News on Sundown Island
Sundown Island Work Day Report
Saturday, Feb 24, 2001
Article by Timothy Wilkinson, Devon Energy
Photos by Marcy Crowe, Webmaster (more
photos)
 We had a great day Saturday at Sundown Island Bird Sanctuary in Matagorda Bay near Port O'Connor, Texas. There was a record number of volunteers - 44 people in all.
The Devon Energy volunteer group provided 21 adults and kids. Other volunteers came from Houston, Baytown, Victoria, Magnolia
Beach, Port Lavaca, and Port O'Connor. Chester Smith, Audubon warden, was thrilled at the turn-out. Thanks to everyone's help, we had a great day and a fun time helping out the
environment of Texas!
The forecast looked ominous, but the weather cooperated great! The brave and adventurous Devon volunteers woke up before 5 AM Saturday to make
the 2-1/2 hour drive from Houston to Port O'Connor. We all rode out to the island on the Spoonbill Express, a tour boat provided by Robbie Gregory
(local fishing guide and motel operator). Due to the number of volunteers, Robbie had to make two trips.
 The morning was hazy and windy, and the bay water a little choppy. The ride
to Sundown Island took about 30 minutes. No one got seasick though. By noon, the sun
started peeking through, and the afternoon turned out to be lovely.
The volunteers all pitched in building and sealing two new ponds, planting seedlings (bird habitat) around the ponds, running water pipes to those
ponds, building a tractor shed, and cleaning up the beach around the island. It was hard work, but everyone pitched in.
 We watched Kingfisher Marine pumping dredging spoil from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway onto the NE end of the island. We also spotted
several large species of birds already showing up on the island, including the Brown Pelican, Great Blue Heron, Reddish Egret, White Ibis, and Roseate Spoonbill.
After the boat ride back to Port O'Connor, some returned home,
while others went to Clark's Restaurant where they enjoyed some great seafood, discussed birds on Sundown Island and
the Texas coast, and watched dolphins playing in the Intracoastal canal.
Devon Energy Corp. has generously donated 2000 feet of water pipe, paid
$3800 for the windmill
(when Chester lost one of his pledgers), and now has
supported the 2001 Spring Work Day. The Devon workers are from the Gulf Division office in downtown Houston (thanks to Bill VanWie for his
encouragement). And the financial support came from Devon headquarters in Oklahoma City (thanks, Gary McGee).
A special notice is due Ed Cottrell with M.I. Drilling Fluids (Schlumberger) - who works in Devon's office. Ed donated the
2 pallets of Bentonite used
to seal the two new ponds, coordinated the work on the ponds, and drove about half the Devon volunteers down from Houston in a company van.
After about March 15, the island is "closed" by Audubon to people,
and wide open for birds. By May, the island will be full of 18-20
species of nesting birds and their babies, including close to one-half
of Texas' entire population of Brown Pelicans. The Brown Pelican
come back has been so successful, they might be removed from the
endangered species list this year.
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