The Livable Forest

Great Egret (Ardea alba) and Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) in the early morning fog in The Woodlands, Texas.

A Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sits in a tree among an urban environment in The Woodlands, a suburban community north of Houston, Texas. Despite the growth of residential and commercial development in the area, a nesting pair of Bald Eagles in the community continue to thrive, producing several generations of offspring amidst the urban setting.

A Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sits in a tree among an urban environment in The Woodlands, a suburban community north of Houston, Texas. Despite the growth of residential and commercial development in the area, a nesting pair of Bald Eagles in the community continue to thrive, producing several generations of offspring amidst the urban setting.

Male Bald Eagle watching over nest at Hughes Landing in The Woodlands, Texas

A Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) sits in a tree among an urban environment in The Woodlands, a suburban community north of Houston, Texas. Despite the growth of residential and commercial development in the area, a nesting pair of Bald Eagles in the community continue to thrive, producing several generations of offspring amidst the urban setting.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) with bright blue breeding plumage. The demand for the feathers of snowy egrets, white ibises, and great blue herons in the late 19th and early 20th centuries made these birds a target. By 1886, more than 5 million birds were being massacred yearly to satisfy the North American millinery trade.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) stands in shallow wetland waters in The Woodlands, Texas.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) stands in shallow wetland waters in The Woodlands, Texas. Protecting natural areas such as these are critical to the health of bird species along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

A Great Egret (Ardea alba) stands among the wetland grasses in The Woodlands, Texas. Egrets are stealthy aquatic hunters eating everything from frogs, to snakes, to fish. Commonly seen in coastal wetlands, it is not uncommon to seem them many miles inland.

A Great Egret (Ardea alba) stands among the wetland grasses in The Woodlands, Texas. Egrets are stealthy aquatic hunters eating everything from frogs, to snakes, to fish.

A Great Egret (Ardea alba) stands among the wetland grasses in The Woodlands, Texas. Egrets are stealthy aquatic hunters eating everything from frogs, to snakes, to fish.

A Great Egret (Ardea alba) stands along the waters edge of Lake Woodlands near Hughes Landing.

A Great Egret (Ardea alba) stands among the wetland grasses in The Woodlands, Texas. Egrets are stealthy aquatic hunters eating everything from frogs, to snakes, to fish.

The Yellow-Bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta scripta) is a land and water turtle commonly found in Texas waterways. It is found in a wide variety of habitats, including slow-moving rivers, floodplain swamps, marshes, seasonal wetlands, and permanent ponds. Yellow-Bellied Sliders are popular as pets.

Look closely at this Great Egret's rear leg. See anything missing? Yep, it's short a foot. Why? Hard to say, but most likely due to either having become entangled, a predator, or just an injury. Egrets have a wide variety in their diets, and are skillful hunters. This one still seemed to get around fishing on the waters edge just fine.

Great Egret (Ardea alba) stands among the tall vegitation along Lake Woodlands.

Great Egret (Ardea alba) preening its feathers in the early morning fog in The Woodlands, Texas.

Great Egret (Ardea alba) in flight over a smooth lake surface in The Woodlands, Texas.

Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)

Great Egret (Ardea alba) and Snowy Egret (Egretta thula) in the early morning fog in The Woodlands, Texas.

Juvenile Broad Winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus). Hawks are an important part of a healthy ecosystem. They have a broad diet, and eat rotents, small mammals, amphibians, insects, and even nesting juvenile birds. This one was scoping out a Northern Cardinal nest.

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) among the early morning fog in The Woodlands Texas.

American Goldfinch (Spinus tristis)

Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)

Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus)

A Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) stands at the edge of the Lake Woodlands spillway which flows into Panther Branch below. The genus name 'Actitis' is from Ancient Greek aktites, "coast-dweller". This bird species is common to the U.S. Gulf Coast and can be found not only along coastal shores, but several miles inland. They are commonly seen scurrying about picking up small insects and other bits of food along the shallow waters edge.