Field Trip Schedule

Feb 1, 2026 postpone from January 25, 2026 because of weather

LLELA

• Leader: Rodney Thomas, Ivy Doak
• Time: 7:00 am
• Location: Enter at the LLELA entrance gate, East Jones St., Lewisville.  Inside the nature preserve, please meet at the pavilion with restrooms on your right. We will caravan to a private gated area, so if you are not on time, you will not be able join.
• Target Birds: Short-Eared Owls and winter Sparrows.   Short-eared Owls have been seen at LLELA.  We will walk the field to flush them up.  There should be Northen Harriers in the same field.  Those that can’t walk in the field can watch from the road. 
• RSVP: Candy Anadagoda  
• About the Site: LLELA protects over 2,600 acres of prairie, forest, and wetlands along the Elm Fork of the Trinity River. It is one of the best local sites to look for winter raptors such as Short-eared Owls, Northern Harriers, and Red-shouldered Hawks. Grassland areas attract a variety of sparrows during the colder months.

February 20–22, 2026 – Port Aransas 

• Leader: Grayson Almond
• Meeting Place: Port Aransas -- detailed itinerary when you sign up
• Target Birds: Whooping Crane, American Flamingo and shore birds
• RSVP: Shepherd Kopca Shepherd will send you the details of the trip
• About the Site: Port Aransas and nearby Aransas National Wildlife Refuge host the last wild flock of endangered Whooping Cranes. Winter brings them to the Texas coast, where they forage in coastal marshes. The trip will also highlight waterfowl, shorebirds, and seabirds of the Gulf Coast. Tirps to Leonabelle Turnbull Center and Mustang Island State Park are planned.

March 28, 2026 – Breckenridge Park

• Leader: Mike Cameron
• Time: To be added
• Meeting Place: To be added
• Target Birds: Early Migrants and late Winter resident birds
• RSVP: Linda Ergonis
• About the Site: Breckenridge Park is a large suburban park along Spring Creek with wooded riparian areas, open fields, and ponds. In early spring, it serves as a stopover for migrants such as warblers and kinglets, while also hosting lingering winter residents like sparrows and woodpeckers.

April 25, 2026 – Residence Rick Wilder

• Leader: Rick Wilder
• Time: To be added
• Meeting Location: 1212 Harris Drive, Palo Pinto, TX 76484.  Meet at the gate. 
• Target Birds: Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-capped Vireo and Spring Migrants
• RSVP: Karen Carbiener   j.carbiener@att.net
• About the Site: Rick Wilder’s property includes Hill Country habitat favored by two of Texas’ most sought-after specialty birds: the endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler and the Black-capped Vireo. Birders will also enjoy spring migrants passing through during this peak season.

May 15–22, 2026 –Magee Marsh/Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge/Metzger Marsh/Howard Marsh Metropark - Ohio

• Leader: Jacob Drapkin
• RSVP: Jacob Drapkin   jlk@yahoo.com Contact for Complete Details and Itinerary 
• Target Birds: Warblers
• About the Site: Why Magee Marsh? Do you want to see one of highest concentrations of Warblers in
  the U.S.? This site is second only to High Island for Spring migration of passerines.
  It is a bottle neck with high concentration of passerines waiting for the right conditions
  to cross the Great Lakes going to Canada. They are everywhere in the trees as you
  walk the Boardwalk at Magee Marsh – an amazing adventure!

July 28-Aug 12 – Tanzania with Tanzania Specialist 

• Organizer: Sam Crowe, Details to be announce
• Details:  Contact Sam   samc27@webtko.com or Linda Ergonis  gclindae@aol.com
• About the Site: Tanzania offers some of the richest bird and wildlife experiences in the world. Habitats include savannas, wetlands, forests, and mountains. The trip will target East African specialties such as bee-eaters, turacos, hornbills, and storks, alongside iconic wildlife like lions, elephants, and giraffes.