Friday, June 13, 2014
As I mentioned at the beginning of the previous post, I have been very active so far this year. I have walked regularly preparing for and leading tours. I also found time on occasion to take an abundance of photos.
Today's post is a look back at the Medina River Natural Area in mid-June. This set of photos was taken along the El Camino and lower Rio Medina trails:
From top to bottom:
Photos 1, 2, 3, 4: Turk's Cap (Malvaviscus arboreus var. drummondii)
(Turk's Cap is blooming profusely this summer.)
Photo 5: Prickly Pear (Opuntia sp.)
Photo 6: Alamo Vine (Merremea dissecta)
Photo 7: Pearl Crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos)
(I might publish another post later about the decline in pollinators. From what I have observed over the past year or so, there has been a dramatic reduction in the number of pollinator insects of all kinds here in Bexar County.)
Photo 8: Mustang Grape leaves (Vitis mustangensis)
Photo 9: Fragrant Flatsedge (Cyperus odoratus)
Wednesday, July 2, 2014
The first half of 2014 has been quite productive, just not when it comes to posting here on the blog. Now it is time to move forward with While on a Walk.
Today I walked from Mission San Juan to the west side of the Mission Reach then south about a mile toward Mission Espada. I should probably mention, the Yanaguana Nature Trail at Mission San Juan is currently closed as the National Park Service and the San Antonio River Authority are working to improve and expand the trail.
Wildflowers are blooming profusely with the rain we have had the last two months. Here are a set of "floral fireworks" for the 4th of July weekend:
From top to bottom:
Photo 1: Switchgrass (Panicum virgatum)
Photos 2, 3: Old Man's Beard (Clematis drummondii) (The leaves are Mustang Grape.)
Photos 4, 5, 6: Winecup (Callirhoe involucrata)
Photos 7, 8: Partridge Pea (Chamaecrista fasiculata)
Photos 9, 10: Standing Cypress (Ipomopsis rubra)
Photos 11, 12, 13, 14: Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) (The grass in photo 11 is Canada Wild Rye)
