Saturday Morning on Lady Bird Lake, Oct. 24: A Bird Walk, a BioBlitz and a Tree Scavenger Hunt

Three outdoor mornings are on offer on and beside Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, Oct. 24: a beginner bird walk at the Unity Underpass (9 to 11 a.m., free, registration required, 30 spots), a smartphone BioBlitz at Holly Shores (9 a.m., the end time depends on which page you believe), and a family tree scavenger hunt at The Confluence (10 a.m. to noon). The forecast is dry. The catch is that one of them needs a sign-up, and the other has two different end times on two different official pages.

According to ATX Things' read of the organizers' own event pages (all checked Oct. 23), here is what each one asks of you, where to park, and which to pick.

AI-generated illustration of the kind of morning described. It is not a photograph from the event.

What's the weather for Saturday morning on the lake?

Dry. The National Weather Service forecast for Austin lists Saturday as mostly sunny with a high near 88, a southeast wind of 0 to 10 mph with gusts to 20, and a 0 percent chance of rain. A second model we check, Open-Meteo, puts the same afternoon closer to 84, also with no rain. Treat the high as the mid-80s, and plan for the morning to be mild. Friday night's low is forecast around 61, so a light layer covers a 9 a.m. start, and you will want water by late morning.

Is the Saturday bird walk really beginner-friendly, and do you need to sign up?

Yes to the first, and yes to the second. The Trail Conservancy lists the walk as "Let's Go Birding Together (LGBT) Bird Walk with Travis Audubon," Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 to 11 a.m. It starts at the Unity Underpass and goes toward the Wishbone Bridge on the Butler Trail.

The Trail Conservancy's page describes the route as one to two miles, about two hours, on mostly flat dissolved-gravel trail and sidewalks. It says the walk is beginner-friendly and that organizers have binoculars to lend. The walk is led by Amy Sugeno and the Conservancy's environmental programs manager, Jonatan Salinas. The Conservancy says recently planted native trees, shrubs and wildflowers, plus natural spring water, bring in a variety of birds, and that as it restores this stretch of trail "there will be a change in birds."

One thing to know before you register: this is a monthly walk that prioritizes the LGBTQIA2+ community. The page says allies, friends and family are welcome too. Registration runs through Travis Audubon's portal, linked from the Trail Conservancy event page. We could not see whether spots are still open.

What is a BioBlitz, and what do you bring?

AI-generated illustration, not a photograph from the event.

A BioBlitz is a group count of every plant and animal people can find in one place. The Trail Conservancy's version at Holly Shores uses the free iNaturalist app on your phone, so a smartphone is the whole kit. The listing says no identifying experience is needed, all ages are welcome, and it happens rain or shine.

The listing says the data from the count helps guide the Conservancy's restoration work in the area, so the species list changes what gets planted and protected there. It is part of the City of Austin's Roots & Wings Festival, which we covered in our Roots & Wings guide.

Meeting spot: Holly Shores, where the listing says to look for the orange Trail Conservancy tent. It names three parking lots: Camacho, Riverview and Pedernales Street. We have not been, and we did not check how full any of them gets.

What happens at the Tree Scavenger Adventure?

Waterloo Greenway runs a family-friendly tree walk and scavenger hunt at The Confluence on Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, also as part of Roots & Wings. Its page says thousands of native Texas trees are growing through the park, which it calls the largest downtown tree canopy project in Austin's history. You walk at your own pace, learn to identify species, and "earn a special prize" if you finish.

The page does not say whether it is free or whether you need to register, and it does not say what the prize is. If you are bringing kids, check Waterloo Greenway's events page before you leave.

Can you do more than one?

On paper, yes, if you split the morning. The bird walk and BioBlitz both start at 9, so you would pick one of them. The tree hunt starts at 10. We have not driven or walked between these spots and we have no verified travel times, so we will not tell you how long it takes. If you want two, the BioBlitz is the one that could be cut short: start there at 9, and the tree hunt runs 10 to noon, so you would have to leave the BioBlitz early.

Sources: The Trail Conservancy event pages; GivePulse listing for the BioBlitz; Waterloo Greenway event page. All read Oct. 23, 2026.

What else is happening downtown that day?

Quite a lot. Viva La Vida closes parts of East 4th, Red River and East 6th Street in the morning, with the procession at noon. Our Viva La Vida road-closure guide has the street list we read from the city's map. The Conservancy and Waterloo Greenway pages say nothing about those closures, so look at the city's map before you drive in. Waterloo Greenway also starts its Texas–Ole Miss gameday party at Waterloo Park at 3 p.m. We could not confirm the kickoff time, so we are not building around it.

If you want a bigger list of free and low-cost things to do around town, our things to do in Austin page has the standing guide.

Quick hits

• Free, but not all open-door: only the bird walk lists a hard cap (30) and a required registration. The BioBlitz has a registration page; the tree hunt lists none.
• Bring: water, a hat if you burn easily, a charged phone with the iNaturalist app installed, and binoculars if you own them. The bird walk lends some.
• If it's your first time with a bird walk: the Conservancy's page says all levels are welcome and the pace is set for beginners.
• We haven't been to any of these. Everything above comes from the organizers' pages, read Oct. 23. Prices, sign-up status and the BioBlitz hours are the things most likely to have changed.

FAQ

Is the Lady Bird Lake bird walk free? Yes. The Trail Conservancy says its bird walks are always free, but registration is required and capped at 30 people.

Do I need binoculars for the Saturday bird walk? No. The organizers say they have binoculars to lend to anyone who does not have a pair.

What time is the Austin BioBlitz on Oct. 24? It starts at 9 a.m. The Trail Conservancy's calendar says it ends at 11 a.m., and the GivePulse listing says 1 p.m.

Where is the Tree Scavenger Adventure? At Grandpa's Lakeview Terrace, 71 1/2 Trinity St., at The Confluence, Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon, per Waterloo Greenway.

Will it rain Saturday morning in Austin? Both forecasts we checked Friday show a 0 percent chance of rain.

We publish twice a day, every day, on what is actually open and happening in Austin. Follow @austintexasthings for the next one.