League City Area News Online: Our Neighbors

FeatherFest 2006 is being held on Galveston Island from March 29 - April 2. Seminars, workshops and field trips on such topics as birds, butterflies, dragonflies and nature photography will interest beginning and experienced birders and other nature enthusiasts. The indoor seminars and registration will be in the Old Galveston Building.

FeatherFest 2006 continues this weekend in Galveston

Tourists and migratory birds are stopping over at Galveston Island this weekend

By Marilyn Clark, League City Area News Online

April 1, 2006

Our Neighbors - American Oyster Catcher Library of Congress picture

The American Oystercatcher

This oystercatcher, the theme bird of FeatherFest 2006, has a dark head, neck, back and wings with white underparts. Its wings and tail have white patches.

Its large, heavy bill is a bright orange and flattened vertically (1). The bill is used pry open oysters and other mollusks, as well as to poke into sand or mud as it searches for food.

Along the Texas Coast, it is found on beaches and tidal flats. At nesting time, it lays two to four spotted eggs.

(1) Microsoft Encarta, 2003.

Tourists and locals will find the answers this weekend to such questions as:

What is that bird flying overhead?
What food does it eat?
Where does it nest?
Why don't I see it year-round?

According to the Featherfest Registration Packet

FeatherFest 2006 is held the first weekend in April, from March 29 - April 2, while Galveston Island is being visited by spring migrants returning to northern nesting sites after wintering in Central and South America.

Seminars, workshops and field trips on such topics as birds, butterflies, dragonflies and nature photography will interest beginning and experienced birders and other nature enthusiasts. The indoor seminars will be in the Old Galveston Building.

For more information go to http://www.galvestonfeatherfest.com .
Registration information is at http://www.galvestonfeatherfest.com/registration.php .

In-person registration is on the second floor of the Old Galveston Building.

To learn more about registration and fees contact:

Morton Voller, Chairman
Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council
vollernature@juno.com
409-392-0841
or
The Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau
1-888-GAL-ISLE

Source: All event data - Galveston Nature Tourism Council

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