Hi all, Looks like I will be visiting Houston next week with work. I'm arriving on Feb 18 and will have Feb 19 free. Is anyone interested in meeting up for some shooting or birding on the Sunday, morning, afternoon or whatever works? I'll be staying in the Galleria area or a a few miles west of there at any rate.

Jeez, I figured by now some of those fine hospitable Texans would have responded to this!

If you were about a month later, I would be down there at home visiting for a few weeks. There are plenty of good spots to shoot down there close to Houston with the Anahuac refuge to the east of Houston off I-10 and Brazoria and San Bernard refuges to the south and southwest. All three can be done within a day or two from the Galleria area. Brazos Bend State Park is worth the visit as well. If you like good seafood there is a great restaurant just a few miles west of the Galleria (on Westheimer) called Christies. Its been a Houston Institution for years. All the old folks eat there and its the best fried shrimp in Houston. And don't overlook Whataburger for the best and biggest Texas burger around.

I hope you have a great trip!

Jim

I would not waste my time at Anahuac as it is still recovering from hurricane damage from a few years ago. Brazos Bend SP is probably the best bet as there are a lot of opportunities there. Water levels are still very low due to the drought. There may be a pair of eagles nesting in the area as well. You might also visit Baytown Nature Center as there is a nesting pair there right near the entrance. I will be out of town that weekend. Enjoy!

I will respectfully disagree with Doug about Anahuac on most of his statement. It depends on what your looking for, but there is plenty to see there after IKE all but destroyed the place a few years back. It's recovering nicely and folks have put tons of work and money into the area since the storm. I have been there many times since the hurricane and have found plenty to shoot especially Bitterns and Rails.

Jim

Well Dizzy, we'll just have to agree to disagree. I have been there several times in the last few years and it is coming back but extremely slowly. As an example, there is trash that has been in the same location for 2-3 years in some spots right near the auto loop. I used to go there 2-3 times a month but the wildlife just hasn't been there in the last couple of years. The water level is extremely low and the few birds I've seen have been way out of camera range. In short, there are far better locations close to Houston. I will check it out in the next couple of weeks however and I hope you're correct.

I would have thought...."hoped" that with all of the rain you folks have gotten here lately that the water levels in the refuge would have rebounded a little at least. My mom in law just lives off I-10 near the old and lost river and has said things are looking a bit better. I will be down this spring to visit too. Have you been out to the San Bernard Refuge and Brazoria? How are they looking?

Anahuac is just a place to start and then make the drive past High Island, down Bolivar and across the ferry to points west.

Jim

Anahuac still has the paving project continuing. To date Shovellers pond loop road is still closed and the Skillern tract has limited access due to roadwork. Hopefully these projects will be finished shortly. I have not been to the refuge in at least 6 months due to all the work and I agree there are better places to go closer to Houston. Its been warm this winter and some of the migratory birds are beginning to appear. Check with Houston Audobon and they can provide additional sites.

The rain is definitely helping but this drought has been the worst one on record and has been so severe it will literally take years for some areas to come back to normal. Brazoria and San Bernard are in much better shape by comparison.

I sent you a PM on this. Angela McCain. Getting Late.