George Mitchell Preserve at Spring Creek The Woodlands Texas

George Mitchell Preserve consists of approximately 1700 acres along Spring Creek in Southeast Texas. It is part of a much larger regional project. See the link below. In a flood zone, along either side of the creek, the preserve has weathered development and construction, but maintaining most of its natural integrity even to this day. Lately, a large initiative has been launched for the largest park in Texas, called Spring Creek Greenway. Now, George Mitchell Preserve is being developed, section at a time, into a series of natural paths and creek-side amenities for nature lovers. This area will be preserved with its savannas, large pine trees, Cypress and other native forest plants as a haven for deer, squirrels, Possum and other wildlife. It is intended to provide a means for humans to appreciate the forest.

In one spring walk, I took photos along the paths of this preserve and have made them available for readers. See some of the photos below.

One can easily find the trail head of the northern trails from Flintridge Rd. A sign along the road marks the trail head of George Mitchell Preserve. Please be careful to carry out what you take into the forest. It is a pristine area. Keep on the marked paths and do not wander off of them, so the plant life will not be harmed. Please leave it as you found it or cleaner.

Enjoy the solitude away from city noise. Sometimes you will have to put up with the noise of airplanes flying overhead and sometimes the hammers and machinery some distance away where construction continues nearby. But the birds will sing; the butterflies will flutter around you; the squirrels will break the silence and startle you in the nearby brush. A deer might even be alarmed and run out from the brush if late in the evening or early in the morning. A visitor walks on dirt here, not concrete. Walking is thereby easier on the joints and generally more quiet. Walk with a stealth gait and you might see a little more wildlife.

The photos below are randomly selected for your viewing by the software. There are a number of photographs in the folder. If you wish to see more, just click on one of them and all the photos will be made available for you to view and you can see larger pictures.

Links: Spring Creek Greenway

www.flickr.com

High Island Texas Bird Sanctuary Day Trip

A great day trip for The Woodlands residents! High Island is on the Gulf, on Bolivar Island. One can take I10 towards Beaumont or go across the ferry in Galveston to Bolivar Island. The trip from Galveston to High Island is not all that far. The Audubon Society of Houston sponsors one really good bird sanctuary there. I went there with some friends on a leisurely day trip and this is about that trip.

First we stopped on Bolivar Island at the beach to enjoy large spaces without people on the beach. The spring flowers were blooming and the beach was in fair shape. We could have gone swimming but chose not to do so. It would have been sticky afterwards. As it was, we did not have enough time at the sanctuary anyway.

High Island is 32 feet above sea level right next to the beach. The soil is rich and therefore, the vegetation thrives there. Old gnarly Oaks can be found as well as Bald Cypress and even some iron-starved pines. Like everywhere these days, the unwanted Chinese Tallow have also flourished. I happily noted new plantings of several oaks along the trails.

This place is one of the primary stops along the migratory lanes; it attracts birders from all over the world. The day before we were there, birds such as the Painted Bunting and a dozen others had been spotted and posted, as they are each day on the bulletin board. It costs $5 for each person to enter all the birding locations in the area.

Our principal interest was to see the nesting locations of the Roseate Spoonbill and the Egret. The birds are in prime nesting season and will be off to their normal feeding grounds in about three weeks. Here along the gulf coast, are at the far northern hangout of this species. Their chicks were in the nests as exhibited by the photos below. There were several islands in the lake which we visited. Each island is perfect for nesting because the predators cannot access the nests there. A predator must swim past alligators to rob a nest.The birds sometimes make a sound of laughter. They are constantly chatting and fussing over territory. Family quarrels occur every few minutes. There are benches from which a spectator can watch and take photographs.

Don't take the birding on the paths too lightly. I saw a Baltimore Oriole and a black stripped warbler in the trees along the path walk. The path meandered around another lake. Out in the middle of that lake, I saw a very large gator swimming from one side of the lake to the other. I thought I had captured a photo of the warbler, but it darted behind some leaves just as the camera decided to open it's shutter. Under the old oak tree near the owl's nest, just sitting was very relaxing.
Links:
1. Houston Audubon Society
2. All About Birds

Ridgewood Park, The Woodlands Texas

Woodlands Online Link
With the amenities of a Village Park and more. There are two tennis courts, a soccer field, several groups of tables, a pavilion, swimming pool. It is located near the west side of Panther Creek on Woodrush. Easy access is provided via the hike and bike that runs behind McCullough school that runs under The Woodlands Parkway and up along Woodrush towards Panther Creek Village.

Click photo for a larger view.

2008 Rainbow Trout release to Burroughs Park pond

The next release of 2000 trout in Burroughs Park will be January 11th, 2008. Each year Texas residents are invited to fish for these rainbow trout with lures. You may keep five. Children under the age of 16 do not need a fishing license and those fishing off of the bank in a state park are also exempt from needing a license to harvest these fish. Otherwise, a fishing license IS required. Burroughs Park is not a state park.

Related links and references:
Burroughs Park
Lonestar Outdoor News - Stocking schedule
Record trout caught at Burroughs

Falcon Wing Park, The Woodlands Texas

Woodlands Online information link

Another significant park in Indian Springs. Amenities include swimming, softball, basketball, tennis, picnics, BBQ, a pavilion. It is located at Falcon Wing and Flintridge. Great place to take a family for a picnic or have a group BBQ with friends. Don't forget to bring your softball equipment or a soccer ball! A popular place for swimming in the summer.

Chandler Creek Park, The Woodlands Texas

Woodlands Online information link Chandler Creek Park The Christmas spirit is in this exceptional tree.
Click on picture to see more detail. Very nice native Pecan

This park is small with a few amenities located on Flintridge at the creek. It has a children's playground and a picnic table with a small pavilion. It has a unique signature due to its trees. It has several Pecan trees and a beautiful Holly tree. Since I am a fan of trees, I must point you to more information on this tree.
Link for more information

Forestgate Park, The Woodlands Texas

Woodlands Online information link Forestgate is an exceptional major park in Indian Springs. It offers swimming, soccer, basketball, picnic tables, Bar-B-Que pits, Children playground equipment, and a pavilion. There are plenty of natural trees and brush retained. It provides a setting to enjoy the peace for reading a book outdoors or to have the neighborhood kids at an outdoor party.

Getting there: Access is from Woodlands Parkway or Flintridge Drive, west of HEB and Indian Springs Shopping Center (at Kuykendahl and Woodlands Parkway). Address is 7505 South Forestgate Drive The Woodlands, Tx 77382.
Google map