< PreviousFrom the EditorWinters on the upper Texas Coast are mild. On many winter days, you can find people walking the beaches in shorts. We can still enjoy coffee and meals outside on most days. And seldom do we have to scrape ice off our windshields. We can’t complain, but sometimes we still do, to paraphrase rocker Joe Walsh. By February we all get a little antsy for flow-ers blooming and a little sunshine. For many reasons, spring is a sight to be-hold on the coast. But one of the most won-drous spectacles to locals and tourists is the birds. Hundreds of tourists will flock to the island April 9-12 for one of the largest birding festivals in Texas — FeatherFest.Galveston and Bolivar Peninsula are among the top spots for birding in the na-tion, and FeatherFest is held during early spring migration.The festival offers expert-led excursions by bus and boat to a variety of habitats, from beaches to bays, bay marshes to wetlands, and coastal prairies to upland wood mottes.Along with all the feathers, we celebrate fashion this spring. We searched area bou-tiques to find the latest in spring trends, which we’re happy to report are bright, pretty and flattering to figures. And after a long series of rainy, gloomy days, we thought we’d brighten some pages with our favorite green finds in a recurring feature “Hues You Can Use.”Also in this issue, you’ll meet artists, ballerinas, boaters and all the interesting people who make this region unique.Happy Spring!LAURA ELDERCoast Monthly EditorFEAthERs AnD FAshionspEciAL thAnksCoast Monthly extends a very special thanks to Joshua Buckley and others at Moody Gardens, which was the site of our cover and fashion shoot. Moody Gardens Rainforest Pyramid was the perfect setting for our Wild About Spring theme. Even the birds cooperated for the cover photo. The popular Galves-ton attraction offers a rare, up-close and interactive experience with endangered plants and animals, ranging from giant Amazon river otters to Saki mon-keys and Chinese alli-gators, and, of course, beautiful tropical birds, including scarlet ibises, macaws and more. Visit www.moody gardens.com for infor-mation.10 coAstMonthLY.coM / MARCH 2015 6502 Stewart Rd. Galveston, Texas 77551 T: 409.744.7000ChunkyFunkyMonkey.com Exceptional Window Fashions & Design Custom Shutters, Blinds, Draperies & Fine Flooring Quality Upholstery Exclusive Wallpaper & Fabrics Turn-Key Prices on Stanley Furniture Skilled Design Services Home Renovation & RemodelsHunter Douglas Priority Dealer FeedbackWe asked on Facebook: What are the best boat names you’ve ever heard?Bank On It — Owned by the Doyle family in Texas City.– Andrea Pieri SunseriShirley B. Shrimpin– Esther Davis McKennaBUDacious by Larry Del Papa– George BlackBlew by You — On a 30-foot J-boat.– Denny NorrisShe Has To Go– Karl ReidGone with the Wind– April DidriksonAqua Holic– Sheila Goza DillonOar Fan– Ron GentrySea Yaaa — My mother’s friend’s boat.– Susan Meads-LeahyIron Maiden– Ron WootenSea HAG — Was my father’s boats — there were three — and his initials were HAG.– Peter GoolishianVitamin Sea– Linn FallonNotchoboat– Boyd Carr‘Bout Time– Amber Stubbs-AydellCourtesy photo by ron WootenMrs. Aida — Galveston PD’s first ma-rine boat. Named after Aida McCloud.– John BertolinoSeaQuin at Dana Point, Calif.– Jim NonusI was cruising along once some years ago and a beautiful boat approached. I said to myself, “Wow, I could never afford that one.” As the boat passed the name came into sight ... It was Daddy’s Money.– Russ Mullins At Last– Barbara RobertsThe Enchantress — The name of my dad’s yacht. Great memories on it.– Susan FalgoutThe MaxSwell II– Brian Maxwell Expletive Deleted — Given to a very high-maintenance boat.– Don WalkerTrash Man — Was owned by Browning Ferris.– Jack Morris Paradise– Sylvia Sanders Friedsam Callalalla — Named by my uncle after me.– Cathy King CopelandSloop John B — From the Beach Boys album “Pet Sounds.”– Linda Bell Burton At the Office– Elisabeth PelhamWeather or Knot– Kevin D. Smith What’s your favorite beach tune? Send your comments to editor@coastmonthly.com or tell us on Facebook.12 CoAstMonthLy.CoM / MARCH 2015t&YQPTFE%VDU$FJMJOHTt1SFNJVN4UBJOMFTT4UFFM"QQMJBODF1BDLBHFt(SBOJUF .BSCMF 2VBSU[PS4MBUF$PVOUFSUPQTt$VTUPN$BCJOFUSZ4UPSBHFt1JOF8PPE'MPPSTt0SJHJOBM8JOEPXTt'JUOFTT$FOUFSt$POUSPMMFE"DDFTT&OUSZt1FU'SJFOEMZt*OUIF)FBSUPG%JOJOH 4IPQQJOH &OUFSUBJONFOUBOEUIF8BUFSGSPOUHISTORICGALVESTON LOFTS from the low $200sSALES CENTER NOW OPEN2402 Mechanic Street | Galveston, Texas 77550409.443.5202 | TheStrandLofts.comAll information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted. Oral representations cannot be relied upon as correctly stating representations of the seller. For correct representations, reference should be made to the purchase agreement.Ease into a new life at The Strand Historic Lofts and experience a new kind of Texas Gulf living. Loft living in the heart of historic Galveston that features bright open spaces with exposed original brick walls and room after room of impressive finishes and authentic details.HIGHSTYLEFORANELEVATEDLEVELOFLIVINGLeading EdgeKelly KelleyBroker/Co-ownerKelly@KellyKelley.comA juvenile great blue heron at the East End Lagoon Nature Park and Preserve on Galveston Island. FeaturesStory by Marsha Canright Photos by Robert MihovilWarblers, tanagers, orioles, buntings and thrashes.In April, these birds and hundreds of their companions will descend upon Lafitte’s Cove about 5 miles west of the seawall’s end in Galveston.The 32-acre wooded preserve, fronted by a large, marshy lake, offers a respite to the weary wanderers in their annual spring migration. A well-tended path loops through the motte of deep green oaks, hard-woods and brush, which is very like the mythical Hundred Acre Wood.It was here on a warm spring morn-ing, with the migration of songbirds well underway, that I saw my first scarlet tanager. It was nestled in the brush, but its electric red feathers gave away its location. Moments later, this time with binoculars, I saw a pair of Baltimore orioles soaring above me in striking suits of orange and black. While both these sightings are com-mon for a well-guided beginner, noth-ing about the experience is ordinary.“Birding is a meditation, a passion and a way to connect to the natural world in a significant and satisfying way,” Ed Reynolds, a professor at Spo-kane Falls Community College, said.Most years, Reynolds, his wife, Dai-sy, and a cadre of friends travel 2,000 Part sPort, Part meditationBird-watching a beloved pastime on Texas CoastDr. Alice Anne O’Donell looks for birds with her Swarovski 80 mm ATS HD 25-50 X zoom spotting scope at the end of 8 Mile Road in Galveston. O’Donell is a board member of the Houston Audubon Society, a representative and field trip leader of the Galveston Coun-ty Audubon Group and a member of the Texas Ornithological Society.miles from their home in Washington State to observe bird life in Galves-ton, Bolivar Peninsula and High Island during the spring migration.The area’s coastal and freshwater habitats are recognized as some of the richest areas for birding in the United States. A total of 235 species were recognized at last year’s FeatherFest, Galveston’s four-day birding event, to which hun-dreds of enthusiasts flock. “When you begin observing birds, it’s like being bitten by an infectious process,” said Alice Anne O’Donell, a Galveston physician, who was in-troduced to birding by her neighbor, Martha Micks.A day trip by bicycle fueled O’Donell’s interest.“I saw herons and gulls, and on 8 Mile Road, I saw a killdeer feigning a crippled wing to keep us away from its nest,” O’Donell said. “I went from CoastmontHLY.Com / MARCH 2015 15Featureszero to 60 in a year’s time and I knew for a birder, Galveston is paradise.”Crisscrossing migration patterns in the spring and fall, and the vast waterbird habitats draw the most attention, but here birding is a year-round activity. Different seasons host different species, some more rare than others.It was a chilly, foggy day in Janu-ary when Mort and Brenda Voller had their ace sighting. They were walking in the Galveston Island State Park in the city’s West End, when in the gloomy distance, Mort saw a huge black and white bird with a long, forked tail.To his studied eye, it looked some-thing like the flycatchers that come up from the south in the springtime, but it was an unlikely winter visitor.“When you see a bird that is out of place and out of time, it begs to be recognized,” he said.Voller called naturalist Jim Steven-son, who identified the bird as a rare fork-tailed flycatcher. At that time, the bird had only been sighted 13 times in the United States. Voller reported the event to Tex-Bird, a website that keeps bird watch-ers up-to-date on statewide sightings. The following day, hundreds of people flocked to the state park to glimpse the bird.For Brenda Dawson, who splits her time between The Woodlands and the island, favorite sightings include a reclusive black rail in the state park, and watching the dance of the red-dish egret near Boddeker Road on the island’s East End.“The egret spreads his wings to cre-ate a shadow, allowing him to see the little fish, and then he has a feast,” Dawson said. During the spring migration, Daw-son spends up to eight hours a day Mort Voller looks through his Kowa 20 to 60 magnification spotting scope near the Nature Center at Galveston Island State Park. Voller is avian scientific director for the Lafitte’s Cove Nature Society, a member of the Galveston County Audubon Group, past president of the Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council and past chair of Galveston’s FeatherFest.A great egret rests atop green netting on a shrimp boat at Pier 19 in Galveston. observing and photographing birds, such as the multicolored painted bunting and the black and orange Blackburnian warbler.You just never know what you might see.Fairly new to the island is the crested caracara, a tropical falcon whose range was traditionally south and west of Galveston. Now a pair are nesting in the natural areas at Moody Gardens in Galveston, said Greg Whittaker, president of the Galveston Audubon Club, and also manager of animal husbandry at Moody Gardens.“They fledged two chicks last year that were running around in the parking lot,” Whittaker said. The island and region has a large population of birding enthusiasts.“There is more interest here in birds than any place I’ve ever lived,” island-er Laura Burns said. She and her hus-band, John Koloen, took a beginning 16 COASTMONTHLY.COM / MARCH 2015Featurestop spots for area birdingThere are dozens of plum spots to observe bird life in Galveston, Bolivar Pen-insula and the surrounding area. Woods, marshes, fresh water ponds, tidal and non-tidal wetlands, prairies and coastline — even drainage areas — are habitats teeming with life and welcoming to birds. Here are 10 must-see locations:1. east end Lagoon, big reef nature park. A 684-acre tract of natural coastal prairie is east of Seawall Boulevard along Boddeker near Apffel Park in Galveston. What you might see: Shorebirds, birds of prey and migrating birds. Black skimmers, terns and piping plovers nest along the beach front, while red-winged blackbirds rest in the tall grasses. Egrets and herons fish in the lagoon. 2. Corp Woods nature sanc-tuary. This heavily wooded area is near Ferry Road by the U.S. Coast Guard headquarters in Galves-ton. Take a right onto Texas 168 to the parking area. What you might see: During spring migration, abundant tanagers, orioles and buntings. 3. offatts bayou. Best viewing is from parking areas on the west side of 61st Street in Galveston. What you might see: Loons, grebes and diving ducks in winter, and eared grebes and red-breasted mergan-sers from late winter to spring.4. 8 Mile road, sportsman road and Lafitte’s Cove na-ture preserve in galveston. Travel west on Seawall Boulevard and turn right onto 8 Mile Road for superb water birding. You can look for birds all the way to the bay or turn left on Sportsman Road. Lafitte’s Cove is off Stewart Road on Eckert Drive between 11 Mile and 12 Mile roads. Parking area is next to a boardwalk. What you might see at 8 Mile/sportsman: Waders, shorebirds, oys-tercatchers. At Lafitte’s Cove: warblers, vireos, thrushes, ducks, shorebirds, snipe. 5. galveston island state park, 14901 FM 3005. West of Galveston on Seawall Boulevard, which becomes FM 3005, the state park pro-vides a sample of all the habitats found on the island. It includes 2,000 acres reach-ing from the Gulf of Mexico to West Bay. What you might see: All-year-round wading birds, and for summer or winter, birds that prefer open prairie and wetlands. Ted Eubanks has compiled a checklist of birds seen at the park. Ask for a copy at the park’s Nature Center.6. West end: dos Vacas, san Luis pass flats. Dos Vacas Muertas is a small preserve with salt ce-dar trees and a fresh water pond. Take FM 3005 west. The entry for Dos Vacas is just before Sea Isle. San Luis Pass is about 2 miles west in Galveston. What you might see: Pelicans, sandpipers, gulls, avocets, herons, egrets, raptors, sparrows, grebes, loons. Colonies of terns nest at San Luis Pass.7. bolivar flats shorebird sanctuary. Bolivar Flats on Bolivar Peninsula combines salt marsh, mud flats and beach habitats. So rich is the bird life, that it has been designated a Globally Important Bird Area. From Galveston, take Broadway to Seawall Boulevard. Turn left on Seawall. Turn left on Ferry Road to the Galveston-Bolivar Ferry terminal. You’ll exit the ferry on state Highway 87. Follow this for 3.7 miles to Rettilon Road. Turn right and drive to the beach. What you might see: A huge variety of species, including: gulls, terns, pelicans, herons, egrets and spoonbills. 8. High island: boy scouts Woods, smith Woods and the rookery. Houston Audubon Soci-ety has four nature sanctuaries at High Island, including Boy Scout Woods, the headquarters, which is staffed by volunteers during peak spring migra-tion, and Smith Oaks, which is home to the Rookery. There is a minimal fee to visit, which helps with the cost of maintenance. Take the Galveston-Bolivar Ferry and continue on state Highway 87 through Crystal Beach to High Island. What you might see: The U-shaped island in the middle of Claybot-tom Pond at Smith Oaks has become a favored roosting and nesting place for thousands of water birds. In the spring and summer, herons, egrets, cormorants and spoonbills build their nests and raise their chicks on the predator-free island.9. anahuac national Wildlife refuge, 4318 FM 1985. This 34,000-acre coastal marsh and prairie borders Galveston Bay. What you might see: Egrets, bit-terns, hawks, kites and eagles. Storks, pheasants, turkeys, falcons, ibises and spoonbills, cranes, plovers, stilts and avocets, ducks, geese, swans, sandpip-ers, rails, gallinules and coots. 10. texas City dike and Le-vee Loop. The Texas City Dike is a great birding experience about 20 miles from Galveston. Take the Texas City exit on Interstate 45 and continue on state Highway 146. Turn right on Texas Avenue, left on Bay Street Road, and then right on Texas City Dike Road. What you might see: Brown pelicans, willets, laughing gulls, forster’s terns, waders and black skimmers. In winter, you can also see loons, grebes, and bay ducks. CCompiled by Marsha Canright18 CoastMontHLY.CoM / MARCH 2015MAKE YOUR RESERVATION FOR SUNDAY AFTERNOON TEA The Tremont House • March 8, 3–5pm • Advance reservations requiredJOIN US:2300 SHIP’S MECHANIC ROW, GALVESTON ISLAND, TX 409.763.0300 | TheTremontHouse.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . T T H Galveston’s most sophis-ticated lounge. Relax after work or before dinner. Watch the sunset over the harbor and historic district at Galveston’s only open-air rooftop venue. Open evenings Tuesday through Saturday, weather permitting. 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