This duck didn't seem to be in as big a hurry as his fellow Coots, which explains why I was able to get a good shot of him. The white dots on his back are water droplets -- left over from his morning task of dunking over and over into the water for food. The shot is from the
Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge's Shoveler Pond Auto Tour loop -- a five-mile nature drive with lots of waterfowl, hawks, herons, alligators and more. The Refuge is located in Chambers County, Texas. You can drive the path or get out and walk part of it for a better view. There are several boardwalks and paths into the marsh.
There is no entrance fee. They have maps at the Visitors Center at the front gate.
See fact sheet here (pdf file).
The refuge's Headquarters/Visitor Center is east of Houston. It is located on FM 563 approximately two miles south of I-10 (exit 810).
See the maps section of the
refuge website for additional directions.
The address is
4017 FM 563, Anahuac, TX 77514.
