Medina River Natural Area, A Long Walk Through the Woods and Along the River

Friday, December 9, 2011

Today's photos:

For the first time in over a week, the weather today was absolutely beautiful; a perfect afternoon for a long walk. In South Texas, there generally isn't much of a transition from one season to the next. One day it's summer and the next it's winter. The past week has been very wintery by our standards here. Today actually felt and looked like autumn.

The photos tell the story very effectively, but I need to add one side note. I haven't seen many vultures the past couple months and have wondered where they have gone. My speculation has been that the weather is going to be colder than what has been forecast for this winter and the vultures have headed further south. So far, December has had temperatures well below normal for this time of year.

Today, I stumbled across at least a partial answer as to where the vultures disappeared. As I passed the Nogales Trail cutoff from the Rio Medina Trail, I looked up at the electrical lines along the utility easement there. This is what I saw:

There are at least thirty vultures in this photo. From what I can tell, they are all black vultures. And there were more along the easement. I have no idea why they have all congregated in this one location, but there was a very large number of them. Again I am speculating on this, but where the river basin is cooler than the surrounding area in the summer, it is probably warmer in the winter, thus attracting the vultures to gather here.

The Red-shouldered Hawk, Closest Encounter Yet

For reasons it would take far too long to explain here, of all the animals, I most closely identify with the red-shouldered hawk. Based solely on my own observation, I would say they are the most common raptor here in Bexar County.

The red-shouldered hawk has a very distinctive, piercing cry that can be heard for a very long distance. The cry, or "scream" as it is occasionally called, is most commonly used in television and cinema as the sound for all raptors even though it is a sound unique to the species. No other raptor, especially the bald eagle with which the cry has become commonly associated through mass media production, sounds anything like a red-shouldered hawk. On my walks, I have more often heard these hawks than seen them.

Monday, as I approached the parking lot at the Blue Star Arts Complex near the end of my walk, I stopped to take a few more photos of a snowy egret below me on the river bank. I was suddenly startled beyond belief by the ear-splitting cry of a red-shouldered hawk just above and behind my left shoulder. It sounded like it was about to land on my head or shoulder. Instinctively, I ducked to my right as I turned my head to look over my shoulder. The hawk had just landed and perched on the crossbar of a utility pole only a few feet above my head.

This awesome hawk has lived in the trees across the river from the Blue Star for years. I have seen it numerous times and photographed it occasionally. But I have never before had it come this close:

Brackenridge Park, A Short Walk Through the Woods

Today's photos:

This was one of those days when I was beginning to wonder if I was going to make it out for my walk. Late this afternoon I finally made it to Brackenridge Park and walked through the woods from the picnic area parking by the river to Mulberry Ave and back.

Even though winter is still officially two weeks away, it is feeling and looking like winter here in South Texas. The low at the airport last night was 27 (-2.8 C). By late afternoon, it had warmed up to the low 50s. The sun made it feel much nicer.

I'll let the photos take the story from there.