The Birds Of Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Had a great day today visiting Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge with Leecy.  We saw lots of birds, but getting great pictures of them is another story.

We started off at dawn, and there was this Heron silhouetted against the water.

I love taking (or trying to take) pictures of raptors, like Hawks and Harriers.  What I learned today is that if you take pictures of those type birds against a gray sky, it doesn’t make for a very appealing picture.

One of the first birds we saw was the Black Crowned Night Heron.  If I’m not mistaken, this one is a juvenile.

Then Leecy, with her eagle eyes (and a good pair of binoculars), spotted a family of Raccoons in the water.  It was rather entertaining watching them.  At first, it appeared as though they were washing their hands (okay, feet), then slowly but surely they all started crossing the water.  All except for one Raccoon (there were 4 total)..  It did not want to go across the water.

Then we came across a Sedge Wren.

Next up was a Loggerhead Shrike.  Leecy helped care for one of these birds when she was volunteering at the Wildlife Rehabilitation place she worked at during the summer.

Then we came across a Rail.  I believe this is a King Rail.  These birds are pretty secretive, preferring to hide among the reeds.

As we drove further along in the Refuge we saw a group of White Ibises.

Later on we crossed paths with another Wren, this one being a House Wren I believe.

This next bird is difficult for me to identify.  Hopefully a bird expert out there can confirm or deny.  If I’m not mistaken, this is a Savannah Sparrow.

When we got to the back of the Refuge, we saw this Willet feeding along the shoreline.

Like I said, there were tons of birds, and an Alligator, and a few Butterflies, but taking great photos of them requires great skill and good light, and today I probably wasn’t at my best.  I still had a great time, loved using that 500mm lens, and spending time with Leecy (she was a good scout).  Oh, I almost forgot, the most common flying thing we encountered at Anahuac?  Mosquitoes.  Some of them appeared to be as large as birds!

Now I need to figure out other places to visit this week.  If you have any ideas, I would sure love to hear your suggestions!