Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, etc.

After it stopped raining (temporarily) I went outside to photograph an Eastern Box Turtle that was resting under the Mexican honeysuckle in the front yard. Box turtles are very cooperative photography subjects, especially compared to small fast-moving tweety birds.

Then I visited Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, which is about an hour away from home. I drove the loop around Shoveler Pond, stopping here and there to take pictures. Saw the usual wading birds, a Least Bittern, several Purple Gallinules, 3 Fulvous Whistling-Ducks, and a few alligators. Driving back along FM 1985 I stopped to check the small flocks of swallows perched near a couple of culverts, and found a few Cave Swallows among them.

Later, back in the swamp...

I had expected the summer heat and humidity to be intolerable, but here it is July and I'm not feeling the least discomfort. Either I've completely acclimatized or the really harsh heat waves haven't arrived yet. I had also expected summer birding to be a real drag, but there are still plenty of birds around, and even a few surprises. This afternoon I found 3 Gray Catbirds down by the pond. I saw one there back in April, but at the time I assumed it was just a migrant. No catbird sightings since then...could they have been here unnoticed by me the whole time? Summer Tanagers and Orchard Orioles are still present, and there is still at least one Red-headed Woodpecker in the neighborhood. Today I watched it fly into a tall pine carrying a BIG cicada (still alive & buzzing!) in its bill. Very cool.