We are so excited about the news of our area finally getting a Wild Birds Unlimited Nature store.... Dripping Springs, TX is right next door to us in Wimberley!    Anna & Manuel Pena are realizing a dream come true and we really hope they are a big success.  We live in one of the most "birdy" areas of Texas....home to the Golden-cheeked Warbler and the Black-capped Vireo, so we are a very special area!  The Official Grand Opening is Oct 7-8, 2017 but they will have a soft opening in early Sept at 333 E Hwy 290, Dripping Springs, TX.  This is the place to get the freshest birdseed that has been blended specifically for our region, in addition to all your other Nature needs.    This business gets the HA stamp of approval!   Check out their Facebook page Wild Birds Unlimited of Dripping Springs for all their current news.  We love their heading photo on their Facebook page!

Maybe you are having a birthday party?...a Wedding Shower?....a Memorial Service?...or a friendly get together and want to do something special.  Schedule a Star Party at Cackle Observatory for a memorable and meaningful evening.  Use the Reply Form on this page to arrange your needs...either on site at Cackle Observatory in Wimberley or on the site of your choice within a reasonable distance of Wimberley.
So, how do you get the most from your Party?

First, come prepared!  No matter what temperature you hear it will be, prepare for weather that is at least 20 degrees colder.  If you are not familiar with the observing site, arrive early enough so that you don't have to arrive after dark, not knowing where you are going, and disrupt everyone with your headlights.  No white lights after sundown.  Allow yourself to become dark-adapted in order to see all that you can see.
Star Parties are the perfect place to learn more about observing, more about telescopes, and more about all the other accessories that go with the hobby. If you are considering purchasing a particular model, or building your own telescope, there is no better place to learn all the latest news, or to see the latest designs, and to get first hand advice.
You should never simply take a two second look at an interesting object, and you should learn to study each object - to train your eye to see all that it can see.
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The Backyard Basics Expo on Sept 17, 2016, put on by Texas AgriLife Extension is a really great opportunity to learn those life skills which you need in order to be self-sustaining.  Sessions this year are Bee Keeping, Herb Gardening, Keeping Fresh Foods Safe, Rain Barrel Basics, Home Aquaponics, Turf 101, Backyard Composting, Drip Irrigation, Urban Wildlife, Veggie Gardening, Vermiculture and of course, Backyard Chickens.  Huth Avian is proud to be the presenter of the Backyard Chickens session!
Get all of the details and register at:     http://bexar-tx.tamu.edu/backyardbasics/
Hope to see you there!

Really enjoyed time yesterday, visiting at the Wimberley Senior Center with my bantam Cochin, "Bitsy" and Fancy Feathers 4H Club member, Alyssa Caldwell and her Nankin, "Blackberry".   The Senior Center has a program for clients with moderate memory loss called  CIRCLES OF FRIENDS. The group meets at the Community Center every Thursday from 10:00am-2:00pm.  The program provides an enriched curriculum for "friends" of the Center.  The morning begins with greeting and circle time with all participating.  Activities include, art, crafts, movement, music, exercises suited for 55 years of age - some are sitting, some are standing  depending on the friends' abilities.   
Yesterday we had the privilege of being the morning's activity with a little Chicken Show & Tell & Touch!

For more information please call the Senior Center at 512-847-1781. 

Guiding a group of intrepid Wimberley Birding Society birders at the beautiful Lost Maples State Natural Area in Vanderpool, Tx and surrounding area.  Weather projection for great sightings is optimal....thank goodness, because I'm camping and don't enjoy sleeping out in the rain or cold!  Some of our favorite sightings were the Golden-cheeked Warbler, Black-capped Vireo, Scott's Oriole and we heard the White-tipped Dove.

The 18th Annual Butterfly Day has now come and gone.  I am always happy , privileged and honored to play a small role in this event.  My table was stationed in one of my favorite locations in the gardens....at the chess set!  I remember the 1st Butterfly Day eighteen years ago.... there were a small handful of butterflies released and activity tables set up... it was very quiet and peaceful.  This year it has grown to a cacophony of sights and sounds...people everyone, equally inspired by the awakening of Spring and Life.  I had a great day guiding Bird Walks around the Gardens...best sighting of the day was the Indigo Bunting!  I met many nice folks, whom I will be in contact with for my 1st Tuesday Bird Walks in and around Wimberley.  Looking forward to raising and releasing a cage of butterflies at the 2017 Festival!

An enthusiastic group of birders gathered at the Wimberley Community Center, bright and early to begin their quest for birds on Tax Day 2016 (April 15).  After a rousing chant of our BIRDER mantra (Better Identification Reduces Doubt & Enhances Results) we broke into three teams: #1-The Broadwinged Road Stoppers (Tom T., Sally E., Linda L., Suzanne J. and me)..   #2-The Hill Country Hooters (Bill & Bobbie W, Nan & Don P., & Jan H.)...and  #3- The Newbies & Oldbies ( David G., Lila M., Jim & Mitzie W.,  Lynne S., and Susan N.) and headed out on a competitive quest to find local bird species.  After three hours spent at the Patsy Glenn Refuge, Woodcreek North and Blue Hole Park we reconvened to tally up group numbers.   The teams sighted a collective 57 species for the morning.   Everyone then gathered at Milagros for the Annual Awards Luncheon where Team #1 was awarded with the coveted traveling Grand Champoin(sp) Trophy Cup for having the most sightings....I was proud to receive the Red Cardinal Award for being the Most Valuable Birder (of the Ear).  It was a most fun and memorable morning and my calendar is marked for the Tax Day 2017 competition!

If you're ever in the Temecula, CA area, I highly recommend The Liberty Kitchen for great food, service and ambiance.
Give them a try and let me know what you think!  Their menu reflects a definite Texas/Louisiana flavor....really, a Duck Tortilla soup....oh yeah!   It's owned and managed by a very fun and creative family....tell them I said "hi" when you're there!    They get a definite 5-crow thumbs up! 

The 9th Annual Fancy Feathers Chicken Show was the best ever.  Club managers Janet Dietz & Janine Basinger did a great job of guiding the Fancy Feathers 4H Club members in their implementation of the various aspects of a successful show....from their concession stand to their unique awards and competitions.  This show is put on by the youth members themselves, with support from their families.   I had my Huth Avian Services table there and so had the opportunity to talk with most of the folks there, at one point or another.   Everyone was most impressed with the professionalism shown by these kids and how great it was to see them wearing their distinctive tshirts & lab coats, so it was easy to find show personnel when help was needed.   They already have thoughts on how to make next years show new and innovative again....this is a hallmark of this show.  In 2008 they introduced the first "Cluck Off" in TX...in 2009 the 1st Egg Show in TX was implemented....in 2010 the 1st Youth Exhibition Poultry Showmanship class in TX was added....in 2012 the 1st Serama Tabletop show in TX was added....in 2014 the 1st "Match the Judge" contest in TX was added....  I think you'll like their "first" for the 2017 show!   Keep an eye on this club and their show!

Come out to see a great variety of breeds, shown by some of the top breeders in Texas.  This show is sanctioned by the American Poultry and American Bantam Associations.  I started this club and this show back in 2009 and so far it continues to grow.  New club managers, Janet Dietz and Janine Basinger, will do a great job with this years show, as will the current club membership.  This is a way you can support the kids!  Look for me at my Huth Avian Services table...I'd love to say "howdy"!
Steve Jones was slated to be one of the judges....we are all greatly saddened by his sudden demise yesterday, due to a stroke.  Both he, and a young club member who passed away this past year, will be on everyone's minds throughout the show.  Both will be greatly missed.....  RIP

The show will be held from 9am - 3pm at the Dripping Springs Ranch Park on RR12, just north of 290....across from Dripping Springs Elem School.....admission is free!  There are fun activities for everyone!

RCW spotted at Lost Maples State Natural Area in Vanderpool, TX....rarely seen in the United States as far north as Tx or southern AZ.... heading 2 1/2 hrs there right now.  This would be a lifer for me.  RCW  is a New World wood warbler native to Mexico and Central Mexico. Altho generally birds of tropical shrubby highlands, North American sightings tend to be in oak woodland canyon bottoms, near running water, low in dense vegetation.  They primarily feed on insects and spiders, foraging close to the ground.

 I've fallen behind on updating this blog, but will make it a point to update more often!          For more info on this event contact the Hays Co. Texas AgriLife Extension Agency   HERE