Located on the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail, the Baytown Nature Center (BNC) is a 450-acre peninsula surrounded by three brackish bays. Renowned for its rich bird life, over 350 species have been recorded throughout its 25-year existence.
BNC is equipped with trails and observation platforms throughout the center, providing close views of wading birds and shorebirds. Huge utility towers across Burnet Bay often attract migrants as they travel through the area, with brown boobies becoming a fairly common site during winter months. The upland forest fragments attract songbirds and raptors, including annual Bald Eagles frequently seen onsite.
The group will meet at the BNC and go by bus from there for the field trip. Driving directions will be emailed prior to the festival.
Birding will begin at the Information Center, continue in the Nature Center’s shuttles for frequent stops to look for birds, and end with an easy, but lengthy, roadway walk to observe both songbirds and shorebirds. Total distance covered (driving and walking) is approximately six miles. Since we will be travelling via shuttle, you can choose to walk or return to the shuttle at any time. The distance traveled will vary, depending on how much time is spent at each stop. Target species are rails, warblers, eagles, shorebirds, egrets, herons, gulls, terns, and osprey.
Prior to becoming a nature center, the site was home to the Brownwood subdivision, one of Baytown’s most desirable neighborhoods. Unfortunately, the area subsided dramatically throughout the 20th century, and Brownwood was dealt a death blow by Hurricane Alicia in 1983. Condemned by FEMA for human habitation, the area was cleared of infrastructure and returned to nature, opening as the Baytown Nature Center in 2002. When tides are low, visitors can still see the bulkheads of old residences along the perimeter roads of the center.
Bring: water, snacks, sunscreen, insect repellent
