Lots of those “10,000 Birds” are in Port Arthur
Want to meet 10,000 birds?
People come to Port Arthur to see our birds in person. Some keep create art to keep these memories. Christina Baal has a mission. She wants to meet and paint 10,000 different species of birds. By capturing their personalities in a story, she hopes to inspire others to find these birds, too. Texas excursions offered her visions of birds who live and visit Port Arthur, Texas. If you visit, you can spot some of her finds, like these:
“Pretty in Pink”
Who wouldn’t be impressed with this this big blast of pink? Roseate Spoonbills are wading birds who use that spooned bill to scoop and sift their dinner from our marshy wetlands. Babies are cotton candy pink even before they have feathers. These spoon-billed, wildly colored birds of the Southern Coast build nests in trees. They swing their heads side to side to use bills like a spoon, sifting through the mud, Baal says.
We met Baal showing her artwork at various birding festivals where we also share great birding opportunities in Port Arthur. Her upbeat personality is naturally attractive. You can see why birds are “drawn” to her.
Blown Away
Baal said she was blown away by the birds she’s met. Her faves include Yellow Warblers and Turkey Vultures. Okay, there’s beauty in everything. We are partial to her Painted Bunting, because these guys show up at Sabine Woods during spring migration. Their magnificent coloring demands to be painted, Baal says. Its French name is “nonparaeil,” or, without equal. The female’s yellow-green tint helps her stay hidden while nesting.
Birders meet nice people, too.
Another great thing about chasing after 10,000 birds is the people you meet along the way. Baal met Shelly Plante, coordinator of the Great Texas Birding Classic, and the Rio Grande Valley Bird Festival. Now, her “Fisher Queen” painting is a part of the Classic’s history, as it became the 2021 Texas Birding Classic T-shirt. We’ll have to brag here: Our Visit Port Arthur team, The Upper Texas Gulf Coast Birders, earned 3rd place in Sunrise to Noon category. They spotted an impressive 133 species, centered around Sabine Woods. We think the awesome T-shirt helped.
“All Her Ducks in a Row”
A bit of a wit, Baal has funny titles for her paintings. Get in on her jokes and her talent on her website, Drawing Ten Thousand Birds, here. She’s also a writer. You’ve got to move fast to keep up with this woman. She has met more than 1,000 birds and painted more than 500.
The Burrowing Owl bit
The American Birding Association’s 2022 bird of the year is the Burrowing Owl. Baal accepted the invitation to paint this bird she already loves. They have a “fabulous range of expressions” she captures in a trio. Each depicts these lovable owls in a different habitat: A southwestern desert, the western Badlands and a Florida golf course.
#Bird Port Arthur
Ready for your own inspiration? Pack your binoculars, sketch pad, camara and imagination. Read about our Port Arthur area birding and get you guide, here.
