Tuesday, May 20, 2014

This Place is for the Birds, Literally…

Scrub JayBike Riding at South Llano River SP

So with no internet, no television and very poor cell phone service the last few days at South Llano River State Park in Junction, Texas we decided to take in all that the park had to offer. There are a lot of bike and hike trails and one well planned interpretive trail with markers describing the plants growing adjacent to the trail. A few plaques were missing and we fear the Texas drought no doubt took its toll on a few of the plants.

Bike Riding at South Llano River SPBike Riding at South Llano River SP

One morning we decided to do a little mountain biking so we set off on a 2-3 hour loop that took us along the park’s boundary and into a neat area with a nice limestone bluff. The trail was tough as it was mostly composed of very loose pieces of limestone making the riding a bit Painted Bunting treacherous.  Add in a couple of really steep inclines and needless to say when we were finished we had gotten much more of a workout than we had originally planned. 

On the hottest day we joined many of our fellow visitors over to the South Llano river to wade in the cool, clear waters.  It was fun to watch a group of boy scouts pass by in canoes and families on their yellow rental tubes ($5.00 for the day at the park office) floating by.  We laughed with one couple as their schnauzer seemed to love swimming and couldn't stay out of the water for long.

As with our stay near Canyon Lake the deer were plentiful and paraded through the campground each and every morning. I saw lots of rabbits and squirrels as well. We even had a family of ground squirrels near our campsite so as I sipped my coffee in the morning I watched the three “children” wrestle and play near their well built home in the ground.

Ground SquirrelsSummer Tanager

But I would be remiss if I did not mention that we found this to be the best birding park we have been to in Texas with the exception of the one in Mission, Texas. When we first arrived here we took a spot that was being “guarded” by a Vermillion Flycatcher. I later discovered that their was a nesting pair here when I saw a fledgling fall out of its nest. Then I noticed both mother and father actively feeding it while it remained flightless on the ground. Not sure if the fledgling made it through the night but I sure hope so…

Vermillion Flycatcher femaleVermillion Flycatcher male

They are three or four superbly set up bird blinds allowing visitors a “bird’s eye” view of a wide Painted Bunting range of bird species. It is a wonderful place to see some of the most colorful birds in North America . What did we see? We saw tons of the most beautiful bird (in my opinion) in the USA, the Painted Buntings.  They are plentiful and easy to photograph either in the bird blinds, in the campground or along the trails. We also saw the Vermillion Flycatcher, the Indigo Bunting, Summer Tanager’s, Yellow Breasted Chats and beautiful Scrub Jays. I was happy to see the rare Black Capped Flycatchers here in their native habitat, though I found they are nearly impossible to photograph.

Each afternoon  those last few days we spent about 30-45 minutes at a nearby McDonalds using their free WIFI. Well nearly free as we decided it was a good idea to enjoy a chocolate sundae while catching up on all the world’s goings on and to plan for our next destination (where we are right now)… San Angelo State Park!

12 comments:

  1. Nice to keep moving about the country enjoying new sites all, the time.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Boy, those are large rock chunks for sure. Glad you came out of it with your tires inflated:)

    I am not a birder but I do love the rainbow colored painted bunting. They sure are beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sounds like a place we definitely want to visit! Davis Mountain State Park is another good birding place.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Absolutely beautiful photos...well done.

    ReplyDelete
  5. We had the same wonderful experience in that park. The deer came so close to our picnic that Bella was afraid.

    Great bird shots.

    ReplyDelete
  6. We enjoyed our stay there last fall, had deer in the site, just wish it had been a bit warmer. Our only complaint was the lack of Verizon service.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Wow you two, I am IMpressed with your biking up that hill. You are in great shape. Your bird pictures are terrific. You seem to have hit the park at an excellent time for some very colorful birds. Is not good to return fallen nestlings to the nest?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well Sherry there was some walking of the bikes involved as well... As for the fallen bird I am a believer in Darwinism - "Survival of the fittest"... but t answer your question yes, you can put the bird back in the nest but since this was a fledgling it would have likely fallen back out soon after....

      Delete
  8. I'm with John on the fledgling. There is usually a good natural reason why it was on the ground. Nature is sometimes harsh, but that's life. Just the opinion of another Biologist!

    ReplyDelete
  9. We may have to spend a couple of days there on one of our trips across Texas.
    Go in to San Angelo's old down town. They have some fun shops and eateries.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for the tip! We will go to old downtown today!

      Delete
  10. You are braver than me to tackle those rocky hills on a mountain bike. I love to bike but have never ventured onto the mountain-biking trails. I am enjoying learning about these beautiful birds from fellow RVers. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete