Join leading bird guides Louise Zemaitis and Michael O’Brian as they focus on Galveston’s amazing shorebird diversity in this first-time FeatherFest field trip. At each stop, Louise and Michael will spot species of interest, and discuss intricacies of shorebird identification, which is notoriously tricky.
You’ll have the opportunity to see up to 20 species of shorebirds (i.e., sandpipers and plovers) during this trip that sets out from the East End of the island. As the day begins, lovely sunrise views over the Gulf of Mexico provide a beautiful backdrop for an astonishing level of avian activity. With habitat that includes sandy beach, mudflats, tidal lagoon, small freshwater and brackish ponds, and saltmarsh, a wide range of shorebirds will be seen. Highlights may include Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Spotted Sandpiper, and a variety of “peeps” and plovers.
The trip will continue with visits to both tidal and freshwater ponds at the edge of the West End, which are often quite productive. In addition to species mentioned above, this area may produce Solitary Sandpiper, and both Dunlin and Black-bellied Plover in fresh breeding plumage.
