Birding in Our Area

Birder and wildlife enthusiast Jeff Mohamed gave a pictorial presentation of the birds at Lone Star College - CyFair. We have egrets, herons, and even bald eagles. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Jeff discussed the changing habitat of the area and how we have lost some species, but we have gained some as well. Jeff's photography is beautiful and he has his own techniques about how to get close to a bird. Some birds you have to sneak up on and others you have to talk gently to them like the egrets. Did you know that Jeff actually came here from San Francisco because of the birds? What a story.

There are 880 species of birds in the US, with 650 of these in Texas and 420 in Southeast Texas. Some birds are here all the time and some are just passing through. There are so many birds here due to the different habitats and three migration routes through Texas. Lots of people visit Texas to see the wide variety of birds which is good for our economy.

Hummingbirds fly 600 miles across the gulf, sometimes hitching a ride on ships and other things to rest during their journey. They stop in our area to feed until they can make this trip, so put out your feeders and plant bright, colorful flowers for them during April-May and August-September.

There are many areas to check out different bird species such as Kleb Woods Nature Preserve, Katy Prairie, Bear Creek Park, and Brazos Bend State Park. Habitat changes contribute to our area attracting new birds, some which stay year round. The invasive birds that have come here are the European Starling, the House Sparrow and Pigeons. Some birds to look for are the Cedar Waxwings, Blue Jays, Rock Pigeons, Purple Martins, Western Kingbird, Bald Eagles, White Pelicans, and Osprey, among many others. Get out and enjoy these colorful birds with their variety of songs!

Want to know more about texbirding? Go to Jeff's blog: www.jeffincypress.blogspot.com