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

Heron Silhouette At Anahuac

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.

Black Crowned Night Heron At Anahuac

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.

Family Of Raccoons In Water At Anahuac

Then we came across a Sedge Wren.

Sedge Wren In Trees At Anahuac

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.

Loggerhead Shrike At Anahuac

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

King Rail At Anahuac

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

White Ibis Walking At Anahuac

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

House Wren At Anahuac

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.

Savannah Sparrow On Fence At Anahuac

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

Willet In Water At Anahuac

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!

Anyway, if you are looking for an amazing variety of birds, you can’t go wrong visiting this place.

One of the first birds I saw were Roseate Spoonbills.

Roseate Spoonbills Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

There were also lots of little birds hidden in the grasses.  If I am not mistaken, this is a Sedge Wren (Can anyone confirm?).

Sedge Wren Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Here’s a closeup of the same bird.

Sedge Wren Closeup Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Flying overhead were lots of Snow Geese.

Flock Of Snow Geese Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

And here’s a closeup of these beautiful birds.

Flock Of Snow Geese Closeup Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Later I drove further into the Refuge and noticed this “duck-looking” bird hiding in the reeds.  After researching the bird, it turns out this bird is a King Rail Clapper Rail (thank you David for the correction).

Clapper Rail Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Here’s another shot of the same bird with a little more detail.

Clapper Rail Closeup Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

There were lots of white birds at the Refuge and it took me some time to recognize what each of the birds were.  One bird that I never photographed before was the White Ibis.  Here’s a picture of the Ibis cleaning its tail feathers.

White Ibis Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Another white bird was the Great Egret.

Great Egret Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

The Great Egret was quite a bit larger than the Snowy Egret pictured below.

Snowy Egret Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Last, but not least, I photographed this Greater Yellowlegs.

Greater Yellowlegs Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Same bird, but a little more detail in the feathers.

Greater Yellowlegs Closeup Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge

Even though I posted quite a few pictures in this post, this was by no means representative of all different types of birds in this location.  There were also lots of Hawks, but unfortunately none of my pictures were good enough to post.  If you are looking to photograph birds, or even just to witness a huge variety of birds, I highly recommend going to Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge.  Just make sure your tires can handle rough terrain:-).

Oops, I found one more picture, but I’m not exactly sure what kind of bird this is.  I “think” it’s a Green Heron.  If that’s not correct, please send me an email or leave a comment.

Green Heron Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge