Essays

Moseying: Outdoor Recreation Activities

Birdwatching in Midland's urban forest
September 11, 2002

“Yes, Police Department, I would like to report strange people wandering around my neighborhood with binoculars. They are in my alley right now, looking into my backyard. Please come right now!” Amateur naturalists are often considered just a “mite strange.” The neighborhood between Bowie Elementary and San Jacinto Junior High have gotten used to the Midland Naturalists. Several folks now come out and chat to the birders as they walk around, reporting unusual bird behavior they have observed, but also to meet exotic birdwatchers from all over the country. Our local amateur ornithologists know the best places to find birds in town and are occasionally asked to serve as tour guides.

For example, many Midlanders visit the Wadley-Barron Park for the enjoyable activity of feeding ducks. It is fun to have fifty quackers gathered around, pushing and shoving, grabbing the pieces of bread, following you about begging for more. The birders have found dozens of rarities there over the years. When a White Pelican drops by, it makes the evening television news. They migrate through the area every year, so they are not as rare as commonly supposed. The birders get excited when something like a Black-legged Kittiwake drops by, like one did a few years ago. This and other Pacific Coast birds are sometimes swept up by a big Pacific storm and carried fifteen hundred miles all the way to Midland.

The local birdwatchers also visit the grounds of the Museum of the Southwest, the pond and overflow area of the Center for Energy and Economic Development, the ponds in the Green Tree development, and the local cemeteries. The Interstate 20 pond that is part of the proposed Multi-purpose Center development has long been a favorite site for the Midland Naturalists. Private ranches are visited by special arrangement or by long-standing agreements.

Visitors to Midland also pursue natural history interests. Here at the Sibley Nature Center we have met folks from every state in the Union and have recorded visitors from seventeen foreign countries. Every year, dozens of visitors at the Sibley Nature Center stop by because Ed Kutac mentions our trail in his book, “Bird Finding in Texas.” It lists several places in the city and county where a person can drive along the roads finding our indigenes, common birds like Pyrrhuloxias, Cactus Wrens, and Curve-billed Thrashers. Birders are listers, trying to add species to their “life list.” We have had visitors call wanting to locate specific birds they desperately wish to see. Roland Wauer, former chief naturalist at Big Bend National Park, and author of 17 nature books, recently visited Midland for public sites to list in his forthcoming book, “Butterfly Finding in Texas,” so we anticipate even more visitors in the future picking up our county butterfly checklist.

Due to the wonderful efforts of Shura Lindgren and her staff at the Convention and Visitors Bureau of the Midland Chamber of Commerce, Midland hosts dozens of regional conventions, trade shows, craft shows, and association meetings. Non-participating spouses tagging along not only go shopping, but also enjoy the museums of the area and some merely pursue their personal interests on their own. Some of these folks either have one of the “Finding” books, or already have the name of a contact person, and others contact Sibley. The Nature Tourism Committee of the Midland Chamber of Commerce recently produced a hike and bike map of the town. It not only designates some of the quietest and prettiest streets for an enjoyable bike ride, but also some of the best areas for nature watching. This map will soon be going into the “welcome bags” the CVB hands out to visitors.

Amateur naturalists are not really “strange.” Birdwatching has become a multi-million dollar boon to the national economy. Butterfly gardens and butterfly houses have been established in dozens of cities. Wildlife photography not only produces thousands of images for the nation’s “fish and game” and “parks and wildlife” magazines but is also a challenging hobby. We have met amateur photographers that specialize in wildflowers, prairie dogs, dragonflies, spiders, fungus and more.

“Education tourism” is becoming more popular. No longer do people want to merely visit and briefly stare at glorious scenic vistas. Birdwatchers began the trend thirty years ago as entrepreneurs discovered folks would pay handsomely to visit an unfamiliar region with an expert and knowledgeable guide. Hundreds of bed and breakfast establishments have sprung up in the last decade nationwide to cater to those that explore on their own. There are at least two bed and breakfasts in Texas that specialize in advertising to butterfly watchers. Now the trend is moving to historical and cultural interests.

The next time you see one of the local naturalists ambling along your alley do not be scared. They might be escorting a visitor to our town, showing them a bird they have dreamed of seeing for years!