May 1st-3rd, 2008  Alpine, TX

What birds did we see at the meeting?

Alpine Bird Spreadsheet

Thanks to Mathias, Ariana & Irenna Weeks who helped me input all this data.

SPRING MEETING IN ALPINE  - Summary by Carolyn Ohl-Johnson

Anyone who attended the spring TOS meeting in Alpine should have no doubt that TOS is getting better with age. Everything was well planned and went off according to schedule. The president, Ron Weeks, undoubtedly deserves much credit for that.

 Birders, chomping at the bit, started birding, at a feverish pace even before they rolled into Alpine on Thursday. That evening all enjoyed an enlightening presentation by John Coffman of Alpine on the re-introduction of Aplomado Falcons in Texas. Captive breeding of the endangered birds began as early as 1977 at the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute near Alpine. This project was later taken over by the Peregrine Fund, and has been very successful at saving this spectacular falcon from extinction.

 Friday found participants engaged in serious birding, and often strenuous hiking, on field trips to a wide variety of habitats, such as sky islands, a lake, and several private properties, to name a few. The only complaint heard was that there were so many wonderful field trips to choose from, it was impossible to choose.

 The weather was basically great. While there was some wind to contend with, heat was never a problem. Those that made the arduous 11 mile climb to Boot Springs in Big Bend National Park, led by Brad Lirette, felt amply rewarded with good looks at Colima Warblers, Painted Redstarts, and on Saturday, a Red-faced Warbler.

 Friday night, renowned bird researcher and artist John O’Neill, gave a presentation about his work with birds in Peru. John has actually discovered 13 new species of birds previously unknown to science… more than any living person… although he was too modest to point that out.

Saturday’s field trips were as rewarding as Friday’s, resulting in many species being added to most participants life lists over the weekend. Some of the special species observed, besides the three already mentioned, were the Buff-Breasted Flycatcher, Grace’s Warbler, Montezuma Quail, Magnificent and Lucifer Hummingbirds, Elf Owl, Black-chinned Sparrow, Black-capped and Gray Vireos, Common Black Hawk, Gray Hawk, and Crissal Thrasher.

 The Saturday evening banquet was a culinary feast as well as a feast of camaraderie. Afterwards, Dan Lane enthralled all with his presentation on the making of his and John O’Neill’s new bird guide to Peru. It promises to be one of the most beautiful bird guides to date…. a work of art by itself. John and Dan were kept busy autographing copies.

 Last, but not least, the directors of TOS were justifiably proud to wear and sell the new TOS t-shirts, featuring Nancy McGowan’s rendition of one of Texas’s specialty birds, the Altamira Oriole. Her artwork won, among the many entered, in a contest to select the shirt’s design. More of these shirts were sold than there were participants at the meeting, a testament to their quality and beauty, most of which can be attributed to the hard work and expertise of TOS director, Bron Rorex.