Taylor County Big Year: Abilene's Lake Kirby could become a birding bonanza with blinds

It has been a big year for Jay Packer and his birding exploits around Taylor County.

Now, the avid birder is hoping to help many more fall in love with his hobby.

Since he started the Taylor County Big Year 2019 project, Packer has been raising money to help build birding structures at Lake Kirby.

With the year almost complete, he's looking at his options.

He's settling for bird blinds that would provide people looking to get closer to nature a way to do so with their eyes and not scare away the birds being viewed.

Jay Packer, of Taylor County Big Year 2019, would like to build at least one birding blind in Lake Kirby Park & Nature Play Area. A bird blind, he said, allows interested observers to see birds in their natural habitat without scaring them away with sudden movements.

Essentially, it's a simple design with some holes, concrete, oilfield poles and wood. That's it.

"So, you're basically building a fence," Packer said. "You cut holes in the wood, cut little slats for viewing panels. You can even get a little fancy and put a door with hinges over the holes. This way, nothing on the other side of the blind can see your movement."

Add in a little tin for an overhead covering and it's an easy way to see birds without making it obvious to them there are people there (and scaring them away).

Once complete, the blinds would feature six to nine holes cut out (possibly with the latchable doors) at various heights to allow anyone interested in seeing the wildlife at Kirby.

"Obviously,  birdwatchers (would use them)," Packer said. "But also nature photographers, and then even school kids being able to come out and look through those blinds. They could get up close with something that eludes them."

Why Kirby?

Packer is a fan of the lake and its surrounding park because it offers many habitats for birds to enjoy. And they do enjoy it.

The lake has produced 185 different species this year, and those are just from his observations. On days when he was elsewhere, he said, other birds may have been at the lake.

A Great Blue Heron catches a fish at Kirby Lake on March 7, 2018. The bird is the largest, most widespread heron in North America according to Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Overall, according to those who use the website ebird.org, Kirby has been the spot for 250 different species.

Kirby also needs a little bit of a cleanup, Packer said. And building these bird blinds strategically through the south Abilene park might help spark that effort.

There's a little neglect, which he says comes from about 1 percent of the people who use the park. It's not a big issue.

But it could help ensure even more birds add the park to their paths, even for a few passing moments.

"We ultimately think that this lake is a little neglected," Packer said. "From the trash to some of things that go on at night. You get enough people interested, you hope to turn the tide."

Big dreams from a big year

Vandalism isn't a terrible concern, either, Packer said, but the bird blinds would be easily replaced should something happen to them.

Originally, Packer said, the plan was to build a complete structure, possibly on the water, with four walls and a roof.

House Wren

It was an expensive dream that wasn't possible, he said. 

"You put it on stilts, you can put it on metal poles, you can put it over the water," Packer said. "You can build a little boardwalk over the water to the blind. That's probably a pretty way of doing it, but it's definitely a costlier way of doing it. Constructing things in water is expensive."

Packer said he got quotes and settled on the scaled-down version.

So far, Packer's effort has secured more than $7,500 to help the park, including installing the blinds.

Donations can be made online through his website at bigyear.reporternews.com.

He said he's seeking pledges. This year, he has recorded 283 total species, a number he said likely won't increase much before the end of December.

If he is given a dime per bird by donors, that's $28.30.

"Minus a small credit card fee, it all goes to Kirby Lake for building the blinds (and) maybe some signs that'll go next to the blinds," Packer said.

Scissor Tailed Flycatcher
