Birding with Community at the Hill at Sims Bayou

By Zoe Gapayao, Houston Audubon Community Outreach Manager

The Hill at Sims Bayou is a unique green space in the Sunnyside neighborhood, southern Houston’s oldest African-American community. The Hill is a 100-acre regional detention basin built for flood protection with its ability to reduce the force of stormwater runoff. Houston Parks Board, Harris County Precinct One, and Harris County Flood Control District are working together to transform the area into a public park destination. The area will be connected to the Sims Bayou Greenway trail that is being developed as part of the Houston Parks Board’s Bayou Greenways 2020 initiative to create 150 miles of continuous trails connecting Houston’s major bayous.

In mid-November, Houston Audubon had the pleasure of leading a bird walk with members of Nature Heritage Society and Latino Outdoors at the Hill at Sims. We gathered at Cloverland Park for a brief introduction and before we even started our walk, flying overhead was a Crested Caracara—my favorite bird! I took this as a sign that it would be a great morning and I wasn’t wrong.

We headed across Scott St. to the Hill and got to birding. Natural features at the Hill make it a favorable location to spot a range of birds. In the forested areas, we observed songbirds like cardinals, chickadees, mockingbirds, tufted titmice, and a phoebe. The waterway attracted cormorants, egrets, ibises, a yellow-crowned night heron, a kingfisher, and an anhinga. The grasses along the edge of the water allowed us to observe savannah and song sparrows. On snags and in the open sky, we awed at birds of prey like kestrels, vultures, and an osprey with a catch in its talons.

*A flock of about 30 Western Cattle Egret*

We wrapped up our hike at the top of the Hill with one of the few 360 views of the Houston skyline. It was truly a morning to remember –immersed in nature while still being surrounded by urban development within the Houston city limits. This site is a reminder that nature is all around us and I’m excited for more of the community to experience the wildlife that the Hill has to offer.