Member field trip report for Saturday, November 24, 2018.
We started out at Robert C. Stuart Park in southeast Houston. This hidden gem is a great birding destination along Sims Bayou. The morning was foggy and misty which led to some great photos.
Houston Parks and Rec has spent a good deal of time improving habitat at this park and the mix of woods and grasslands is perfect for lots of different species. The sun finally started burning off the mist along the bayou and the traffic to Hobby Airport started to pick up. Kinglets and chickadees were abundant along the trails and we enjoyed the entire park to ourselves.
Our next destination was just a mile away along Long Drive. Cullinan Park is quite large and mostly undeveloped. Trails wrap around the front of the property and around a cattail filled pond. A Cooper’s Hawk greeted us in the parking lot when we arrived and stayed for quite some time to be photographed. After walking the main developed trails we slipped into the less than beaten paths in the forest and wound our way through some great habitat. The park does have a lot of non-natives but still provides some excellent bird habitat for many.
After picking our way out of the forest we headed over to MacGregor Park which was just another 10 minutes away. The Bald Eagles were in the nest and everyone got great views and photos. This property is slated to be developed into the University of Houston School of Medicine and Houston Audubon is working with the University to protect this nest which has been there for many years. It was a beautiful morning and everyone left with a new appreciation of our local parks.
