Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary, Houston, June 2014

I was caught on the back foot today when we rolled up outside an unfamiliar hotel on the edge of a freeway in Houston. First things first, I had to find my bearings and then decide where I could reach on a bike when the temperature was pushing 95F. I had hoped to visit Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary, but my new starting point added 15kms to the round trip, so I saved myself ‘til the morning when the temperature would hopefully be more tolerable for a cyclist.

I arrived at 07.15, shortly after the timed gate self-opened. There is a feeder area around the log cabin and Blue Jays filled the top slot, bullying Northern Cardinals, House Finches and Red-bellied Woodpeckers from the hanging containers. The path leads to a small pond that serves as a dipping experience for children later in the day. A small Broad-banded Water Snake crossed the pool faster than I could unship my camera. The humidity would have spoiled the shot anyway, it was horrible today and my glasses continually fogged up if I stood still for too long.

A bridge crosses a tributary of Buffalo Bayou and gives access to the east side of the reserve.

Northern Cardinals, Carolina Wrens and Blue Jays provided most of the bird song today. Carolina Chickadees gave their quick “Chicka – dee,dee,dee,dee,dee,dee,dee” and a coarse-sounding “Kreeeep” made me look up to see a Great Crested Flycatcher.

The sanctuary is a mixed woodland, predominantly Loblolly Pine, but there are plenty of leafy oaks. A Great Horned Owl flushed from an oak beside the path ahead of me and I was able to follow it by listening for the frantic mobbing of the American Robins and Blue Jays.

It had landed in full view in one of the oaks and its eyes were wide open. Whilst this makes for a good picture, I have come to realise that this is an indication of an owl under stress, so I took the picture and moved on. I found the owl again (I assume it was the same one) a little later and the Blue Jays were still mobbing it. Despite being harassed by the birds, it saved most of its attention for me. I was 40 meters away and it was 10 meters up, so it obviously didn’t like people.

The protected area is only 17.5 acres, so it didn’t take too long to complete the paths and return to the log cabin which was now playing host to a couple of groups of school children. Dipping nets and plastic dishes had been positioned near to the small pond and I took a quick look before the classes arrived and disturbed the water. I was pleased to find another small snake and a few moments later, a third. The light was too poor to get a decent shot even though the snake (number 2) moved quite slowly and despite high ISO and wide aperture settings.

Birds seen;

Broad-winged Hawk (en-route) 1, White-winged Dove 2, Mourning Dove 2, Great Horned Owl 1, Chimney Swift 3, Red-bellied Woodpecker 3, Downy Woodpecker 1, Great Crested Flycatcher 2, Blue Jay 12, American Crow 1, Carolina Chickadee 3, Tufted Titmouse 1, Carolina Wren 5, American Robin 6, Northern Mockingbird 2, European Starling 1, Northern Cardinal 15, Great-tailed Grackle 3, House Finch 2, House Sparrow 2.

Terry Hershey Hike and Bike Trail is very close by and I took a few moments to see if I could find a Mississippi Kite. They can be seen hunting over the meadows here for dragonflies that chase above Buffalo Bayou. Instead I found a bird that I am more accustomed to finding on the other side of the Atlantic. Cattle Egrets were stalking the rough grass along the trail.

Birds seen;

Great Blue Heron 1, Cattle Egret 15, White Ibis 2, Turkey Vulture 1, Mississippi Kite 1, Chimney Swift 4, Blue Jay 3, Barn Swallow 5, American Robin 2, Northern Mockingbird 5, Great-tailed Grackle 4.

For a couple of Terry Hershey posts, follow the links below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/terry-hershey-houston-jan-2013.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/terry-hershey-bike-and-hike-trail.html

Edith L. Moore Nature Sanctuary is open from 07.00 until 17.00 with electronically timed gates. There is no charge for entry and it houses the Houston Audobon Headquarters. The property and the log cabin were left to the society by Edith to protect it from development.

The ride along Memorial Drive was very pleasant, passing some high end real-estate on an easily navigable route. It took 45 minutes to ride the 14kms on a flat road with light traffic and plenty of overtaking space for passing vehicles. Stay on Memorial, head west and cross Sam Houston Tollway (Texas Beltway 8). Take the first left, Wilchester Blvd, after crossing the freeway and the sanctuary is signposted. It can be seen at Google Earth ref; 29 46 17.22N 95 34 14.28W.

Memorial Drive is unusual in that it does not describe a straight line, but meanders through the leafy suburbs. Bus 70 ($1.25 per ride, It runs twice an hour during morning and afternoon peak,but only once an hour through the late morning and early afternoon) plies the route and will accept a bike on the front rack. Leave the bus at Gessner, 3kms before the sanctuary.

Visit the dedicated USA and Canada page for more posts from Houston.

Birding, Birdwatching, Houston, Texas.

Terry Hershey Bike and Hike Trail, Houston, Texas, June 2013

The Terry Hershey Bike and Hike Trail (also known as the Buffalo Bayou Bike Trail) passes beneath Route 8 at its eastern end, opposite Briar Hill Drive, Houston (Google Earth ref; 29 45 46N 95 33 26W). It runs west for about 10 kms, but I only managed about half of that today before stopping to watch some Mississippi Kites hunting for flying insects along the bayou.

The paved trail follows the north bank of Buffalo Bayou, crossing over a couple of bridges that span incoming streams and under some main roads running north/south. On the north side of the trail are meadows and lightly wooded spots. I could hear plenty of Northern Cardinals, but none actually popped up to be counted. Blue Jays were heard more often than seen. Some of the meadows had been mown, but others had been specially allowed to grow with signs deploring the picking of wild flowers.

The first Mississippi Kite was seen as it perched in a dead tree by the trail bridge at Google Earth ref; 29 45 57.60N 95 35 5.39W. A second and third bird were gliding back and forth apparently keeping close to the course of the stream where they were catching flying insects. I took it that they were hunting for dragonflies, but closer inspection of the photos showed that the wings of the prey were much too short and blunt. One photo showed long antennae, so more likely, they were catching Katydids.

Usually, I would save a gallery-type post like this for 10,000 Birds, but they appear to be well catered for with at least two picture-rich posts, so I am keeping this one for Redgannet.

I took a lot of photos, but was generally disappointed considering the opportunities that I was given. 

One of the three was a young bird. It was showing its barred tail and patterned underside, indicating that it had been hatched during the previous year and was looking forward to its first full summer.

The dead tree here proved to be a productive spot, mind you, I stayed there for some time enjoying the kites. A Red-bellied Woodpecker made me look twice, the yellow staining on its face making me hope for something erstwhile unknown to science. A Great Crested Flycatcher dropped in and disputed perches with one of the Blue Jays that were keeping watch on the kites.

Further along the trail (beyond Dairy Ashford Rd.), I found two more kites gliding across the meadow and along the bayou, so I stopped and took even more pictures. I am guessing that these were different birds as the young individual was no longer present and Mississippi Kites are very tolerant of each other. They don’t defend territories and often nest in colonies so it would not be unreasonable to assume that there could be a few in the area. 

A fellow velocipedal Limey stopped to say “Hello” and told me that the kites are frequently seen along the bayou and that they breed south of the city. The kites I had been seeing today had returned recently and he had been seeing them regularly, which agrees with the eBird pattern of sightings for the area. 

I have had to delete a huge number of the shots. Mostly they were blurry and out of focus. Occasionally, the kites would power dive to catch an insect and I was unable to keep up with them. The contrast against a sunny sky was difficult to avoid, but that didn’t stop me enjoying the spectacle of the hunting birds as they caught prey and ate it on the wing. I still prefer to stop and see one bird well than have a long list at the end of the day.

Birds seen;

Great Blue Heron 1, Great Egret 2, Little Blue Heron 1, Cattle Egret 15, White Ibis 8, Turkey Vulture 8, Mississippi Kite 5, Cooper’s Hawk 3, White-winged Dove 8, Mourning Dove 7, Chimney Swift 35, Red-bellied Woodpecker 4, Pileated Woodpecker 1, Olive-sided Flycatcher 1, Great Crested Flycatcher 1, Loggerhead Shrike 2, Blue Jay 5, American Crow 1, Barn Swallow 8, American Robin 5, Northern Mockingbird 7, Great-tailed Grackle 30, House Sparrow 10.

For a previous post from Terry Hershey Bike and Hike Trail, follow the link below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/terry-hershey-houston-jan-2013.html

Visit the dedicated USA Page for other posts from Houston including George Bush Park and Houston Arboretum.

Addicks Reservoir, dam wall, Houston, Jan 2013

The afternoon in Houston was spent trying to find a way up onto the dam wall trail overlooking Addicks Reservoir.

To cut a long story short, there is an access point at Google Earth ref; 29°47'26.37"N 95°38'40.46"W and the trail disappears into the distance east or west. Being unfamiliar with the area and with a sketchy mental map, I missed the entrance and cycled 2 miles along Park Row as far as the Childrens’ Hospital (Google Earth ref;  29°47'17.83"N 95°41'42.08"W).

An artificial lake here held Wilson’s Snipe, Killdeer and Savannah Sparrow. I found a way onto the dam wall at Google Earth ref; and was treated to a close quarter fly-by of a Red-winged Hawk.

The dam wall slopes down on either side from the path, covered with rough grass and low vegetation. At the base of the slope on each side is a line of trees. To the south are light industrial or residential units. Woods and dried marsh stretch away to the north. The trail runs straight and flat along the top of the wall giving a great view all round.

Loggerhead Shrike and Eastern Phoebe were seen easily on the wires to the south. A Red-tailed Hawk wouldn’t tolerate being at the top of a tree, but still below me, so it flew off into the fading evening. Most exciting of all were some tiny sparrows that flushed from the short growth on the slope to the north of the path. They were very secretive and I did not see any of them before they flew. I think that they were different birds each time and there were 3 flushes making five birds altogether. I felt sure that they were small Ammodramus sparrows, but had to check in the guide to find Le Conte’s Sparrow. I am a little wary about taking them as I didn’t really get a good look and they were identified by elimination more than a positive characteristic.

Now I know how to get there, I can go again and give them a proper tick. My mental map had let me down today and I had not reached the water that I was looking for. So next time I will be better prepared with two targets.

Birds seen; 12

Mallard 22, Black Vulture 15, Turkey Vulture 1, Cooper’s Hawk 1, Red-shouldered Hawk 2, Red-tailed Hawk 1, Downy Woodpecker 1, Eastern Phoebe 3, Loggerhead Shrike 3, Northern Mockingbird 1, Northern Cardinal 1, Brown-headed Cowbird 1.

Bus 82 Runs up and down Westheimer. 
At Eldridge Rd, the 52 crosses Westheimer (Google Earth ref; . Take 52 northbound to the terminus at Addicks Park and ride(Google Earth ref; 29°47'16.33"N  95°38'21.73"W).  An extension to the Terry Hershey Bike and Hike Trail will soon give access to the dam wall directly opposite the Park and Ride. For the moment, access can be found by turning west onto Park Row from the Park and Ride. Turn right (north) onto the access road (with sidewalk) of Highway 6 N (.

George Bush Park, Houston, Jan 2012

I was on my way to George Bush Park this morning when I saw a Cooper’s Hawk in a tree and jumped from the bus to get a picture. The spot on Westheimer (Google Earth ref; 29°44'11.50"N 95°37'11.81"W) proved to be quite productive with Red-tailed Hawk, Eastern Phoebe and Yellow-rumped Warblers seen.

George Bush Park in Houston is a large area to the west of town. I think it may have been a reservoir at some time in its life. A large man-made bank surrounds it with a trail along the top. Inside the raised earthwork is a forest of small trees and remnants of ponds and marsh. The Westheimer Parkway passes through the lower part of the park and is characterised by short grass either side of the road.

Just inside the eastern entrance to the park is a small lake (Google Earth ref; 29°44'4.04"N 95°39'35.46"W). A small flock of Long-billed Dowitchers were feeding here until a couple of trout fisherman flushed them. White Ibis fed around the edges and in the wet grass behind. I decided to stay with the road and flushed a Wilson’s Snipe from the wet ditch alongside. Another was found further along and seen before it flew.

A short way up from the Lake is a fenced dog-walking area. The line of trees around the back was quite productive with Eastern Phoebe, Yellow-rumped Warbler and Northern Cardinal.

Across the road are the shooting ranges. The amount of land given over to shooting indicates its popularity here. On the lawns were plenty of Killdeer and a flock of Western Meadowlarks. I spent some time trying to turn them into Eastern Meadowlarks, but to no avail.

Back on the southern side of the parkway another small lake allows for dogs to be unleashed for training (Google Earth ref; 29°43'22.23"N 95°40'23.64"W). This proved to be another productive spot. Eastern Bluebirds and a Loggerhead Shrike were seen in the trees by the lake while Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Field Sparrow and more Yellow-rumped Warblers were seen along the line of trees at the back. 

There was a surprising lack of any waterbirds. The herons and egrets were seen in the ditch at the bottom of the dam wall, just before the entrance

On the return journey a flock of American Pipits were spotted from the road and stalked across the wet ground to the south. A second larger flock brought quite a large pipit number for the day.

Birds seen; 31

Great Blue Heron 3, Great Egret 1, Snowy Egret 1, White Ibis 24, Black Vulture 22, Turkey Vulture 2, Cooper’s Hawk 1, Red-tailed Hawk 3, American Kestrel 1, Killdeer 55, Long-billed Dowitcher 7, Wilson’s Snipe 2, White-winged Dove 20, Mourning Dove 17, Downy Woodpecker 2, Eastern Phoebe 6, Loggerhead Shrike 2, Blue Jay 5, American Crow 7, Tree Swallow 2, Carolina Chickadee 6, Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2, Eastern Bluebird 2, Northern Mockingbird 7, European Starling 120, American Pipit 65, Yellow-rumped Warbler 55, Field Sparrow 5, Song Sparrow 1, Northern Cardinal 2, Western Meadowlark 25.

For more posts from Houston, Follow the links below;

http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2010/09/houston-arboretum-and-nature-center.html

http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2010/10/yellow-is-new-purple.html

http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/herping-in-houston.html

Visit the dedicated USA and Canada Page for more posts from Texas including White Rock Lake, Dallas.

Terry Hershey, Houston, Jan 2013

The evening was already drawing in as we arrived into Houston, Tx. We were staying at a new hotel, so I had to find my bearings before heading out. The concierge suggested a riverside trail called Terry Hershey Park, Hike and Bike Trail. It runs  along Buffalo Bayou, heading upstream from Texas Hwy 8 at Briar Hill Drive (Google Earth ref; 29°45'45.99"N 95°33'26.42"W).

I rode for about 2 miles upstream along the paved trail, reaching an open meadow just as the light faded. I stopped and watched, hoping that an owl might show and trying to get a hand-held picture of Jupiter and its four Galilean moons. 

From the top, they are Callisto, Ganymede, Io and Europa. At bottom left, the red star is Aldebaran and the red dot to the right of Jupiter is a patch of hot pixels on my sensor.

On the ride home I scanned the trees with my head torch, still hoping to pick up some eyeshine from an owl. I was fooled on a couple of occasions by Aldebaran, the red eye of the bull, Taurus. The star was shining out so brightly that it showed clearly through the branches of the trees.

Just after passing under a road bridge, I came up onto a meadow and heard a soft hooting. I stopped and cast the torch around, but couldn’t see anything. The hooting continued and I tracked it to the top of a pylon as a large dark shape came into land. Another dark shape was already perched on the pylon and 4 eyes reflected my torch back at me in red. They stopped momentarily before flying on and out of sight.

Terry Hershey Park, Hike and cycle trail has many access points along its length. It begins 1.7 miles from Westheimer, north along the access road from the Texas Hwy 8. Approximately 5 miles upstream, a footbridge crosses the bayou at N Eldridge Parkway. Cross here and continue along the other bank to access the cycle trail at George Bush Park.

Birds seen;

Northern Flicker 1, Great Horned Owl 2, Chestnut-backed Chickadee 3.

Houston Arboretum, July 2012

The Houston Arboretum is a prolific site for snakes with 3 out of 4 trips producing a herpetological highlight. The Coral Snake and Copperhead still evade me, but a Ribbon Snake was seen early on before the condensation on my lens had cleared.

A small feeding party of birds crossed the path ahead with Carolina Chickadees, Tufted Titmice and a Red-bellied Woodpecker passing through quickly. Only a Downy Woodpecker took his time and showed for the camera.

With birds being quite scarce, I was glad to make up the rest of the morning with dragonflies and reptiles. The Ribbon Snake was seen in the pond by the visitor centre. I was hanging around to wait for the centre to open in the hope that I could get some bug spray. The bitey insects were quite nippy this morning and my threshold is low as far as they are concerned. If you want to avoid being bitten early in the morning, bring your own repellent. If you can cope with a few bites before 08.30, the visitor centre keeps a few bottles of spray and offers a free squirt to anyone who needs it.

Just as the condensation cleared from the lens, a Green Heron flew in and posed nicely on a log jutting from the pond. Dragonflies were up early on this warm day in late July, with Blue Dashers being especially abundant.

American Beauty Berry Bushes were showing off their fruit as it reached ripeness along the branch. The Inner Loop was open with a new layer of chippings and lots of cut timber along the path. The Outer Loop Trail is currently undergoing maintenance and is closed. Many of the distinctive Loblolly Pines have died off and are being cut down to avoid too much standing dead wood in this popular walking area.

At the Swamp Boardwalk, a pair of Common Green Darners were flying in tandem, stopping occasionally for the female to deposit her eggs while the male stayed jealously attached.

At the Meadow Lake, Eastern Meadowhawks were very common. While I was there, a Red-tailed Hawk took to the sky, easily found a column of warm air and rose quickly out of sight.

I found use for the red pen today in the form of a Slaty Skimmer, Libellula incesta. It is not possible for me to tell whether this is a male or female as both sexes take on the state grey colouration as they mature.

Birds seen; 16

Green Heron 1, Black-crowned Night Heron 1, Red-tailed Hawk 1, White-winged Dove 25, Red-bellied Woodpecker 1, Downy Woodpecker 1, Blue Jay 15, American Crow 6, Carolina Chickadee 8, Tufted Titmouse 6, Carolina Wren 3, American Robin 4, Northern Mockingbird 4, European Starling 40, Northern Cardinal 4, Great-tailed Grackle 60.

For more posts from Houston Arboretum, follow the links below;
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2010/09/houston-arboretum-and-nature-center.html

http://redgannet.blogspot.com/2010/10/yellow-is-new-purple.html
http://redgannet.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/herping-in-houston.html

Visit the dedicated USA and Canada Page for more from Texas including White Rock Lake, Dallas.