Mitchell Lake Audubon Center

🤎 June brings International Mud Day! 🤎

Did you know that mud provides important benefits for countless creatures, from birds and amphibians to insects and other wildlife?

Join us this Saturday for a muddy good time as we explore this messy but important natural resource! Create mud art, investigate animal tracks, get your hands dirty with nature play, and discover why mud is so much more than just dirt and water.

Come dressed for the outdoors, and don't be afraid to get a little muddy!

It’s a bee! It’s a wasp! No, it’s a moth! A Texas Wasp Moth, to be exact.

These wasp-mimicking moths have been spotted around the Gregg’s Mistflower at the Center, and while they may look a little intimidating, they’re harmless pollinators in disguise 🥸

Gregg’s Mistflower is a favorite for many nectar-loving insects, making it a great native plant for anyone hoping to support butterflies, bees, and other pollinators at home 🐝

Look closely on your next visit: not every “wasp” in the garden is actually a wasp!

June is full of ways to get outside, get curious, and connect with nature at Mitchell Lake Audubon Center!

This month, join us for homeschool nature learning, International Mud Day, guided bird tours, a Pride Month Free Entry Day, Let’s Go Birding Together with Latino Outdoors, habitat work, beginner birding, and a native bee program in celebration of Pollinator Week.

Whether you’re here for birds, bees, snakes, mud, native plants, or a little bit of everything, we’d love to see you this June!

View all upcoming programs and register at MitchellLake.Audubon.org/events 🦉

Did you remember to shellebrate World Turtle Day today?!

Today was a *turtley* awesome rainy day to *slow* down to celebrate our shelled reptile friends! 🤣 We had fun sharing turtle biofacts and teaching about some of the amazing turtles that call Mitchell Lake and Texas home.

Did you know that for many turtle species, the temperature of the eggs during incubation helps determine whether the hatchlings will be male or female?

Swipe to the last photo for a turtle trivia challenge! Can you identify this flat-backed cutie? 🐢

Happy World Migratory Bird Day! 🐦

Today we welcomed Class 52 of the to Mitchell Lake for a birding field trip led by 's very own Patsy Inglet, Tom Inglet, and Sherie Gee: expert birders, wonderful teachers, and some of our favorite people to learn from!

From binocular basics to field marks, behavior, and how to start making sense of what you’re looking at, Patsy, Tom, and Sherrie have a way of making birding feel both approachable and exciting. One of our favorite things they always remind people is that if you like looking at birds, you’re already a birder, bringing more people into the fold and ensuring it's a hobby that's accessible and *fun*.

And that sort of sentiment is exactly what is at the heart of, and what we should keep in mind for, World Migratory Bird Day. Birds need people who notice them, ask questions about them, get excited about them, and care enough to protect the places they rely on during migration. And opportunities like these are a perfect way to encourage that. Every question, shared sighting, and “wait, look over there!” moment helps inspire the next generation of birders, naturalists, and conservationists.

We always love having the newest Alamo Area Master Naturalist class visit Mitchell Lake, and we’re grateful for the many ways AAMN volunteers continue to learn, teach, serve, and help care for birds and their habitats across our community 💜

What was your favorite nature find this week?

We spotted this beautiful Texas striped sweat bee getting her pollen pants on in the sunflowers! 🌻🐝

Isn’t she gorgeous?

Fun Fact: In most native bee species, females collect pollen and nectar to feed the next bee generation! Good luck, Baby Bees! 💚

98 species. One circle. One very good day 🐦

This year’s Big Sit at Mitchell Lake Audubon Center was one for the books! Together, we recorded an incredible 98 bird species, setting a new Big Sit record for the Center.

From sunrise to sunset, volunteers and birders of all experience levels came together to share sightings, swap knowledge, brave the bugs, celebrate surprises, and spend the day appreciating migration in one small circle of habitat.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, whether you stayed for an hour or all day long. Your enthusiasm, patience, sharp eyes, and love for birds are what made this event so special.

We’re already looking forward to the next one 💚

A special thank you to for hosting the for 30 years (!!) now, and to for sponsoring our team 🤗