A strong southerly wind is helping tens of thousands of migratory birds pass through Austin on their journey north.
Hummingbirds primarily eat flower nectar, but during migration season, they need aphids, mosquitoes and other insects to sustain their long journeys. Hundreds of thousands of hummingbirds, swallows, warblers and other migratory birds will travel through Austin this weekend.
While spring migration runs from early March through the end of May, next week marks the peak of the season.A strong southerly wind is moving through Austin and will stick around until at least the middle of next week, according to the National Weather Service. Bristol said that tailwind plays a major role in helping the birds on their journey north.Birdcast gets data through eBird — an app bird nerds use to track sightings — as well as signals from tagged birds that ping off radio towers as they fly by. Bristol said decades of data collection have made Birdcast a trusty prediction model.Most birds migrate at night, and light pollution can disorient them and often leads to deadly building collisions. Audubon Texas estimates a billion birds die each year from crashing into buildings. But turning off or dimming your lights between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. can help. Window decals can also help prevent collisions by making glass more visible to birds.Instead of hanging a bird feeder, Bristol recommends getting native plants that attract insects — the primary food source for migratory birds — and not using pesticides that kill the bugs birds need to eat. “Bird feed is great in the winter to help our aviation friends, but at this time of year, during migration, they are mostly interested in insects,” she said.“The live oaks are a grocery store tree, we’ll call them the H-E-B of the tree world,” she said. “Pecans are also great for the bird because they support a lot of insects.”John Cornyn or Ken Paxton? Trump says he’s not ready to endorse next Texan to send to U.S. Senate.Athena has laid two eggs in the raised planter at the center’s entrance. You can keep an eye on her from home.Travis Audubon is hosting Purple Martin Parties, where North America’s largest swallow treats the community to a spectacular show.Chirping frogs fill the night air with strange squeaks and whistles all over Austin, but they are nearly impossible to see.Author Jennifer L. Bristol visited some 300 cemeteries across the Lone Star State to write her book, spotting lifers and uncovering history throughout the journey.The birds made their way from Houston’s coast this week — huddled together in cardboard boxes loaded in the back of an SUV.
Texas Birdcast Birds Migration Peak Migration Spring Migration
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