Patsy Glenn Refuge is perfect for birding

A great place for seeing birds is located right in the middle of Wimberley. It is recognized as a wildlife viewing area by the Texas Highway Department and has its own sign on Highway 12.

I speak of the Patsy Glenn Refuge, a small natural area of about two acres, located just across from the Wimberley Community Center. Although small, this acreage has lots to recommend it for any serious birder.

There is a chimney swift tower which regularly hosts avian inhabitants and there is a bird blind where you can sit and look at trees and bushes where birds visit hanging feeders and a water feature.

If you walk to the end of the trail which winds through the refuge, you will come to a wooden platform where you can look out over open meadows for grassland birds.

The refuge was developed by the Wimberley Birding Society and is coming up on its 20th anniversary. It is named for Patsy Glenn, a dedicated Wimberley birder who died on August 15, 2007. She had come to Wimberley to escape the air pollution of the Houston area and relieve her severe chemical sensitivities.

There is a kiosk near the chimney swift tower and if shows some of the birds and some of the butterflies you can see at the refuge. There are also concrete benches along the trail for those who prefer to sit awhile.

Patsy Glenn was an advocate for birds and for a refuge in Wimberley where wildlife could be enjoyed and admired. I think she would be very happy with the place carrying her name.