By Brandt Mannchen

On Saturday, January 10, 2026, the Houston Sierra Club (HSC) visited San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge (SBNWR) and enjoyed birding and wildlife observation.  This was a sunny, chilly, day with 20-30 mph blustery winds.  But the eight participants made the day enjoyable, fun, and enlightening.

SBNWR is known for raptors, egrets, herons, ducks, shorebirds, and other birds found on prairies, woods, and wetlands.  SBNWR didn’t disappoint, although it fooled and delayed us in seeing many of its treasures until later in the day.

We first visited “Bobcat Woods”.  This area consists of riparian woodlands along Cocklebur Slough, Bobcat Woods Trail, and Wolfweed Wetlands, which usually forms a lake in the Winter.  But not this Winter.

After looking in the wooded part of Bobcat Woods Trail, we walked to Wolfweed Wetlands and were stunned to see no lake. The lack of rain (drought) that occurred in 2025 has affected SBNWR, as it has other NWRs, which means wet areas are dry or almost dry.

This is what we found at Wolfweed Wetlands where we saw, as we motored into SBNWR and visited Wolfweed Wetlands, a skimpy 7 different birds including Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, American Kestrel, Killdeer, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Mockingbird, and the best find, a Caracara or Mexican Eagle.

I thought it was going to be a “slim pickins day” as the dearth of birds continued when we began the San Bernard Auto Tour.  But slowly things began to change.  We saw familiar birds like Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, and a Great Blue Heron in wetlands. Then White Ibis made an appearance.

Throughout the day I saw more Pied-billed Grebes than I’d ever seen in my life, probably 30, in groups of 2, four, or an occasional single bird.  Sparrows and wrens made appearances near cattails and then disappeared into them.  An occasional American Alligator showed its head and reminded us that these ancient reptiles are still present and doing well.

In the distance, we saw a pair of Northern Harriers, hunting low to the ground, and a large flock of Snow Geese circling and then alighting in far-off marshes.  Anhinga and Cormorants, (probably Double-crested), spread their wings to dry or stood on submerged branches which stuck out of the water.

Then we began to see Red-winged Blackbirds and Eastern Phoebes fly or land on cattails or small, gangly, trees near open water. Finally, as the remaining wetlands that still had water were approached we saw ducks and other water birds like Gadwall, Green-winged Teal, Northern Pintail, Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, American Coot, tern (probably Forester’s), gull (probably Bonaparte’s), Little Blue Heron, Belted Kingfisher, Black-necked Stilt, Wilson’s Snipe, Boat-tailed Grackle, and Black-crowned Night Heron (juvenile),   

What took my breath away was two enormous White Pelicans that circled and then landed to join the other water birds.  Another bird that was a joy to see, if only for a second or two, was a rail, (probably a Clapper Rail), which stalked quickly from a small grassy patch to the protective cover of wetland plants.  Our day was almost complete when we saw a Northern Cardinal and Eastern Meadowlark.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), who manages our NWRs, passed us on the San Bernard Auto Tour, while we were looking at water birds, in two trucks with marsh buggies.  We were all curious about this caravan and our curiosity was soon answered.

We began to see smoke in the distance.  The FWS was burning part of the prairie and marsh ecosystems in SBNWR.  This is done to reduce woody plants in these ecosystems and remove thatch that prairie plants create when they grow.  The new growth is good for the prairie, the burned ash is good for plant growth, and some birds find the new growth after a fire a great place for a meal.

It was a neat way to end the day seeing our NWRs being managed for wildlife and ecosystem health that is needed and deserved.

If you haven’t visited a NWR, I highly recommend you come to SBNWR.  It’s a great place where you can see our public lands and the wildlife they provide. Do it now.  You won’t be disappointed.

Photos by Brandt Mannchen