July Field Trip: Sunset on the Katy Prairie

Sign-up instructions found in guidelines below.

Guide: Bob Honig
Date: Saturday, July 5, 2008
Time: 4:30 PM until dark (about 9:00 PM)

Description: Traditionally, HAS has not had summer field trips. "Too hot!" many say. But away from the heat-retaining concrete of the city, as the sun gets low, it gets pretty comfortable. The Katy Prairie is just such a place, only an hour or so from Houston. We will explore grasslands, wetlands, and tree lines to observe the diversity of wildlife and flora on the Katy Prairie - all on on properties owned by the Katy Prairie Conservancy which has protected thousands of acres in west Harris County and east Waller County. We hope to see a variety of birds (possibly Painted Buntings and Orchard Orioles on territory), butterflies visiting flowers, and dragonflies cruising over ponds. Sunset will find us near a wetland where last summer roughly 1,000 White-faced Ibis, as well as other waterbirds, came in to roost for the night; and we hope to be treated to a chorus of frogs and toads, insects, displaying Common Nighthawks, and maybe even a King Rail or two. Bring a flashlight (with a red filter if you have it); also wear footwear that you don't mind getting a bit wet.

Please note: All participants must sign in advance the KPC Release Form. To save valuable field trip time, please print and sign the form in advance and bring it with you.

Guide: Bob Honig - As a member of the Katy Prairie Conservancy's Board of Directors and a frequent KPC volunteer, Bob is very familiar with the Katy Prairie. Bob has been an avid naturalist for many years, regularly leading field trips and lecturing for southeast Texas conservation groups. Bob and his wife, Maggie, live on the Katy Prairie, just down the road from our field trip.

Directions: Meet at KPC's Field Office in Waller County at 4:30 PM. From I-10, take Exit 737 Pederson Rd. and turn right (North) on Pederson Rd. Go north on Pederson Rd. ½ mile until it tees into US 90 (note: no sign for US 90 here). Turn left (west) on US 90 and go ½ mile to the first right (turn north) which is FM 2855. Go 6 miles on FM 2855 to the intersection with FM 529. Continue straight across FM 529 (you are now on Morrison Rd.) After 1 mile, Morrison makes a sharp left turn - continue 1 more mile to Pattison Rd. Turn right (north) onto Pattison Rd. and go north for 3 miles where Pattison tees into Hebert Rd. Turn left (west) on Hebert Rd.; go 1 mile to the KPC Field Office sign on the left - 31950 Hebert Rd. Turn left (south) through the entrance gate and go about 400 yards to the office.

Registration: Reservations are required. Sign up at the HAS meeting or contact Bill Saulmon, telephone 281-537-6924. Remember to bring your binoculars, scope, camera, sunscreen, insect protection, sturdy shoes, hat, raingear, and water.

Houston Audubon Field Trip Guidelines

Our goal is to ensure that every field trip is enjoyable, safe, educational and beneficial to HAS members. To meet our goal, we have developed the following guidelines:

Monthly field trips will normally be held the fourth Saturday of the month from September through May. Exceptions will be published in The Naturalist.
Participants need to sign up for the trip either 1) at the monthly membership meeting during the same month as the field trip or 2) via e-mail/phone at least two days before the field trip.
Each trip will have a limited number of participants, normally 25, and these will be chosen using a first-come, first-chosen basis. The sign-up will be opened first at the monthly membership meeting before the field trip and then via e-mail on the next day following the meeting. There may be some field trips in which the number of participants will vary from the 25 stated above, depending on the logistics of the trip. Variations will be noted in the field trip descriptions in The Naturalist.
Each participant must be a local member of the Houston Audubon Society or be a guest of a local member of the Houston Audubon Society. An individual may be a guest on no more than two field trips during the birding season (September - May).
Each field trip will have at least one expert leader whose responsibilities are the birding aspects of the trip. A liaison also will be present to handle the logistics of the trip, such as checking in, keeping track of participants, answering questions and following up on any logistical problems.
Every effort will be made to provide each participant via e-mail with a list of birds seen after each trip. The liaison will help the leader with that information.
Each liaison will have packets of Houston Audubon Society information to hand out to guests and other interested parties encountered during the field trip. The goal is to make the field trips more visible as a Houston Audubon Society event.
Transportation to and from the field trip is the responsibility of each participant. The Houston Audubon Society, however, encourages car pooling.