Wild Wings Taking Flight!

by Sue Ann Kendall

The Wild Wings Bird Sanctuary project is taking off! Our committee members are making so many contributions that it’s hard to keep track.

We held a committee meeting last week and got to work on getting our logo and signage planned out, decided to get some sturdy seating, and have planned fun new ways to encourage people to come and enjoy this peaceful oasis for themselveds.

We envision quarterly iNaturalist bioblitzes, evening bird walks, and monthly guided observations. This will be fun! And we decided on our official hours, which will be Thursday through Sunday, 8 am to noon. Visits can be arranged by texting a number we’ll share soon, as well.

At our monthly official observation day, Sue Ann and Ann heard or saw 25 different bird species. New birds included an American Kestrel and Broad-winged Hawk. Ann observed a Peregrine Falcon a few weeks ago, as well. They took the opportunity to take photos for the 2024 Texas Pollinator Bioblitz on iNaturalist, since there are lot of pollinators hanging around the sanctuary. It was also the best day to record birds, because it was the Big Day on eBird. Sue Ann made sure to record all the birds Merlin found, so they would go into the eBird count.

Be sure to check out our October Observations page to see what birds we saw and heard, and to check our totals page for a list of all 43 bird species we’ve observed since August.

But that’s not all. Committee member Gene Rek has volunteered to build some Leopold Benches, whish were devised by naturalist Aldo Leopold especially for bird watching. They are simple to build and very sturdy, which we have agreed we need to have for public seating. We are aware of liability issues, since we will be making the sanctuary available on the Texas Birding Trail soon. Sue Ann also has some heavy, durable benches she will donate, so Wild Wings will be all set for seating.