What's Happening at Hagerman This Month?

By Helen Vargus

Just in time for a busy month,  Kathy Whaley, Refuge Manager of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge  announced last week that Wildlife Drive and the low water crossings are once again open, as the early winter flooding has ended.  All hiking trails are also now open.  Come enjoy the best that nature has to offer!

Home Sweet Home to many critters!

Youth First

Youth First is back for 2016!  On Saturday, February 6, 2016, from 10:00 am – 11:30 am join us as we learn about trees and the critters that make their home in trees. 

Youth First activities are held the first Saturday of every month and are open to children from ages 4-12.  These activities are free and open to the public with advance registration. This assures plenty of supplies will be available for each child.

            You may register as a Friends member, or as a guest. If you choose to become a member, please do so before starting the registration process.  Registration is currently open to Friends of Hagerman members and those who set up a guest account. All registrations must be completed by Thursday, February 4, 2016, at 4:00 pm. You may register online at friendsofhagerman.com/Youth.  If your plans change after you have registered, please let us know.

Our Youth First groups will be held at two different locations at the Refuge,  based on the child’s age. Children ages 4-7 will meet in the Visitor Center Meeting Room and are to be accompanied by an adult. Children ages 8-12 will meet in the Friends of Hagerman Building and may be dropped off and picked up at the start and end of the session or may be accompanied by a parent or other responsible adult.  Look for the signs that will direct you to the FOH Building. 

Photo by Bill Powell

Guided Walk for Great Backyard Bird Count

Each year Cornell sponsors the Great Backyard Bird Count (GBBC). This year’s Citizen Science event is set for February 12 - 15, 2016.  Backyard birders can participate by counting birds in their own backyard or you can come to Hagerman NWR and take part in our bird count.

Master birder Dr. Wayne Meyer, Professor of Biology at Austin College, has agreed to lead a Great Backyard Bird Walk at Hagerman NWR from 8 - 9:30 am on Saturday, February 13.  To join the walk, participants must meet Dr. Meyer at the  Refuge Visitor Center  by 8 am.  Come dressed for the weather.  Bring your binoculars or borrow ours at the Nature Nook.  Birds counted during the walk will be reported to GBBC.   In the case of rain, the event will not be held.

Photo by Mary Karam

Second Saturday

            “Leave It to Beaver” will be the topic for Second Saturday on February 13. The program will be from 10-11:30 am at the Visitor Center at Hagerman NWR.

Dr. Jessica Healy, Assistant Professor of Biology at Austin College will give us the facts about this hardworking mammal.  A beaver’s dam in a healthy, freshwater stream helps create wetland habitats that support an array of unique plants and animals.

Each month Second Saturday programs are held at the Visitor Center.  The programs are free and no registration is required.

Hagerman NWR Turns 70 in February - watch for details on the celebration, which is set for 2 - 4 pm, Sunday, February 21.

Color-In for Teens, Grown-ups, at Hagerman NWR

Coloring isn’t just for kids!  Hagerman is sponsoring a Color-In exclusively for Teens and Grown-ups on Sunday, February 28, from 2:30-4:00 pm.  If you love to color or want to reconnect with your inner child, join us for a relaxing afternoon of coloring at Hagerman. Coloring is a great way to be creative and reduce your stress level.

The program is free; no registration is needed. Bring your own supplies or use ours. We have nature-themed pages to color, crayons, and colored pencils. We also have an assortment of nature-themed coloring books for sale in the Nature Nook book and gift shop at the Refuge.

Photo by Tom Judd

Tram Tours

            Hop on the Carlos and Eulalia Cardinal Express for a 60 - 90-minute tour along Wildlife Drive at the Refuge.  Guided tours will be offered in February on Saturdays and Sundays at 2:00 PM, weather permitting.  This is an open-air tram, so dress for the weather.  The tours are free but donations to the tram maintenance fund are welcome.  

Call 903 786 2826 for reservations as seating is limited.  Volunteers cannot access messages on the Refuge phone system.  To make a reservation, please speak to a volunteer from 9 am-4 pm Monday-Saturday and 1-5 pm on Sundays.  Standbys will be accepted on weekends if space permits.   No dogs other than service animals allowed on board the tram.

            Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge is located at 6465 Refuge Road, Sherman, Texas.  The Visitor Center is open from 7:30 am - 4 pm Monday- Friday, 9 am  -  4 pm on Saturday and from 1-5 on Sunday. The grounds are open year-round from sunrise until sunset unless otherwise posted.  The Refuge Office/Visitor Center is closed on all federal holidays and will be closed on Monday, February 15 for Presidents Day.

Begin to Bird

Most every day I sit at my kitchen table and observe the birds who gather at our backyard feeders.  According to Dictionary.com, I am a birdwatcher – a person who identifies and observes birds in their natural habitat as recreation.

In an article about Birdwatching on Wikipedia, we find that

“The term "birdwatching" appeared for the first time as the title of a book "Bird Watching" by Edmund Selous in 1901. In North America, the identification of birds, once thought possible only by shooting was made possible by the emergence of optics and field identification guides. The earliest field guide in the US was Birds through an Opera Glass (1889) by Florence Bailey.”

The article goes on to state that for years birdwatching in America was popular primarily in the eastern seaboard states.   The combination of more readily available binoculars following World War II and automobile helped spread birdwatching and increased travel to view birds.

A study by U.S. Fish & Wildlife  is cited by Wikipedia as estimating that currently 20% of Americans are birdwatchers.

On two Saturdays, January 23 and January 30, you can join the 20%! Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge will offer Begin to Bird.  The first session will cover choosing birdwatching equipment and the second will cover identification keys to birds common in our area.  You can register online, call the Refuge, 903 786 2826,  or just show up at 10 am in the Visitor Center Meeting Room at the Refuge.

Then, on Saturday, February 13, you can practice!  The 2016 Great Backyard Bird Count is set for February 12 - 15 this year, and Hagerman and the Friends  will hold a GBBC Walk, led by Dr. Wayne Meyer, at 8 am on that date, weather permitting.  Participants will meet BY 8 am at the Visitor Center and return in time for the Second Saturday presentation.

In case you are wondering, the term birdwatching can be all inclusive or may be used to describe the casual hobbyist v. “birder”, whose approach is more serious and includes keeping multiple lists, a collection of field guides, the latest optics, and travel to see specific birds. (http://birding.about.com/od/birdingbasics/a/Birdwatching-Or-Birding.htm)

Backyard Bird Photos by Dick Malnory

Join the 2011 Great Backyard Bird Count

(Information in this post is from Cornell Lab of Ornithology, http://www.birds.cornell.edu/)

You can help count the birds! February 18 - 21 are the dates for the annual Great Backyard Bird Count this year. The count is coordinated by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Audubon, and Bird Studies Canada, and all interested persons - people of all ages and skill levels - can help by counting birds in their yards, neighborhoods, or other locations across the U. S. and Canada.

Cornell’s instructions are to simply tally birds for at least 15 minutes on any day of the count, then go to http://www.birdcount.org and enter the highest number of each species seen at any one time.

Cornell states that numbers submitted to Cornell provide an instantaneous snapshot of birdlife across the continent for all to see, and that you can watch as the tallies come in at http://www.birdcount.org.

“Whether people observe birds in backyards, parks, or wilderness areas, the Great Backyard Bird Count is an opportunity to share their results at http://www.birdcount.org,” said Judy Braus, Audubon’s vice president of Education and Centers. “It’s fun and rewarding for people of all ages and skill levels--and it gets people outside!”

“When thousands of people all tell us what they’re seeing, we can detect changes in birds’ numbers and locations from year to year,” said Dr. Janis Dickinson, director of Citizen Science at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Information, including bird-ID tips, instructions, and past results, is available at http://www.birdcount.org. For photographers, the count also includes a photo contest.

For more information about birds at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, please see the official Refuge website, http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/hagerman/index.html and for information about events and activities of the Friends of Hagerman, as well as many bird photos, visit http://www.friendsofhagerman.com.

Photo, Female Red-winged Blackbird, by Donna Niemann.