Story by Meredith G. Morehouse
The Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary is located along the Gulf coast of Texas, on the Bolivar Peninsula near the mouth of Galveston Bay. This site, owned and managed by the Houston Audubon Society, was designated as a WHSRN Site of International Importance in December 1992 following the sanctuary’s own official dedication event that April. Bolivar Flats contains a highly productive complex of mudflats, beaches, salt marshes, and prairie uplands. More than 100,000 migratory shorebirds rely on this rich combination of habitats every year for nesting, for resting and refueling on migration, or for wintering.
“Nowhere on the upper Texas coast can you see such [bird] diversity, and in such great numbers,” notes Pete Deichmann, Sanctuaries Director. “It’s a true testament to the ecological significance of the sanctuary and its importance as being part of WHSRN.”
While 25 years as a WHSRN Site is itself a significant milestone, we’d need to go back some 95 more—to 1898—to honor the origins of Bolivar Flats as a shorebird hotspot. That year, a 5-mile-long jetty was built at the mouth of the Galveston Bay, on the north side, to protect this important shipping channel from the effects of southward-flowing currents in the Gulf of Mexico. Naturally, sediments rich in nutrients and invertebrates got deposited behind the jetty; as these sediments continued to accumulate, voila! … Bolivar Flats continued to grow. The new area’s mudflats were soon a magnet for birds.
The “sanctuary” began with a series of agreements among the Texas General Land Office and Galveston County in the 1980s and 90s that allowed Houston Audubon Society to close the beach to motorized vehicles and establish the area as a haven for shorebirds. Over some 20 years, Houston Audubon Society acquired the key tracts of land that today comprise the 1,146-acre Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary.
The breeding season at Bolivar Flats for beach-nesting species such as Wilson’s Plover (Charadrius wilsonia) occurs from March to mid-August or early September. Other species such as the endangered Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) begin their winter stay here in August. These time frames also coincide with the season for severe storms in the region. In June 2017, for example, many ground-nesting species’ efforts were devastated by Tropical Storm Cindy.
This site was also one of many WHSRN sites to be slammed by the rapid series of epic storms that overwhelmed the southern United States and Caribbean in August-September 2017. After Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas Gulf Coast (25 August), Houston Audubon Society reported that despite being in the hurricane’s direct path, Bolivar Flats had very minor shoreline erosion. And, given that this is an accreting stretch of beach, it didn’t take long to naturally fill back in.
Educational signage for visitors to Bolivar Flats. The beach area is privately owned by Houston Audubon Society but open to the public by state law. Photo: Meredith G. Morehouse.
“This assessment was a relief, but not a surprise,” said Richard Gibbons, Conservation Director. “Coastal marshes and upland prairies are maintained by these regularly occurring inundations. It’s what coastal resiliency is all about…ecosystems able to withstand and flourish in the face of dynamic weather events.”
Deichmann added, “The breeding season was coming to a close when Hurricane Harvey hit, so thankfully we didn’t see the same effect on beach-nesters as we did in June.”
Rebounding and looking ahead, one of many shorebird conservation projects that Houston Audubon Society is spearheading is the proposed Bolivar Peninsula Nature Trail. Audubon and several partners have been working and fundraising together to bring this dream to reality. The nature-based initiative would connect 13 key sites along the Bolivar Peninsula through conservation, education, and economic development actions. For this and other programs, visit the Houston Audubon Society’s conservation page.
Left: A barrier keeps motorized vehicles from driving along the beach within the Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary. Right: Coastal prairie uplands, Bolivar Flats WHSRN site. Photos: Meredith G. Morehouse.
Houston Audubon Society is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year (2019) and will highlight the Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary’s 25th year as a WHSRN Site among the festivities. We can’t wait!
Wilson’s Plover is a high-priority beach-nesting species at Bolivar Flats. Photo: Greg Lavaty.
