It’s that time of year again, when the birds show up in abundance to settle into their winter range.

This past week, I had the pleasure of birding with a gentleman from League City, who truly has a passion for birds. The morning air was full of the songs and calls - birds were all around.

Goliad State Park is a prime area for birds with an abundant food supply and good habitat. Riparian, woodland, edge, and open grassland offer birders the opportunity to see many different avian species. In fact, over 150 species of birds have been documented in the park.

So what could you expect to see in the park? And where can you see them?

Our day-use area is a prime birding location in which you can expect to see eastern bluebirds, green jays, Carolina chickadees, northern cardinals, eastern phoebes, and scissor-tailed flycatchers in the open areas. A grove of pecan trees lends perfect habitat for woodpeckers.

Ladder-backed, downy, red-bellied and golden-fronted woodpeckers are commonly seen in our day-use area. Along the river trail, great kiskadees have been spotted in addition to black-and-white warblers, American redstarts, ruby-crowned kinglets, and tufted black-crested titmouse hybrids.

You may see our resident red-shouldered hawks flying over the river. The Aranama nature trail is a good area to practice learning bird calls and songs. Typically, you can hear the birds along the trail, but may find it challenging to actually see the birds. One good example is the white-eyed vireo - commonly heard, rarely seen.

Bird watching is a fun, relaxing hobby, and hosts a variety of different skill levels - from the backyard bird watcher, to the seasoned birder with a life list, and every level in between.

The park will offer guided bird walks at 8:30 a.m. on Saturdays starting Nov. 17.