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Field Trips
The Panhandle Bird Club's Upcoming Opportunities to Bird with the Local Experts
The best way to learn the identities of the birds you are seeing is to go outdoors with people who have more birding experience than you do. Field trips are fun and educational and shouldn't be missed! We offer half-day and full day field trips in and around the Panhandle, as well as 3-4 out of town trips each year.
Bosque del Apache Field Trip Video
The Panhandle Bird Club was privileged to visit Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge in February 2025, in the company of our friends and talented videographers, Dusty and Nikki Green. They shot a breathtaking, 22-minute video of the experience of birding at the Bosque (and eating delicious Green Chili Cheeseburgers at the Owl Cafe in nearby San Antonio, NM). There are three black-out breaks in the video, but you'll want to watch to the end to enjoy the full experience. We hope that the video will inspire you to accompany the Panhandle Bird Club on a birding field trip soon.
Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge
Summer Birding Walk
Saturday, August 2, 8:00 a.m.
Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuge is a premiere birding hotspot in the Texas Panhandle. When water is present, it attracts lots of shorebirds, geese, ducks and grebes. Swainson's Hawks nest there in the summer and the sound of juvenile hawks calling out to their parents for food is fascinating. Orioles bounce around in the trees, and a large population of Yellow-rumped Warblers spends the summer near the water.
After a torrential rain filled the lake to capacity in 1978, Umbarger Dam was condemned and the lake drained. Since it was no longer a recreational spot, fewer people visited. Virtually undisturbed, lots of birds and other wildlife made Buffalo Lake their home. However, water still fills a small part of the lake bed in wet years like 2025 and brings surprise birds to this National Wildlife Refuge.
Longtime birder Tom Johnson has visited Buffalo Lake for decades and can show you where to look and help you identify the birds you are seeing on this bird walk. Meet at the pay kiosk at the entrance at 8:00 a.m. Bring water and binoculars.
