SMGA News: February 2022
TENDING BIRD BOXES
Interested in birds and/or participating in collecting data for an ongoing study? Rebekah Rylander has been studying our local birds through bird box data and can train you to monitor boxes. It involves checking in on bird boxes in an assigned area during nesting months and recording data 1x a week over spring-fall seasons. Rebekah has more than 10 years of data on some of her boxes.
This is a hands-on way to learn something new about birds and help provide data on changes in bird habitat and behaviors over the years. Plus, it’s rewarding to witness, in real time, the stages of eggs, hatchlings, nestlings, and, finally, fledglings.
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in, contact Rebekah at [email protected].
REMOVING LIGUSTRUM IN ARROWHEAD ALLEY
On Jan. 13, the Trail Crew worked with city crews to tackle ligustrum in the Arrowhead Alley enclosure. Two dozen volunteers spent the morning sawing, lopping, and dropping the invasive tree on site.
Still more work needs to be accomplished—removing large chinaberry trees, applying herbicide, and seeding and planting natives.
FEBRUARY BIRD WALK AT SPRING LAKE
The monthly bird walk hosted by Stephen Ramirez and Colton Robbins was held in below freezing temperatures at one of the premier birding sites in San Marcos. Spring Lake, aka Aquarena Springs at the Meadows Center, never fails to provide for a great nature adventure. The outing had many rewards, as we spotted a red-tailed hawk, a zone-tailed hawk, a sora, a solitary sandpiper, and American bittern (pictured on right).
Thirteen participants braved the cold and saw frostweed exploding into ice ribbons, racoon tracks on the boardwalk, and a beaver dam.
The monthly walks have been conducted on the first Saturday of each month for the past 10 years. The complete checklist can be found at https://ebird.org/checklist/S102115716.
Colton Robbins tallying list 
Beaver Dam
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