Mountain Biking & Fall Migrants

Cool mornings finally speak of Fall in Texas. To celebrate I biked both the trail across the Pedernales River and the Wolf Mountain Trail. At the river, looking back toward the main campground, I saw a roost of both the Black Vultures and Turkey Vultures. They remained on their perch for the entire hour I biked the river crossing trail. These vultures are probably waiting for a few campers to leave the campgrounds so they can go scavange for food scraps. In the photo above right one can see these vultures above the tree line.

Along the river a male Summer Tanager came down for a close look, after I made a pishing sound. I had heard its call notes and wanted one last look at this colorful bird before it left on migration. The Western Scrub Jays were not only vocal but visually abundant, unlike during the summer months. Migrating Eastern Phoebe's appeared in high and dry locations as well near the water. At the bird blind I saw my first migrant sparrow of the year, a Field Sparrow.

Stopping at Jones Springs, along the Wolf Mountain Trail, I found both a Preying Mantis (photo above right), and a young Anole (photo to the left), hanging out on a flowering composite. Both were hunting food. The Mantis found a bee for a meal.

It was a gorgeous day to be out on the trails at Pedernales Falls State Park, plus I met an interesting outdoor nature enthusiast as well!

Wolf Mountain Biking & the Bird Blind

I arrived at the park just past sun-up and discovered at the Primitive Camp parking lot not a soul had chanced camping overnight with Hurricane Ike bearing down on Houston. I biked under cloudy skies and strong winds along the 7.5 mile Wolf Mountain Trail without crossing paths with anyone except a Fox Squirrel and a few butterflies.
The park is so beautiful under overcast skies when the sun is not zapping water out of every pore of my body on these hot, humid, late Summer days. There really are some nice vistas along the trail, as well as bike balancing acts traversing rock fields along the way. I usually opt to get off my bike and walk through some of these areas.

At the bird blind I found one migrant male Ruby-throated Hummingbird along with the usual resident birds. This blind really is layed out nicely with the water structures at the back of the enclosed feeding area.

Bird Blind & Pedernales River Sitings

This morning I was hoping to see some migrant birds at the bird blind. The only migrant was a juvenile Baltimore Oriole. There has been an albino-crested female Northern Cardinal hanging out at the bird blind since July. Photo to the left.
White-eyed Vireos were singing incessantly both at the bird blind and down by the river.
On the Pedernales River at Hackenburg Creek, I had a Western Cottonmouth Snake swim upstream to me. At 15 feet it picked up my scent and turned around heading down stream again. I was able to get two photos of this snake. An Eastern Phoebe kept me company for the hour I sat by the river with a nice breeze out of the north. Winds spiraling off of Hurricane Gustav.