Michael Pilkenton spends his workdays keeping The Woodlands' parks, pools and pathways running. After hours, he's behind a telephoto lens, photographing the birds that call those same green spaces home.

Pilkenton, a park supervisor for The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation, picked up bird photography as a backyard hobby during the pandemic. It grew fast. He now shoots hummingbirds near his home, pelicans and cormorants along The Woodlands Waterway, and bald eagles at the 1,800-acre George Mitchell Nature Preserve.

The Township spotlighted his work in a Saturday, Sept. 12 Instagram post, noting that his photography grew out of the same love of the outdoors that drives his day job. On the clock, Pilkenton oversees daily operations, maintenance, safety and programming across the Township's parks and recreation facilities.

Published photos from Pilkenton show an American white pelican mid-dive, a bald eagle perched on a branch and a seagull in flight. Several were taken at the Lookout Bird Blind inside George Mitchell Nature Preserve, a covered platform that blends into its surroundings so visitors can watch wildlife undisturbed.

The preserve sits along the Montgomery County Spring Creek Greenway and is accessible at the Flintridge Drive Trailhead near the Recreation Center at Rob Fleming Park. Species spotted there include great blue herons, sandhill cranes, teals, wigeons, gadwalls and bald eagles, according to Visit The Woodlands. The Great Texas Birding Classic, billed as the state's biggest birding tournament, takes place at the preserve every spring.

Pilkenton's timing lines up with peak season. Fall migration along the Central Flyway runs from mid-August through late November, with September and October drawing the most activity, according to The Caledonian. The Woodlands' network of more than 220 miles of hike-and-bike trails and more than 150 parks puts residents close to that action year-round.

Residents curious about birding can borrow free backpacks from the Rob Fleming Rec Center by calling 281-516-7348 or visiting thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/wildlife.

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The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation can be reached at 281-210-3950 or at 2801 Technology Forest Blvd. for information on park programs, birding resources and fall recreation schedules.