Galveston-Coastal Extension

Reddish Egret © Michael O'Brien

A post-anniversary extension option for those who seek more time on the Upper Texas Coast; Galveston Island is an excellent springtime location for observing an array of migrating songbirds and shorebirds.

Located an hour southwest of Beaumont, Texas—site of our 50th Anniversary Celebration—Galveston Island provides an excellent array of birding hotspots for both songbirds and shorebirds, while also providing fine amenities, including some great local restaurants. Much like the nearby Bolivar Peninsula and High Island, Galveston is legendary among birders as being among the most exciting places to witness spring migration. For millions of northbound migrant songbirds crossing the Gulf of Mexico, the Galveston area will be their first opportunity to stop, rest, and refuel before continuing north. With clear skies and winds from the south, many of these birds will continue inland without stopping. But rain or northerly winds will force many to stop, resulting in one of the avian “fallouts” that make the Texas Coast so famous. Migrating shorebirds also pass through Galveston, and many miles of beach and numerous freshwater ponds provide excellent habitat for them.

On this short, post-celebration tour, we’ll visit numerous birding hotspots, such as East End Lagoon Nature Preserve, East Beach, Lafitte’s Cove, and Galveston Island State Park, among many other local gems. We will also visit the Eskimo Curlew Memorial Sculpture and pay homage to the site of the last known sighting of this now-extinct species in the United States, in 1962—a bird famously seen by Victor Emanuel himself. In our travels, we’ll hope to come across numerous warblers, orioles, buntings, and other migratory songbirds, as well as numerous migrant and resident shorebirds such as American Avocet, American Oystercatcher, and Snowy and Piping plovers. In addition to these, we’ll also watch for Mottled Duck, Clapper Rail, Black Skimmer, Magnificent Frigatebird, Reddish Egret, Roseate Spoonbill, Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and Seaside Sparrow.