Blog - Yes, Galveston!

FeatherFest Galveston TX 20th Annual FeatherFest on Galveston Island event is a popular birding and photography festival hosted by the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council (GINTC)April 19, 2022 — April 25, 2022Registration Deadline is April 17, 2022 6:00 PM Birding Field Trips in Galveston. Galveston Complete Birding SamplerApril 21 @ 6:30 am - 11:30 am Details: FeatherFest Galveston Field TripExplore the entire island with our local leaders. They know the birding spots well, and will consider the weather, tides, and what they have seen just prior to or during the festival, to decide what to view and where to go. In that regard, the tour is not fixed rigidly in advance, but is more a birding adventure. You’ll go where the birds are!Targets: American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Roseate Spoonbill, sandpipers, waterfowl, prairie birds, sparrows, raptors, herons, egrets, and dowitchers. If migrant songbirds are on the Island, these leaders will find them! East Galveston with Glenn OlsenApril 21 @ 7:30 am - 11:30 amDetails: East Galveston FeatherFest We will concentrate on gaining a deeper understanding of bird identification. Our approach is to observe differences in body structure, behavior, habitat preferences, and feeding styles of various species of birds. This trip allows us time to observe and discover the distinct characteristics of each species as opposed to generating a list of a larger number of species that we know little about. Notebooks are encouraged! More information about the following field trips/workshops is available on the FeatherFest website. Galveston Birding with Kevin KarlsonApril 21 @ 8:00 am - 12:30 pm We're happy to welcome back Kevin Karlson for FeatherFest 2022! You'll enjoy this trip that could go anywhere on the Island based on where the birds are! Kevin will decide the destinations depending on what he’s scouted out before the festival. He’ll check out Corps Woods, Lafitte’s Cove, the East End Flats, Sportsman Road and sites all the way to San Luis Pass so that he’ll be able to take you to all the best birding spots on the Island. Coastal Birding Workshop & Field TripApril 21 @ 12:30 pm - 4:45 pm Birders will find this workshop/field trip combo the perfect introduction to coastal birding. During the workshop, your guides will give a brief discussion about the diversity of species, as well as various techniques to identify birds on the Upper Texas Coast. We will then board our bus and proceed to the East End Lagoon Nature Preserve beach area where you’ll see Black Skimmer, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, and many species of shorebirds, gulls, terns, sandpipers, plovers, and more. Stops along the way will highlight birds preferring marsh habitat. Galveston Bay Birding, the Flip Side #1April 21 @ 1:00 pm - 4:30 pm This is your opportunity to explore “the other side” of Galveston Bay. We head over the causeway bridge to explore birding areas on the Mainland side of Galveston Bay in the Tiki Island, Texas City, and La Marque areas. One of our best kept secrets and most under explored areas, participants will be surprised at the number and variety of birds seen on this outing. Birding locations may include some privately-owned land with fresh water ponds that provide easy observation of migrating shorebirds and ducks. American Golden Plover, Upland Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, and Wilson’s Phalarope are often seen at this location during migration.Additional dates/times may be available, check online for specific registration. Songbirds on the West End #1April 21 @ 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm This field trip searches for the spring songbird richness found on West Galveston Island, with a special emphasis on warblers, vireos, tanagers, orioles, grosbeaks and buntings. Guests will walk through Lafitte’s Cove Nature Preserve, Galveston’s crown jewel for migrating songbirds. Several species of vireos and warblers were seen in the oak mott last spring. Freshwater ponds at the entrance to the preserve provide up-close views of migrating shorebirds, ducks, both species of dowitchers and yellowlegs, Solitary and Pectoral Sandpipers, Marsh…Additional dates/times may be available, check online for specific registration. Greet the Dawn at Virginia PointApril 22 @ 5:30 am - 11:30 am During this field trip we will visit some areas not normally publicly accessible. Virginia Point is a historic peninsula location across Galveston Bay comprising the wonderful 3,000 acres of mainland bay margin which SCENIC GALVESTON, Inc. (SG) has acquired for permanent conservation protection. Visitors coming into or out of Galveston on I-45 (the O’Quinn Estuary Corridor) see the results of this non-profit’s work on both flanks, and those areas are open to the public. Galveston Island Birding with Greg MillerApril 22 @ 6:30 am - 3:00 pm Greg is so much fun to bird with that we decided to add a trip where he will concentrate on just Galveston Island! We’ll let Greg decide where he wants to go depending on what he’s scouted out before the festival. He’ll check out Corps Woods, Lafitte’s Cove, the East End Flats, Sportsman Road, and sites all the way to San Luis Pass so that he’ll be able to take you to all the best birding spots on the Island. E-bike Birding #1April 22 @ 7:00 am - 11:00 am Enjoy zipping along on a quiet and easy electric bike that allows you to get up close and personal with the resident and migratory birds species seen at this time of year. This nearly effortless ride allows you to immerse yourself in the natural beauty of our wetlands and beaches.Additional dates/times may be available, check online for specific registration. Birding by EarApril 22 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am Ever chase a bird song in the canopy of tall oaks then chase it until the bird stops singing? Ever sit in your backyard and hear a strange bird song in the distance? In both cases you had no chance to see the bird. In both cases you wondered what it was. All birds vocalize and for songbirds’ song is necessary for species survival. A unique biology found only in birds lies behind bird song and communication. The genetics that drive bird vocalizations are not very different than humans. West Isle Marsh and Shorebirds Field Trip by BusApril 23 @ 7:15 am - 11:15 am Participants will travel by bus to Galveston Island’s West End shorebird hot spots to bird the freshwater ponds, coastal marshes, and bay waters. We begin the field trip with herons and egrets, migrating shorebirds and waterfowl in the wetland areas so numerous in this section of the island. We may encounter Clapper Rail, Black-necked Stilt, Common Loon, diving ducks and “peeps.” There is also excellent viewing of American Oystercatcher, Dunlin, Ruddy Turnstone, dowitchers, gulls and terns that gather on the private piers on Sportsman Road. From there we travel to Lafitte’s Cove to walk the paths in search of migrating and nesting songbirds in the oaks and wading birds in the ponds. Moody Gardens Birding Hot SpotsApril 23 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am Join Greg Whittaker on a guided tour of the birds of Moody Gardens. This unique combination field trip will include a guided tour through the canopy level of the Tropical Rainforest exhibit as well as a viewing of the Penguins in the Aquarium Pyramid. You will learn everything you wanted to know about how our Life Science and Exhibit Operations team manages a diverse collection of tropical species within the Rainforest biome as well as the 7 species of penguins… East Beach Field Trip with Kevin KarlsonApril 23 @ 9:00 am - 1:00 pm Join Kevin for a relaxed birding experience at Galveston Island’s East Beach area. We will tour though East End Lagoon Nature Preserve, catching views of a precious and increasingly rare ecosystem. We will explore 684 acres of Galveston’s largest undeveloped habitat including one of the few remaining sizable tracts of coastal prairie. The site contains both tidal and nontidal wetlands, beach dunes, a freshwater pond, black mangroves, and upland prairie, along with an extensive marine coastline. East Island Birding with Greg MillerApril 23 @ 2:00 pm - 6:00 pm Bird Galveston’s East End with one of the world’s most famous birders! In 1998, Greg zig-zagged 130,000 miles across the USA hoping to reach at least 700 species of birds in one calendar year. Galveston FeatherFest: Birding Workshops. In addition to the many wonderful hands-on field trips led by local birding experts, FeatherFest offers amazing educational workshops about migrating and local nature topics. The workshops are interesting and affordable, most ranging just $20-$25. Here is a brief outline, get more details here. Coastal Birding Workshop & Field TripApril 21 @ 12:30 pm - 4:45 pm NEW for 2022!Toughest North American Shorebird ID Challenges with Kevin KarlsonApril 21 @ 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm It Begins with WarblersApril 21 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm NEW for 2022!iNaturalist Workshop & Field Trip with Glenn OlsenApril 22 @ 7:30 am - 11:30 am Birding by EarApril 22 @ 8:00 am - 11:00 am Shorebirds, Gulls & Terns of Galveston Island WorkshopApril 22 @ 10:45 am - 11:45 am Maximizing Your Birding Efficiency with Greg MillerApril 22 @ 4:30 pm - 5:30 pm NEW for 2022!Creating a Pollinator Paradise at Home2 different events#1 April 23 @ 10:00 am - 11:00 am#2 April 23 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm. Gulls Simplified Workshop by Kevin KarlsonApril 23 @ 3:30 pm - 5:00 pm. FeatherFest Photography Workshops. There are numerous learning opportunities for birding photography during FeatherFest in Galveston. Get tips from local experts and enhance and improve the beauty and timing of your birding photos. Get more details on FeatherFest Photography Field Trips or Photography Workshops. FledglingFest for Kids. The deadline to register for the many wonderful FeatherFest events: April 17, 2022 6:00 PM. Some events will sell out, so register early. See the events page here: FledglingFest FeatherFest on Galveston Island: Registration. The deadline to register for...

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Yes, Galveston!

FeatherFest 2022

Clayton Dyess Trio – Jazz Under the Palms – June 30

Teen Gaming – Video & Board Games – June 29

Clayton Dyess Trio – Jazz Under the Palms – June 23

Teen Gaming – Video & Board Games – June 22

Sing-A-Long & Soul 2 Soul Food Sunday – June 19

Artist Boat Kayak Adventure: Coastal Heritage Preserve June 19

Galveston’s Own Farmers Market – June 19

Lafftown Comedy – 23rd Street Station Piano Bar – June 18

Kirk Hale on Piano – June 18

Clayton Dyess Trio – Jazz Under the Palms – June 17