News Articles
Birding Adventure along the San Bernard
Posted on Apr 23rd, 2022
Photo Mary Anne Morris 4-11-22
A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) sails past a Texas bovine (Bos taurus) grazing on a high river bank of the San Bernard.
Birding Adventure along the San Bernard
By Mary Anne Morris
Education Director of Houston Audubon
For many years now, I have heard about a paddle wheeler cruise down the San Bernard for senior groups. It has been on my bucket list to check out for a very long time. Well opportunity knocked this past February when I met Nancy Kanter at a gathering of Senior Bus Destinations for Harris County. I got a chance to step away from my booth and chat with her about Dido’s and the Yellowstone. We discussed a senior trip and then she mentioned a spring bird migration trip that they offer every April. I was hooked! I bought two tickets and surprised my bird loving husband with the trip for Valentine’s Day! It seemed liked forever before the date finally rolled around on the calendar and I know I was praying for good weather to accompany our cruise down the river.
We woke early and headed out from southeast Houston with binoculars and cameras at the ready. About 2 miles from our destination we were treated to two Barred Owls actively looking for crawfish along the road. We stopped and took some photos and then hurried along to meet our vessel and captain!
As we drove towards the river we could see the Yellowstone paddlewheeler moored and waiting. I was so excited! We met the rest of the participants all eager to board and get the trip started in the restaurant and enjoyed a hungry Ruby-throated Hummingbird feeding out the front windows.
Photo Mary Anne Morris 4-11-22
An Osprey shows off his recognizable kink-shaped wings and are excellent anglers. Just ask a Bald Eagle.
The weather was overcast but the sun would be peeking out in a few hours. Egrets, herons, gulls and Osprey seemed to all be in the sky to wish us well as we headed south towards the gulf. Kingfishers circled the boated so many times we were getting whiplash. Egrets were plentiful along the route along with sandpipers, Osprey, vultures enjoying leftover gar, Purple Martins singing their beautiful dawn songs and parula’s trilling. As we got deeper into the trip a Bald Eagle cruised past us effortlessly and veered toward the refuge. We saw the same bird again on our return trip…It was a great way to get out of the city, breath some fresh air, relax along a special river and reboot with my husband.
Photo Mary Anne Morris 4-11-22
The majestic Bald Eagle, the the national emblem of the United States since 1782, soars overhead. Not really bald but has a white-feathered head is known to swoop in and snatch a fish directly out of an Osprey talons.
No Comments