First, I would like to apologise to anyone who was offended for my participation in yesterday's Obama diary flash-mob.
I was asked week before last to do a guide on Austin birding for Netroots Nation. Since most of my birding is done in my back garden, this one won't be as personal as some of the others.
I unfortunately don't know much about good birding spots around the city, so I'll focus more on the types of habitat you'll find in Austin. I'm very sorry if I'm not of much help.
Austin is a mid-size city, so there won't be too many "rare" birds downtown. For that you'd have to visit the Hill Country. I'm writing this at 1:00 AM on Sat., so it probably won't be all that organised. For those not attending NN, I'll break it up with pictures.
Capitol Grounds: One of the easiest spots to get to from the convention center. I haven't heard much about what you'll see here, but A visit to the capitol and its grounds is worth it even if you don't see too many birds. I have heard there is an albino squirrel living on the grounds.
Highways: There's a surprising variety of birds you can see from the highways around the city. Look on the power lines and pylons for hawks. Scissortailed flycatchers are also a pretty common sight.
Hill Country: If you're able to get out of the city for a day of birding, this is where you'll want to go. At Balcones Canyonland Preserve on 1431 you can see the endangered Golden Cheeked Warbler, along with many other more common birds that you won't see in the city. Another possible bird sighting is the Black Capped Vireo, which as also endangered. Also, in some parts of the Hill Country, you might see wild turkeys.
Suburbs: Austin has a very small city centre, which is surrounded by old suburbs. You'll mostly see standard backyard birds here. If you are from a completely different climate, you might see some new species, but people are going to wonder who/what you're watching with those binoculars.
Town Lake/ Lady Bird Lake: Town Lake (which they've now renamed Lady Bird Lake) is a short drive from downtown. The upper half of the lake (above the dam) is used by motorboats and jet-skis. The lower part is much more peaceful, as only kayaks and canoes are allowed on the water. Mostly ducks on the water, but in the thick brush around the water you might see some interesting birds. "Thick" was in italics as a warning - it's best viewed from the water.
Hornsby Bend: Link here. This is a waste management plant with several ponds of different depths that attract many different types of waterfowl. (thanks to blue armadillo for reminding me)
Travis County Audubon Society has a list of common local birds on their website.
If you're wondering, the pictures do not show what you're likely to see in each area. They are, however, birds that are found in and around Austin.
As usual, the comments are a place for you to share stories and pictures. there's no theme today, so it's a sort of avian open thread.
If you have any clarifications or anything I missed (which will probably be a lot, please tell me in the comments. I will put a credits section at the bottom, and anyone who helps here will get acknowledgment there.
Special Thanks to:
blue armadillo
UPDATE: Next week I will return to the personal stories with a story of the search for the Black Crowned Night Heron.