Has anyone been to Anahuac NWR in the last year? (1 Viewer)

I've been updating our Opus page for Anahuac as we want to feature it on the Opus homepage in March. However, I have not been there since 2009 when the place was still ruined by the storm surge from Hurricane Ike, so I'd like to hear from anyone who has been in the last year.

1. Has the place fully or almost fully recovered from Ike?

2. Have all the boardwalks, viewing decks and blind(s) been rebuilt?

3. Is the new visitor center on the same site as the small one (by the butterfly garden) that was destroyed. If not, where is it?

4. Are The Willows back to normal for Spring migration birding?

5. I read somewhere that the road around Shoveler Pond had been paved and is no longer a dirt road. Is this true?

Please take a look at the Opus page as it is at the moment and let me know if my old photos from 2008 give a good idea of what the refuge is like now -

http://www.birdforum.net/opus/Anahuac_National_Wildlife_Refuge

If any Birdforum member has recent photos of the refuge that could be use in the Opus article, please let me know.

I was there two months ago, but as it was the first time I'd visited I'm not sure how easily I can comment on whether it's 'back to normal'. I don't remember seeing a blind at Shoveler Pond and I think the road was paved, if that helps. I took quite a few bird pictures but don't really have any more general pictures of the refuge. I spent more time at the Skillern Tract than at the main refuge. The Skillern Tract seems to have quite well developed facilities and was rather better for birding.

We went there, for the first time, just over a month ago. We basically walked the boardwalk around the visitor's shack, and drove the loop road around Shoveler's Pond. The road around Shoveler's is a dirt road. We did not see any blinds. There is a boardwalk from the west side of the loop, through the reeds, into a wetland area, with many artificial berms built there. The visitors shack was just that-- a tiny little hut, but there was a construction crew working on something just south of it, by the start of the road to Shoveler's. Not sure what they were building.

Thank you both for your replies.

I decided to call the Anahuac refuge headquarters and spoke to the Park Ranger. She answered all my questions, so now I can get the Opus page updated.

They did not rebuild the blind on Shoveler Pond, but built a new one at the Jackson Woodlot which is at a higher elevation, should there ever be another storm surge.

They still have a temporary visitor center on the refuge, but a new one is under construction nearby and should be finished by the end of 2013.

The Anahuac Refuge Headquarters and Visitor Center is located about 18 miles north of the refuge, 2 miles south of the I10 freeway, near the town of Anahuac. It has exhibits and a nature store, and there is a nature trail leading to Lake Anahuac.

I plan on going here soon, and would like to visit High Island as well. Any tips ?

new_texas_birder said:

I plan on going here soon, and would like to visit High Island as well. Any tips ?

Click to expand...

Sorry I didn't get back to you, but I hope you saw the response from Steve Gross, in this forum, to the other birder who enquired about High Island and Anahuac. I myself have not been to Anahuac for almost 3 years, which is why I was asking questions on this forum.