Submitted by Laura Bradham, Friends of West 11th Street Park
The best part about walking into the forest at W. 11th Street Park is leaving the world and all of its worries behind. When I walk in, I’m immediately transported into a wondrous, leafy, shady place. Sure, I can hear the traffic hum by on W. 11th Street while I’m in the forest, but it only becomes a pedal-tone backdrop reminding me that I’m inside the forest, away from the world.
I will immediately see fallen leaves that bear testimony to the fact that the world is still turning. I will see the sunshine coming through the leaves and creating quilt-like dapples on the ground. I will sometimes see the “rays” of the sun or the vibrant blue sky through the canopy. I might see a string of inch worms floating on a string that hangs off of a tree. I might see a box turtle slowly creeping across the path.
But, from the beginning of April through the middle of May, it is spring bird migration in the forest! West 11th Street Park is part of the Upper Texas Coast - Great Coastal Birding Trail. It didn’t receive that fancy and rather long tag to the park because people decided that it sounded good. It was attached to the park because the birds found our forest and decided they like it!
When birds are migrating, they are flying many miles and getting very tired, hungry, and thirsty. When we are lucky enough for them to spy our patch of trees, West 11th Street Park becomes their rest area along their flyway. So bring your binoculars, step into a worry free place, and take a look around.
A large, assertive flycatcher with rich reddish-brown accents and a lemon-yellow belly, the Great Crested Flycatcher is a common bird of Eastern woodlands.
Already this spring we’ve noted some exciting visitors to our park including the Golden Crowned Kinglet, the Great Crested Flycatcher, and a Hooded Warbler. We’ve found two Blue Jay nests and one Great Horned Owl nest, and we’ve seen a fledgling Great Horned Owl learning to fly. It just depends on what time of day you get to the park as to what you will see. Yet, no matter what time of day you are there, you will meet your Timbergrove Manor neighbors who also love coming to the forest.
Take a look at the Observation Board on the east side of the park, erased monthly, so that when you look at it, you will see the most recent birds seen in the park. If you don’t know what the birds on the Observation Board look like, think about buying a laminated bird guide to stick in your pocket when you come. Two great ones are “Birds of Southwest Texas and Upper Texas Coast,” by Gary Clark, and “Sibley’s Backyard Birds of Eastern Texas,” by David Sibley. I recommend that you get both because neither one has all of the birds we see in our park in one guide. If you just want to buy one guide, get the one by Gary Clark first.
When you think of birds, you think of trees, but not all of the birds that visit are always in the trees. Some of them are on the fallen logs or in the leaf litter. That’s because some birds really love worms and insects and our leaf litter and fallen logs, even though you might think they are dead, are teaming with bug life, which nourishes our visitors. Be sure to keep a look on the ground and logs. All winter we’ve had some Hermit Thrush, but this spring we will most likely host a Wood Thrush, as we have in years past. One of our park year ‘round residents, the Carolina Wren, is also a particular fan of woodpiles.
I encourage you to come to the park and make note of what you see when you are there. That’s the best way to leave the world behind - immerse yourself in the world within.