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HomeNL-2012-05 Double Bayou

Canoe/Kayak Double Bayou
March 25, 2012
by
Tom Douglas

Our group was greeted by pleasant weather when we met up at Double Bayou Park, several miles south of the community of Anahuac.  Following a leisurely morning paddle, we traded stories about the history of Double Bayou and watched reflections from the water’s surface as they danced on overhanging oak branches at our favorite lunch spot.  (For a video of this, check out George Watanabe’s album at Picasa.)



 

 

Ready to go - just
add people

  Heading down
Double Bayou

  Smiles

Photo by Beth Hurst
  Photo by Tom Douglas   Photo by George Watanabe

In a friendly competition to see who could find several of the invasive species that have been introduced into the Double Bayou watershed, Chinese tallow and salt cedar were spotted first by Natalie Wiest and her daughter, Ellen, while Macartney rose was spied by Roger Hurst.   


 
 
More Smiles

Photo by George Watanabe
 
Chilling out at lunch
while Joni scans for
birds
   Visiting with the
locals


   Photo by Tom Douglas   Photo by Tom Douglas


 
 
False Indigo in
full bloom

 
Macartney rose -
pretty but invasive
   Two old sentinels
Photo by Tom Douglas
   Photo by George Watanabe   Photo by George Watanabe

J
oni Shereda sighted or heard some 27 different species of birds, including Barn Swallow, Carolina Chickadee, Carolina Wren, Downy Woodpecker, Forster's Tern, Herring Gull, Little Blue Heron, Pine Warbler, Purple Martin, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Red-winged Blackbird, White-eyed Vireo, Yellow-rumped Warbler, and Willet. 

As the river bank forest gave way to coastal prairie, we took advantage of one last opportunity for a water break in the shade, then we headed on downstream toward the salt marshes.  Gulls and terns, which we observed through binoculars, abounded on the small island just offshore from the mouth of the bayou. 


 

Last Shady Spot
for a Water Break

  Marsh Grasses with
Local Seafood Spot
in the Background
Photo by George Watanabe    Photo by Tom Douglas


Once we had loaded up our boats at Job Beason Park, some of us headed over to enjoy shrimp and oysters out on the dock of a local establishment, while others headed on up the coast for more birding, or back to Houston before the evening sun sunk low over westbound Interstate-10.

Total paddling distance for the trip was approximately 6.4 miles.

Here is a list of the 12 paddlers:

Tom Douglas
Beth Hurst
Roger Hurst
David Kitson
Brian McKenna
Robert Scaldino
Linda Shead
Joni Shereda
Ellen Shipman
George Watanabe
Natalie Wiest
Page Williams
Thanks to Beth Hurst, George Watanabe, and Tom Douglas for the photos that accompany this article.




The author,
Tom Douglas