Dripping Springs—Bird City!

Community and Collaboration

Dawn Houston and Paul Fushille spot birds from the Charro Ranch bird blind.     Photo courtesy Tom Hausler

Mike Meves

Folks are spilling out of Austin and into little Dripping Springs just to the west. They want what all 8,000 residents of this burgeoning Central Texas Hill Country town enjoy: the scenic views, live music, wineries, microbreweries, and antiques shopping. They want quiet, dark nights and the days full of birdsong. And this is, in fact, a certified Bird City!

Thanks to teamwork by the city and local birders, including the Hays County Chapter of Texas Master Naturalists™, Dripping Springs was designated a Texas Audubon Bird City in 2022 and has risen in the ranks of birding “hotspots” in the state. To date, only ten cities in Texas hold Bird City certification. Dripping Springs alone now boasts four parks listed among the top fifty birding hotspots in Hays County, according to eBird, with Dripping Springs Ranch Park climbing to sixth place.

Bird City—What, How, and Who?

Bird City is a certification program developed by Texas Parks and Wildlife in collaboration with Audubon Texas. According to the Audubon Texas Bird City website, the program's purpose is "to help people protect birds and their habitats where we live, work, and recreate." Certification requirements are designed to address habitat loss and other harmful impacts on birds. Dripping Springs met these requirements by educating the community about birds and their native habitats, creating annual programs to enhance folks’ enjoyment of birds, and providing bird-friendly habitats in parks and other green spaces around the city. Bird City certification was achieved through the dedication of employees of the City of Dripping Springs, Hays County Master Naturalists, and local birders—especially members of the Dripping Springs Birding Club. Read more about Dripping Springs’ Bird City certification and participation in World Migratory Bird Day in the June 2023 Hays Humm here.

Paul Fushille, Natural Resource Specialist with Travis County, led the team. He had founded the Dripping Springs Birding Club and its Facebook page in 2018. This group is "dedicated to the joy of birding, highlighting birds and bird-watching opportunities in local natural areas and parks.” The club now has nearly 1,000 members, many of whom are also Hays County Master Naturalists. In addition to its online presence, the club organizes activities such as bird surveys, public bird walks, and social gatherings (Remember those local wineries and breweries?). As public education, the city and the birding club promote birdwatching walks each spring and fall during World Migratory Bird Days. The group also organizes a FeederWatch program for the bird feeders at Charro Ranch Park and Dripping Springs Ranch Park. FeederWatch is a simple, enjoyable way for citizen scientists worldwide to observe, identify, and count birds at feeders, with the data reported to scientific organizations. Project FeederWatch is administered in the United States by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and in Canada by Birds Canada. See more about Project FeederWatch in Hays County in these 2023 Hays Humm articles: North County News and Project FeederWatch—Charro Ranch Park.

Sharon and Mike Meves install bird identification photos inside the bird blind at Charro Ranch Park. All the bird photos for this project were taken locally by HCMNs.     Photo courtesy Tina Adkins.

The beautiful bird blinds at Dripping Springs Ranch Park and Charro Ranch Park result from Hays County Master Naturalists’ (HCMNs) and the Dripping Springs Birding Club’s efforts. Both blinds were constructed with the help of Master Naturalists and funding from a GoFundMe campaign on Facebook. Master Naturalists Dick and Beth Barham volunteer to keep the feeders stocked. In 2023, the Dripping Springs Birding Club organized another Facebook GoFundMe campaign to upgrade the feeders to larger, squirrel-resistant designs. Additionally, HCMN Tina Adkins oversaw the installation of bird identification photos at both blinds, as previously reported in The Hays Humm. So, these have been the Who and How of a certified Bird City!

The Bird Surveys—What, Who, and Why?

In 2022, Paul Fushille developed a program to survey the birds at four Dripping Springs parks, using consistent guidelines regarding survey routes and durations.

This initiative is designed to collect data systematically and to track changes in bird populations over time. For instance, each survey requires two participants, lasts two hours, and follows the same route through the park every time. Members of the Dripping Springs Birding Club conducted these surveys. The regular survey team includes Master Naturalists Stephanie Bowers, Maggie Carpenter, Beverly Gordon, Tom Hausler, Doray Lendacky, Mike Meves, and Katherine Murphy, along with Birding Club members Steve Frampton, Paul Fushille, and Bill Vancak.

In the photo above, Dripping Springs Birding Club members go for a bird walk during this year’s Swift Night Out event at Charro Ranch—front to back: Paul Fushille, Doray Lendacky, Bill Vancak, Katherine Murphy, Maggie Carpenter, Sharon Meves, and Mike Meves. Photo courtesy Paul Fushille

Blue-winged Teal fly over the bird survey team at Charro Ranch Park.     Photo courtesy Tom Hausler

I believe the surveys are one of the Birding Club's most important activities for several reasons. First, by increasing the number of bird surveys in Dripping Springs parks, the city is climbing the rankings of eBird hotspots, establishing Dripping Springs as a prime birding destination. eBird is an app where birders log their sightings, and the eBird website ranks hotspots in each county based on the number of species observed. Since the survey program began, Charro Ranch Park has risen from the low 30s to the upper teens, and Dripping Springs Ranch Park has jumped from the high 20s to sixth place in Hays County. Sports and Recreation Park, primarily known for its soccer fields, is now a birding hotspot. The birding surveys have resulted in an increase of 42 additional species identified at that location, including a Bald Eagle!

A Bald Eagle, photographed by HCMN Tom Hausler, inspires the survey team.     Photo courtesy Tom Hausler

Second, the surveys bring local birders together, fostering a close-knit community. Many friendships have been formed through these surveys, with participants frequently going on bird outings together and sharing their experiences and photos.

Finally, the surveys enhance the birding knowledge of all involved. Having an experienced birder along during a survey helps others learn to identify birds by sight and sound. Just this year, I learned the calls of the Upland Sandpiper and Dickcissel, and within a week I heard both species fly over my property. We are always recruiting new members for our surveys, aiming to spread birding knowledge and passion.

We saw this Eastern Kingbird at Sports and Recreation Park.    Photo courtesy Michael Meves

A Mourning Warbler showed up during our Migratory Bird Day walk.     Photo courtesy Tom Hausler

The Future?

Surveys help identify trends in bird populations. Unfortunately, Dripping Springs' continued urbanization encroaches on its green spaces, reducing valuable bird habitat. The survey data will provide factual evidence of how this growth impacts wildlife. Recently, the Sports and Recreation Park has faced encroachment from massive housing developments, which have replaced once ideal bird habitat. The city, with help from Hays County Master Naturalists, hopes to create a safe zone for birds and other wildlife in this nearby park. The vision is to establish a quiet area, where visitors can appreciate nature and learn about local wildlife. Master Naturalists may be involved in surveying the area’s existing native fauna and flora, recommending beneficial species, and implementing changes to maintain a bird-friendly space.

In recent years, collaboration between Dripping Springs, the Birding Club, and Master Naturalists has significantly improved parks and programs for the benefit of both wildlife and birders. Our community has become a premier birding destination, and we expect this trend to continue. If you'd like to get involved, consider joining a survey, participating in FeederWatch, or attending one of our bird walks. Let’s bird Dripping Springs! If you are interested in participating in FeederWatch at Charro Ranch, contact Mike Meves, and for Dripping Springs Ranch Park, contact Tina Adkins.

Dripping Springs Birding Club members appear to have spotted something interesting during a bird walk at nearby Westcave Preserve.   Photo courtesy Tom Hausler