Sightings of Sandhill Cranes have already been reported on Galveston’s West End! Soon we’ll have several hundred of these majestic cranes wintering with us, as they take advantage of our milder climate and plentiful food resources.

To celebrate the arrival of these 3-4 foot tall, red-capped visitors, we invite you to join Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council in what’s been dubbed by the New York Times as “one of the quirkiest events in Texas” – Holiday with the Cranes!

For a unique holiday experience, spend a wild weekend in Galveston celebrating the return of the Island’s Sandhill Cranes at Holiday with the Cranes, Dec. 9 – 10, 2023. Join us for our indoor and outdoor nature activities combined with the ambience and warm hospitality of historic Galveston Island!

Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council is a membership organization that connects people with Galveston’s natural environment. One of the ways we do that is through our events like Holiday with the Cranes. 

Saturday, Dec. 9, 2023          

• Dawn Patrol: Breathtaking Views of Sandhill Cranes in Flight at Sunrise (6:30 – 7:30 am) SOLD OUT! 
  
• Coffee & Cranes with Special Guests – International Crane Foundation’s Paityn Bower & Irvin Louque, Breakfast & Crane Crawl (8 – 11:30 am) SOLD OUT!
  
• Birding Bonanza at Halls Bayou Ranch (1:00 – 6:00 pm) SOLD OUT! 

Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023

• Dawn Patrol: Breathtaking Views of Sandhill Cranes in Flight at Sunrise (6:30 – 7:30 am) SOLD OUT!
• East End Winter Coastal Birding: Exploring Diverse Habitats of the East End (9:00 am – noon) SOLD OUT!
• Winter Birding on the Isle’s West End: Birding Hotspots Out West (9:00 am – noon) SOLD OUT!
  

Current GINTC Members enjoy a 10% discount on all events!

To learn more about membership or to join, go to GalvestonNatureTourism.org/become-a-member

Registrants should be at least 10 yrs old, and those under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Registration is required of all attendees regardless of age.

COFFEE & CRANES

SPECIAL GUESTS: International Crane Foundation’s Paityn Bower & Irvin Louque

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9, 8:00 am 

Tickets: $40, 10% discount for GINTC members

Galveston Bay Area Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist Advanced Training Credit: 2 Hours

Coffee and a light breakfast will be served. After the program, if weather permits, participants will head out on Holiday with the Crane’s signature Crane Crawl. This self-driving tour to nearby crane hotspots will be a real-time opportunity to see Sandhills as they forage and play. You will be given a map and directions. 3-4 viewing areas will be outfitted with spotting scopes and experienced birders will be on hand to assist and answer questions. Bring binoculars if you have them.

Life of the Whooping Crane, Presenter Paityn Bower

Whooping Cranes are the rarest species of crane in the world, declining to a low of 21 birds in the early 1940s. One of the first species to be added to the Endangered Species List in 1972, they have increased to over 800 individuals. This impressive bird stands at 5 feet tall with snowy white plumage and a striking red crown. Soar with us as we describe this charismatic species’ fascinating life history and ongoing conservation story.

Sandhill Cranes: Inspiring Conservation and Birders Across North America, Presenter Irvin Louque

Sandhill Cranes are a conservation success story. Like the Whooping Crane, Sandhill Cranes also experienced a steep decline in the early part of the 20th century due to overhunting and wetland habitat loss. Fortunately, due to their more widespread range as well as regulations protecting wetlands, Sandhill Cranes have had an amazing comeback to now being a common sight across North America where they interact with farmers and hunters, rural and urban communities alike. Many birders and conservationists across the continent, including myself, continue to be inspired by the Sandhill Crane’s story, bugles, and their family and flock-oriented behaviors.

MEET PAITYN

Paityn Bower is the Outreach Biologist for the International Crane Foundation Texas Program. A native Oklahoman, she completed her bachelor’s degree in biology at the University of Central Oklahoma. She later obtained her master’s degree in marine conservation from the University of Miami, focusing on light pollution and its effects on sea turtle hatchlings. Her background includes the study of both freshwater and marine turtles, with an emphasis on outreach and education. She now works to increase awareness and empathy for Whooping Cranes along the Texas Gulf Coast.

MEET IRVIN

Irvin Louque is the International Crane Foundation’s Whooping Crane Outreach Coordinator–Louisiana. A lifelong birder and naturalist, he studied Wildlife Management at McNeese State University and earned a master’s degree researching the distribution and abundance of map turtles in the rivers of southwest Louisiana. Irvin’s Cajun and Creole roots help inform his outreach efforts to connect rural Louisianans with the state’s environmental challenges, especially cranes and wetland conservation.

DAWN PATROL

Space is limited and this activity fills quickly. We are offering it on both Saturday and Sunday!

Saturday, Dec. 9 & Sunday, Dec. 10 

6:30 a.m. – 7:30 a.m.

Private Nature Preserve on Galveston Island’s West End 

Tickets: $50, 10% discount to GINTC members.

Galveston Bay Area Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist Advanced Training Credit: 1 Hour

Driving directions to the meeting site will be emailed prior to the event.

Bring binoculars if you have them. Please no tripods as there is limited space on the platform. 

Photo: David Paulissen

It’s no wonder that our two Dawn Patrol events fill up so quickly – This early morning nature adventure is truly a magical and unforgettable experience. With special access to this private preserve, Dr. Alice Anne O’Donell will lead our small group within viewing distance of the prime Sandhill Crane roost on the Island. Numbers have varied over the years from 100 to 250. The past three years, we have seen 125-150 during our early morning viewing.

You also should see Brown and White Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbill, ibis, herons, ducks, grebes, rails, sparrows, cormorants, hawks, Osprey, White-tailed Kite, Crested Caracara and sandpipers along with the majestic Sandhill Cranes!

Don’t miss this opportunity to watch the real ‘early birds’ of Galveston Island as they awake, stretch, dance, stroll, vocalize and take flight.

Bring binoculars if you have them. Spotting scopes will be provided. Photographers are welcome but space is limited on the nature observation platform with no room for registrants to use tripods.

Driving directions will be emailed prior to the event.

Photo: Barbara Rabek

BIRDING BONANZA AT HALLS BAYOU RANCH

Saturday, Dec. 9, 1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Tickets: $60, 10% discount to GINTC members

Galveston Bay Area Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist Advanced Training Credit: 3 Hours

Driving directions to the meeting site will be emailed prior to the event.

Bring binoculars if you have them.

This field trip to Halls Bayou Ranch, a 25,000-acre private membership club, is sure to become a Holiday with the Cranes favorite. You’ll want to snag a seat on the bus quickly as we anticipate this trip filling fast.

Local birding guide Kyle O’Haver reports several attractive species to Island birders could be encountered on this trip including mainland birds and fall rarities like Fulvous Whistling Duck, three species of Geese, Wood Duck, Cinnamon Teal, Canvasback, Lesser Nighthawk, Virginia Rail, Bald Eagle, Ladder-backed Woodpecker, Grasshopper Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, LeConte’s Sparrow, and no doubt, plenty of Sandhill Cranes.

The property begins at Halls Lake near Alvin and flows southeasterly into West Galveston Bay. It is somewhat secluded and normally open only to members. GINTC has been given permission to bring a Holiday with the Cranes field trip to this beautiful piece of property!

Operated for farming and ranching in the early days (founded in 1943), management changed the focus to hunting, fishing and a strong dedication to habitat development and conservation. This bayou is host to tens of thousands of waterfowl in the winter attracted by extensive beds of wild celery. Part of the Galveston Bay western estuary, Halls Bayou is a welcome corridor for migrants featuring freshwater and saltwater habitat. Passerines forage on native grasses and open tree lines of secluded live oak. Shorebirds and waterbirds work the tides of the marsh. The area draws its share of raptors as well to the open ranch.

Registrants for this trip will be boarding the bus on Galveston Island at 1:00 pm and returning at 6:00 pm. Directions to the meeting site will be emailed prior to the trip.

EAST END WINTER COASTAL BIRDING

Sunday, Dec. 10, 9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Seawall’s East End Marshes, Lagoons, Ship Channel, Beach & Salt Flats

Tickets: $40, 10% discount to GINTC members

Galveston Bay Area Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist Advanced Training Credit: 2 Hours

Driving directions to the meeting site will be emailed prior to the event.

Bring binoculars if you have them.

This field trip is designed for folks who want to see a variety of wintering coastal bird species.

NOTE: Sandhill Cranes will not be seen. See the target list below.

Explore the diverse habitats of the East End of Galveston Island and see the birds that make Galveston their home in the winter months. We will travel by bus stopping at key coastal habitats including the beach and South Jetty. We should see hundreds of wintering gulls, terns, pelicans, avocets, skimmers, small and medium sandpipers and plovers, egrets and herons. Weather permitting, there will be some short walks on this part of the field trip.

After leaving East Beach, we’ll spend time along the loop road that will take us past marshes and the lagoon on the north before returning to the Seawall.

FeatherFest field trip leader Clayton Leopold will lead participants on this adventure designed for birders of all skill levels.

During the winter, there is an abundance of Snowy, Piping and Black-bellied Plovers, the American Oystercatcher, American Avocet, Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit, Caspian Tern, Belted Kingfisher, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Osprey, Northern Harrier and more. Ducks include the Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Mottled Duck, Northern Shoveler and Red-breasted Merganser. Savannah and Lincoln’s Sparrows are often sighted, too.

Spanning almost 700 acres of diverse habitat, the East End Lagoon Nature Park & Preserve includes both tidal and nontidal wetlands, beach dunes, a freshwater pond, black mangroves, upland prairie, and an extensive marine coastline.

WINTER BIRDING ON THE ISLE’S WEST END

Sunday, Dec. 10, 9:00 a.m. – noon 

Tickets: $40, 10% discount to GINTC members

Galveston Bay Area Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist Advanced Training Credit: 2 Hours

Driving directions to the meeting site will be emailed prior to the event.

Bring binoculars if you have them.

Photo: David Paulissen

 

Local birders love birding Galveston during the winter months! Traveling by bus, we will hit all the favorite West End hotspots including freshwater ponds, coastal marshes, bay waters and the beach. Our focus will be from Moody Gardens to 8 Mile Road. Although we’ll see some of the same birds seen on the East End trip, we’ll also see Sandhill Crane, a greater number of species of ducks and hawks, White-tailed Kite; and we’ll get closer looks at sandpipers, gulls, terns and American Oystercatcher. The areas we will visit also provide habitat for Piping, Snowy and Black-bellied Plovers, American Avocet, godwit, and curlew.

FeatherFest field trip leader and local guide Greg Whittaker will lead participants on this West End adventure designed for birders of all skill levels.