I lived in the area around Jessie Jones Park for many years, but this place is always a rediscovery. It has an extensive trail system, abundant wildlife and programs all year long for children and adults. See why I love this forest gem.

Back in 2015, I gathered myself early one morning last week and headed out to enjoy a nature walk and birding. We had been having rain, rain and promises of rain for weeks now; so a sudden clearing of cloud cover was a welcome event to be celebrated. I took off for my local birding place, Jesse Jones Park.

I found out about Jesse Jones Park when my children were scouts. The park hosts a number of festivals through the year and offers classes for naturalist merit badges, gardening, stargazing, tree and bird identification, and many others at the Nature Center. I had wandered through the trail to Redbud Hill Homestead both during Homestead Heritage Day and off season but had not really explored the park until recently.

The park boasts 300 acres of pristine primary and secondary deciduous southern forest with a variety of micro habitats including swamps, sloughs, and natural white sand beaches along Spring Creek in its webpage introductions. There are 10 or more trails, both improved wheelchair accessible and unimproved. Because it is part of the Spring creek system, which floods periodically, it is also subject to change.

Winter Birding Gear

What does a birder carry into the woods for short walks? The Boy Scouts and I have the same mantra concerning heading into woods, improved walking trails or not, “be prepared.”

A warm coat – or raincoat or something that works for both needs with deep pockets.
Gloves.
Comfortable walking shoes.
A whistle would be a good idea even on this short trail to get help and handle rare animal confrontations.
Birding Notebook – if you do bird counts or plan to record your sightings on-line later.
Bird Identification Guide or Checklist – There are small laminated folding guides that are great for helping a birder identify common birds at a glance, but I don’t suggest bringing anything more than those or a small pocket books into the woods. Birds don’t sit still while you thumb through a book. Taking notes or making quick drawings in a small notebook is best. The Nature Center has small booklet style checklists for birds you can expect to find in the park.

Options

Binoculars – If you use them get something from 5x to 10x. Greater ranges are great, but may cause problems re-spotting birds.
Camera – This is my choice instead of binoculars, but some birders bring both.
Lens Cloth – This will keep your lenses clear of rain and snow or condensation.
Rain/Snow Cover – Besides putting them inside your coat or pocket, you can carry a plastic bag made for the purpose or a small towel. Small towels can act as an added chill barrier for your hands.
Extra Batteries/storage cards. You have no idea how often these things fill up or go dead on the trail. Or, you leave home without a card in the camera. You know this happens. Don’t laugh.

Judy Bell Trail

The Judy Bell Trial was the area I had been exploring. This is one leg of a park trail system that will run 33 miles connecting parks along Spring Creek. The Spring Creek Greenway was the passion of Judy Overby Bell and County Judge Jon Lindsay. They worked for years to purchase land along Spring Creek to deter development in flood prone areas and build a string of reserves and parks for wildlife and nature lovers. The Judy Bell Trail runs for a mile to the park fence line, just short of the Spring Creek Greenway Bridge. Walk or bike 3.4 miles more, to Carter Park or 8 miles from Jesse Jones to Pundt Park.

Birding the Trail

The trail head starts at a playground and pavilion site. The trail then follows the park fence line to the left and Spring Creek to the right. This is one of the improved trials. It is blacktopped all the way to the back fence, offering gentle rolling hills through the park. I see bikers and other walkers regularly, although during this month’s wet weather, it hasn’t been crowded. In January, I had been greeted at the entrance by a flock of Cedar Waxwings foraging the abundance of berries along the trail edges. So be prepared. Birding starts right at the starting line.

Trails like this are helpful because a paved trail helps hide the sound of your foot falls as you walk and makes it safe to keep your eyes on the trees. On a dirt path through dense forest, eyes in the treetops can leave you prone to tripping.

Finding the birds just requires listening, walking at a leisurely pace and keeping a watch for movement. Movement in the brush and movement in the shadows cast on the ground. Birds mostly move parallel to the trail through the brush, back and forth across the trail in tree branches and occasionally on the ground.

I see sparrows low along the trail edges and open areas. Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, Cedar Waxwings and Robins move through the brush, vines and brambles. It gets thick in places, but that allows the birds to feel secure. Keep watch and they will pop out in the open, but you will have to be ready. On this short excursion in between cloud bursts, I found Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Chipping Sparrows, Yellow-rumped Warblers, a Pleated Woodpecker, a massive flock of Robins and Starlings and a small flock of Blue-gray gnatcatchers. On a clear days, deer can been seen along the road.

Finding the Bigger Birds

At the 3.5-mile marker, the trail starts running close to the creek. The snags along this area are woodpecker magnets. I found Hairy and Downy woodpeckers, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, and Red-headed woodpeckers. The overlooks of the river are in this area. I caught sight of Great Blue Heron, Tri-color Herons, Snowy and Great Egrets year-round. Vultures and Cormorants are found here too.

The raptors tend to roost in the upper story trees and snags (dead trees) where the view across the park is clear. I looked for these places on both sides of the walk. That’s easy to do in the winter when the foliage is clear, but in the summer, views of the creek may be limited to a few overlooks and the Spring Creek Bridge. The park regularly sees Red-shouldered and Red-tail Hawks, and Broad wing Hawks. Bald Eagles can be caught occasionally. Back then, there was a snag in this area that was a favorite perch. That snag was lost during Hurricane Harvey. Check with the Nature Center to see where they may be now. There are more good raptor and owl perches in the area than I can count.

Final Word on Jesse Jones Park

Runoff trails run under the trail in places, heading downhill to the creek. I stop and creep up to these areas, hoping to see animals in them. When I was younger, I would have wondered off the trial to follow these little streams, but getting off the trail along the creek isn’t smart. Be warned. There are signs indicating quicksand traps present.

Don’t miss this birding site if you have a chance to visit North Houston. Winter birding here has been good, even when soggy. The park amenities are good. (I have never been to the entrance restroom when it didn't smell freshly scrubbed.) The Nature Center has a good list of programs through the year and helpful volunteers happy to answer questions. Birding here is good every trip, with something new to enjoy each time.