Golden TriangleAudubon Society

Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana

Golden Triangle Audubon Society

Meet fellow birders, explore the region's coast, marshes, prairies, and forests, and help conserve the places birds depend on.

Next membership meeting

Herps, Odes and Birds

Thursday, September 24, 2026 at 7:00 PMGarden Center, Tyrrell Park, BeaumontPresented by Troy HibbittsDoors open at 6:00 p.m.

Retired biology teacher and statewide birder Troy Hibbitts will explore the reptiles, amphibians, dragonflies, damselflies, birds, and other wildlife that have shaped his lifelong engagement with the natural world.

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Troy has a Master’s Degree in Biology and worked as a high school science teacher for 31 years. Now retired, he divides his time between personal outdoor activities and guiding birders, both independently and as a consultant with Birding Texas and Beyond. His love of the outdoors began early in a household where his father had similar interests. His family’s initial focus was herpetology, but birds were always part of the equation. Eventually, that passion grew to include dragonflies, damselflies, butterflies, cacti, scorpions, regional mammals, and many other interests.

Troy’s enthusiasm for the natural world is contagious. He has birded in all 254 Texas counties and serves as an eBird reviewer for six counties in Southwest Texas, supporting data quality and helping birders contribute meaningful observations.

The doors will open at 6:00 p.m., and the meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m.

Next field trip

Smith Point Hawkwatch

Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 8:30 AMCandy Abshier Wildlife Management Area, Smith PointLed by GTAS field-trip leaders

Join GTAS at the Smith Point Hawkwatch during the seasonal passage of Broad-winged, Sharp-shinned, and other hawks. Leaders expect to be at the tower beginning around 8:30 a.m., and participants may come and go as they wish.

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This month’s field trip will be one week later than usual so that it falls nearer the date when Broad-winged Hawk migration has peaked in recent years.

To reach the Smith Point Hawkwatch site from Winnie, take Highway 124 south toward High Island. After 12 miles, turn right on FM 1985 and follow it for about 14.5 miles until it meets FM 562. Follow FM 562 for 14 miles to Smith Point. Continue straight until almost reaching the bay, then turn left and bear left again to the parking area next to the Hawkwatch Tower at the Candy Abshier Wildlife Management Area. Allow at least 90 minutes from the Golden Triangle, or longer if you stop to bird along the way.

This field trip is a come-and-go event, and hawk-identification help is available on the tower throughout Hawkwatch season. GTAS leaders plan to be there beginning around 8:30 a.m. Accipiters, especially Sharp-shinned Hawks, often pass over Smith Point early in the morning, frequently between 7:00 and 8:00 a.m. Broad-winged Hawks generally arrive later, rarely before 10:00 a.m. Any day from mid-September through mid- or late October can produce good numbers of migrating hawks.

Leaders may take a group into the nearby woods to look for migrants, but participants may remain on the tower. Mosquitoes are not normally a problem there. Food and fuel are essentially unavailable in Smith Point, so bring lunch and anything else you will need.

The Broad-winged Hawk peak has sometimes occurred after September 24–26, including during the first few days of October. Days immediately following a cold front often bring north winds and increased passage by several hawk species. Previous years’ results are available at HawkCount.

For more information, contact Field Trip Chair Steve Mayes at gtaudubon@aol.com.

Photo focus

Seen in the Golden Triangle and beyond

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Olive-sided Flycatcher perched on a weathered branch against a clear blue sky at Sabine WoodsOlive-sided FlycatcherSabine WoodsPhotograph by John Mariani