Outings

Outings

 Many Bexar Audubon Society trips take place in San Antonio, but we sometimes venture farther afield to explore state parks and natural areas. Wherever we go, we hope you’ll join us!

Bexar Audubon Outings


Blanco State Park | 101 Park Road 23, Blanco, TX 78606


Thursday, March 21, 2024 | 8:30 AM to 10:30 AM
Blanco State Park is about 1.5 hours from Central San Antonio.

Bring your Texas State Park Pass to present or pay at the office for entry. Bring water and snacks. Restrooms available.

Meet leaders Mariann Golden and Karen Moulder in the parking lot on the right after leaving the park office and BEFORE crossing the river.

Approximately 2-miles walking total; medium difficulty; some uneven, rocky areas on trails; some walking on road surface; some driving from one location to another.

Questions? Call 210-415-4661

Please sign-up here.

Private Ranch | N. Mill Creek Road, Vanderpool, Bandera County

This is an excellent opportunity to bird on a large Bandera County privately owned ranch affiliated with Texan by Nature. We can expect to see Golden-cheeked Warblers and other resident and migratory birds responding positively to ranch land management practices.

The Ranch owners/managers have limited this outing to 10 people, including the leaders. They have invited us to stay on the property after our birding to have our lunch. Ranch Manager Daniel and his wife Jamie Weggary-Cohn (and their bloodhound dogs) are our gracious hosts. Jamie, who is a professional baker, will furnish lemonade, cookies, and brownies.

Bring water, snacks, and a lunch. Dress for the field with sun protection. Restrooms available.

Meet leaders Tom and Patsy Inglet (look for the green Subaru Forester) in the parking lot near the Gas Station of the HEB Plus! in Boerne (420 W. Bandera Road, Boerne) at 6:45 AM; we will leave for the ranch by no later than 7:00 AM. The ranch is about 1 hour from the HEB Plus! store in Boerne, and we will have to arrive at the same time because there is a gate code to enter the ranch.

We are required to carpool for this outing. We must limit the number of vehicles to no more than 3. Tom and Patsy can take 2 in their car. If you can drive and take others, please let Tom and Patsy know: [email protected].

Once we get to the ranch, we will use 4WD or AWD vehicles to get around on the ranch roads. We will stop at several key birding areas, especially the area where Golden-cheeked Warblers nest. And we will bird around the beautiful home built for the owners along Mill Springs Creek.

We will leave the ranch and travel back to HEB in Boerne by no later than 1 PM.

For questions or cancellations before the day of the field trip, please email [email protected]. On the day of the field trip, please call 210-867-7507.

Please sign up here.


San Antonio Botanical Garden | 555 Funston Pl, San Antonio, TX 78209

Kate Griffin is Conservation and Adult Programs Specialist at the San Antonio Botanical Garden (SABOT), and she will lead a "Native Plants for Native Birds in the Garden" walk around the garden. Kate will give information about how to make each of our personal landscapes more attractive to birds by making good plant choices, which will also conserve water and reduce chemical use.

Meet Kate at the main gate near the admissions kiosk. Bring binoculars and/or a camera, and dress for a 1 to 1.5 mile walk around the garden, mostly on smooth surfaces or even trails. Come with your questions about what to choose depending on where you live in the area.

Please sign up HERE to attend this outing; admission to SABOT is free for those participating in the walk.

Questions: Email [email protected].


Visit our Conservation News page to sign up for Birding with a Purpose Surveys for local landowners.


 

eBird Trip Reports Feature is Now Available!

The new eBird Trip Reports feature is an exciting new way to tell your birding story through eBird. eBird Trip Reports bring together your eBird checklists to create a fun summary of where you went and what you found, along with your photos and audio recordings, all in one easy-to-share place. You’ve never seen your eBirding like this before!

 


City Nature Challenge Bird Walk at the San Antonio Botanical Garden

Friday, April 26, 2024, 9:00 to 11:30 AM

San Antonio Botanical Garden (SABOT)

555 Funston Pl, San Antonio, TX 78209

Participants are invited to use iNaturalist to document the native plants (mostly cultivated), the birds, and other living things in the garden as part of the City Nature Challenge, which begins that day.

The San Antonio Botanical Garden (SABOT) has graciously extended an invitation to Bexar Audubon Society members to take a bird walkthrough the garden. Both SABOT members and non-members will receive free admission to the garden for this walk. Meet the Bexar Audubon Society leaders, Karen & Sperry Wilson, at the main gate near the admissions kiosk. Bring binoculars and perhaps your camera, and dress for a 1 to 1.5 mile walk around the garden, mostly on smooth surfaces or even trails. We will also visit the SABOT bird blind. Questions? Email [email protected].

Please sign up HERE if you would like to attend.

Mitchell Lake Audubon Center Upcoming Events
Mitchell Lake Audubon Center Hours
Hours Hours are October 10 - February 27
Tuesday through Sunday, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Last entry is one hour before closing.
Center is closed on major and/or Federal holidays.
Free for Mitchell Lake members, $5 non-members, $3 National Audubon members.

Visit the Mitchell Lake Audubon Center website here.

 


Ten Best Hiking Trails in San Antonio

From the rocky hills of the far north side to the riparian areas near the Spanish Missions on the south side, San Antonio offers a variety of topography to explore while hiking and birding. Check out these recommended trails from the AllTrails.com website.


Best Ways to Preserve Nature While Hiking 

Getting outdoors to hike is a fantastic way to reap the benefits of spending time in nature. Studies have shown that spending time in nature will cause your stress level to drop. And the physical exercise of hiking will keep your heart healthy and give you a great workout without the boredom of working out in the gym.

Every year more than 40 million people go hiking, and that number is increasing rapidly. But, all of those people hiking can cause serious damage to the natural world if they’re not careful. Even hikers who don’t mean to can damage the ecosystem of the trail or cause damage in the area without knowing it. Read the rest of the article here.

 

Visit Warbler Woods

Warbler Woods Bird Sanctuary, located just northeast of San Antonio, is open year-round. Click here for visitor information.

Native Plants for Native Birds
Walk through the Garden

Friday, March 29, 2024, 1:30–3:00pm

San Antonio Botanical Garden

555 Funston Pl, San Antonio, TX 78209

Kate Griffin is Conservation and Adult Programs Specialist at the San Antonio Botanical Garden (SABOT), and she will lead a "Native Plants for Native Birds in the Garden" walk around the garden. Kate will give information about how to make each of our personal landscapes more attractive to birds by making good plant choices, which will also conserve water and reduce chemical use.

Meet Kate at the main gate near the admissions kiosk. Bring binoculars and/or a camera, and dress for a 1 to 1.5 mile walk around the garden, mostly on smooth surfaces or even trails. Come with your questions about what to choose depending on where you live in the area.

Please sign up HERE to attend this outing; admission to SABOT is free for those participating in the walk.

Questions: Email [email protected].

Use iNaturalist to Post Observations, Help with IDs

 

You can take pictures of plants, birds, insects, and animals to upload to iNat for identification. Or, you can help identify others’ photos. The observations in iNaturalist uploaded by others always have species in need of identification. If you need instructions on helping with the IDs, please read this helpful guide. Watch our iNat presentation by Craig Hensley of TPWD and Texas Nature Trackers.