Kleb Woods Nature Preserve

Being here in Spring, so close to Houston, has been a challenge for me.  The traffic is so congested and it takes so long to get anywhere, that I haven’t been out birding or taking pictures hardly at all.
So I was happy to find Kleb Nature Preserve, just fifteen miles away, and it’s not difficult at all to get to.
Kleb Woods Nature Preserve was a family farm, once owned by descendants of one of the early German immigrants who settled in this part of Harris County in the 1840s.
The 133.5-acre Kleb Woods Nature Preserve in northwest Harris County is acclaimed statewide for combining a bygone Texas farm culture and a forest teeming with birds, butterflies and other wildlife.

My first trip there I met Fred Collins, who manages the preserve, and several of the staff who were doing the Christmas Bird Count.  They invited me to tag along to get donuts and to see how many birds they had gotten.  I couldn’t believe how many species they have there that are new birds to me.
I haven’t actually seen any new birds yet, but here are some old favorites that I got at Kleb Woods:















The next time I went, Fred was giving a talk on duck identification.  The room was filled with people that were interested in learning how to identity ducks in the wild.  After the talk, Fred led us on a field trip to see ducks.
Fred in the center, with his group of eager students:


I didn’t have a spotting scope or binoculars so I didn’t get a good look at the ducks, but I did enjoy the scenery at both the parks he took us to.
One was the Katy Prairie Conservancy and the other was

Paul D. Rushing Park.

So I am happy that I’ve found a group of birders, and a wonderful park to go birding at, that offers seminars and field trips. Maybe being here for awhile won’t be so bad after all?
Books I’ve been reading: