Urgent suggestions for Birding in Houston, Please

[mahasuresh]

Dan

Skimmers looks a cool thing to try. Can you give me exact driving directions to this place. Like a land mark, street etc that i can put in GPS and drive to?

thanks
Suresh

[scottbuckel]

Suresh -

Dan already gave you the directions - just click on the link in his first post.

Dan - thanks for the location!

Scott

[onlybill]

Without a doubt, stick with Brazos Bend State Park. It has done better with the drought than any other place I can think of.

Plenty of birds. Get there early in the morning and stay all day if your lucky
and it stays cloudy, or until the sun gets harsh, about 9-10:00 AM, or after about 5:00 Pm.
At least you will be able to take plenty of bird (and alligator if you like) images.
As a matter of fact, I would not waste gas, and time, going anywhere else, if avian photography is your main goal. If you want to just drive around, thats different.
With the drought, and the fact that you don't know the area, any other
place you go to (and I go to them all) has a high likelyhood you will be
disappointed. Again, that is if your main goal is avian photography. Getting to a location doesn't mean you will find birds (with the exception of BBSP). Brazos Bend is as close to sure thing that you will find this time of year. regards~Bill

A slideshow of images I've posted here 2010-2011 199 images

[Jim Victory]

Just got back from down south. I hit BBSP the first day. The second day I drove down the beach and hit East Beach, Dos Vacas, Bryan Beach, Quintana, and San Bernard.

It was really dry most places and many of the watering holes were dry. I did get dumped on at BBSP by a heavy shower that moved through. I would stick with BBSP for the magnitude of opportunities. I got some good shots of unusual subjects driving the beach but not the number of opportunities you get at BBSP. It was just too dry.

[mahasuresh]

truly stunning pictures. Man, i am quite amazed with the clarity and sharpness on those images. I really enjoyed your slideshow. I have sent you a PM for specific locations within BBSP. Please let me know.

thanks
Suresh

Originally Posted by onlybill

Without a doubt, stick with Brazos Bend State Park. It has done better with the drought than any other place I can think of.

Plenty of birds. Get there early in the morning and stay all day if your lucky
and it stays cloudy, or until the sun gets harsh, about 9-10:00 AM, or after about 5:00 Pm.
At least you will be able to take plenty of bird (and alligator if you like) images.
As a matter of fact, I would not waste gas, and time, going anywhere else, if avian photography is your main goal. If you want to just drive around, thats different.
With the drought, and the fact that you don't know the area, any other
place you go to (and I go to them all) has a high likelyhood you will be
disappointed. Again, that is if your main goal is avian photography. Getting to a location doesn't mean you will find birds (with the exception of BBSP). Brazos Bend is as close to sure thing that you will find this time of year. regards~Bill

A slideshow of images I've posted here 2010-2011 199 images

[onlybill]

Thanks Suresh. Got your PM. At BBSP; Forty Acre Lake (best), Elm Lake, and the path between them. You can get a map at the entrance.
I'm glad you liked the slideshow. I hope you didn't think all the images were taken at BBSP, though a number of them were.
The birds most likely to be encountered at BBSP this time of year; moorhens, tricolored heron, great blue heron, green heron, great egret, snowy egret, crows, purple gallinule, anhinga, little blue heron, yellow-crowned night heron, black-crowned night heron, coots, grackles, and red-winged black birds. Good luck. regards~Bill

[mahasuresh]

onlybill:

thanks for the information. I looked into the Brazos Bend website and am not sure what time they open? Is it open for public early in the morning like 7AM or so? Do they have entrance fees to the park?

Please let me know.

[onlybill]

Suresh; I think they open an 7 AM. $5 entrance fee per vehicle, and even if you get there earlier and the station isn't open yet, there is a box and ticket you can fill out and put your money in a slot. regards~Bill

[jfoureyes]

Depending on who's working on the weekend the gate may be opened before 7:00 am. This time of year the north side of 40 Acre Lake and down Spillway Trail to Elm Lake should be fairly productive for birds and there will probably be other photographers out there as well. It's hot and very humid out there even in the early morning hours so carry a bottle of water. And don't forget the bug spray...the Deer flies were pretty busy on my trip last week.

[jfoureyes]

They open at 7 am fri. sat and sun. This site may be of some help.Brazos Bend State Park Volunteer Organization - Home Page