23rd Annual Galveston FeatherFest

Schedule of Events

5:30 am - 11:30 am: Greet the Dawn at Virginia Point
During  this field trip we will visit some areas not normally publicly accessible.  Virginia Point is a historic peninsula location across Galveston Bay comprising the wonderful 3,000 acres of mainland bay margin which SCENIC GALVESTON, Inc. (SG) has acquired for permanent conservation protection.  Visitors coming into or out of Galveston on I-45 (the O'Quinn Estuary Corridor) see the results of this non-profit's work on both flanks, and those areas are open to the public.

5:45 am - 1:30 pm: Gulf Coast Bird Observatory Bird Banding & San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge
Our trip begins with a bus ride to the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory to watch migrant songbirds being caught in mist nets and banded by professional bird banders. This project establishes baseline data for the GCBO property on both resident and migratory bird populations. Banding allows the observatory to obtain information about the physical condition of migrants at this intermediate location between the coast and the bottomland forests lying well inland. Both coastal woodlots and inland bottomland forests are known to be extremely important stopover habitats for nearctic-neotropical migrants that move through the Gulf of Mexico region. Birds that are captured for banding can provide valuable information about their relative physical condition. What a unique opportunity….and that is just the start of this exciting field trip!

5:45 am - 12:00 pm: Photographing Boats & Birds at Pier 19 & Critique Session
This is a meet-at-site trip. Driving directions will be emailed prior to the trip. This field trip will start approximately one hour before sunrise at Galveston's Pier 19 where we will photograph the shrimp boats leaving their docks for a morning of fishing. Since this will be shooting in low light, you will need to...

6:00 am - 10:00 am: Birds in Flight From a Boat #1
Join Ruth Hoyt on this unique experience on Galveston Bay to photograph birds in flight from a boat. One of the best ways to learn to photograph birds in flight is to practice and this trip will provide ample opportunities to do just that! The number of birds, Brown Pelicans in particular, is amazing, providing many photo opportunities as the birds come and go from the islands. In Galveston Bay, there are man-made islands where large numbers of breeding birds nest. This special trip, arranged by FeatherFest, allows us to approach these islands while following a special protocol to minimize impact on the colonial birds.

6:30 am - 3:00 pm: Birding Bolivar with Richard Gibbons
Join Richard Gibbons, Director of Conservation for National Audubon, on a trip to one of the finest migratory locations in North America – the western end of the Bolivar Peninsula. Here are the Houston Audubon Horseshoe Marsh and Bolivar Flats bird sanctuaries. This combination of salt marsh, mud flats and beachfront hold the highest rated...

6:30 am - 9:30 am: Wildlife Photography from a Car at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge
Join Chris Rankin at the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge near Anahuac, Texas, to explore Wildlife Photography from A Car. Chris will introduce you to photographing wildlife from a car/truck while exploring the beauty and diversity of the Anahuac National Wildlife Reserve. Established in 1963, Anahuac NWR's primary focus is to protect and manage the coastal marsh for migrating, wintering and breeding waterfowl.

6:30 am - 2:30 pm: Galveston Island Birding with Greg Miller
Greg is so much fun to bird with that we have added a trip focused on just Galveston Island! We'll let Greg decide where he wants to go depending on what he's scouted out before the festival. He'll check out Corps Woods, Lafitte's Cove, the East End Flats, Sportsman Road, and sites all the way...

6:30 am - 3:30 pm: High Island with Jon Dunn
What a treat! Boy Scout Woods, Smith Oaks, The Rookery, and more…with birding expert Jon Dunn! Jon is a leading expert on the identification and distribution of North American birds. He co-authored the sixth and seventh editions of National Geographic Society's Field Guide to the Birds of North America. He was the Chief Consultant/Editor for the first.

7:00 am - 11:00 am: East Beach Birding with Glenn Olsen #2
We will concentrate on gaining a deeper understanding of bird identification. Our approach is to observe differences in body structure, behavior, habitat preferences, and feeding styles of various species of birds. This trip allows us time to observe and discover the distinct characteristics of each species as opposed to generating a list of a larger.

7:30 am - 12:00 pm: Spring Migrants of the West End #2
Focusing on discovering migrating songbirds on Galveston's West End, this trip will feature warblers, vireos, tanagers, orioles, grosbeaks, and buntings. Located at the intersection of two important migratory flyways, Galveston Island provides critical resources and cover for birds as they journey northward. During stormy weather, fallout events are common, as birds seek shelter and much-needed.

8:00 am - 11:00 am: Birding Galveston Island State Park by Kayak #1
Drive your own car to the Galveston Island State Park for a delightful, natural experience. Enjoy paddling in a provided kayak while slowly exploring the open lagoons and marshes of Galveston Island State Park, one of the area's premier ecological jewels. This 2,000-acre public park offers a multitude of habitats that support a wide variety of birds: waders like herons, egrets, Roseate Spoonbill and shorebirds; waterfowl and overhead raptors like Osprey; White-tailed Kite and Northern Harrier. If you have time after the event, visit the two birding observation towers.

8:00 am - 11:00 am: Moody Gardens Birding Hot Spots
Join Clayton Leopold on a guided tour of the birds of Moody Gardens. This unique combination field trip will include a guided tour through the canopy level of the Tropical Rainforest exhibit as well as a viewing of the Penguins in the Aquarium Pyramid. You will learn everything you wanted to know about how our...

8:00 am - 11:00 am: Texas City Dike Photo Trip
The Texas City Dike is the longest man-made fishing pier in the world.  It stretches 5.3 miles into Galveston Bay.  This means that birds like sandpipers and turnstones can be found on both sides of the dike feeding in shallow water.  In addition, gulls and terns are regularly flying along the dike as the hunt...

9:00 am - 11:00 am: Accessible Birding at Moody Gardens with Virginia Rose
This trip ventures outside of FeatherFest Headquarters to the birdiest areas of the 240-acre Moody Gardens complex showcasing a diverse array of habitat and species variety.  With an eBird hotspot listing of over 280 species, there are always birds to see no matter the time of year.  Adjacent to the property sits Offats Bayou which.

10:45 am - 11:45 am: Shorebirds, Gulls & Terns of Galveston Island Workshop
Are you having trouble identifying plovers, terns, gulls, peeps and other shorebirds? Help is on the way! Local birding guide and FeatherFest favorite, Allen Hardee, will share some basic field ID approaches and specialty tips for identifying the shorebirds of Galveston Island. To enhance your experience with this workshop, sign up for the Shorebirds, Gulls.

11:00 am - 12:30 pm: Setting Up an Outdoor Photo Studio
This session was new to the festival last year and is back by popular demand. Join Ruth Hoyt for this indoor session, where she presents her program and demonstrates techniques for setting up an outdoor photo studio specifically for bird photography.

12:30 pm - 4:30 pm: From Backyard to Beachfront: Birding Basics for Beginners
This workshop/field trip combo is for beginning birders learning the fundamentals and those wanting to brush up on their birding skills. The one-hour workshop will introduce you to learning how to get started and improve birding skills, techniques, and confidence. Topics include birding practices, optics selection and use, field guides, bird identification considerations and techniques,...

12:30 pm - 5:30 pmBirding Galveston's Renowned West End #2
Galveston's West End has drawn birders from all over the world for nearly 100 years. In addition to estuarial saltwater marsh, it contains freshwater ponds, pockets of scrubland, mudflats, and sandy beach habitat. This combination attracts a wide variety of shorebirds, waterfowl, raptors, songbirds, and more. We will begin the trip by viewing tidal pools...

1:00 pm - 4:00 pmShorebirds, Gulls & Terns of Galveston Island
Galveston Island has all the habitats associated with a barrier island – beach, uplands, fresh water ponds, brackish lagoons and wetlands. Join local father and son team, Allen and Michael Hardee, on this “birdy” trip as you learn to identify Black Skimmers, gulls, terns, sandpipers, plovers, herons, egrets, ibis, spoonbills, ducks and much more.

1:00 pm - 2:00 pmFlight & Action Photography Workshop
Kathy will teach participants about the various focusing features on modern mirrorless cameras and DLSR cameras. She'll explain why it is important to select the proper ISO, shutter speed, and focus points to capture the perfect image. Tripods such as those with a ballhead or Wimberley head will be discussed with an emphasis on hand...

1:00 pm - 4:00 pmA Splash of Color: Expressive Bird Art in Watercolor
We love birds for so many reasons: their beautiful songs, their fascinating behaviors, their incredible life histories. And, of course, their gorgeous plumage! This outdoor watercolor workshop will focus on capturing the amazing colors and patterns of birds in an expressive, splashy watercolor painting style that is simple to use and requires basic, easy to...

1:00 pm - 2:00 pmHawk ID with Glenn Olsen
Hawks are an exciting family of birds to observe and identify. We will discuss the identification of species that occur on the upper Texas Coast, including Accipiters, Buteos, Eagles, Kites, Falcons, Osprey, and Harrier as well as some birds that are often mistaken for a Raptor.

2:30 pm - 3:45 pm: FeatherFest and Birdability because Birding is for Everybody!
During this presentation, participants will learn exactly who this “disabled” audience is and how to find people with mobility and other health challenges. They will learn what accessibility REALLY looks like and get instructions on using the amazing Birdability Map. They will learn the steps to implement Birdability in their locales and learn ways to.

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm: John Tveten's Texas Moths
How often do we pass by moths under a porch light or fluttering under a streetlamp without giving them a second glance?  Yet moths, far more plentiful than butterflies, with their intricate patterns and curious coloration often emerge as beautiful as butterflies.  Join us for this program to learns about the  original field work of.

3:00 pm - 6:00 pm: Warbler Watching with Glenn Olsen #1
Back by popular demand, for this trip, you will be guided by one of our most experienced birders and all-around nature lover, Glenn Olsen. Glenn leads nature tours in the US and overseas but he calls the upper Texas coast home. His extensive knowledge of local birding areas is sure to yield excellent views of migrating warblers as they move through our area on their way to nesting habitat. As a bonus, Glenn is also a Texas Master Naturalist and has served as the president of the Native Plant Society of Texas. His knowledge in these areas should greatly enhance your trip experience. Our group will focus on techniques for improving field identification skills. We will be traveling by bus and places visited will depend on weather patterns and reports from the previous day's birding activities.

3:00 pm - 7:00 pm: Easy Paced High Island's Famous Sites by Car
We offer this trip to those who would like a slower paced trip to Houston Audubon's two world famous sanctuaries, Smith Oaks, and Boy Scout Woods. Although this is still a mostly walking trip, we will allow  time to stand and/or sit to observe the splendor that is High Island birding. We schedule this trip...

3:00 pm - 7:00 pm: Birding the Unexpected Places #1
Join author Jennifer Bristol on an exploration of the historic cemeteries of Galveston. These unexpected birding spaces offer easy walking and quality bird watching, while diving deep into the human history of the island. Participants will explore three cemeteries on this outing, each offering a variety of habitats attractive to birds and birders alike.

4:00 pm - 7:00 pm: Nature Photography from a Kayak
Chris will introduce you to photographing wildlife from a kayak. Enjoy paddling in a provided kayak while slowly exploring the marshes of Galveston Island State Park, one of the area's premier ecological jewels. This 2,000-acre public park offers a multitude of habitats that support a wide variety of birds like herons, egrets, Roseate Spoonbill, shorebirds and possible overhead raptors like osprey looking for prey.

4:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Birding the Coastal Heritage Preserve with Karla Klay #2
On this meet at site walking field trip, you'll be birding prairies, woodlots, and marshes of Artist Boat's Coastal Heritage Preserve with Karla Klay. We'll top off the evening with homemade pizza dinner made on the spot!

Join Karla for a birding adventure at Artist Boat's Coastal Heritage Preserve. Explore the marshes, prairies, and oak motts across the Preserve via walking. Spring migration on the Preserve has hosted up to 103 species identified in a 24-hour period. The spring prairie is famous for heaps of Indigo and Painted Buntings, Dickcissel, Bobolink, and more feasting on dew berries. The spring “Peake” woods host warblers, tanagers, and orioles. From different vantage points, one can find shorebirds, terns, and pelicans in the marshes and over the bay. At dusk we will watch the dramatic sunset across the prairie and preserve while enjoying an artisan prepared pizza. It's all absolutely spectacular!

4:00 pm - 8:00 pm: Birds in Flight From a Boat #2
Join Sean Fitzgerald on this unique experience on Galveston Bay to photograph birds in flight from a boat. One of the best ways to learn to photograph birds in flight is to practice and this trip will provide ample opportunities to do just that! The number of birds, Brown Pelicans in particular, is amazing, providing many photo opportunities as the birds come and go from the islands. In Galveston Bay, there are man-made islands where large numbers of breeding birds nest. This special trip, arranged by FeatherFest, allows us to approach these islands while following a special protocol to minimize impact on the colonial birds.

4:30 pm - 6:30 pm: Raptor Photography Shoot
Here's an ever-popular photography field trip that's become part of our FeatherFest tradition! Join Sky King Falconry and Ruth Hoyt to photograph various captive raptors and other trained birds in natural settings and perches out on a private West End property. This is a great opportunity to see and photograph these birds. Kevin from Sky Kings Falconry will pose raptors in natural settings and possibly fly the birds while discussing the behavior of the birds.

5:00 pm - 7:00 pm: Photographing Birds at Dos Vacas Muertes
Explore this small 6-acre sanctuary on Galveston's west end.  Coastal prairie and bayside shores offer a wide variety of opportunities to photograph birds.  A small water drip with seating area is sure to attract some nice neotropic migrants.  Come prepared to photograph birds at the drip, along the boardwalk, overhead, or along the shore

Click here for Registration