Hello Tweeters,

Many people here in the PNW often visit the upper Gulf Coast of Texas in
April, during the big spring bird migration. So it was with concern that we
watched events unfold as Cat 4 Hurricane Laura pounded this coastal region
last week. The hurricane made landfall just to the east of the Sabine River,
the dividing line between Texas and Louisiana.

We just received a newsletter from Houston Audubon, and were relieved to
read that little or no damage was sustained at their sanctuaries in High
Island, or apparently on the Bolivar Peninsula. High Island is about 35
miles west of the hurricane landfall, and includes the legendary birding
sanctuaries of Boy Scout Woods, Smith Oaks and Hook Woods. The Anahuac NWR
is northwest of High Island, so should also have been pretty much
unaffected.

Much closer to the landfall, and just 5 miles west of the Sabine River, is
the lovely Texas Ornithological Society's Sabine Woods, one of our top
favorite spots in the entire region. We have not heard any reports on this
site, but dearly hope that the majestic oak groves there fared ok. The
cities of Port Arthur and Beaumont are a little northeast of the Woods, and
being on the "weak" left side of the storm they reportedly did reasonably
well, so we are nervously hopeful about Sabine Woods.

To the north of Beaumont are the expansive Piney Woods, including Big
Thicket National Preserve, Angelina Nat Forest, Lk Sam Rayburn and other
great birding areas. News coverage suggests that there were widespread
treefalls in this area, but we have nothing more definitive yet.

Just to the east of the landfall, on the "bad" right side of the hurricane
and some 15 miles east of the Sabine River, is a lovely oak grove sanctuary
and migrant trap called Paveto Woods, located right on the Gulf. We fear
from news coverage that this area was really clobbered, but again we haven't
heard any details yet.

David & Jo Nunnallee
Sammamish, WA
nunnallee at comcast.net