It had been a long time since Jane, Kelly, and I had gone birding.  A few years ago it was not unusual for all three of us to enjoy the outdoors together but the pull of environmental work, family responsibilities, and life had kept us from getting together.

I was delighted when both said they would join me to bird on a Sunday at Brazoria and San Bernard National Wildlife Refuges (NWR).  We met at 7 am, packed our gear into the car, and off we went!

It was good talking with both of my friends, catching up on what was happening during our days apart.  Before you knew it we turned onto the road that led to Brazoria NWR and we began to see birds. 

One thing you should know about Kelly and Jane, they are really good birders, particularly when it comes to sparrows and songbirds.  We drove the road and one of both would say, “Stop”!, usually next to a thicket or a fence-row of trees and they would begin a back and forth about where the bird was and what it might be.  To say I was slow and way behind is to state the obvious.  Occasionally, I saw the birds they pointed at but identifying them was out-of-the-question for me.  I was an outdoors chauffeur and proud of it.

Meadow Lark, Catbird, Loggerhead Shrike, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Common Moorhen, Mocking Bird, Red-wing Blackbird, Ruby-Crowned Kinglet, Blue-Gray Nat-catcher, Coot, Eastern Phoebe, Palm Warbler, the bird names just flew by and I was along for the ride, or should I day drive.

We scoured Brazoria and saw Brown Pelican, Northern Harrier, White Ibis, Pied-billed Grebe, Red-tailed Hawk, Savannah Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Northern Shoveler, Caracara, and many more.  The White-tailed Kite was a favorite and the White Pelican that flew overhead just as we prepared to leave was a great sign of a good day. 

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service volunteer at the education center was great.  She showed us what they found that morning in pond water.  The tiny crawfish and other miniature creatures were flashed on the screen from the microscope.  There are many worlds unknown and uncharted that we are ignorant of as we waltz through our days.

We sped off from Brazoria, very hungry, and in Lake Jackson enjoyed an-all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet.  Full and ready for the afternoon we drove to San Bernard NWR and the results were the same.  Birds everywhere!  The Red-tailed Hawks, Kestrels, and Northern Harriers, ruled the air.  Yellow-rumped Warbler, American Goldfinch, and Chipping Sparrow ruled the thickets in Bobcat Woods.  At the large lake we visited Common Moorhen and Coots floated and cackled and laughed.

On the lake, across from the observation deck, we scoped out two large American Alligators sunning themselves on the vegetated bank.  A Green Treefrog tried to hide on a limb but stuck out like a sore thumb.  A Broad-banded Watersnake, coiled loosely, warmed up displaying its reddish-orange cheeks and patterned bands that were visible and glistening in the wet grass.  

Over the afternoon we saw Savannah Sparrows, Snowy Egrets, Great Egrets, Red-wing Blackbirds, cormorants, Pied-billed Grebes, White Ibis, Rosette Spoonbills, and many other of our fine-feathered friends.  One of the highlights of the entire trip was when we stopped at a marsh and started scanning the vegetation.  To our surprise, only about 150 feet away, four beautiful and enormous Sandhill Cranes stood.  They did not flush as we oohed and aahed and Kelly snapped what seemed like dozens of photos.

Finally, as we moved toward the exit to San Bernard NWR and we rounded a corner, four beautiful White-tail Deer stood on the road and looked at us.  They slowly sauntered off and disappeared in the brush, like a good-bye committee waving its last response, leaving us excited, like a good-bye committee waving its last response.

Good friends, both human, animal, and plant, made for a great day at Brazoria and San Bernard NWRs.  I want to go again and share these delights.  You can't visit your friends too often.

Brandt Mannchen
December 7, 2015