By Brandt Mannchen
NOTE: More wonderful photos are on the Meetup pages. On Meetup, click Photos, then this trip. http://www.meetup.com/Houston-Sierra-Club-Outings/photos
Our caravan pulled into the Chevron station on FM 563, just off Interstate 1 0 East, in Chambers County. We were looking for Janet and found that she and her husband had just arrived. After a quick bathroom break, off we went.
On the spur of the moment, as I drove down FM 563 toward the City of Anahuac, I pulled into the visitor center/office of the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. We all piled out, Lilibeth, Tom, Gary, Elizabeth, Michael, Magaly, Yong, Beverly, Janet, Bob, and I. I told them I wanted them to see Lake Anahuac, which used to be called Turtle Bay, after all the sea turtles that used this body of water. Then the bay was dammed and turned into a freshwater lake for the City of Anahuac and farms and ranches in this part of Chambers County and the turtles disappeared.
We first came to the wetlands demonstration pond which was full of beautiful, blooming, purple, Pickerel Weed, a native wetlands plant. A hummingbird zoomed over the pond as we headed down the concrete trail. This upland ridge was covered with hickory, Water Oak, and other native hardwood trees as well as exotic, non-native, plants like Chinese Tallow, privet, and Ligustrum.
The low hanging tree limbs and Giant Ragweed had webs of Great Silk Spiders (Golden Silk Orb-Weavers) which we ducked under (except for the one I got on my hat) as we made our way down the trail. We saw a lot of shells embedded in the soil which are the remnants of middens (garbage piles) created by native peoples many hundreds of years ago when they ate clams.
We went down only 10 feet in altitude on the trail and found ourselves in an entirely different forest ecosystem, a Bald Cypress Swamp. We sauntered down the boardwalk and saw Button-Bush, Giant Cut-Grass, and Green Ash interspersed among the cypress. Lake Anahuac looked peaceful and the Bald Cypress gave it a grace and solitude that was appreciated by all of us.
Back in our cars we high-tailed it to Smith Point. When we arrived there must have been 20 vehicles in the small parking lot on the shoreline at the confluence of East and Trinity Bays. There must have been 40 people who were on the two-story observation platform.
We were here for “Hawk Watch” to see raptors, hawks, kites, vultures, falcons, etc. Each fall these birds of prey gather, from August through November, at Smith Point and migrate along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, through the Yucatan, Central, and then South America to get to their winter homes. These large birds catch thermals (rising columns of hotter air) so that they can soar up and then glide along the coastline on their journey to home.
Several experts, hired and paid by the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, are at this observation platform throughout the migration season and count and record the raptors that fly by Smith Point. They helped us identify what we saw fly overhead.
We were not disappointed. Broad-winged Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, Mississippi Kites, Crested Caracara, Kestrals, Black Vultures, Turkey Vultures, Osprey, and a Peregrine Falcon were all spotted. It was fun to watch these magnificent birds soar with such ease and comfort. We also saw Brown Pelicans, Cattle Egrets, Blue-Grey Gnat-catchers, around the platform.
After about an hour and fifteen minutes we headed over to the Trinity Bay side of Smith Point to look for shorebirds. The tide was very high and most of the small shell or sand spit islands were either underwater or nearly so. However, we did see several American Oyster-catchers, a Great Blue Heron, and many Royal Terns.
Then it was off to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. Beautiful, pink, Salt Marsh Mallows greeted us in the ditches as we drove toward the refuge entrance. When we pulled up to the entrance, we were starved so we sat down in the small picnic area, which also serves as an informal wildlife observation blind, and had our lunch. Swallow (bird) nests lined the ceiling of the picnic shelter and an immature Little Blue Heron stood on the edge of the pond that we faced. A few of us saw a Green Tree-frog blend into the cattail fringe on the pond.
After lunch we visited the gift shop to look at the books, maps, t-shirts, and other trinkets as well as talk with the hosts who ran the shop. In 2008, Hurricane Ike had destroyed the gift shop with 8-1 0 foot storm surge waves. Now the gift shop had been built back, elevated to hopefully withstand any new storm.
Finally, we were off looking for wildlife. It was 1 p.m. and the sun was hot. Not the best time to see birds or other critters but the fresh air felt great to breathe. The dragonflies were flying in patrol looking for mosquitoes and other insects to dine on. The freshwater marshes were covered with porcelain-white water lilies (with a purplish tinge) and 100's of two-inch frogs jumped into the water whenever we pulled over and parked our cars to get out.
A small American Alligator (about 3 feet long) popped up and floated, immobilized in front of us among the water lilies, looking lost in thought. We saw White Ibis, Great Egret, Red-wing Blackbird, Mottled Duck, grackles, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Neotropical Cormorant, Common Moorhen (both juvenile and adult), and my favorite, Purple Gallinule. Michael saw a secretive rail but we were unable to identify it.
It was a great day but we were getting tired. So we headed for home, after stopping to get some refreshments, gas up the cars, and go to the bathroom. When we got back to the parking lot where our cars were parked we all shook hands, hugged, and wished each other well. I had that good, tired feeling that I always have when I am outdoors and join wildlife, my friends, neighbors, and community members. This is where we all belong! Come join us soon.
A special thanks to Gary Stephenson and Janet Albright for their wonderful photographs!