Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

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We had lunch in the old visitor center building. The Barn Swallows that spend the summer here had all left but their bowl-shaped nests remained.

I was surprised to see, though, that Cliff Swallows had also nested here, as evidenced by the gourd-shaped nests they had left behind.

The butterfly garden was busy with Gulf Fritillaries feeding on Turk's Cap.

The Turk's Cap was drawing in numerous Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, too.

Here as elsewhere on the refuge there were many dragonflies.

Shoveler's Pond was looking beautiful, partly because of the presence of water lilies.

As usual, Great Blue Herons were fishing at the edge of the pond.

So, too, were Tricolored Herons and Great Egrets.

I initially took this to be a Great Egret. Then I realized it was a Cattle Egret.

The most numerous birds on the water were Common Gallinules. Many of them were in family groups.

Earthen berms further back in the pond were covered in scores of resting Black-bellied Whistling Ducks. I was disappointed not to see any Fulvous Whistling Ducks among them - until I noticed several swimming among the lilies, much nearer to hand.   

Although I was too slow to get a photo of an adult Purple Gallinule, several juveniles were less secretive.

On our circuit of Shoveler's Pond we were surprised to see only a couple of alligators, compared to the twenty or so that we had seen on both of our previous recent visits to Anahuac.

Our final sightings were of Forster's Terns fishing the edges of the pond and of a Laughing Gull (below) resting by the side of the road.

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