The Houston Audubon Raptor and Education Center is located on Sims Bayou at 3997 River Drive, Houston Texas

RAPTORS & A ROOKERY:  A QUICK TRIP EAST

Trip Prologue…

After my brief stop in High Island on my last little birding trip (to see my blog about that trip, look here), I realized that membership in the  Houston Audubon Society would provide me with many opportunities to expand my bird watching activities.  So upon my return home I joined.  In short order I was invited to attend a function at the Houston Audubon Raptor Education Center (HAREC) on Friday, May 22, 2020, that focused on the opportunity to photograph the raptors housed at their facility.  I reserved a spot at the function and decided to go a day early so I could visit the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge and the rookery at the Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary in High Island, Texas, both of which were closed on my last visit to the area, but now open.  So I booked a room in Galveston for Thursday evening May 21, 2020, and I headed out early on that morning.  

Heading To Anuhuac NWR…

I headed east from Lake McQueeney at 6:30 a.m. on the morning of Thursday, May 21, 2020.  My first stop was at Salt Lake, near Luling, where I was hoping to see my old friend the Osprey fishing for breakfast.  I spent about thirty minutes at Salt Lake, and saw a number of Egrets, a Killdeer, a Crested Caracara, and a few other species, but no Osprey.  I continued east, passed through Houston, and arrived at the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge shortly before noon.  The visitor center was closed, so I spent about an hour hiking around the Willows Trail, then drove Shoveler Pond Road.  Although I only saw one songbird (a Summer Tanager that was too quick for my camera), several Northern Mockingbirds, and an Eastern Kingbird at the Willows Trail,  I saw many beautiful birds along the shore at Shoveler Pond.  In fact, I had trouble picking out which photos to share, but here are the ones I decided on. 

Sign near the Willows Trail and Visitor Center at Anahuac NWR, May 21, 2020.
Glossy Ibis at Shoveler Pond, Anahuac NWR, May 21, 2020.
One of many Common Gallinule that I saw at Shoveler Pond, with a little one. May 21, 2020.
Nesting Tricolored Heron at Shoveler Pond, May 21, 2020.
A couple of Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks strike at interesting pose at Shoveler Pond, May 21, 2020.
Group of Blue-Winged Teal includes brightly colored males and larger, drab females. May 21, 2020 at Shoveler Pond, Anahuac NWR.
Nesting Cattle Egret at Shoveler Pond, May 21, 2020.
This Purple Gallinule did not want to be seen. Identified because of the pale blue shield. Shoveler Pond, May 21, 2020.
One final shot from the Visitor Center at Anahuac NWR. This juvenile Northern Mockingbird was giving an elder a piece of his mind! May 21, 2020.

On to the Rookery…

After my auto tour of Shoveler Pond at the Anahuac NWR, I headed due east  (on FM 1985) then south (SH 124) to get to High Island.  I had planned to hike a couple of trails at the East Unit of Anahuac NWR, but unfortunately the access gate was locked.  I was excited, however, at the chance to see the rookery at the Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary in High Island.  Smith Oaks is one of four Houston Audubon sanctuaries in High Island proper.  Just what is a rookery?  Look here for an interesting article that will tell you everything you need to know!  Anyway, I arrived in High Island around 4 p.m. and headed directly to the Weeks Street entrance to Smith Oaks.  I enjoyed a pleasant walk to the rookery (despite some of the trails and viewing areas being closed) and spent about an hour and half trying to take in the magnificent site before me.  hundreds and hundreds of Great Egrets, Roseate Spoonbills, Herons, and Cormorants nesting and tending to young.  It was an amazing sight and the pictures below can never fully convey the sights and sounds of that wonderful place!

Signage at the Weeks St. entrance to Smith Oaks Sanctuary. Lots of history associated with this special place! May 21, 2020.
Heron Island is the primary nesting area, protected from predators by the alligators in the pond. May 21, 2020.
The view of a part of Heron Island from one of the many viewing areas along the west edge of Clay-Bottomed Pond, where the rookery is located. May 21, 2020.
Every where you look are nests, with different species all mixed together. May 21, 2020.
The sounds, colors, and bird activity at the rookery is almost overwhelming! May 21, 2020.
Great Egret looking over a young one still in the nest. May 21, 2020.
Brilliant colors of a Roseate Spoonbill. May 21, 2020.
Detail of a young Roseate Spoonbill, still in the nest. May 21, 2020.

A couple of short videos of the rookery at Smith Oaks Sanctuary.  The first video was made with my Nikon P1000 and shows the northern portion of Heron Island, which I shot from the first viewing area on the northwest edge of the Clay-bottomed Pond.  The second video was made with my Samsung S9 Cell Phone, and was shot more toward the southern end of the rookery.  I apologize for the poor quality of these videos (I am working on getting better!) but hopefully they give you a sense of the sounds, activity,  and feel of the rookery.  They say that the best time to visit is the hour before sunset, when many of the birds are returning from a day spent searching for food in the coastal marshes and flats.  I wanted to visit Bolivar flats, so I decided not to stay at Smith Oaks as long as I had hoped to.   Anyway, here are my little videos of the rookery.

Finishing The Day With a Visit to Bolivar Flats & a Ferry Ride…

I left Smith Oaks and headed south to Highway 87 then east along the Boliver Peninsula.  I did make a quick stop at Hooks Woods where I sat for a few minutes at each of the water features.  Hooks was dead and, seeing no birds, I headed on to the east.  I had not been on Bolivar since Hurricane Ike devastated the area in 2008, and I was amazed how much has been built back since that terrible storm.  I have found memories of Bolivar.  When I was a kid, we could drive all the way from Orange to Galveston on Highway 87, a trip we made many times to see my mother’s mother (Grandma Biser) who lived on Galveston Island for many years during my youth.  I can also recall our family, the Bisers from Beaumont (Uncle Roy was my mom’s little brother), and the Kinsey’s from Lamesa (Aunt Meg was one of my mom’s older sisters), renting a house at Crystal Beach for a week one summer.  A great time was had by all 10 kids from those families.  One other memory of Bolivar —  camping on the beach with my Boy Scout Troop from First Presbyterian Church in Orange.  While on the subject of old memories, I spent two summers after finishing high school working on tow boats owned by Higman Towing that traveled along the Intracoastal Waterway between the refineries on the Houston Ship Channel and oil terminals in Louisiana.  As a matter of fact, the very first boat I caught (The Mike Brown, call # WA9311) was at the High Island Bridge.  Of course, nothing brings back memories like riding the ferry between Bolivar and Galveston Island, so I was excited to experience that ferry ride once more!

Sorry about that little detour into the past…back to my trip! I made my way past Rollover Pass and, about two miles from the ferry landing, turned off of Highway 87 onto Rettilon Road which I took down to the beach.  I drove along the beach to the farthest point east and parked, then walked about another mile in the Bolivar Flats Shorebird Sanctuary.  I saw many birds in the flats,  including Egrets, Herons, Gulls, Sandpipers, and Pelicans.  I am glad I took the time to visit this spot! 

An American Avocet at Bolivar Flats, May 21, 2020.
Saw this Black-necked Stilt from the road to Boliver Flats, May 21, 2020.
Greater Yellowlegs at Boliver Flats, May 21, 2020.
The diminutive, and very quick, Sanderling. At Bolivar Flats, May 21, 2020.
A Willet, at Bolivar Flats on May 21, 2020.
White-rumped Sandpipers at Boliver Flats, May 21, 2020.
Saw lots of these Laughing Gulls at Bolivar Flats, and on the ferry to Galveston. May 21, 2020.
At the far end of Bolivar Flats there were many, many Brown Pelicans (mostly non-breeding adults) with Common Terns mixed among them. May 21, 2020.
Doesn't this make you feel young again?! On the ferry to Galveston from the Bolivar Peninsula, May 21, 2020.

A Delightful Morning at The Houston Audubon Raptor Education Center (HAREC)…

I spent a restful night on Galveston Island at a brand spanking new La Quinta on 63rd Street a block off the seawall.  I headed out a little before 7 a.m., bound for the Houston Audubon Raptor Education Center at 3997 River Drive in southeast Houston, adjacent to the site of the old Glenbrook Golf Course.  The program for the morning lasted two hours and our small group of three persons had unbelievable access to the raptors that call the center home.  I am grateful to have met Mary Anne Weber, the Director of the Center.  Her knowledge and obvious passion for the birds made for a wonderful experience.  I also want to thank Dawn, Jeanette and Trey, who all went out of their way to help us enjoy a truly memorable experience.  We were able to experience, and photograph, an amazing group of raptors that morning.  I would highly recommend this program for anyone interested in birds.  After spending time with the birds, I headed home and had a safe and uneventful drive back to the lake.  I hope you enjoy my photographs as much as I enjoyed taking them!  

HAREC has a cozy gift shop with informational displays inside of an old log cabin.
HAREC Director Mary Anne Weber and Juliet, a Barred Owl.
Juliet is a 12 year old Barred Owl. She was found injured along the Brazos River when she was just 5 weeks old. Her broken wing could not be repaired, so she cannot be released back into the wild.
This is Skeeter, a 9 year old Mississippi Kite. Skeeter was found in Corpus Christi with a broken wing that could not be repaired well enough for her to be released back into the wild.
Luna is an 8 year old Swallow-tailed Kite. She was raised in captivity and cannot be released into the wild.
This is Alex, a Barn Owl who was hatched at the Cincinnati Zoo in 2002, along with her brother, named Geddy. They came to Houston in 2019 to become ambassadors for Houston Audubon.
HAREC has a stunning Red-tailed Hawk, seen here. I somehow managed to miss the back story on this bird. Sorry about that!
A little closer shot of the beautiful Red-tailed Hawk at HAREC.
Simon is a female Great Horned Owl who was found along a highway in Wyoming with a broken wing and a broken leg. A magnificent bird!
Another shot of Simon, the Great Horned Owl.
The last raptor we saw was this adorable little Eastern Screech-Owl. Unfortunately, I again missed the back story on this bird. Gives me a good excuse to go back!

Epilogue…

This was a quick little trip but I accomplished all of my objectives.  I am hopeful that in the future I can spend more time at the Anahuac NWR and the Houston Audubon sanctuaries in High Island.  I also hope I can participate in more of the Houston Audubon educational programs– such a great resource.  Thanks for taking the time to look at my site!