Birding in January

I got a new camera lens at the end of 2025. The really long Sigma 150—600mm lens has taken some getting used to, including building up arm muscles, as it’s so heavy. I’ve had to reacquaint myself with my camera, a Nikon D7200. I got the lens to help me photograph more wildlife, and I have found that birds are the most accessible.

I understand that the stereotype of the old guy becoming a bird watcher. Bailey says it suits me, so I am embracing it!

Below, I share the bird photos I took in January while (1) visiting Janet’s Mom in Louisiana, (2) during a trip to Galveston Island State Park, (3) in Houston’s Memorial Park and Arboretum, and (4) a walk along Tanglewood Boulevard from home during Houston’s “big freeze.” For completeness, I’ve included some photos from Toledo Bend Reservoir in East Texas when I was checking out the lens with a rental in November 2025.

I am already amazed at the tremendous diversity and beauty of the birds I’ve photographed. The few birds that I’ve seen around Houston have left me in awe and have inspired me to capture the best photographs of them that I can. Trying to spot birds, especially when you can hear them, adds an exciting new dimension to walking. I am very thankful that Google Lens can help me identify the bird in my photos, complementing my Birds of Texas Field Guide.

Some House Sparrows in Crowley

Our belated Christmas trip to Janet’s Mom’s in Louisiana allowed me to photograph the sparrows that frequent the feeder outside her living room window.

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
(Matt 10:29—31)

Twenty-Four Hours in Galveston Island State Park

In the middle of the month, we took a quick trip down to Galveston in our motorhome and enjoyed checking out the state park, where we stayed. I was still learning some camera settings and making mistakes, but was happy to capture twelve different beautiful birds.

Great Egret

On the park’s bayside, we spent a while admiring this Great Egret. It stood perfectly still, waiting for a meal to swim by.

Tri-Colored Heron

This mating pair were actively searching for food in a shallow pool.

Little Blue Heron and Snowy Egrets

I loved how this Little Blue Heron and a pair of Snowy Egrets sheltered from the cold wind.

Northern Mockingbird

This was close to our motorhome. This is Texas’s state bird!

Sanderling

Sanderlings enjoyed checking out the sand at the edge of the sea. In the morning, one made a great silhouette against the sunrise and another one was taking a bath!

Gulls

I did not know that there were so many different types of seagulls! Franklin’s Gull was common.

This Ring-billed Gull was wrestling with some food in a tide pool.

This Lesser Black-backed Gull has caught a fish and was getting ready to eat it.

Others

Below are photographs of species that I expect to improve upon. The pictures show (1) an American Coot with either a Snowy or Great Egret; (2) an alligator; (3) A Great Blue Heron; (4) a Brown Pelican; (5) a Mississippi Kite.

Memorial Park and the Arboretum

About a week after our Galveston trip, I took a four-hour stroll around Memorial Park and the Arboretum. I avoided the main running track and saw a few other humans during my walk.

Northern Cardinal

This common Northern Cardinal is the official state bird for seven states, but not Texas. The bright red male is the easiest to spot. I love the apparent facial expression of the female.

Hermit Thrush

At the start of my walk, many birds teased me as they flew around the canopy, and I could barely notice them, let alone photograph them. I learned to stop and watch. It took a while, but I was able to snap a few when they were still. In the field, I had no idea what the birds were, and I am thankful that I could identify them later. Next time, I’ll be familiar with more. I could tell this one was a thrush, though I’m not sure why!

Orange-crowned Warbler

This little one was shy, but I got lucky.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

A tree was filled with many of these flitting around.

Ring-necked Duck

On top of a pond at the entrance to the Arboretum, I spotted a group of these ducks. Then they disappeared, only to reappear while shaking off water. They are diving ducks.

Great Egret

This Egret peacefully watched the ducks on the pond.

American Goldfinch

Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?
(Matt 6:26)

However, if we feed them, they are easier to photograph! The Arboretum had a “wildlife viewing area” with a couple of bird feeders which attracted birds and more.

Carolina Wren

Earlier in my walk, I’d heard the song of a bird in a bush about twenty feet away, but I was unable to see it. The Merlin app told me it was the Caroline Wren. I was surprised when the birds below, enjoying the feeder, were identified as such.

Downy Woodpecker

I was lucky to capture one quick photo of a woodpecker with a red head, and was surprised that the one on the feeder, without the red, was the same bird.

Carolina Chickadee

This shy one has a cool name!

Tufted Titmouse

Another cool bird that the feeder attracted.

Mourning Dove

This one preferred to eat seeds that fell onto the ground below the feeder.

Eastern Fox Squirrel

The feeders were good at deterring this persistent squirrel, who nevertheless, provided plenty of entertainment.

Friends

I was surprised that the cardinal was not scared off by the squirrel, as they both picked up scraps below the feeder. She wasn’t fazed by the dove either.

Animals

One pond had a couple of very cool-looking Yellow-bellied Slider Turtles

I heard a couple of Armadillos in the undergrowth. They were shy and surprisingly fast.

Other birds

One photo has been ID’ed as an American Robin, though I hope to get a better shot. I saw a couple of Turkey Vultures as I was driving away and could not stop, so have to settle for a very grainy one for now. A few Rock Pigeons were hanging out on a power line, and I know I will be able to get closer to them!

Tanglewood Boulevard

Near the end of January, Houston largely shut down for a couple of days during a “big freeze.” It wasn’t that bad, with the temperatures only a few degrees below freezing. I embraced the challenge of staying warm while photographing and thoroughly enjoyed a two-hour outing. I photographed some birds that I was familiar with and three new ones, which was exciting! My first picture shows that it was cold, but not too cold, though Janet disagreed!

Blue Jay

I saw several Blue Jays, one of the most common birds in Texas.

Red-bellied Woodpecker

I was excited to see another woodpecker. I saw several of these, always noticing the red head but never seeing a red belly! He’d found something to eat in the second photo.

Pine Warbler

A house at one end of Tanglewood Boulevard had several Pine Warblers jumping around bushes, and I caught this one at the base of a tree. The lighting wasn’t great, so I will need to return to get a better picture.

American Robin

I always picture an English Robin, with its red breast, when I think of cold weather. Though I’d photographed another American Robin earlier in the month, this one was more fitting in the cold temperatures.

Some Repeats

As well as some new birds, I photographed some that are becoming more familiar: Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern Cardinal, Carolina Chickadee, and Mourning Dove. I couldn’t resist a cute Eastern Fox Squirrel.

I found a cool way to merge the photos from my big camera with a GPX track from my watch, allowing me to see where I took my photos. There were a couple of spots at each end of Tanglewood Boulevard that had the most birds, and I look forward to returning!

This two-hour walk was such a fantastic way to spend this frozen morning. It was quiet, with fewer cars and people than usual. I am becoming more aware of sound and visual distractions and appreciating peace more.

Toledo Bend Reservoir

I rented a Sigma 150—600mm lens before buying, taking it on a trip to Lakeview Campground on Toledo Bend Reservoir in November. The light wasn’t great, or at least that’s my excuse!

Killdeer

One evening, I saw these checking out the water’s edge.

Red-breasted Merganser

After a day’s walk, I returned to camp to find several of these Merganser’s in shallow water at the lake’s edge. They are divers and were successfully catching fish.

Great Egret

I often saw a Great Egret, but he would not let me get close. My wearing bright orange clothes did not help!

Great Blue Heron

These herons were as timid as the Egret.

Bald Eagle

I was lucky to catch this juvenile. Its nest appeared to be a half-mile down the shore.

Reflection

I already find that birding makes a good walk even better. It awakens me to sights and sounds that I am otherwise oblivious to. There is such an intricate and complex part of God’s creation, right under our noses, that we are almost unaware of. This awareness also increases my awareness of the link between birds and conservation.

The few humans I’ve met out birding treat me interestingly. A group of three ladies insisted that they show me a photo that their friend had taken of a raptor with a woodpecker. A guide at the Arboretum told her group of children that I’d be taking really good photos. Another walker immediately spotted the comparative talent of myself versus my camera when they remarked, “that’s a great camera that you have.”

The lens is a bit of a beast, and I am thankful for a carrying system that attaches it comfortably to my chest. I look forward to taking many more bird photos and learning to identify them. So far, I’ve logged thirty birds in the “Birda” app, of the approximately three hundred that can be found on this part of the Texas coast.