Texas Bird Photography sites....

[sandboa]

I was thinking that this forum may be a good place to try and solicit/pool information about good bird photography sites around TX.

Let's try to restrict it to places that have specific photography blinds or observation blinds that allow photography and preferably a blind where there is a feeder or water to draw birds in close.

We will keep a separate list of good places to photograph birds with a car as a blind or even on foot (Brazos Bend, Brazoria NWR, Aransas NWR, etc).


Besides this list, you should check Jim Miller's (Icephoto) blog for more localities, updates and reviews on some of these blinds, and some example photographs - Texas Photo Blinds

As I add more spots, I will put the newest ones in red for those that check this list periodically.

Sites with Bird/Wildlife Photo Blinds

Northeast Texas
- no bird photo blinds suggested so far?

North Texas (Pandhandle)
- Gene Howe Wildlife Management Area (Canadian)- this WMA has two "observation" blinds. One overlooks a wooded marsh, the other a Prairie Dog town. UPDATE - I visited this site in May 2011 and their Prairie Dog town blind had blown away. I never found the other "blind" in spite of extensive searching of the wooded marsh areas. Link here.

South Texas
- Laguna Atascosa NWR (Rio Grande Valley) - nice blind near entrance area
- Santa Ana NWR (Rio Grande Valley) - several in the refuge
- Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park (alternate link) (Mission) - there are a series of blinds including the Kiskadee blind near the old RV area and a number of feeding stations that attract habituated birds and animals. You can no longer drive into the park, but there is a tram that will take you around the park stopping at all the blinds and feeding stations.
- San Antonio Botanical Gardens - they have recently opened a new bird blind in the botanical gardens in the middle of San Antonio. There are a few openings where big lenses could be used. The blind faces north. The SABG is a lovely photo resource by itself, but the inclusion of this new bird blind is a nice addition. Nice variety of local birds.

Central Texas
- San Antonio Botanical Gardens (San Antonio) - right near downtown, the Botanical Gardens has a nice bird blind with photo portals.
- Lost Maples State Natural Area (Vanderpool) - a little bit exposed but this bird blind does produce some opportunities when the park is quiet.
- South Llano River State Park (Junction) - they have 4 very nice blinds. One of the nicest inland photography sites in the state. Lots of Painted Buntings and other colorful birds in the spring and summer. Interesting selection of sparrows in the winter.
- [Pedernales Falls State Park (near Johnson City) - they have recently installed a second, very nice blind right next to the old blind but facing the opposite direction. More of a bird "watching" blind that photographer's blind, but there are slots for lenses on each end. Worth checking out.[/COLOR]
- San Angelo State Park (San Angelo)
- Abilene State Park (Abilene) - a new blind that opened in April 2008. There is a website showing the blind and its constuction here.
- Southeast Metropolitan Park (Austin) - blind near a lake

West Texas
- Davis Mts State Park - (Ft. Davis) - not a blind, but a feeding station where birds are habituated to being watched from benches nearby. Often a good place to photograph Montezuma Quail. Also have good humminbird feeders with lots of traffic at times. I have seen 5 species of hummer there in one hour.

Southeast Texas
- Shangri La Botanical Gardens (Orange) - Very nice looking botanical garden with a bird blind overlooking a wetland. Website here.
- Anuhuac NWR (SE Texas) - blind in Shoveler pond, although the roads and boardwalks are usually more productive than the blind in my experience!
- High Island (Boy Scout Woods and Smith Oaks Audubon Sanctuaries) - these blinds may require reservations during spring migratory season (April-May)
- Attwater Prairie Chicken NWR (Sealy) - they used to have an accessible blind from where you could photograph Attwater's Prairie Chickens on the lek. Since their precipitous decline in the 80s, they closed that part of the refuge and I don't know the status of the site anymore.
- Stephen F. Austin State Park (Sealy)
- Armand Bayou Nature Center (Houston)
- Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary (Quintana Beach) - this migrant trap near Freeport has recently installed a photo blind near a water bath/drip area. Should be good for migrating passerines, but could be busy during migration periods (April/May, Sept/Oct).

Good sites without blinds
(i.e. places that allow close access to birds without a formal blind) -

Central Coast
- Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (Tivoli/Refugio) - lots of nice boardwalks and trails allowing close approach to wildlife. Because this is a heavily visited refuge, the wildlife are acclimated and allow close approach, particularly when shooting out car windows. There is actually a photo blind, but it is in a very poor location. The boardwalks and trails are better.
- Port Aransas Birding Center (Port Aransas) - has a boardwalk out into a marsh where a lot of people visit. Birds and other wildlife are quite habituated to people and allow close approach. Great spot of rails, swamp sparrows, marsh wrens and other shy birds. Can be busy on weekends.
- Paradise Pond (Port Aransas) - a small wooded pond with a boardwalk. Herons and egrets roost in trees, lots of shots of small passerines coming down to drink. This "migrant trap" is best during April-May and September-October.
- Charlie's Pasture (Port Aransas) - this new facility has a large series of boardwalks that pass through a variety of coastal salt-marsh, freshwater ponds, etc.. Some good opportunities, but it is a long walk around the boardwalk. It is also very exposed to wind and the sun. It is on the north (inland) side of Port Aransas.
- Indian Point (Portland) - this area has a nice boardwalk with a somewhat shielded platform at the end. It is good for marsh birds.
- Sunset Park (Portland) - similar to nearby Indian Point boardwalk.

Upper Coast
- Brazos Bend State Park (West Houston) - habituated birds and other wildlife allow close approach.
- Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge (Brazoria county) - lots of water areas with surrounding dirt roads allow great "out the window" bird shots.
- Smith Oaks Audubon Sanctuary (High Island) - a nice boardwalk and levee out into a marsh area. Large waterbird rookery with observation/photo deck.
- Bolivar Flats (Bolivar Peninsula) - thousands of shorebirds, gulls, terns, etc.
- San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge - similar to previous NWR.

South Texas
- Estero Llano Grande State Park (Weslaco)- a new park with extensive wetlands and nice boardwalk. There are some feeder stations and a nice observation deck. Great site for photographing South Texas specialties like Least Grebes and Green Kingfishers as well as a variety of shorebirds. Many of the birds allow very close approach.
-The World Birding Center- This isn't an individual park, but a group of birding localities within the valley, many of which have excellent bird photo opportunities.
- South Padre Island Convention Center - the boardwalk here allows close approach to a variety of relatively habituated birds, including Clapper Rail. There is no entrance fee.
- South Padre Island Birding Center - this center has a boardwalk that adjoins/extends the boardwalk of the convention center. This boardwalk has an entrance fee. Like the previous, it gives great photo opportunities for a variety of herons, rails, ducks and other fresh and saltmarsh birds.

West Texas
- Balmorhea State Park (Balmorhea) - they have a little sunken viewing area in the cienaga that can offer interesting close up shots of things like grebes. Again, not a blind as such, but still a better than average photo op.

Central Texas
- Cooks Slough Wetlands Park (Uvalde) - there are several observation platforms which allow reasonably close approach to some birds
- Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory (Austin) - waterbirds and others

Northeast Texas
- Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge (Sherman/Denison area)- large numbers of waterfowl and raptors in the winter.
- Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge (outside FW) - doesn't show a blind on their map
- Village Creek Drying Beds (Fort Worth) - an old water treatment plant with good opportunities for shorebirds, waders, and waterfowl (in winter).

Many of our other parks and wildlife refuges have good access to birds that are used to being photographed.


Private Properties

There are a variety of private ranches that are set up for bird/wildlife photography. The per day cost is significantly higher than the entry prices for our public parks and refuges but you gain privacy and the support of the ranch staff who are there to give you a positive photographic experience. Some of those can be reviewed here

- Lens and Land.
- www.ranchotepeyac.com

[Tim T]

High Island (SE Texas)

[GonzoBernelli]

http://www.texasbirding.net/gtbg/utcmap.htm
http://www.fws.gov/refuges/

[Dougie]

I'm new into birding and wildlife photography so could certainly benefit from the list you describe and discussions of key locations. Unlike fishing holes, good photo locations can be shared!

Your list is already more lengthy than my notes from earlier forum postings so I'm going to print it out for the future.

How about adding the Bolivar flats near Galveston and Fossil Rim refuge near Ft Worth.

Doug

[Steelsun]

Stephen F Austin State Park (near Sealy) has recently put up a blind with a drip and pool at the beginning of the trails at the back side (near the auditorium). The space being overlooked is well cleared forest with enough brush to entice the birds.

There's also a park (can't remember the name) on Reed rd (small, very private in location) near the Rodeo outlying parking between 288 & Almeda that has about 6 blinds along the paths, including one overlooking a pond (also has a tower there for birding). In the dozen times I've gone to the park for photography, I've only found one other guest there on the paths.

Cullinan park on Hwy 6 near Sugar Land airport has several boardwalks and an ob tower overlooking the lake/marsh. Frequent sightings of all sorts of waterfowl there, and 2 bald eagles spotted there in the last week.

[Steelsun]

I've also started documenting some sights for ShootHouston.com (see sig), and have a section for birding photo sites there. Needs an update though.

[laura.rossi]

which is in your opinion the best place in this period for Spoonbills, Herons and Snowy egrets (if there are any)?
I tried 2 weeks ago at Brazos Bend, but I just saw 4 spoonbills on a branch really far far away....and then nothing else! Disappointing!
Do you think I may have more chances at San Bernard or High Island, or is it too early for such birds?

Thanks,
Laura

[Tim T]

Originally Posted by laura.rossi

which is in your opinion the best place in this period for Spoonbills, Herons and Snowy egrets (if there are any)?
I tried 2 weeks ago at Brazos Bend, but I just saw 4 spoonbills on a branch really far far away....and then nothing else! Disappointing!
Do you think I may have more chances at San Bernard or High Island, or is it too early for such birds?

Thanks,
Laura

It is too early at High Island. I went there last weekend and only saw a few song birds. Late Feb/early march you will see over 100 spoonbills/egrets at the rookery right in front of you.

[laura.rossi]

Hi Tim,
thanks for your reply.
Do you think I may have better chances in san Bernard? I Just bought a new 400 mm (f5.6, though) and I want to test it !
Laura

[Steelsun]

Spoonbills are weird - sometimes there will be alot at BBend (but usually way off in the distance from the tower at 40 acre), then the next day none at all.
I've had some luck with them at San Jacinto SP.

Herons and Egrets are often real common at BBend.

I'm leaving in about an hour to camp for the weekend at BBend (wet weather though). Hopefully there will be ample opportunities this weekend for some good pics. (also looking for and hiding some geocaches and terracaches)

[laura.rossi]

hi Brian,
please let me know if you could find many birds at BBSP...I am planning to go there next Monday ot Tuesday, depending on the weather...
Thanks,
Laura

[snidow]

I've made this thread a sticky so it will be easily accessible in the future. Thanks

[mjdmike]

Originally Posted by laura.rossi

Do you think I may have better chances in san Bernard? I Just bought a new 400 mm (f5.6, though) and I want to test it !
Laura

Laura, I went to San Bernard last weekend, made one loop, then went to Brazoria NWR. I saw very little at San Bernard -- and sorry to say, it wasn't worth the trip. You might try Brazoria, although there weren't many shore/wading birds. There are some ducks, many hawks, a few sandhill cranes, and maybe a few caracara at Brazoria.

Good luck. That's a great lens, so be sure to post when you get some shots.

[laura.rossi]

Hi Mike,
thanks for the info.
I think I'll go to BBSP, since it's much closer to me and it seems anyway it's not the best moment to shoot birds....

[iCe]

The area that I frequent is roughly encompassed by a line drawn from Eagle Lake to El Campo to Speaks and it is full of Hawks, Geese, Sparrows, Cardinals, etc. right now. I stay closer to the Garwood / El Campo area when I go. Yesterday I was told that here were Bald Eagles in the area but I am skeptical. I plan to look for them on the next trip that I take there.

The countryside is criss-crossed with rural dirt roads around large rice fields. Some are flooded. A gps helps to prevent getting lost but ultimately heading south or east will bring you back to a state highway so it's not a big deal.