Meetings & Events
Bexar Audubon Society of San Antonio offers you engaging
presentations, enlightening topics, useful workshops,
and enriching discussions during our monthly meetings.
Please join us!
Upcoming Online Presentations from Bexar Audubon
BAS May Meeting
Doc & Martha, Matagorda Island Naturalists:
A Documentary by Greg Pasztor
Wednesday, May 26 ● 6:30 PM ● Zoom
Join Doc & Martha as they take us on a journey to Matagorda Island, Texas’ last truly wild barrier island. Following a 30-year career as a biology professor, Wayne H. “Doc” McAlister joined the US Fish & Wildlife Service as an Educator at the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. He and wife Martha left the mainland and lived ten years on the island. With keen eyes and a thorough grounding in biology and the connectedness of things, Doc & Martha share nature through tours and their books, Life on Matagorda Island and Matagorda Island: A Naturalist’s Guide. Sponsored by the Gulf Coast Texas Master Naturalists, Doc & Martha is a 26-minute documentary produced, filmed, and edited by Bexar Audubon Society member Greg Pasztor, who will be available after the screening for questions. Approved for AAMN AT hours.
Greg Pasztor is a former journalist turned educator and lifelong advocate for conservation. Greg worked in television news for over 20 years, as a photographer and producer at KENS-TV, and then as a field producer for CBS News. For the past 15 years Greg has taught television production and communications for the Alamo Colleges.
Click HERE to Join the Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 880 0056 7473
Passcode: 788944
Click here to find your local number to dial in.
BAS June Meeting
From Emps to Kingbirds:
Unraveling the Diversity of Flycatchers
Presenter: Craig Hensley, TPWD Biologist
Wednesday, June 23 ● 6:30 PM ● Webex
Is it a Yellow-bellied or a Least? A Couch’s or a Tropical? The Tyrannidae are diverse and can be quite confounding. Join Craig Hensley for a look at the world of flycatchers. You’ll learn about their natural history and learn tips and tricks for identification, as well as the realities of limitations associated with field identification of a few. Approved for AAMN AT hours.
Craig Hensley, a lifelong naturalist and educator, is one of two Texas Nature Trackers Biologists with the Wildlife Diversity Program of Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept. He has had a long career of educating people of all ages about the wonders of nature, from Minnesota and his home state of Iowa to Texas, and places in-between. He is an avid birder, butterfly and wildflower enthusiast and perhaps, most important of all, the father of two wonderful children and four beautiful granddaughters.
Webex link will be provided at a later date.
Photo Credit: Vermilion Flycatcher by Craig Hensley.
In Case You Missed It: Videos are now available of
Bexar Audubon online presentations
A House for Wren
Author Julie Beever spoke at our April monthly meeting about the birds on her properties in Pleasanton and Concan that inspired her newly released book, A House for Wren. Click here to watch the video recording of her presentation.
San Antonio Parks & Rec Natural Areas: An Opportunity to Connect People with Nature
Nature Preserve Officer Wendy Leonard discussed new and exciting park updates, including a new park opening on the north side. She also talked about the different Natural Areas and the best places to go to see local flora and fauna this spring, especially for the City Nature Challenge April 30 – May 3. Watch the video here.
Balcony Birding in the Time of Coronavirus
Martin Reid, originally from Great Britain, has lived in Texas close to 30 years. Martin is a photographer, naturalist, and bird guide. In his presentation, he discusses the great variety of birds he has observed from his San Antonio apartment balcony while spending more time at home during the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to watch the video, which can only be seen online.
Wildscaping: Creating Habitat in Our Cities
In this presentation, TPWD's Urban Wildlife Biologist Judit Green tells us how to create a garden that encourages a variety of wildlife to visit—especially birds, butterflies, and pollinators! Watch the presentation here.
TPWD Presentation: iNaturalist and the City Nature Challenge
Craig Hensley, TWPD Texas Nature Trackers Biologist, gave us a presentation about setting up and using iNaturalist to upload observations of birds, plants, insects, reptiles, and mammals. You'll need to know how to use iNat to participate in the City Nature Challenge April 30 - May 3. Watch the presentation here.
Birds of Prey: Some Biology, Some Ecology, and Maybe a Few ID Tips
Presenter: Matt Reidy, Wildlife Biologist, TPWD
Matt Reidy gave us a wonderful overview of birds of prey, including owls, hawks, falcons, and vultures. Watch the video here.
Purple Martins78209 Project: Bringing this Beneficial Insect Eater to Our Neighborhood
Allison Hayne discussed Purple Martins and gave us information about installing and maintaining Purple Martin houses.
Click here to see the presentation.
CATIOS: Outdoor Cat Patios
In this very engaging presentation, Cynthia Chomos, founder of Catio Spaces, discussed different catio designs and how to construct one of these special havens for your own feline. Catio Spaces is offering a donation to BAS for catio plans purchased by BAS members, so please visit Catio Spaces and use promo code BirdsRus at checkout. Watch the 60-minute video here. You can also access a flyer about the top 10 reasons to have a catio and a flyer about DIY catio plans.
To Burn or Not to Burn?
That's Still the Question
Maureen Frank, PhD
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Learn what it means for scientists to get unexpected, unexciting results, why this prescribed burn study still has important implications for private landowners who manage bird habitat, and plans for future research.
If you missed this fantastic presentation on December 8, the video is available for you here, along with the book title and link to the Birding the Border event we discussed.
Building Bird-Friendly Cities and Conservation Leaders for the Future
Yvette Stewart of Audubon Texas gave an online presentation October 21 about the two statewide programs she leads: Bird City Texas and Audubon Conservation Leaders Program for Young Women. Watch the recording here.
Saving Birds One Building at a Time
Learn how migratory birds and bats are affected by light pollution and glass collisions, how to create a collision monitoring program, what species have been rescued, and how YOU can protect birds and bats at your own home. Watch the recorded presentation here.
Natural History of American Badgers
Click here for the fascinating presentation about American Badgers by Dr. Pamela R. Owen, Associate Director of Texas Memorial Museum.
Introduction to Bats with Nyta Brown, Old Tunnel State Park
Learn about the different species of bats in Texas, their habits and habitats, and their importance to the environment. Click here to watch this very entertaining video presentation.
"Dragons and Damsels: Oh, My!"
Everything important to know about Texas dragonflies and damselflies is shown in Craig Hensley's presentation to Bexar Audubon Society on August 12. Click HERE to watch and use the password dBggynZ4.
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