Sandy Point Day Use Area is closed for Construction |
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Hagerman’s Eastern Bluebirds Set a New Record! More Fledglings Than Ever Before—Thanks to Our Adopt-a-Nestbox Sponsors
By John Van Bebber
Eastern Bluebird Fledgling by Mayve Strong The Adopt-A-Nestbox Program was established in 2010 at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. It has become one of the most popular programs on the refuge. We monitor 46 nestboxes on two trails: 15 boxes on Raasch Trail and 31 boxes on Harris Creek Trail. The monitoring season starts during the last week of February and typically ends on July 31. All monitors are volunteers, and two-person teams ensure each nestbox is visited every Wednesday during the season. Checking a nestbox consists of opening it and looking for signs of nest building, eggs, newly hatched chicks, live or dead young, and evidence that the young have fledged. All this information is recorded and entered on the Cornell Lab NestWatch website. |
There are hundreds of NestWatch monitoring projects across the country involving many bird species. Our target species at Hagerman is the Eastern Bluebird, but we also often find the following species in refuge nestboxes: Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Bewick’s Wren, Tufted Titmouse, and Tree Swallow.
Photo of the inside of a nestbox, taken by Volunteer Nestbox Monitors. We are always interested in new volunteers who are available on Wednesdays or Thursdays during the monitoring season, which typically runs from March through July. Training is scheduled each January and is mandatory for both new and returning volunteer monitors. Information about volunteering is available here, on the Friends of Hagerman website. The following information is reported to Cornell NestWatch:
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We track results from both Harris Creek Trail and Raasch Trail. These data contribute to scientific research conducted through Cornell NestWatch. Research findings and program updates are available throughout the year on the Cornell NestWatch website. |
The 2026 season was a record year for Eastern Bluebird fledglings. A total of 151 eastern bluebirds fledged at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, exceeding the previous record of 147 set in 2019. Annual eastern bluebird fledgling totals from 46 monitored boxes:
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Photo of the inside of a nestbox, taken by Volunteer Nestbox Monitors. |
In February 2021, we experienced a severe cold spell, with temperatures falling to approximately −2°F. This was devastating to many bird populations. Following several years of recovery, the number of eastern bluebirds fledged at Hagerman this year surpassed its previous record. The 2026 season got off to a strong start in February. Our Visitor Center Nest Cam box is located east of the overflow parking area. This location provides a clear line of sight to the radio antenna on top of the Visitor Center. The box is also in an open area, an important feature of Eastern Bluebird nesting habitat. The camera feed is transmitted to the television monitor inside the Visitor Center lobby. On March 12, an Eastern Bluebird nest in the Nest Cam box was complete. Volunteers, refuge staff, and visitors were able to watch the female lay and incubate her eggs, see the chicks hatch, observe her feeding them, and finally watch the young birds fledge. That pair of Eastern Bluebirds went on to produce two more successful clutches there! Our Adopt-a-Nestbox program continues to provide essential funding for the Nestbox Program. Each season, nestboxes must be repaired or replaced. Program expenses include new nestboxes, poles, screws, clamps, predator guards, and Nest Cam equipment. Each sponsor helps support the entire program, not solely the adopted nestbox. |
Photo by Mayve Strong |
Adopt-a-Nestbox Sponsorships are Now Available for the 2027 Nesting Season!
Nestbox sponsors help protect these beloved birds and enjoy a front-row seat to their nesting journey. Sponsors have the opportunity to name their nestbox and visit it anytime along the easily accessible Raasch or Harris Creek hiking trails. Throughout the nesting season, sponsors and their gift recipient will receive weekly email updates featuring photos from inside the nestbox and a description of each stage of the nesting journey—from the first twig placed in the nest to the exciting day the young birds fledge. An Adopt-A-Nestbox sponsorship also makes a thoughtful and meaningful Christmas gift that keeps giving throughout the spring nesting season. |
The following websites provide additional information about bluebirds and other bird species: The Cornell Lab of Ornithology — Information about birds, conservation, and ornithological research North American Bluebird Society — Information about bluebird conservation and nestbox programs |
Previous Photo Club Nature Photo Contest Winners More Amazing Nature Photos taken at the refuge. Facebook account Required. |
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Upcoming Activities:
The Friends of Hagerman is Hosting 8 Family Friendly Events in September! Donate to help fund programs like these! |
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Second Saturday: Native Orchids in Your Neighborhood with Carol Clark Saturday, September 12, 2026 at 10:00 AM in the Visitor Center
Did you know North Central Texas has wild native orchids? Some are more common than you think. This program explores the Ladies' Tresses (Spiranthes genus) of native orchids and all their associated weirdness, and touches on some of the beautiful rarer orchids in North Texas and an invasive orchid making its way across Texas. We'll give you tips for spotting and IDing them near you. A cheat sheet for identifying the local Spiranthes species is included. Carol Clark is an amateur botany enthusiast, a Texas Master Naturalist, a longtime member of the Native Plant Society of Texas, and is a Conservation Specialist with Monarch Watch. She also co-administrates the Texas Native Bee Co-op Facebook page, and chairs the Bring Back the Monarchs to Texas committee. She and her husband own and operate Clark Haven Farm, a wildlife preserve and custom wildflower seed business in Cooke County.
Registration is not necessary—all are welcome! But if any of these programs spark your curiosity, signing up will get you a friendly reminder three days beforehand. You’ll also receive our once-a-month Featherless Flyer newsletter—no email overload, and it’s easy to unsubscribe anytime. Register for this program Future Second Saturday Programs |
Carol grew up with a nature photographer father and wildlife artist brother, and has spent much of her life looking around and learning in the great outdoors. Her favorite things to do are leading discovery walks in local natural areas, and finding and photographing interesting plants and insects.
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Refuge Roundup Festival: Saturday, October 10, 2026!
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New! Updated Hagerman Bird List!
Photo of Long-billed Curlew taken by Jack Chiles on the Refuge, August 14, 2026 The new list was edited and approved by Jack Chiles. View the New List |
Butterfly Garden Walks
Registration is not necessary |
Pipevine Swallowtail (right) by Laurie Sheppard |
Earings in the Nature Nook
Earrings that tell a story. . .Every pair of earrings in the Nature Nook has a story worth wearing. Jabebo Earrings begin as recycled cereal boxes, transformed into appealing depictions of birds, insects, and other critters you might see along our trails. Dianka Butterfly Earrings start with recycled soda bottles, then are hand painted with details that capture favorite butterflies. Each pair is truly one of a kind. Silvertree Design Earrings are handcrafted using real butterfly wings from Peru. In the Amazon, the Shipibo community raises butterflies as a sustainability project that protects their traditional way of life and helps prevent deforestation. No butterflies are harmed—wings are collected only after their natural life cycle ends. This month, we’re celebrating all three makers and the creativity they bring to our shelves. Stop by and find the story that fits your style! |
Join the Hagerman Beautification Team!
Refuge Cleanup Every September 19, 2026 at 8:00 AM, Meet in the Visitor Center
Bring gloves, bucket and picker if you have them. We will meet at the VC and form groups.
These cleanup events are always a blast, and many hands make light work. Bring a friend and let's keep the Refuge beautiful. Scouts welcome! Ranger Beard will be on hand to sign for community service hours.
Photo by Pam Rendall-Bass
Free Field Trips for Schools and Youth Groups Enjoy a fun-filled day of learning about nature, at the refuge or in your classroom. With the support of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at the refuge, our knowledgeable volunteers—with more than 100 years of combined teaching experience—will lead your students on a guided hike through prairie, pond, forest, and riparian ecosystems while reinforcing their science TEKS. Along the way, students will compare habitats and learn to identify animal tracks, bird songs, native plants, and other fascinating discoveries. Next, we’ll visit Hagerman’s ¼ - acre pollinator garden, where students will learn how to use insect binoculars before being set loose to explore. They’ll enjoy close-up encounters with live butterflies, insects, spider egg sacs, chrysalises, and whatever else they can find! We’ll wrap up this portion by connecting their observations to TEKS concepts such as life cycles and the functions of organisms. To round out the experience, students will explore animal skins and skulls, to get an up-close look at the differences between carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores—and discover how food chains really work. View TEKS aligned lesson plans and Apply for a Field Trip today! |
The Weekly Bird Census
Left to Right: Wayne Meyer, Nancy Riggs, Jack Chiles, and Mike Petrick Each Tuesday a team of experienced birders, including Master Naturalist Jack Chiles, traverse 35 miles of refuge roads and hiking trails, documenting every bird they encounter. This Bird Census is reported to The Cornell Lab of Ornithology for use in research, and each week we will bring you a link to their actual bird count, and a summary of their adventures.
Upland Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper and Buff-breasted Sandpiper We had some cloud cover for the first couple of hours and it was pleasant until the cloud cover burned off and then it really began to heat up. It turned out to be a good day for this time of year. Probably the best bird of the day was a Long-billed Curlew on the sandbar off the end of Tern pad. We saw 15 species of shorebirds Including the Long-billed Curlew, 8, Buff-breasted Sandpipers, 7 Upland Sandpipers, 1 Willet, 1 American Avocet, 1 Short-billed Dowticher, 1 Wilson's Phalarope, 2 Stilt Sandpipers, 7 Western Sandpipers, 11 Pectoral Sandpipers, 20 Least Sandpipers, 5 Semipalmated Sandpipers, 22 Lesser Yellowlegs, 4 Spotted Sandpipers and 31 Killdeer. We had a large count of 89 Least Terns, 72 Forster's Terns and 16 Black Terns. We counted 75 Blue-winged Teals, 1 Northern Shoveler, 6 Wood Ducks and 17 Mallards. We counted 15 Northern Yellow Warblers. We finished the day with 76 species. See the rest of Jack's notes and the latest Bird Census Results |
The Friends of Hagerman NWR Photo Club There are a few changes in entering and submitting your photos this year. Will cover how to enter the contest. Also, tips on choosing your best photos and the best category. Understand what the judges look for in choosing the winners.
Note new meeting time: September 5, 2026 at 10:00 AM Event Leader: Nancy Miller photoclub@friendsofhagerman.org |
Friends of Hagerman NWR Annual Nature Photo Contest The Annual Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge (HNWR) Nature Photography Contest sponsored by the Friends of Hagerman NWR is open to photographers of all ages and skill levels. Youth are encouraged to enter and compete in the Beginner category. Ribbons and cash prizes are awarded in multiple divisions and categories, with a unique Best in Show for Youth. Judges are asked to consider composition, originality, and visual impact. Winning photographs will be announced at the Second Saturday presentation in November. Overview
The following awards will be presented on November 10th:
Click on Photo Contest Tips for suggestions on how to get an impactful image. Sponsor the Friends with a membership to save on entries fees for the photo contest. |
| Puddles' Craft Corner By Cindy Steele, Master Naturalist |
The Magnificent Monarch Migration!
Welcome back to Puddles’ Craft Corner! If you have ever seen monarch butterflies in our area as they pass through North Texas on their yearly migration, then you have witnessed a very special yearly event!
Monarchs are probably the best-known butterflies in North America. Seven U.S. states list the monarch as their official state insect or butterfly.
September marks the time that the monarchs travel thousands of miles on their fall migration to spend the winter in Mexico. We are so lucky to live right in the middle of one of their largest migration paths, so we’re sitting right where we can witness this amazing event that happens twice each year! Since it’s almost time to start looking for them as they pass through our area, let’s learn a little bit about the magnificent monarchs and make a fun monarch butterfly craft!
What Are Monarch Butterflies?
Monarchs are large, beautifully colored butterflies that are easy to recognize by their striking orange, black, and white markings. Monarch butterflies live mainly in North, Central, and South America as well as a few living in Australia, some Pacific Islands, India, and Western Europe.
What Makes Them So Special?
The most amazing thing about monarch butterflies is the enormous migration that North American monarchs undertake each year. Every fall, as cold weather approaches, millions of these delicate insects leave their home range in Canada and the United States and begin flying south. They continue until they reach Southern California or central Mexico, nearly 2,500 miles away! These international travelers return to the same forests in Mexico each year, and...
Junior Ranger Program: Advanced and Intermediate
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| The Junior Ranger Pledge As a Junior Ranger I watch out for danger I protect nature I have fun I share what I've learned with everyone! |
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Sponsors Enable the Friends to…
Join Today! Memberships available for $20 |
Photo by Cathy Van Bebber | Sunrise at the Little Sit by Laurie Sheppard |
Meet Jack and the Bird Census Team and learn how to identify the birds of North Texas while enjoying the beautiful sunrise over Lake Texoma! Modeled after Cornell's national "Big Sit" event, a group of dedicated birders invite you to join them at sunrise to conduct a bird count as multiple species fly to the water and the surrounding land to feed. Leaders will bring spotting scopes and will provide tips for identification of the many species you will see.
Participants are advised to bring a chair, binoculars and water. The First Saturday of every month, beginning 30 minutes before sunrise. Location: H Pad, Sadler, Texas 76264 (H Pad is in Sadler, but it is part of the refuge) GPS Coordinates: 33.734961, -96.780582
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Early Bird Walk |
Dr. Wayne Meyer, Ornithologist and Jack Chiles, Master Naturalist will lead our Early Birding event, weather permitting. Bring binoculars or borrow ours. Meet at the Visitor Center and return in time for the Second Saturday program. |
Please Register (Optional) so we may inform you via email of unforseen changes/cancellations.
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Do You Like to Work Outside? The Refuge Needs You!
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It takes a lot of people to have a beautiful garden! The Wednesday Garden Team Love to work with native plants and meet other gardeners? Come and help us add plants, weed and mulch our beautiful butterfly garden. Garden Team volunteers get first dibs on thinned native plants as well as access to seeds and cuttings for propagation. Gardeners meet on most Wednesdays, but times vary. Contact Us to subscribe to the volunteer garden team weekly email. Provide own tools and gloves. Minimum age 18, or 16 if accompanied by parent/volunteer. |
Mowing and Refuge Beautification: The Work Crew Do you enjoy working outside, mowing, sprucing up hiking trails, trimming and removing brush and general cleanup? Show your love for nature by joining the Outdoor Crew at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. Outdoor Crew volunteers meet on the First Tuesday and Fourth Saturday of every month. Contact Us for exact times, dates and other details about joining the volunteer Work Crew. Scouts welcome! |
Visitor Center Volunteers Needed! |
Do you enjoy meeting all kinds of people from all over the world, and like-minded people in our area? If yes, consider joining our team of Visitor Center Volunteers. You will greet refuge guests, distribute maps and other refuge information, and make sales in the gift shop. Shifts available every day of the week: Monday through Saturday 9 AM to 12:30 PM and 12:30 to 4:00 PM, Sunday 1:00 to 5:00 PM. Training is provided. Contact Us if interested. |
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6465 Refuge Road Sherman, TX 75092
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Kroger: Stop by the customer service desk at Kroger and link your Kroger Card to the Friends of Hagerman: the Friends will get rewards for every dollar you spend, at no cost to you.
Please add info@friendsofhagerman.org to your contacts to ensure delivery of registration confirmations, account information and the Featherless Flyer
See you at the refuge!