Wildlife Haunts Within and Near Houston, TexasWildlife coexists within and in the vicinity of the heavily human populated city of Houston, Texas. Plentiful wildlife photo opportunities can be found within the city and nearby smaller surrounding communities. All the locations mentioned here are within approximately a 50 mile radius of Houston. There are many areas with wildlife including several small pockets of wildlife within the city. It would be prohibitive for me to discuss them all here. Therefore I’ll concentrate on some of the major areas I am familiar with and give “honorable” mention to one other. I have not included Galveston Island and its environs in this article due to the vast number of birding areas and as a consequence it deserves a separate article dedicated to the area alone. This article is intended to be focused with regards to where these places are and what one can expect to see. Therefore discussions of each location will be informative and generally limited to what and where. I’ll leave it to the reader to seek additional knowledge as the particular location interests him/her and provide valuable links to further information. Let’s get started! Armand Bayou Nature Center and Bay Area Park The Nature Center is 2,500 acres and is located in Pasadena, Texas just on the outskirts of the Clear Lake area at 8500 Bay Area Blvd. It is located about 19.7 miles as the crow flies from downtown Houston. The park is a short distance west of the Nature Center on Bay Area Blvd. The Nature Center website is:
www.abnc.org
The Nature Center has a boardwalk and bird blind. Pontoon boat rides and canoe rentals can be made by reservation. The center acquired two bison calves in 2008, so there is a bison exhibit if you are interested in photographing captive animals. There is also a farm within the grounds that has a windmill and barn that are photogenic. There is an age dependent admission fee up to $3.00. To get to the Nature Center from Houston: Route I-45 South. Exit 26 at Bay Area Boulevard. Go east 7 miles just past Bay Area Park. San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Park The park is 1,200 acres and is located in La Porte, Texas on the Houston Ship Channel at 3523 Battleground Road(Highway 134). It is approximately 17 miles as the crow flies from downtown, Houston. River otter, nutria, pelicans, roseate spoonbills, and the poisonous cottonmouth snake may be seen in the park. Wood storks can be seen from May to October. The marsh and wetlands habitat east of the San Jacinto Monument is a good place to look for birds. There are picnic tables located in the vicinity.
If you tire of shooting critters, take a break, and checkout the Battleship Texas and the San Jacinto Monument or enjoy a picnic under the moss clad trees. The monument has a reflection pool and the creative can find other bodies or water to catch a reflection of the monument in. There is a $2 entrance fee per car and the park closes at 6 PM. Unfortunately, closing that early means missing some of the best light of the day in the summer-time. To get there: From I-610 East, take Texas Highway 225 east for 11 miles to Battleground Road(Texas Highway 134), continue north approximately 2 miles. Turn right on Park Road 1836 for the Monument and wetland areas or continue on Highway 134 another mile to reach the Battleship. If Park Road 1836 is blocked then park access can be made from the Battleship area. For more information check the Texas Parks and Wildlife website at:
http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/san_jacinto_battleground/
McHale Park is a very small park in Seabrook(between Houston and Galveston), but it has an observation platform on the west shore of Galveston Bay. It is located at 400 Todville Road in Seabrook near the Kemah Boardwalk. The observation platform is an excellent spot to photograph both white and brown pelicans. The park is marked by a large sign and is at a dead end. Drive down Waterfront Drive and scope out the areas between the seafood markets for additional spots to see pelicans while you are near McHale Park. You can see Waterfront Drive and the seafood markets while standing on the McHale Park platform. Looking out onto Galveston Bay the markets will be on your right.
Stop and visit one of the markets for the best prices on shrimp to be found anywhere in the Houston area. Don’t forget your cooler! Continuing down Todville Road will usually net you some more pelicans along the bay. Be mindful of private property along this road, but there are public spots to stop as well. To get there: From the Kemah side of Highway 146 proceed north over the Kemah/Seabrook Bridge, and then immediately exit to your right at the bottom of the bridge. Circle back south on Waterfront Drive, across Todville Road, into McHale Park. Brazos Bend State Park Brazos Bend State Park is approximately 5,000 acres and is located 30 miles as the crow flies southwest of Houston. Twenty three species of mammals can be seen in the park including white-tailed deer, feral hog, coyote, red fox, gray fox, raccoon, mink, eastern spotted skunk, striped skunk, river otter, armadillo, opossum, and bobcat. Two hundred four species of birds may be seen in the park of which the pileated, red-bellied, and downy woodpeckers, are resident. Wood ducks also nest in the park. There are 21 species of reptiles and amphibians. The American alligator takes the spotlight amongst these 21 species and is very abundant in the park.
Keep your pets on a leash and keep an eye on your children. Swimming or entry into the water is forbidden due to the abundance of alligators. Even if they look lethargic or even dead don’t assume they are and don’t approach or try to feed them. These are just a few caveats for coexisting with alligators. Read the park leaflet for further advice. Fishing, camping, hiking, and picnicking are other activities to be enjoyed within the park besides wildlife viewing. Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge The Anahuac refuge is 34,000 acres and is located approximately 50 miles southeast of Houston. Refuge critters include river otter, skunk, muskrat, opossum, bobcat, raccoon, mink, nutria, and alligator. Several bird species can be seen and wintering snow geese may number as high as 50,000 or greater from October to March. Wood storks are common on the refuge during the summer and fall months around June-November(see photo).
Check the website for Refuge Manager and contact information:
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/anahuac/index.html
Houston Arboretum Nature Center The Houston Arboretum Nature Center is 155 acres and is located four miles west of downtown Houston at 4501 Woodway Drive. The arboretum is at the southwest corner of Memorial Park. Coyote, swamp rabbit, flying squirrel, raccoon, armadillo, opossum, and fox squirrel are some of the mammals that can be seen in the nature center. Admission is free and there are five miles of walking trails. Check their website for hours and additional information:
www.houstonarboretum.org
Approximately 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats reside under this bridge that spans Buffalo Bayou between Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive less than a mile from downtown Houston. They usually emerge around sunset, but times vary. Spotts Park near the bridge is a convenient place to park your car. As an additional bit of interesting information…there is another urban bat colony in Austin, Texas that numbers up to 1.5 million at its peak in the summer season. This colony resides under the Congress Street Bridge. Honorable Mention Monk parakeets have been populating parts of Texas and other areas of the country for several years. Sightings have been reported in and around the Houston/Clear Lake areas. Monk parakeets are native to South America and are products of the pet trade that were either set free or escaped from captivity. They have reproduced as a consequence and survive well in the area climate. I have heard that they have built nests on transmission towers along Highway 146 between Kemah and Texas City, Texas. Whether these nests still exist is unknown to me. I made a drive down that section of the highway recently and saw no nests or parakeets. Driving and trying to look though has its obvious downside with respect to effectiveness, not just in trying to sight parakeets, but trying to avoid bumpers as well. If you are in the area keep your eyes poised and let me know if you get lucky. authored by Lon Britton
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The pelicans shown here were shot from the area around McHale Park. 
The alligators pictured here were in one of the park lakes. The park prints a leaflet called “Alligator Etiquette” and it is advisable that you read it for a safe visit in the park. 
