in favor of this ruling while the Fund for Animals has opposed it. Maryland has not made any announcement as to when it will resume Mute Swan control measures.
On June 14, FWS announced that it will undertake a review of the California race of the Spotted Owl to determine if it should be listed under the Endangered Species Act. The subspecies inhabits the northern Sierra Nevada and Central Coast ranges south to the mountains of Southern California. Among the reasons for the subspecies decline include recent wildfires in owl habitat, new state forestry regulations, and the continued range expansion of the Barred Owl which both hybridizes with the Spotted and also takes over its territory.
In an effort to reduce bird electrocutions and collisions at power lines, an agreement has been signed between FWS and Edison Electric Institute’s Avian Power Line Interaction Committee. Under this agreement, utility companies are encouraged to develop plans that conform to new voluntary guidelines drawn up by FWS to prevent power line mortality. Large numbers of birds, typically eagles, hawks, and owls, die each year as a result of collisions with and electrocutions by power lines. Some of the solutions are wire insulators and spacers to keep birds from “grounding out” across multiple wires, visual markers that make wires more visible and siting wires away from wetlands and areas with high bird densities.

BACKYARDS FOR BIRDS
By D.D. Currie

Turk’s Cap
One of my favorite bird and butterfly attracting plants is Turk’s Cap (Malvaviscus drummondii). The plant gets its name from its resemblance to a Turkish fez. This is a great perennial for a number of reasons. It has a long blooming season - from May to November - and can grow in both sun and shade. Over half of my backyard is in the shade most of the day. I was having trouble finding a native plant that not only grows in the shade, but also blooms. Turk’s Cap filled the bill. I also have Turk’s Cap planted in the front yard in full sun.
This plant measures about 4-5 feet in diameter and stands about 4 feet tall. Turk’s Cap can grow in a wide variety of soils. I have had great success in both sandy soil and “black gumbo” clay soil. It is also very drought tolerant. I sometimes get lazy in the summer about watering the plant in my front yard. It continues to thrive, despite my mistreatment.
If you need a large space filled in quickly, Turk’s Cap is a good choice. It grows rapidly and can become quite large. Turk’s Cap can be easily propagated. Several years ago, I wanted to start Turk’s Cap in my yard, but could not find it for sale at any nursery. A woman who worked at one of the nurseries gave me a few almost bare twigs from a plant in her own yard. I was skeptical that I could keep them alive, but gave it a try. The twigs looked pretty bad the first month or so, but soon took hold. The plant can also be propagated from seed.
OK.....now for the bird and butterfly part. This is an excellent plant for attracting hummingbirds. It also attracts butterflies and other birds, but I grow it mainly for hummingbirds. I typically get hummingbirds in my yard in July. I mentioned this to Gail Morris, and she casually pointed out that the hummingbirds will arrive when the Turk’s Cap starts blooming. I had never realized this before, but really started taking note of the timing. Sure enough, for the past several years, within days of the first few blooms, here come the hummers. You can practically set your calendar by it.
The plant also provides a food source for other birds, as it produces small red “cherries.”

ORNITHOLOGY REPORT
Noteworthy Records for Tarrant County:
Mid-June to Mid-August
by Greg Keiran

Rufous Hummingbird (one female) - 5 Aug: Back for 5th year in yard (Lynn Barber, Fort Worth)
Black-bellied Whistling Duck (9) - 30 June: at VCDB (Dell Little, Arlington)
Black-necked Stilt (13), (four kids, two adults still sitting on ground nests) - 30 June: at VCDB (Dell Little)
Mississippi Kite (one) - 30 June: at VCDB (Dell Little)
Mississippi Kites (35) - 4 August: at VCDB (Lynn Barber)
White Ibis (17) (one all white) - 30 June: at VCDB (Dell Little)
Most interesting from North Central Texas:
Nesting Swainson’s Warbler: below spillway at Lake Tawakoni. E-mail from Brian Gibbons and Derek Hill to Richard Kinney, 28 June: “Hi Richard, Success! Derek and I found the nest 100 feet from where we were looking yesterday. 3 tiny babies! Photos to document this first regional record. We also had an adult Broad-winged Hawk along I-20 at mile marker 254, 2 miles w of Tank Farm Rd. We had 3 Brown-headed Nuthatches at the end of C.R. 4805, east of Edom. We saw a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK carrying food in Kaufman County! In southern Van Zandt County we had 5 male Anhinga in a small swampy pond. It was an awesome, hot day.”
Cave Swallows (5) - 15 June: feeding over Lake Tawakoni, and an adult and juvenile Horned Lark on the beach. The Cave Swallows are sitting on nests in the culvert colony nearby. (Matt White, Campbell)
Yellow-throated Warbler and Kentucky Warbler - 3 July: in woods below the Tawakoni spillway. (Richard Kinney, Edgewood)
Acadian Flycatchers (several) - 7 July: scattered along the creek and sloughs in the woods below Tawakoni spillway. (Richard Kinney, Edgewood)
Caspian Tern (one) - 9 July: at Lake Lewisville (Thomas Riecke). Also reported on 5 July. (Keith Lockhart, Highland Village)
Anhinga (5), Tricolored Heron (one) and Neotropic Cormorant (3) - 9 July: Clear Creek Heritage Nature Preserve in Denton. (Thomas Riecke & Bob Stone)
Broadwinged Hawks (2) - 4 July: in Montague Co. The first bird, an immature, was seen just west of Sunset. The second bird, which was an adult, was seen near Amon G. Carter Lake. (D. D. Currie and Dell Little, Arlington)
Roseate Spoonbill (4), Short-billed Dowitcher (6), Sanderling (1) and Neotropic Cormorant (10) - 18 July: at Hagerman. (Lee Lemons)
A group* from the Fort Worth Audubon Society conducted a bird survey 23 July on a private ranch in Jack Co. located approx. 5 miles south of Jacksboro. Several notable species were seen despite the extreme heat. Highlights included 2 SPOTTED TOWHEES (Sophie Floyd); one COMMON GROUND DOVE (Sophie and Daniel Floyd); 5 VERMILION FLYCATCHERS (4 seen by Phil Craighead, Ann Hoover, Lynn Barber and one seen by D.D. Currie and Dell Little at a different location); one LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH (Phil, Ann, Lynn); 10 BULLOCK’S ORIOLES (D.D. and Dell); 9 GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS (D.D. and Dell); GOLDEN FRONTED WOODPECKERS, MISSISSIPPI KITES, ORCHARD ORIOLES, BELL VIREO’S, AND BLUE GROSBEAKS (seen/heard by several groups). Dell and I birded several other locations in Jack Co. after the survey. We had 12+ CAVE SWALLOWS on FM 3324 and several more near Lake Jacksboro; one TREE SWALLOW and one SPOTTED SANDPIPER at Lake Jacksboro. What other surprises are out there in this great, under-birded county! D.D. Currie, Arlington.
*Participants in the survey included Jim Jones, Andy Shetley, Buck Buchanan, Jean Ferguson, Gail Morris, Phil, Ann, Lynn, Sophie, Daniel, Dell, and D.D.
Be on the lookout for in September (Fall Migration):
Grebes and Pelicans, Ibis, Northern Harrier, Falcons, Sora, Sandhill Cranes, Shorebirds, Flickers, Flycatchers, Swallows, Swainson’s Thrush, Vireos, Orioles and, of course, “Confusing Fall Warblers.” Some top prizes possible for September: Red Phalarope, Golden-winged Warbler, Lesser Goldfinch, Black-headed Grosbeak, and Anna’s Hummingbird.
Send your sightings to:
Greg Keiran - 9 S. Kingston Ct. - Bedford, TX 76022
(H) 817/282-3312 - (W) 817/280-7598, gkeiran@AOL.com

AUGUST-SEPTEMBER BIRD FORECAST
By Dell Little
This is the inaugural bird forecast report. I will be mentioning what birds should be around in the next month or until the next newsletter. I will also be diving into to the archives to share notable historical sightings for the county. Hopefully we all will get something out of this. Maybe encouragement to get our binos out. Or a moment of nostalgia. If I miss anything, especially significant historical records, feel free to e-mail me at dellel@sbcglobal.net. OK, here goes.
I found it interesting that possibly the first successful nesting Black-bellied Whistling Ducks in Tarrant County were at Village Creek drying beds (VCDB) on 9/1/97, not that long ago. These birds should be around for the rest of this time period, but gone soon after. As for the rest of the ducks, most species should trickle in by mid September, with Blue-winged Teal gathering in numbers early and Green-winged Teal being the first, even as early as the 21st of August.
Any Neotropic Cormorants could still be hanging around Lake Benbrook (Martin Reid, 9/4/03) and post nesting Anhingas could be seen at VCDB or Ft. Worth Nature Center (FWNC).
American Bitterns can be found at VCDB near the beginning of September. Historical note (Hist): Least Bittern at Eagle Mountain Lake Fish Hatchery (8/25/97).
Also, be on the lookout for Tricolored Heron, White Ibis, White-faced Ibis, Wood Stork, and Roseate Spoonbills (including 11 Ed Wetzel & Jim Sipiora, 8/24/02, VCDB) at VCDB or anywhere along the River Legacy trail, especially the east end (Bird’s Fort), where Charley Amos had 27 Wood Storks and 5 Roseates (8/31/03). Hist: Glossy Ibis records include 8/24/03 & 8/28/03, VCDB Martin Reid; 8/25/04 VCDB Greg Cook. Hist: Little Egret (probable) VCDB, 8/22/97, Martin Reid. (Though not accepted by Texas Birds and Records Committee, it is still believed to be the bird.)
Mississippi Kites are finishing up with nesting, so expect to see some young ones around. Northern Harrier begin showing up at the end of August, Osprey near the middle of September, and Cooper’s and Sharp-shinned increase. The Broad-winged and Swainson’s Hawks’ migrations increase by mid September. Also, Peregrine Falcons start appearing. (J.W. Sifford, 8/30/02 and Bill Lawrence, 9/9/02).
Soras become present at VCDB by 8/16 or later.
The bulk of migration in late August is the family of shorebirds, obviously. Semi-palmated Plover are fairly common, but Black-bellied Plover have appeared a handful of times. (9/6/99, Rare Bird Alert), including Charley Amos’s sighting of 2 at Bird’s Fort, 8/13/05. The Black-necked Stilts will be around with their young a little while longer. American Avocets should be popping up here or there (8/23/00, VCDB, Bird’s Fort, Benbrook, Lake Worth). Willets show up occasionally (8/19/97, G. Lasley, M. Lockwood, M. Reid; 8/21/98, RBA). Also, Marbled Godwit and Long-billed Curlews (8/19/97, G. Lasley, M. Lockwood, M. Reid), as well as Sanderling (9/1/99 and 9/12/99, VCDB, RBA) and Dunlin (8/22/99, VCDB, RBA), Short-billed Dowitcher (VCDB, 9/5/03, J.W. Sifford). Buff-bellied Sandpipers are rare but usual, and the mystical Upland Sandpipers are uncommon, as well as Wilson’s Phalarope. Of course, your Peeps Least, Western, Semipalmated, Baird’s Sandpipers, plus Pectoral, Stilt, Solitary, Spotted and both Yellowlegs are all fairly common. Wilson’s Snipe (formally Common) start showing up the end of August (8/31/02, D.D. Currie). Historically, there have been some significant shorebirds appear at Village Creek drying beds this time of year. Hist: Red Knot (9/5/98, J.W. Sifford), Ruff and 2 Red-necked Phalarope (Ed Wetzel, 8/29/98), Red Phalarope (9/10/98, Martin Reid).
A couple of persistent Rufous Hummingbirds have shown up at the beginning of August at Lynn Barber’s and Rachel Dugas’s yards, so be on the watch at your own feeders. Hist: Broad-tailed Hummingbird, FWNC (8/30/04, Mark Klym). Black-chinned should mostly be gone, so Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are your dominant species.
Most winter woodpeckers aren’t here yet, but here are some unique records for this period: Red-headed Woodpecker, FWNC Rd. to Greer Is. (8/15/04, David Powell). Hairy Woodpecker, VCDB entrance (9/1/99, RBA); Pileated Woodpecker, Village Creek Historic Area (VCHA) (9/24/03, D.D. Currie).
Olive-sided Flycatchers show up late August (8/24/03, VCHA, D.D. Currie; 8/26/00; River Legacy Park [RLP], RBA). Empid. Flycatchers start coming through. Least, Eastern Wood-Pewee and listen for the Alder’s. Yellow-bellied Flycatcher at Buffalo Ridge Park, Haltom City (9/9/98, Sheridan Coffey) and Martin Reid’s yard (9/5/03). Western Kingbirds are leaving, but Eastern are coming through in large groups. Hist: Presumed Couch’s Kingbird in Martin Reid’s yard (9/04/01).
Up to 6 species of vireo regularly pass through Tarrant County: White-eyed, Red-eyed, Philadelphia, Warbling, Blue-headed and, more rarely, Bell’s Vireo. Hist: Yellow-throated Vireo showed up at FW Botanical Gardens (8/31/97, Sheridan Coffey).
Some warblers have already started showing up. Black and White Warbler and Northern Parula are usually the first here. By the end of August, Louisiana and Northern Waterthrush, Black-throated Green Warblers, American Redstart, Wilson’s, Nashville, Yellow Warblers (8/24/03, D.D. Currie, VCHA). Yellow-breasted Chats (8/23/02, Jim Sipiora, RLP) plus Mourning Warbler by 1st of Sept. A few sightings of Kentucky Warbler (9/2/00, RBA), 1 Canada Warbler (9/7/05, RBA), Ovenbird and Chestnut-sided Warbler (9/9/98, Jim Sipiora, RLP), and a Prairie Warbler at FWNC (9/10/00, RBA). All warbler numbers increase into mid September.
Summer Tanagers are still hanging around or migrating. Blue Grosbeaks as well as Indigo and Painted Buntings are mostly gone, but some will still be migrating, especially immatures. Hist: Lazuli Bunting at FWNC (8/30/04, Mark Klym).
Orchard Orioles are fairly common, and Baltimore can be found in bunches, including 18 seen at VCDB (9/14/02, D.D. Currie) and 50+ at Martin Reid’s yard (9/5/03).
Resources for this report include FWAS Forums since 1998, Texbird Archives 1997, Texas Clearinghouse Records, and Birds of Tarrant County Bar Graph Checklist 2nd Ed. 2000. Thanks to all of those who contributed over the years. If there are any suggestions, again pass them along to me at dellel@sbcglobal.net. Until next month, stay cool and keep the binos clean.

FIELDTRIP TO LEWISVILLE LAKE
September 10
Meeting Time: 7:30 AM
Leader: Lawrence Duhon

Meeting Location: Parking area for Cicada/Cottonwood Trails (see directions below)

Trip Details: We will cover the various habitats found below Lewisville Dam, including wetlands, bottomland forests, and open prairie. These are found in the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA). For more details, see http://www.ias.unt.edu/llela/main.htm. Also, you can find a seasonal bird checklist for this area at http://www.duhons.net/LewisvilleBirds.htm. We will hike the public trails for a couple of hours, and we will also visit the areas of this large preserve that are not ordinarily open to the public. There is a $3 per person entry fee to access this federally-managed area.

After covering LLRA, we will have the option of going on to nearby Lewisville Lake Park to view the good variety of shorebirds usually present there. There is a $10 per vehicle entrance fee there, so carpooling is recommended.

Directions: From Fort Worth, go north on S.H. 121 until it intersects Interstate 35E. Go north to exit #453, Valley Ridge Blvd. Stay on the northbound access road to Jones Street (near Phil Dill Boats), and then turn right. The entrance gate to LLELA is at the end of Jones Street, where it intersects Kealy Street in Lewisville. Pay your entry fee (the gate opens at 7:00 AM) and drive about a mile to the parking area on the right.

It is recommended that participants bring water, lunch, and insect repellent.