By Brandt Mannchen

Every June I visit Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge (now called Jocelyn Nungaray) to see how wildlife does during the hot Summer. This year the heat has come early to June, and predictions are that with an El Nino taking effect this could be the hottest year we’ve ever had due to our air pollution which creates climate change.

But I needed to see how our public lands were doing so I met my buddy David about 8:30 am and we began our visit.  My first order of business, and throughout the day, was to see what wildflowers and grasses were blooming.  We looked at both the butterfly garden and along roadsides and this is what we saw blooming:

American Germander, American Basket-flower, Sensitive Briar, Common Morning Glory, Salt Marsh Mallow, Turk’s Cap, Woolly Rose Mallow, Water Primrose, Black-eyed Susan, Plains Coreopsis, Texas Lantana, American Elderberry, Japanese Honey Suckle, Texas Dandelion, Dayflower, Mexican Primrose, Brazilian Vervain, Fire-Wheel, Sea Ox-eye Daisy, Knot-root Bristle Grass, Frog Fruit, Texas Coneflower, Crinum Lilly, Maximillian Sunflower, and Common Sunflower. 

I was particularly entranced by the large pink flowers, with yellow centers, of the Salt Marsh Mallow and the large white flowers, with crimson centers, of the Woolly Rose Mallow.  What a colorful and elegant welcome by Nature!

Many American Alligators were floating in the water and Bull Frogs called in scattered locations.  We saw only 1 Red-eared Slider.  Usually, these turtles are very common.  Perhaps they were taking a siesta due to the hot weather. Dragonflies were everywhere attacking mosquitoes and Deer Flies which made us appreciative of their appetites.

Even though birdlife during the Summer is less than during Spring and Fall migration we were happy with what we saw, although the number of each bird species was small.  We saw the following birds:

Eastern Meadowlark, Black Vulture, Turkey Vulture, Crested Caracara, Northern Mocking Bird, Scissortail Flycatcher, Northern Cardinal, Boat-tailed Grackle, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown-headed Cowbird, Barn Swallow, Mourning Dove, Cattle Egret, Eastern Kingbird, Osprey, Black-bellied Whistling Duck, Snowy Egret, Great Blue Heron, Black-necked Stilt, American Coot, Common Gallinule, Purple Gallinule, Blue-winged Teal, Mottled Duck, Neotropic and Double-crested Cormorants, Willet, Laughing Gull, Forester’s Tern, Great Egret, White Ibis, Brown Pelican, Little Blue Heron, Tri-colored Heron, Green Heron, Killdeer, White-faced Ibis, Common Nighthawk, and Rosette Spoonbill. 

It was great to see Common Nighthawks.  I used to see these birds in Houston but the gravel roofs that they like have disappeared and so have they.  It was also great to see Green Herons.  I used to see these birds regularly but in recent years I hardly ever see them.  They are my favor wading bird besides the Roseate Spoonbill.

It was great to see East Bay with waves slamming against rock breakwaters.  The tide was up and Brown Pelicans were seen on most wooden posts that have been periodically placed along the breakwater.

It was on East Bay that we saw our greatest sight. I was driving, looking at the water, and delighted in the steady breeze, which kept the mosquitoes away.  I looked in the shrub and grass shoreline near a small parking lot and there was a Bobcat!  We surprised the Bobcat as much as it surprised us.  It took a quick look at us before hopping into the brush and grass and disappeared.  This was only the fourth or fifth time in my life that I’d seen a Bobcat.  It really was exciting to know this native feline was doing OK on our public national wildlife refuge.

That’s what I like about Jocelyn Nungary National Wildlife Refuge.  You never know what you’ll see, but you’ll always be satisfied that you did.