Galveston, Texas: A Bird-Watcher's Delight
Birdwatchers will go almost anywhere in the world they can manage to see different types of birds. The excitement of seeing an uncommon bird is what moves them to do what they do. And one wonderful place to bird-watch and see lots of varieties and breeds is Galveston, Texas.
Galveston Island is a central assembly point for birds flying both north and south. For the northern migratory birds, it is a rest stop during their trip to Mexico for the winter and during their trip back in the spring. Three hundred various varieties of birds have been counted on the island at different times of the year.
Also, quite a few waterfowl have made a permanent home on the island, and there's a wide variety of nesting types and varieties to be observed. Guided tours are offered all through the year to see the birds in their mating, nesting, and migratory seasons. Half or full day tours on water or on land go out often to see the birds. Some places offer special classes to enlighten visitors on the specific birds' backgrounds and histories. One particular facility provides classes on bird photography, discussing methodology, equipment needs and photo editing to bring out the very best in your pictures.
Hurricane Ike, which hit the area a number of years ago, devastated Galveston Island and its bird population. Like most things in nature, though, the area has rapidly recovered, and almost all of the varieties present on the island before the storm have returned to nest again. Boat tours to the islands Anahuac and Bolivar present a chance to see some of the rarer birds that have returned to the area.
During the springtime, Galveston holds a special bird-watching festival called the Galveston Featherfest. Birdwatchers from everywhere in the nation flock to the site throughout this time to get in on the three-day festival. Over 100 different tours are offered during Featherfest, as well as a lot of activities and special events. It's a place where birdwatchers can all get with each other to swap tales and images, and see new and different varieties of birds they may never have witnessed before.
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