Anahuac NWR

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After visiting the Anahuac NWR visitor center, we drove down to the main refuge on FM 1985. The site now seems to have fully recovered from the devastation caused by Hurricane Ike.

A slow drive around around Shovelers' Pond produced a good number and variety of birds.

As on our previous visit, Black-bellied and Fulvous Whistling Ducks were plentiful. The Fulvous are the ones that don't have black bellies!

There were plenty of Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons, too.

As usual, the ducks and wading birds were having to keep a sharp eye out for hungry alligators.

One of the most common birds on this visit was the Tricolored Heron. They seemed to be everywhere.

Snowy Egrets were fewer in number. Most of them were busy feeding alone. 

However, some seemed to happy sharing their hunting grounds with Black-necked Stilts.

Apart from the occasional Killdeer, Sanderling and Lesser Yellowlegs, Stilts were the only shorebirds we came across.

Groups of Roseate Spoonbills were grazing in the distance but this was the only Spoonbill that was near enough to photograph.

While we didn't see any Purple Gallinules, Common Gallinules were abundant. Most of them seemed to be young birds.

We didn't see any Rails at all and the one Least Bittern we spotted disappeared into the reeds too quickly for us to get more than a brief glimpse of it.

The water by the roadside was being constantly patrolled by Forster's Terns.

On our way out of the refuge Dee noticed a Swainson's Hawk and a Northern Harrier, both of which I missed. Oh, well, I suppose somebody has to watch the road when we're driving.
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