Please join our Monthly Meetings via ZOOM. A link to the meeting will be sent via email just prior to the event. Check your email for the link.
For additional bird watching events, visit the Other Birding Events page.
Get your photography on at the El Potrero Nature Photography Ranch in Riviera, Texas. Led by Tom Langscheid. More details coming soon.
Join us at the South Texas Botanical Gardens in the education room at 7 PM for our October meeting. Larry Jordan will present on the AOC international trip to Tanzania with Holbrook Travel before our business meeting.
Libby Even leads a trip to the Welder Wildlife Refuge. More info coming soon.
From the Welder website:
“The Rob and Bessie Welder Wildlife Refuge is located seven miles north of Sinton, Texas, just off US Highway 77. Our location is central to the remarkable diversity found across the refuge’s 7,800 acres. The entire northern boundary is formed by the tidal Aransas River, which winds toward Copano Bay only thirteen miles downstream from our headquarters.
The refuge lies at the meeting point of two of Texas’s most iconic ecoregions – the Gulf Coast Prairies and Marshes and the South Texas Plains. This convergence creates a landscape where coastal oak mottes and open prairies blend seamlessly into the tamaulipan thornscrub that defines much of South Texas.
That ecological richness is reflected in the diversity of life supported here. The refuge contains over 700 plant species, including more than 60 native grasses, along with 24 distinct soil types and nearly 30 ephemeral wetlands that shape habitat across the property. Wildlife diversity is equally impressive, with more than 60 mammal species, over 400 documented species of migratory birds, and approximately 90 species of amphibians and reptiles recorded on the refuge.
Together, these features make the Welder Wildlife Refuge one of the most biologically diverse private conservation landscapes in the region, a living laboratory for research, education, and long‑term stewardship.”
Join us at the South Texas Botanical Gardens in the education room at 7 PM for our November meeting. Dr. Kristina Alexander, the endowed chair for Marine Policy and Law at the Harte Research Institute, will present on various interpretations of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act before our business meeting.
Join us at the South Texas Botanical Gardens in the education room at 7 PM for our December meeting. Details about speaker TBA!
Chris Saenz leads a field trip around Port Aransas. More details TBA.
Join us at the South Texas Botanical Gardens in the education room at 7 PM for our January meeting. Liam Wolff will present on the club’s international trip to Ecuador in 2026 followed by a business meeting.
Larry Jordan leads a field trip looking for waterfowl and shorebirds around the TAMUCC campus and nearby areas. More details TBA soon.
Liam Wolff leads a trip around Lake Corpus Christi State Park and nearby hotspots. More details TBA soon.
Join us at the South Texas Botanical Gardens in the education room at 7 PM for our February meeting. Larry Jordan and other local Christmas Bird Count compilers will present on the results of the 2026 Christmas Bird Count for their region before our business meeting.
Paul Swacina leads for kayakers and Brent Ortego for landlubbers. More details TBA!
Join us at the South Texas Botanical Gardens in the education room at 7 PM for our March meeting. The speaker for March 2026 is TBA!
Join us at the Harte Research Institute in room HRI 127 at 6PM for our April meeting. Before our business meeting, recipients of our Dr. Howard and Beth Hoekje scholarship will have the opportunity to present on their research and projects.
Join us at the South Texas Botanical Gardens in the education room at 7 PM for our May meeting. This month is our member photography showcase! Bring your photos on a flashdrive to share with the group!
Join us at the Hazel Bazemore Park Hawkwatch Platform at 6 PM for our spring potluck picnic. Bring a dish to share, your own plate, napkins, silverware, and chair. Don’t forget a spare tupperware, because you will certainly want to bring home leftovers!
You came. You saw. You conquered. Or at least you tried your best to figure out what you were looking at high in the sky. But the Celebration (of Flight) isn’t over just yet.
Join HawkWatch International, the Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi, the National Wildlife Federation, and our friends at Lazy Beach Brewing’s Downtown location for The Closing Kettle, the official closing event of the annual Celebration of Flight festival. Complete with trivia, a screening of the short film Coast to Coast, cold craft drinks, and a chance to see LIVE raptors up close. Plus, you’ll have a chance to win owlsome prizes.
You do not need to be a raptor expert to participate… but attending the festival isn’t a bad way to brush up on your bird facts. You might just find that it gives you the leg (wing?) up on the competition.
Each ticket includes:
One complimentary beer (or other beverage) and a chance to win owlsome trivia prizes
Meet-and-greet with live raptors from HawkWatch International
And opportunities to learn more about how to see migrating raptors up close
Not interested in playing trivia? You can still stop by to meet the birds and enjoy a beer, with proceeds benefiting raptor conservation in the Coastal Bend at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch. We’ll also be selling HWI merchandise, so come grab your gear if you didn’t get a chance to snag it at the festival!
Thank You to Our Sponsors Lazy Beach Brewing Company and National Wildlife Foundation.
Celebrate the magic of migration during the annual Celebration of Flight Festival at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch at Hazel Bazemore County Park. This is a family-friendly event with free activities in the park that coincide with peak Broad-winged Hawk migration in September. Thanks to our partners at the Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi and the many volunteers who make this festival possible. Vendors and food trucks will be present throughout the festival.
Events That Require Registration
Celebrate the magic of migration during the annual Celebration of Flight Festival at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch at Hazel Bazemore County Park. This is a family-friendly event with free activities in the park that coincide with peak Broad-winged Hawk migration in September. Thanks to our partners at the Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi and the many volunteers who make this festival possible. Vendors and food trucks will be present throughout the festival.
Events That Require Registration
Celebrate the magic of migration during the annual Celebration of Flight Festival at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch at Hazel Bazemore County Park. This is a family-friendly event with free activities in the park that coincide with peak Broad-winged Hawk migration in September. Thanks to our partners at the Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi and the many volunteers who make this festival possible. Vendors and food trucks will be present throughout the festival.
Events That Require Registration
The raptors are ready to head south for the winter, and we’re throwing a party to send them off in style. Join HawkWatch International as we celebrate all this soaring with a little beer pouring (and more) at Lazy Beach Brewing’s Southside location in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Kick back with a cold beer (or root beer!), and some of the coolest birds around at the second-annual South Texas Soar & Pour, a laid-back evening of pre-festival food, fun, and games before the annual Celebration of Flight at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch. You’ll have the chance to meet LIVE raptors up close and compete in Bird Brains—HWI’s exclusive game show for people who think they know birds! You do not need to be a raptor expert to participate. In fact… sometimes being too birdy will be to your detriment.
Bird Brains games will begin at 7:00 p.m. Teams can range in size from 2–6 people, and each team member should register individually. Be sure to choose your team wisely as games will range from trivia to logic to word games.
Each ticket includes:
One complimentary beer and entry into Bird Brains
Meet-and-greet with live raptors from HawkWatch International
And opportunities to learn more about how to see migrating raptors up close
REGISTER NOW to join us for this fun evening with our feathered friends!
Plus, you can upgrade your ticket to include dinner from our friends at Lazy Beaching Brewing!
Not interested in joining a team for games? You can also snag a drink-only ticket. You can still stop by to meet the birds and enjoy a beer. We’ll also be selling HWI merchandise, so come grab your gear to get ready for the weekend’s Celebration of Flight!
Thank you to our partners at Lazy Beach Brewing Company and National Wildlife Foundation
Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026
Departure: 8:00 am
Return: 12:00 pm
Price: $60 per person
Spaces Remaining: 6
REGISTER NOW
Overview
Known as America’s birdiest city, Corpus Christi is the place to be during the fall migration season. Between August and November, upwards of one million raptors can be counted at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch, with daily counts sometimes in excess of 100,000 migrants. But how can you tell what you’re looking at that high in the sky?
Join HawkWatch International’s own Jesse Watson for a half-day of hawkwatching and fall fun at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch and Pollywog Pond. Plus, you’ll be able to sit back and relax as we do all the driving, allowing you to (safely) take in all the birds, all the time.
Want to learn a little about raptor ID before you head into the field? Join Jesse for an two-hour raptor ID class the night before with a bundled ticket and save 30%!
What to Expect
After meeting your fellow participants at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch at Hazel Bazemore County park, we’ll make the quick trip to Pollywog Pond, a local hotspot for lots of raptors and other South Texas specialties such as the Green Jay, Great Kiskadee, Olive Sparrow, Clay-colored Thrush, and Couch’s Kingbird. We’ll head back to the HawkWatch after we’ve had our fill at Pollywog Pond—or if we’re hear that there’s a kettle of Broad-winged Hawks overhead at the platform. You won’t want to miss it! While the exact timing and locations may vary, our team’s commitment to leading you to the best spot to bird that day won’t.
We’ll be back at the HawkWatch by 12pm, where you’re welcome to enjoy the rest of the afternoon with our incredible crew on the platform; however, our field trip formally concludes at this time.
What’s Included
Roundtrip transportation from the Corpus Christi HawkWatch located at Hazel Bazemore County Park
Expert hawkwatching instruction from the HawkWatch International team
What’s Not Included
Accommodations*
Gratuities for guides
Meals or snacks
Other personal items
Terms & Conditions
This trip is subject to HWI’s Field Trip and Tour Policies. Payment in full is due at the time of registration
This tour is limited to 8 people to ensure an intimate, high-quality experience for everyone.
The minimum number of participants is 3. In the event the minimum is not reached, we will refund your ticket or issue a receipt for your tax-deductible donation, whichever you prefer.
In the event of poor weather or other suboptimal conditions, we may opt to bird elsewhere. We’ll be flexible, so you see as much as possible during your time with us.
*Although lodging is not included, we highly recommend staying at the Best Western, as we have coordinated a HawkWatch rate. You must call the Best Western at (361) 241-6363 to secure this rate.
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Time: 6-8pm
Where: Best Western Northwest Corpus Christi
Cost: $80
REGISTER NOW
Overview
Known as America’s birdiest city, Corpus Christi is the place to be during the fall migration season. Between August and November, upwards of one million raptors can be counted at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch, with daily counts sometimes in excess of 100,000 migrants. But how can you tell what you’re looking at that high in the sky?
Join HawkWatch International’s own Jesse Watson for a pre-festival Raptor Identification class ahead of the Celebration of Flight festival. Want to practice your skills in the field? Join him the next morning for a raptor-focused field trip to Pollywog Pond and the Corpus Christi HawkWatch!
Want to practice your skills in the field with Jesse? Join him the next morning for a raptor-focused field trip to Pollywog Pond and the Corpus Christi HawkWatch for just $20 extra!
What to Expect
Join up to 20 of your fellow bird nerds for a crash course in Raptor ID, designed to help you elevate your skills to new heights ahead of the annual Celebration of Flight festival. Jesse will lead you through the basics of raptor ID over dinner, starting with identifying groups of raptor by silhouette, before moving into more detailed descriptions of key species you’re likely to see at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch. He’ll also save time for Q+A at the end so you can have him answer all your burning raptor-related questions.
Join us at the Hazel Bazemore Park Hawkwatch Platform at 6 PM for our fall potluck picnic. Bring a dish to share, your own plate, napkins, silverware, and chair. Don’t forget a spare tupperware, because you will certainly want to bring home leftovers!
DIRECTIONS: Meet Nick and Chris at the West gate entrance to Pollywog Ponds at 7:00AM. The group will start with a search for migrants and rarities at Pollywog Ponds. Recent rare finds include a Carolina Chickadee and Black-Wiskered Vireo.
Mid-morning the group will go to Hazel Bazemore for more passerine migrants and to see what migrating raptors can be found over the hawkwatch.
This is a half day trip. You are welcome to bring a picnic lunch to eat on the platform with the hawkwatchers.
Led by Chris Saenz (361) 800-5977 and Nick McGuire (361) 876-3015
Libby Even will lead a field trip to Ganado, Texas targeting Swallow-tailed Kites and Mississippi Kites.
Meet at the Walmart Supercenter in Callallen, 3829 US-77, Corpus Christi, TX 78410, at 7 AM to carpool to Devers Creek Park (a 1 hour and 45 minute drive) and spend an hour or two watching the kite ballet. This is a recent (7-8 years) nesting area for the kites and a staging area where they gather up in preparation for their migration South.
After lunch at a local eatery we will head home by way of Lake Texana to see what we can find on their trails. We will look for Carolina Chickadee, Red-bellied and Pileated Woodpeckers and other more Eastern residents not as common in our hometown.
We plan to arrive back at Walmart near 3PM.
Please RSVP by text to Libby's cell #361-563-4356 to let her know if you are coming and/or to reserve one of three spots in her car. Let's Go Birding!
Join us at 6 PM on the Hawkwatch Platform at Hazel Bazemore Park for the Spring 2026 Potluck Picnic to wrap up the 2025-2026 program year. Bring a dish to share and your own chair, utensils, and plate, and a tupperware for leftovers!
West of Orange Grove, where FM 624 meets FM 3469, the habitat is arid and thorny and the birds that live here are different than those in Corpus Christi, which is just 45 minutes to the east. As we drive across the Live Oak County line into Jim Wells County, expect to see or hear Black-throated and Cassin’s Sparrow, Ash-throated and Vermillion Flycatchers, House Finch, Bullock’s Oriole, and Northern Bobwhite. As we reach Jim Wells CR 239, we will likely see a Cactus Wren at a well-known territory, sitting atop his usual snag.
Meet at the Lowes Grocery Store in Orange Grove (210 West Orange Ave) by 7:30 AM. Please carpool if possible. We will arrive back to Orange Grove by 11:30 AM and then have lunch at a local restaurant.
Liam Wolff and Libby Even lead.
Join us at 7 PM in the education room at the South Texas Botanical Garden and bring some of your best shots from the field on a flashdrive to share with the group as we host our annual member photography showcase.
Free guided bird walk open to the public every Saturday & Sunday in April except Easter Sunday.
Meet at 8:00 AM at the Carrizo St. side of Blucher Park.
Free guided bird walk open to the public every Saturday & Sunday in April except Easter Sunday.
Meet at 8:00 AM at the Carrizo St. side of Blucher Park.
Free guided bird walk open to the public every Saturday & Sunday in April except Easter Sunday.
Meet at 8:00 AM at the Carrizo St. side of Blucher Park.
Free guided bird walk open to the public every Saturday & Sunday in April except Easter Sunday.
Meet at 8:00 AM at the Carrizo St. side of Blucher Park.
Join us at 6 PM in room 127 of the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi as we hear about the award-winning research of our scholarship recipients!
Free guided bird walk open to the public every Saturday & Sunday in April except Easter Sunday.
Meet at 8:00 AM at the Carrizo St. side of Blucher Park.
Free guided bird walk open to the public every Saturday & Sunday in April except Easter Sunday.
Meet at 8:00 AM at the Carrizo St. side of Blucher Park.
Free guided bird walk open to the public every Saturday & Sunday in April except Easter Sunday.
Meet at 8:00 AM at the Carrizo St. side of Blucher Park.
Join AOC President Liam Wolff at Choke Canyon State Park for a morning of birding around the reservoir. More details coming soon.
Join us at 7 PM in the education room at the South Texas Botanical Garden to hear about an Ingleside Sand Sheet research project spearheaded by Bria Marty and Michael Orgill of the McCracken Lab at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
Meet at 10:00 a.m. at the education building on the property which lies on U.S. 77 North just south of Odem (see map below). Turn in at the fireworks stand and cross the railroad tracks. Bear left to the parking lot.
We will bird for about four hours in this wonderful 11,000 acre wetland under the aegis of the Coastal Bend Bays and Estuaries Program. Educational trips are hosted once per month for various school and educational groups.
Bring lunch, water and snacks. Who knows, you might need to bring your bathing suit! At any rate dress for the weather, and do bring bug repellent.
Leader Paul Swacina pswacina@icloud.com or (361) 774-7801
Join us at 7PM in the education room at the South Texas Botanical Garden as Larry Jordan and other regional Christmas Bird Count Compilers give us detailed results of the 2025 Christmas Bird Count.
Bird Ingleside and Portland with renowned local legend Terry Little.
We will meet at 7:30 a.m. at the HEB store at the intersection of Highway 361 and FM 1069 in Ingleside. We will travel to Live Oak Park to look for wintering passerines.
Then we will go to Cove Park on Ingleside by the Bay to look for loons, brown boobies, eared grebes, and shorebirds.
After this we will backtrack to Indian Point to fill our list with shorebirds, waders, and ducks and more. Should be finished by 11:30.
Questions? Contact Terry at terrylittle49@gmail.com or 509-999-2187.
Join us at the South Texas Botanical Garden at 7 PM in the education room as we hear from an exciting speaker.
Join us at 7 PM at the South Texas Botanical Gardens in the education room as we hear from Dania Sanchez of the Golden Triangle Audubon Society about her 2024 Big Year in Texas.
Dania Sanchez is a Texas wildlife photographer and birder on a mission to express her appreciation for birds and wildlife through her work. Her educational background from Del Mar College, Lamar State College Port Arthur and Lamar University provided her with skills to capture nature and understand the impact that technology has on historical and conservancy efforts. She currently serves as President of Golden Triangle Audubon Society and a volunteer for Texas Ornithological Society's Sabine Woods.
Through observation, visual storytelling and advocacy she hopes to spread awareness of the birds and wildlife of many areas in Texas specially the Golden Triangle where she resides. Dania believes that with the help of visibility and education our current and future generations can learn a new appreciation for birds and how they can improve quality of life. You can see her work through tourism brochures, social media, publications, travelogues and at her public speaking events.
In 2024 Dania and her fiance Gregory Reynolds embarked on a wild adventure called the Texas Big Year resulting with Dania observing 512 species and Gregory with 508 putting them on the 1st and 2nd place lead for the year in Texas. Dania now holds the number 1 female spot for most species seen for Texas in a year.
Tom Langschied leads a field trip around the hotspots and countryside of Kleberg County. Get ready for Klebiggies!
We will meet at Love’s Truck Stop (1451 US 77 frontage road) at 7:30 am. From there we will head west to a couple stops on the Texas A&M University - Kingsville campus to look for various winter residents and resident birds that can often be found there. Included in this university visit will be a stop at the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Center to explore the A. E. Leonard Family Native Plant Garden. This garden with its diverse native plantings attracts a nice assortment of birds.
After that we will make stops at the King Ranch Visitor Center grounds and then head to Dick Kleberg Park. We will finish out the morning by heading down to Kaufer Hubert county park and the waterbirds that can be found there.
All stops will be slow paced, short walks. Restrooms will be available at most birding stops. This tour will end at approximately 11:30.
Bring water, snacks and might as well tote along bug spray just to be fully prepared!
Questions? Tom Langschied can be reached at 361-522-784.
Join Susan Foster in Rockport for another great AOC field trip.
Field trip time is 8:00-12:00. We will visit several Aransas Pathways locations.
Meet the group at corner of Henderson and Business 35 in the Bealls parking lot where we can carpool.
Please let Susan know if you plan on attending: idratherbebirding@gmail.com. The effort is easy/moderate. Lunch will be on your own, and Susan will recommend some local restaurants if you prefer.
