Travis Audubon

The competition was steep, but we have selected the winners of our 2026 Greg Lasley Photography Contest. The contest, part of our Birdathon fundraiser, raised $934.79 for Travis Audubon through entry fees, and we’re grateful to each of the 25 photographers who entered. Your care for Texas’s lovely birds really shows through your photographs.

Both judges were impressed by the quality of this year’s submissions, and that’s saying something considering our judges’ qualifications: judge Dave Read won last year’s Greg Lasley Photography Contest with his stunning photo of a Barn Swallow in flight, and judge Liam Molina is Travis Audubon’s very own Communications & Marketing Specialist, a fabulous graphic designer who’s got an incredible artistic eye.

There were 180 photo entries spanning a gamut of bird species, from shorebirds to warblers. Without further ado, here are our winners!

Meet our Bird of the Week: The Tricolored Heron! 🏆

True to its name, the Tricolored Heron wears three colors at once. The upperparts, head, and neck are a soft, smoky blue-gray, often washed with lavender or purple in good light. What really sets a Tricolored Heron apart is how it hunts. Where a Great Blue Heron will stand statue-still and wait, and a Snowy Egret will hop and dash, the Tricolored Heron looks like it is rehearsing a ballet. It runs a few quick steps, freezes, pirouettes on one leg with the opposite wing held out, lunges, and starts again. Just before striking, it crouches so low that its belly often touches the water.

Learn more about the Tricolored Heron here. https://travisaudubon.org/murmurations/bird-of-the-week-tricolored-heron
Written by Yvonne Karnath

Birdathon was all about celebrating spring migration, and we did that and so much more. Over 300 people participated in one or more of our Birdathon events, with a total of 461 event registrations. We birded from kayaks, in the mountains, along the coast, and through the prairie. Together with birders of every generation we spotted 256 unique species of birds across our Birdathon events, inspiring conservation with every bird we saw.

Our fabulous Birdathon trips raised $15,815 for Travis Audubon through registration fees, and we’re grateful to our trip leaders and partner organizations for making those excursions possible. Eighty cents of every dollar raised will go right back into our programs, including our year-round classes and trips. Thank you to everyone who joined us at one of our Birdathon events this year!

The rest of our $39,000 raised this Birdathon was a testament to the passion of supporters like you and our fundraisers. Our peer-to-peer fundraisers did a fantastic job, raising over $14,000 and spreading the word about bird conservation to their family and friends. We also couldn’t have run a successful Birdathon without this year’s sponsors:

Alamo Inn B&B, Gear & Tours
Eldorado Cafe Atx
Feather Friendly Bird Collision Deterrent Markers
Texas Rowing Center

Thanks, y’all!

Meet our Bird of the Week: The Greater Roadrunner!

Armed with a battery of physiological and behavioral adaptations, the Greater Roadrunner thrives in arid regions, in the Colorado foothills, and among the pines of western Louisiana. An opportunistic predator, it feeds on snakes, lizards, spiders, scorpions, insects, birds, rodents, and bats, which it beats repeatedly against a hard substrate before consuming.

Learn more about the Greater Roadrunner here. https://travisaudubon.org/murmurations/bird-of-the-week-greater-roadrunner

Blair Woods will be CLOSED today and tomorrow.
It will return to regular hours on Wednesday, May 20.

Last Saturday at the World Migratory Bird Day Celebration we distributed 21 Feather Friendly Bird Collision Deterrent Markers kits! These markers are a great DIY solution for making windows at home safer for birds.

Here are some reasons why our members were interested in Bird Collision Deterrent Markers:
"I feed birds at my house and want to ensure I create a safe environment for them."
"I want to help protect birds, because I adore them and I care about the environment."
"We have birds nesting nearby and want to keep them safe. We’re also hoping that having this starts encouraging other neighbors to look into bird deterrent markers and turning their lights off at night!"

If these sentiments resonate with you, learn more here: https://travisaudubon.org/buildingcollisions

Volunteer Spotlight: Maura Powers

If you’ve noticed a Travis Audubon Lights Out Texas yard sign around Austin, there’s a good chance Maura Powers had something to do with it.
A current Travis Audubon board member and chair of the Advocacy Committee, Maura is a strong, behind-the-scenes force working to make Austin safer for birds—especially during migration, when artificial lights and glass buildings pose serious risks. She first got involved during the COVID-19 pandemic, after years of transforming her yard with native plants to support wildlife.

Learn more about Maura's contributions here. https://travisaudubon.org/murmurations/volunteer-spotlight-maura-powers

We are excited to announce that Travis Audubon will be hosting another BIPOC Bird Walk

Travis Audubon’s BIPOC Bird Walks intentionally welcome Black, Indigenous, and People of Color to build community and connection through enjoying birds and birding. These walks are intended to be safe, welcoming, and affirming spaces where BIPOC individuals can enjoy the beauty of birding and nature together.

Register here. https://travis.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/travis/event.jsp?event=21433

Meet our Bird of the Week: The Chestnut-sided Warbler!

Unlike many warblers that are precisely “painted”, the Chestnut-sided is a splotchy collection of color - more like an abstract painting. It’s the Jackson Po***ck of warblers. A smear of chestnut color on the flanks, a hint of green on the black-and-white back, a smudge of black on the face, all topped off by a yellow crown. Most warblers that migrate through our area do not sing. They are not looking for mates, or defending territory, as they pass through. However, you will catch one singing every once in a while. Chestnut-sided sings a rapid pleased, pleased, pleased to meetcha!

To learn more about the Chestnut-sided Warbler, click here. https://travisaudubon.org/murmurations/bird-of-the-week-chestnut-sided-warbler

The weather is looking good for tomorrow (Saturday) so our World Migratory Bird Day at Hornsby Bend is ON!

What to expect:
🐦 birdwatching with local experts
♻️ activities led by conservation organizations
🤓 lots of info about how to get involved with community science
☕️ bird-themed coffee from
🍿complimentary snacks courtesy of
🌖 complimentary Lights Out! yard signs (while supplies last)
🦉 owls(!)
🧢 Bird of the Year merch for sale feat. the Carolina Wren
🎟️ free drawing for a pair of quality binoculars (thanks )!
📽️ an excellent talk on Birds, Birders, and A Place Called Hornsby Bend at 10 AM

What to bring:
👟 comfy walking shoes
👀 binoculars if you have them
💵 card or cash for merch and coffee
💧 refillable water bottle
🌞 sun protection
🪑 lawn chair if you plan to hang out at our birdwatching areas for a while

Free onsite parking + flush bathrooms are available. This event is suitable for folks with mobility issues. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

Learn more + RSVP online: https://travis.app.neoncrm.com/event.jsp?event=22999

See you there!