Head to Rockport to celebrate tiny, fast-flapping hummingbirds

Head to Rockport to celebrate tiny, fast-flapping hummingbirds

The 31st annual HummerBird Festival takes place in Rockport-Fulton Sept. 19-22, when thousands of ruby-throated hummingbirds migrate through the area. Photo by Juan Bahamon

Every year, millions of tiny hummingbirds pass through Texas, pausing to fatten up before making the 20-hour, 800-mile flight across the Gulf of Mexico to their wintering range.

Rockport and Fulton will roll out the welcome mat for the buzzing birds, whose wings flap up to 70 times per second. The 31stannual HummerBird Celebration, set for From Sept. 19-22, will feature tours, banding demonstrations, photography talks, guided field trips, lectures, workshops, outdoor exhibits and vendors.

The sleekly glamorous ruby-throated hummingbirds, which begin their migration from as far away as Canada, get star billing, but other species, including rufous, black-chinned, buff-bellied and Allen’s hummingbirds, will likely make an appearance, too.

The festival will feature tours, lectures, banding demonstrations, vendors and more. Photo by Phil Stranahan

Private residences, dubbed Hummer Homes, will open for early backyard bird viewing the Saturday before the festival. The three-day festival officially kicks off with a free welcome reception at 5 p.m. Sept 19 at Rockport Center for the Arts, 101 S. Austin Street in Rockport, and an opening barbecue dinner at 6:30 p.m. at the Saltwater Pavilion at Rockport.

On Friday, representatives of Sky King Falconry in San Antonio will make a presentation, and Saturday begins with a Hummer Breakfast on the grounds of the History Center of Aransas County, and ends with the keynote presentation from Greg Miller, a world renowned birder portrayed by Jack Black in the movie “The Big Year.”

A WingDing Event, scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at the Rockport Country Club Clubhouse, will raise money to rescue and rehabilitate injured and abandoned birds. For more information go to www.windsrescuecenter.com.

In between, a host of activities are planned to celebrate and educate the public about the nimble little birds, which can fly fast, screech to a sudden halt, hover and adjust their position up or down like nature’s version of a helicopter.

Hummingbirds flap their wings up to 70 times per second. Photo by Diane Loyd

Don’t blame the organizers if the birds don’t appear in force, although they almost always do. In 2014, a front blew through and the hummers failed to show in their usual impressive numbers.

To purchase tickets, volunteer, or get more information about the festival, go to www.rockporthummingbird.com, or contact the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce at 361-729-6445. Tickets may also be purchased onsite at the Martha Luigi Auditorium Box Office, 1803 Omohundro Street in Rockport.

 

 

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What do you pack for a major expedition? New book takes a look

What do you pack for a major expedition? New book takes a look

Ed Stafford’s new book describes what some of the world’s greatest explorers took with them on their journey. Pam LeBlanc photo

Ever wonder what you’d need for a trip to the South Pole, a road trip across the Sahara Desert, or a flight across the Atlantic?

Survivalist Ed Stafford, who walked the Amazon River (with a guide) and has starred in his own series on the Discovery Channel, has put together a book that answers those questions.

“Expeditions Unpacked: What the Great Explorers Took into the Unknown” details 25 expeditions through the equipment the explorers took with them.

The book hits store shelves on Sept. 17, but I’ve been flipping through an advance copy. For me, the charm comes in reading about the non-essentials the explorers chose to take with them.

Jacques Cousteau packed a red knit beanie along with a shark cave and face mask. Pam LeBlanc photo

You might have guessed that Roald Amundsen took ski boots and skis on his expedition to the South Pole from 1910 to 1912, for example, but did you know he also packed a mandolin, a piano, a gramophone and a violin?

Amelia Earhart packed Dr. Berry’s Freckle ointment along with the essential parachutes, Bendix radio direction finder and an emergency raft on her flight across the Atlantic.

Thor Heyerdahl, who spent 101 days on a balsa wood raft during his Kon-Tiki Expedition, brought shark powder (whatever that is) and a parrot on his journey, although I’m baffled by an account of Heyerdahl’s encounter with a 50-foot whale shark with 3,000 teeth that could have “turned the Kon-Tiki to driftwood.”

Whale sharks don’t have teeth, and they’re not aggressive. They’re like giant catfish, and I’ve swum with a dozen of them at once off of Isla Mujeres.

The book covers all sorts of explorations, including sailing, bicycling, camel trekking, skiing and ballooning. I love the illustrations that go with each chapter – drawings of the supplies, unpacked and spread out.

During his first ascent of Everest in 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary tucked sardines, biscuits and tinned apricots into his luggage, along with walkie talkies, an ice axe, a nylon and cotton tent, woolen socks, crampons and goggles.

Eva Dickson, the first woman to drive across the Sahara, loaded her Chevrolet Confederate with a hunting rifle, a camping bed, a spare tire, gasoline and a copy of the Bible for her 27-day journey in 1932.

Amelia Earhart brought parachutes and a life raft, along with freckle cream. Pam LeBlanc photo

Not all the explorers mentioned made it out alive. Perhaps Lieutenant Colonel Percy Fawcett, who disappeared after heading into the Amazon basin to find the forgotten city, was missing a few key pieces when he packed flares, a mosquito net, accordion, sextant, fedora and a tweed jacket.

Stafford allots 10 pages to his own 860-day trek along the Amazon River from 2008 to 2010. Explorers have been hauling some of the same gear he took – a hammock, a sewing awl and a machete, for example – for centuries. But he enjoyed the luxury of modern technology his predecessors never had, like GPS, satellite communication equipment, a camcorder – and DEET to keep the mosquitos away.

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Finally, I took the plunge into Hamilton Pool

Finally, I took the plunge into Hamilton Pool

Sit here to enjoy a shower compliments of Mother Nature. Lisa Reed photo

Three months after getting the itch to swim at Hamilton Pool Preserve, I finally launched my body into the glinting green-blue pond this morning.

I spent a good three and a half hours lolling in the natural swimming hole, letting water spill over the lip of the enormous overhang onto my head, and scampering around the boulders that surround the water.

This guy maximized his relaxation time. Pam LeBlanc photo

The pool feels a little like a Hawaiian oasis dropped in the middle of the Hill Country. It formed thousands of years ago, when the dome over an underground river collapsed. Today, trails are worn, signs of erosion are obvious, and the tiny gravel beach is perpetually packed, but the place, to me, still feels serene and almost Jurassic.

The park switched to a reservation system in 2016 to alleviate overcrowding and relieve traffic snarls on Ranch Road 12. I went online to book a spot back in June, but the soonest opening I could get was today.

Ben Williams, left, and Daniel Dao, right, made their first visit to the pool today. Pam LeBlanc photo

Online reservations, which cost $10 plus a $1 service fee, are needed between March 1 and Oct. 31, and on weekends and holidays during November and December.(A quick check today showed a few mid-week slots available in September and October, but weekends booked through the end of October.) You also need an additional $15 in cash once you get to the pool for the entrance fee.
To make a reservation, go to https://parks.traviscountytx.gov/parks/hamilton-pool-preserve. You’ll have to choose betweena morning or afternoon reservation (9 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.); each reservation includes one vehicle with no more than eight people.

Lots of big catfish live in the pool. Pam LeBlanc photo

Wear sturdy shoes, because you have to walk a quarter of a mile on a rocky path to get to the pool. And just because you have a reservation, you might not be able to swim. The pool occasionally closes due to high bacteria levels. Call the public information line at 512-264-2740 before you go.

Lisa Reed hikes along the back of the overhang. Pam LeBlanc photo

No lifeguard is on duty, but plenty of life vests are available for visitors. Diving is not permitted due to submerged rocks. No pets are allowed either.

Lisa Reed looks out at the pool from beneath the rocky overhang. Pam LeBlanc photo

 

 

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These energy bars actually taste like real food …

These energy bars actually taste like real food …

Kate’s Real Food sent me an assortment of bars. Not shown here – my favorite, the Tiki bar with coconut and mango. Pam LeBlanc photo

Samples of energy bars, sports drinks and gels arrive in my mailbox all the time. Usually, I stash them in a bin in my pantry and dole them out as needed.

They’re fuel, that’s it.

But last weekend, during a speedy trip to the coast, I tossed a few Kate’s Real Food bars into my bag. And when I ripped open the Tiki Bar flavored one and took a bite, I actually looked twice at the wrapper.

The Kate’s Real Food Bar tasted, as its name suggested, like actual food, instead of the dense, chewy globs that got me through last year’s Texas Water Safari. I might even suggest that it tasted a bit like a trip to the tropics, with bits of dried mango (my fave!) and coconut (wait no, that’s my fave!).

The 2.2-ounce bars (one bar equals two servings, according to the label, but I wolfed down the entire bar because apparently I’m a glutton) are made with organic ingredients, brown rice flour and honey. I ate mine plain, but the website shows lovely pictures of them crumbled up (a fancy restaurant would probably call it “deconstructed”) and sprinkled on yogurt or embedded, along with blueberries and strawberry slices, on a cream cheese-slathered piece of toast.

Each serving – again, the bar equals two – is gluten free and has 3 grams of protein and about 150 calories. Double those numbers if you’re a normal human.

Here’s my normal stash of energy foods. I’ll put the Kate’s Real Food bars on top from now on. Pam LeBlanc photo

According to a press release, the namesake Kate was a ski bum in Jackson Hole (hey, that’s where I met my husband!) in the 1990s. She couldn’t find an energy bar that tasted great and also fueled her adventures, so she made her own.

Voila, Kate’s Real Food. The hand-rolled bars are made from organic and sustainable ingredients.

Besides the Tiki Bar, the menu includes the Handle Bar with dark chocolate, cherries and almonds; the Stash Bar with peanut butter, hemp and flax; the Bivy Bar with lemon and coconut; the Grizzly Bar with peanut butter and dark chocolate; and the Tram Bar, with peanut butter and milk chocolate.

They sell for $2.49 each at www.katesrealfood.com

 

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Following the Arctic Cowboys to the coast for a shakedown run

Following the Arctic Cowboys to the coast for a shakedown run

Jimmy Harvey, left, Jeff Wueste, center, and West Hansen, right, drag their kayaks out of the surf at sunrise Saturday. Pam LeBlanc photo

Next summer, I’m heading north to track the Austin-based Arctic Cowboys as they attempt to become the first paddlers to kayak the entire Northwest Passage.

I’m pretty excited about that expedition. Covering big adventure tops the list of why I left my long-time and much loved job at the Austin American-Statesman to go freelance last fall.

Last weekend, Arctic Cowboys leader West Hansen, plus teammates Jeff Wueste, Jimmy Harvey and I, drove to Padre Island National Seashore so the guys could get some time in the surf in their Epic 18X kayaks.

West Hansen, leader of the Arctic Cowboys expedition, paddles into the surf at Padre Island National Seashore on Aug. 23, 2019. Pam LeBlanc photo

My job? Stand waist deep in the water and try not to flood my camera while taking shots of them in action. I needed the practice as much as they needed the shakedown run in their Epic 18X kayaks.

They learned a few things, like it’s difficult to right an unloaded sea kayak in the surf. The ballast keeps a boat steadier and easier to roll back to upright position.

West Hansen, Jeff Wueste and Jimmy Harvey pose after a training session at Padre Island National Seashore. Pam LeBlanc photo

We spent about four hours at the beach Friday night, then went back to the hotel, where Hansen and the others did their own version of that scene from “Jaws,” where everyone sits around and compares scars. Hansen won, revealing a jagged line on his leg where he impaled it on a chunk of glass as a kid.

West Hansen, leader of the Arctic Cowboys, prepares for a training session. Pam LeBlanc photo

We got up extra early Saturday morning and headed back to the beach for sunrise. My biggest takeaway from that? Leave the camera gear in the car overnight or it’ll never unfog when you pull it out at the beach.

West Hansen, front, and Jeff Wueste, back, practice paddling in rough surf. Pam LeBlanc photo

I’ve attached some of my favorite shots from the weekend. And look for a story in the Austin American-Statesman in the next few weeks about Hansen’s expeditions, and the Sept. 7 book signing for his upcoming account of his 2012 Amazon Express expedition.

That 111-day adventure took his team 4,100 miles down the world’s longest river. The Northwest Passage should feel short by comparison.

West Hansen lost his cowboy hat in the surf. Pam LeBlanc photo

 

 

 

About Pam

I’m Pam LeBlanc. Follow my blog to keep up with the best in outdoor travel and adventure. Thanks for visiting my site.

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