Birding, a hobby once associated with retirees, is attracting a younger generation in San Antonio.

Why it matters: Young people are growing up in a less social, more online world. Birders tell Axios the activity helps connect them with friends and nature, boosting their mental health.

State of play: The Mitchell Lake Audubon Center on the South Side is a hotspot for birders. Cassie Festa, community building coordinator at the center and herself a birder, tells Axios more young people are visiting.

• Social media and birding apps have made the hobby more accessible, she says.

The big picture: The shift makes birding less intimidating, Festa adds. You don't need an expensive guide book or binoculars to participate.

• The COVID pandemic also pushed people outdoors. Birding made a simple walk more enjoyable, says Festa, 31.

Zoom in: Trinity University is now home to an Audubon on Campus chapter, approved over the summer, called the Trinity Birders Association.

• President Cole Robinson, a 20-year-old rising junior majoring in environmental studies, tells Axios the chapter is a great way to combine a fun, social hobby with conservation advocacy.
• The National Audubon Society's campus network has grown from 10 chapters in 2019 to at least 117 today, The Atlantic reports.

What they're saying: Robinson says birding has helped his mental health.

• "It's very easy to sit inside and rot just by yourself," Robinson says. But birding refocuses his mind while helping him pay attention to the beauty around him.
• "I think everyone should try it out. I think you'll feel a little less lonely," he adds.

Zoom out: The growing interest in birding isn't limited to San Antonio. The Great Texas Birding Classic, which calls itself the biggest birdwatching tournament in the country, had a record number of teams (252) and participants (1,450) this year.

What's next: The Mitchell Lake Audubon Center offers guided bird tours at 8am on Sundays. Tickets cost $10.

• On Aug. 29, the center will host a free sunrise native plant and bird walk breakfast, 6–8am.

The bottom line: We're in a "new era of birding," Festa says.

It's a good time to be stargazing this week and month.

The big picture: From shooting stars to a nearly eclipsed full Moon, here's what's worth watching in the weeks ahead.

☄️ Catch three meteor showers: The annual Perseids meteor shower peaks overnight today and tomorrow, when dozens of meteors an hour could streak across the sky.

• This year's peak coincides with a dark new Moon, especially favorable for viewing. The best time to watch is from midnight to dawn.
• Through Aug. 21, you can also catch glimpses of the more subtle Delta Aquariid meteor shower, which is most visible starting mid-evening.
• The Alpha Capricornids, which are known for producing bright fireballs, will be active through Saturday, according to the American Meteor Society.

🌕 Don't miss the lunar eclipse. A deep partial lunar eclipse will darken nearly all of the full Sturgeon Moon on Aug. 27.

• The partial eclipse begins at around 8:30pm and peaks at around 11pm, when about 94% of the Moon will be covered by Earth's shadow.

✨ Spot Venus. Look low in the western sky 30 to 60 minutes after sunset Friday to Sunday. Find the brightest "star" in the evening sky. That's Venus!

Reality check: San Antonio could see some clouds tonight. But evening skies are looking clear the rest of the week.

Pro tips: Get out of the city for the best views. Enchanted Rock and Lost Maples state parks are hosting watch parties tonight.

• Give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust to the dark.

🎢 Six Flags Fiesta Texas has begun work on Werewolf Gorge, which it says will be the longest roller coaster of its kind in the world. It's expected to open next year. (Express-News 🔑)

🏗️ The developers behind Pearl are planning to transform the former Dittlinger Mill site in New Braunfels, marking the firm's first project outside San Antonio. (SA Business Journal 🔑)

🥬 An Ohio-based farming company that supplies H-E-B is closing its farm on the South Side, putting nearly 170 people out of work. (MySA)

The NBA yesterday released a partial slate of 2026-27 games, including marquee opening-week matchups and the Christmas Day schedule.

Why it matters: After making it to the NBA Finals, the Spurs will have a much bigger presence in nationally televised games this season.

The latest: The Spurs will open the season against Western Conference rival Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 20 at the Frost Bank Center. Tipoff is at 8:30pm; Streaming on Peacock.

• Their second opening-week matchup moves to Austin's Moody Center, where they'll host the Houston Rockets on Oct. 23. Tipoff is at 8:30pm; Streaming on Amazon Prime.
• The Spurs will play in one of five coveted Christmas Day games, facing the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in a rematch of last season's NBA Finals. It will be on ABC/ESPN.

What's next: The NBA will release the full regular-season schedule tomorrow at 2pm.

The bottom line: It's never too early to start thinking about Spurs basketball.

The school of giant fish that swim above the San Antonio River near Pearl are back.

The latest: The longear sunfish sculptures disappeared for a while as the city led an effort to restore them, per the San Antonio River Foundation.

Catch up quick: "F.I.S.H" by artist Donald Lipski hangs from the I-35 overpass near Camden Street.

• There are 25 of the seven-foot-long animals, made of hand-painted fiberglass. They glow at night and can be seen reflected in the water below.
• Longear sunfish are native to the river.

What's next: Everyone can go back to stopping in the middle of the path to take photos now.