Birding at Hornsby Bend

If you enjoy seeing a variety of birds, such as ducks, grebes, coots, crows, killdeer and parakeets, there is a place not far from Wimberley that attracts all these, plus an assortment of butterflies and dragonflies.

That place is Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory, a birder’s paradise just south of Austin along the banks of the Colorado River. Hornsby Bend is basically a sewage treatment facility, so first and foremost, it processes poop.

But it also maintains several lagoons and holding ponds that attract birds like magnets. Some 350 species have been identified here, ranging from a blue-headed vireo to a bald eagle.

The place is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week and monthly bird walks are scheduled, sometimes led by Kevin Anderson, the on-site coordinator of the Austin Water Center for Environmental Research.

Hornsby Bend has long been a favorite locale for bird watchers. In fact, it celebrated its 60th anniversary on November 23. There were bird walks, an all-day bird survey, field trips and special information tables and activities.

For information on upcoming activities, call 512 972-1960. It’s a very active place.