While On A Walk

Government Canyon State Natural Area, Frontcountry, Savannah Loop Trail

2012-03-03T02:03:00.002-06:00

Friday, March 2, 2012

Today's photos:

Where my walk on Monday, November 21 was on the south side of Government Canyon Creek, today's walk was on the north side of the creek. If it weren't such a long drive for me to get there, I would be walking more frequently at the Government Canyon SNA. Beyond that, the photos tell the story.

Actually, while I'm at it by way of editorial comment, Texas Parks has a serious budget shortfall brought on by a combination of circumstances. They are a priceless resource that need to remain open to the public. For more information on how you can contribute, click here.

The Buffleheads

2012-03-01T23:14:00.001-06:00

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Yesterday there were a number of ducks on the catchment pond in McAllister Park. There were several green-winged teal and a pair of mallards, but the ones that were without a doubt the most eye-catching were the Buffleheads. These rather small ducks spend the winter in the Southern United States, generally in coastal areas. This small flock is probably just beginning its migration back to the arctic for the summer:

McAllister Park, Leaping Over Mud Puddles

2012-03-01T02:06:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Today's photos:

I was trying to think of somewhere to walk today that would be especially appropriate for leap day (Feb. 29) and couldn't think of anywhere in particular better than another. As it turned out, trying to walk the dirt trails in McAllister Park today was very appropriate.

The dirt trail ranged from wet to soggy. I actually found the forearm crutches useful in "leaping" across the occasional small mud puddle along the trail. This was the same trail I last walked in McAllister Park on Monday, October 31.

Staring a Mockingbird Straight In The Eye

2012-02-28T22:55:00.000-06:00

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Mockingbirds are very observant birds, constantly watching over everything in their territory. There was one near the end of my walk this past Friday that flew into a tree next to the walkway and landed on a branch just above my eye level only six or seven feet from where I was approaching.

It watched intently as I slowly raised the camera and didn't fly away. They aren't afraid of much and will aggressively defend their territory, even attacking people if they feel there is a territorial threat. Fortunately, this one just posed for the camera:

We Still Need the Rain, But...

2012-02-27T22:57:00.000-06:00

Monday, February 27, 2012

Today's photos:

... the drizzly showers all day today just keep the surface wet. And make it difficult to go out for a walk. I might have been able to get in a walk at about 4 this afternoon, but the rain, for the most part, was too light to show on the radar, so it was difficult to predict when it would begin again.

It was a day very similar to ten days ago on Friday, February 17. The white-winged doves and golden-fronted woodpeckers are always around. Now, the Texas mountain laurel in the front yard are in full bloom.

The San Antonio River, Eagleland Reach, A Quiet Friday Afternoon Walk Along the River

2012-02-25T01:26:00.000-06:00

Friday, February 24, 2012

Today's photos:

This was another one of those days when I had planned on walking at McAllister Park, but circumstances changed and I ended up at the San Antonio River. However, I definitely wasn't disappointed.

In addition to the usual great egret, great blue heron, cormorants, mockingbirds, sparrows and mallards, there was a fox squirrel, numerous green-winged teal, what appears to be a dark-eyed junco and an orange variant of a house finch. Beyond that, once again I'll let the photos tell their own story.

A Bouquet of Asters*

2012-02-23T22:45:00.003-06:00

Thursday, February 23, 2012

My walk this past Monday was through the more level south half of Eisenhower Park on the yucca and cedar flats trails. The asters were blooming profusely and ranged in color from white through various shades of purple and red:

* Monday, February 27, 2012; Just to set the record straight, a botanist friend pointed out to me that these are windflowers (Genus, Anemone) in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae, not Asters as indicated in the title.

Salado Creek Greenway, Oakwell Trailhead, North, Damp But Walkable Dirt Trails

2012-02-22T23:52:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Today's photos:

The last time I walked this section of the Salado Creek Greenway about a month ago on Friday, January 20 I only had forty-five minutes until the sun set. Today I arrived about mid-afternoon.

With all the recent rain, I wasn't sure if the dirt trails had dried out sufficiently to be walkable yet. While they were still quite damp, the mud was packed hard enough to give good footing without caking on my shoes.

There were other birds besides the black vultures pictured above, but I only was able to get fleeting glimpses of them.

One other thing I have to point out is that I make a conscious effort, as much as possible, to not include all the trash, especially plastic grocery bags, that wash into the stream beds after the rains. Please dispose of all your trash responsibly, so it doesn't end up in our otherwise beautiful and valuable natural areas.

The American Kestrel

2012-02-21T23:11:00.000-06:00

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

The American Kestrel is the smallest American falcon with a wingspan of about two feet. They have the ability, which is apparently unique among raptors, to hover in place while looking for prey.

The first three photos below of the kestrel perched in a tree were taken on my walk on the San Antonio River greenway on Monday, February 13. The rest of the photos were taken on Monday, February 10, also along the San Antonio River greenway. During the Monday walk, the kestrel flew across the river upwind (and upstream) from where I was, turned facing into the wind and hovered for several minutes before flying back across the river:

Eisenhower Park, Many Signs of Spring

2012-02-21T01:08:00.000-06:00

Monday, February 20, 2012

Today's photos:

What better place to walk on President's Day than Dwight D Eisenhower Park. It was a beautiful day for a walk. By the calendar, there is still another month until spring begins. The butterflies and flowers obviously follow their own calendar.

Too Wet To Go For A Walk, A Few Photos From My Windows

2012-02-17T23:24:00.001-06:00

Friday, February 17, 2012

Today's photos:

There was drizzle to moderate rain almost all day today, so I walked from window to window inside my house. As I have pointed out in previous posts, here in Olmos Basin one doesn't have to leave the house to take a wide variety of nature photos.

These photos describe the weather today very effectively. There is very heavy rain moving into San Antonio now as I post this. A flash flood watch is in effect through tomorrow morning. And a flash flood warning was just issued until 3 am. It looks like it might be a while before the unpaved trails in Bexar County will be dry enough to walk again.

The White-tailed Deer of Hardberger Park

2012-02-16T23:22:00.001-06:00

Thursday, February 16, 2012

A very, very long time ago in a magical kingdom far, far away… Okay, not really at least in the literal sense. But it doesn't take much imagination to believe that opening line in relation to this series of photos.

They were, in fact, taken ten days ago on Monday, February 6 in the heart of the bustling urban development on the north side of San Antonio. The Water Loop Trail in Hardberger Park is one of the truly magical locations in San Antonio.

By way of editorial comment, given the current zoning dispute that would allow the construction of a Super Walmart on land adjoining Hardberger Park if approved, I hope the city leaders continue to have the same courage and foresight they had when this park was originally created.

The San Antonio River, Roosevelt Park Trailhead, The River Settles Down For Now

2012-02-16T01:11:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Today's photos:

There was very dense fog and mist overnight with only a trace of rain officially recorded, so there was no new runoff and at least this section of the river was back to a relatively normal depth and flow. Heavy rain is forecast to return Friday evening. It is looking more like spring here in South Texas every day.

Green-winged Teal on Cibolo Creek

2012-02-15T00:07:00.000-06:00

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

I have so many sets of photos from the past week and a half that I haven't published yet, the biggest challenge for today was deciding which set to choose. I finally decided to use this set from my walk on Friday, February 3 at Crescent Bend Nature Park primarily because it was a misty, drizzly day that gives these images a softness that is something of a change of pace from the San Antonio River photos.

There was a small flock of Green-winged Teal on the creek that afternoon. They were very skittish; much more so than any of the ducks I have photographed on Salado Creek or the San Antonio River. Whenever I tried to approach closer to get better photos they would fly several hundred feet further away:

The San Antonio River, Confluence Park Trailhead, The River Still Flows Swift and Deep

2012-02-14T00:58:00.000-06:00

Monday, February 13, 2012

Today's photos:

After another half inch of rain fell overnight, both the San Antonio River and San Pedro Creek continue to flow swifter and deeper than normal. The walk today, heading upstream from the San Pedro Creek confluence, continues the river series from Wednesday and Friday last week.

The river ecosystem never ceases to amaze me. The butterfly in the photos above was probably the biggest surprise for today, especially since the weekend had been much colder than normal.

More rain is forecast for this coming Wednesday and Friday.

The San Antonio River, Concepcíon Park Trailhead, A Small Sample of Bexar County's Biodiversity

2012-02-11T01:17:00.001-06:00

Friday, February 10, 2012

Today's photos:

I hadn't planned on doing another series of walks along the San Antonio River until the end of this month or the first week of March, but my experience on Wednesday's walk was a stark reminder of the power of the river, the ferocity of flash floods, the difficulties encountered in restoring a riparian ecosystem in a flood control channel and the awesome, constantly changing dynamics of this environment.

Today's walk gave me additional material for an upcoming post specifically dealing with these issues. But it was also another walk where the incredible diversity of wildlife in Bexar County was on full display. It is going to take some time to sort out and edit all of the photos. In order to get a post online tonight, the series above is a random selection of photos from this walk.

Feb. 11, 2012: I probably should mention that San Antonio received another third of an inch of rain early yesterday morning. This walk was below the confluence with San Pedro Creek. Both the creek and the river were at a higher level and were flowing much faster than I had expected.

Dragonflies in Winter

2012-02-09T23:16:00.001-06:00

Thursday, February 9, 2012

I hadn't seen any dragonflies since the end of November and was coming to the conclusion I likely wouldn't see them again until sometime in March. So, I was a bit surprised to see them on the Salado Creek wetland when I was there Wednesday, February 1. Granted, there was only a single species that had emerged, but they were numerous and very active:

Feb. 10, 2012: As a footnote, there are well over 200 species of Odanata in Texas. I spent a couple hours doing a web search trying to identify this one, but was unable to find any photos that match the distinctive color pattern on this dragonfly's tail. I am wondering if this is a local variant of one of the common species.

The San Antonio River, Mission Rd Trailhead, Not Exactly As Planned, Part 1

2012-02-09T01:15:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Today's photos:

My original plan for today was to walk at Eisenhower Park, but for a complex set of reasons those plans got changed at the last minute. The San Antonio River is always the default location for my walks when life doesn't quite go as planned, so today that's where I ended up. Little did I know until I started my walk that "not exactly as planned' was apparently the theme for today.

I walked from the Mission Road Trailhead to just downstream of the large embayment. I was completely caught off guard by the damage to the restored landscaping that had been done in this section of the river by this past weekend's heavy rain and the flooding it caused in the river channel. I will have another post soon with more about this flood damage.

In spite of the damage, this was another photographically prolific walk. The photos above are only a small sample. There will be several more posts from this series.

And, yes, that is a Texas bluebonnet in the photo between the sparrow and the flying ducks. Spring is arriving early this year.

The Greater Yellowlegs

2012-02-08T01:35:00.001-06:00

Tuesday, February 7, 2012

Along with the ducks enjoying the Salado Creek wetland this past Wednesday, there was a pair of Greater Yellowlegs. These are large sandpipers that spend their winters along the Gulf Coast and inland wetlands. It isn't at all surprising that they are called "yellowlegs," because their legs really are a very bright yellow:

Hardberger Park, Water Loop Trail, Slowly Coming Out of Drought

2012-02-06T22:57:00.000-06:00

Monday, February 6, 2012

Today's photos:

With the rain this past weekend, San Antonio has already received more than the average rainfall for the entire month of February. That makes three months in a row: December, January and February, with above average rain and these are, on average, the three driest months of the year. The drought last year was so severe, however, it will take above average rain at least through summer to work all the way out of it.

After asking the question, "How wet is the Salado Creek wetland?" last week, today seemed to be a good one for answering the question, "How much water is there along the Water Loop Trail?" There was a small amount of water flowing in the streams that cross this section of the park. They drain the land very efficiently.

I am looking forward to a lush spring.

Crescent Bend Nature Park, A Walk Along Cibolo Creek

2012-02-04T15:49:00.000-06:00

Friday, February 3, 2012

Today's photos:

On today's walk at Crescent Bend Nature Park, I spent the entire time along Cibolo Creek. There was a flash flood warning for later in the evening with the possibility of thundershowers in the overnight forecast. The park seemed unusually quiet and I couldn't help but wonder if it really was the quiet before the storm.

There were a few ducks on the creek. I'll post photos of them at a later date. They were very skittish and flew further away as I approached to try to get better photos. The few perching birds I saw stayed far enough back in the brush I wasn't able to get their photos. The turtle in the two photos above is a Texas spiny softshell turtle.

The thunderstorms weren't forecast to go severe, but the soil is so saturated right now, it doesn't take much rain to cause flash flooding. This is in spite of the fact that South Texas is still in extreme drought because there hasn't been enough rain for the the aquifers and surface reservoirs to refill yet.

Little did I realize what would transpire later in the evening. This post is being published much later than usual because the core of a severe storm passed directly over Olmos Basin. The lightning became so intense, I finally shut down the computer.

Severe Weather Delay

2012-02-04T00:21:00.000-06:00

Due to severe weather occurring on the north side of San Antonio tonight, the post for Friday, February 3 will be delayed. Hopefully it will be ready to be published by this afternoon (Saturday, February 4).

An Awesome Juxtaposition

2012-02-02T22:39:00.002-06:00

Thursday, February 2, 2012

This series of photos was taken on my walk yesterday a short distance from my return to the trailhead parking lot. These are black vultures which can fly at heights of over 10,000 feet. At that altitude they would not be visible from the ground. These two were probably somewhere between one and two thousand feet up and were barely visible without the telephoto lens.

Beyond that, I am left without words to adequately express the experience of seeing this awesome juxtaposition of bird and moon:

So, Just How Wet Is the Salado Creek Wetland Now?

2012-02-02T00:45:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The official January rainfall total for San Antonio was 3.99 inches with 0.74 inches of that Monday and yesterday. That is 2.23 inches above normal for the month. When I drove over the Salado Creek bridge on Nacogdoches Road this past Friday on my way to Comanche Lookout Park, I could see the ponding area under the bridge was quite full. That brought to mind the question: just how wet is the Salado Creek wetland with all the rain that has fallen?

Today's photos:

Where white-tailed deer peacefully grazed in November, ducks now feed in shallow streams and pools and dragonflies dance in the warmth of the afternoon sun. Needless to say, there will be several Tuesday / Thursday posts of photos from today's walk.

More Birds Along the Leon Creek South Greenway

2012-02-01T00:55:00.000-06:00

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

While the robins predominated, there were numerous other species of birds active during my walk on the Leon Creek South Greenway yesterday:

Leon Creek South Greenway, Pearsall Park Trailhead

2012-01-31T01:14:00.000-06:00

Monday, January 30, 2012

Today's photos:

The Leon Creek South Greenway's trailhead is in Pearsall Park off of Old Pearsall Road just north of Medina Base Road. Of the mile and a half (one way) long trail, I walked to the one mile marker today. As can be seen in some of the photos, it was heavy overcast.

The weather forecast had been for a slight possibility of light mist and drizzle this afternoon. When I was still a half mile from returning to the trailhead, it began to rain heavy enough that for the first time since beginning my walks this past May, I had to tuck my camera under my jacket and put on my rain poncho.

There were a lot of birds along the trail. In order to make the photo editing more manageable, I will post additional photos featuring them tomorrow.

(As of midnight, the San Antonio airport had received almost a half inch of much needed rain.)

Comanche Lookout Park, Comanche Loop Trail

2012-01-28T02:33:00.001-06:00

Friday, January 27, 2012

Today's photos:

The Comanche Loop Trail at Comanche Lookout Park circles the base of the hill for which the park is named. The peak of the hill is the fourth highest elevation In Bexar County. This trail primarily passes through a dense ashe juniper (mountain cedar) and yaupon woods.

More Birds Along the Medina River Greenway

2012-01-26T23:34:00.000-06:00

Thursday, January 26, 2012

One thing I have realized that should have been obvious all along is that it is somewhat easier to photograph the smaller woodland birds in winter when the trees and brush are bare. While the birds are still quite active and tend not to remain perched in one location for very long, at least it is easier to see and follow them as they move among the branches.

There were numerous birds along the Medina River Greenway this past Monday. Here are a few photos that I didn't include in my January 23rd post:

Field Sparrow

Black Vulture

Chipping Sparrow

American Robin

White-crowned Sparrows

White-crowned Sparrow

I think this is an American Pipit, but I'm not certain.

This is the same bird as in the previous photo.

This looks to me like a female Ladder-backed Woodpecker, but again, I'm not certain .

Northern Cardinal

Brackenridge Park, A Day Following a Storm

2012-01-26T02:29:00.001-06:00

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Today's photos:

It was a dark and stormy night. Okay, that isn't the best literary opening (It never worked for Snoopy in the cartoon series), but it really was a dark and stormy night last night. Twelve hours later when I arrived at Brackenridge Park, the San Antonio River was still above bankfull. It had obviously been much higher earlier in the day.

South Texas weather has accurately been characterized as perpetual drought periodically broken by torrential rain. More than three inches of rain had fallen on the river's watershed overnight. The rain is something to celebrate.

The White Checkered-Skipper Butterfly

2012-01-25T00:35:00.001-06:00

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Butterflies are one of the few insects that are still active here in South Texas this far into winter. On my walk yesterday (Monday, January 23) there was a white checkered-skipper taking its time feeding on the nectar of the bastard cabbage (that really is the common name of the plant) growing beside the path:

Medina River Greenway, Upland Trailhead, East, A Long Walk on a Beautiful Winter Afternoon

2012-01-24T00:55:00.000-06:00

Monday, January 23, 2012

Today's photos:

This was the first walk I've taken in the past several weeks where I haven't felt rushed trying to squeeze the walk into an otherwise tight schedule. And this was another beautiful, mild South Texas winter day. The photos published here effectively express the experience of this walk.

However, as so often happens when I have time to really be in the moment, there are many more photos. In order to more effectively organize the photos, there will be at least two, possibly three, more posts.

Salado Creek Greenway, Oakwell Trailhead, North, Very Close to Sunset

2012-01-21T00:56:00.001-06:00

Friday, January 20, 2012

Today's photos:

I arrived at the trailhead about forty-five minutes before sunset leaving little time to walk and light for photography. About half the time I walked through the woods on a dirt trail to the west of the paved greenway trail. Sometimes that is how life goes, but then the photographs have an intensity they might not otherwise have had.

The Great Blue Heron (A Belated Correction and Revision to This Post)

2012-01-19T23:12:00.002-06:00

Corrected, revised and reposted February 17, 2012:

When I originally posted this series of photos, I incorrectly identified this magnificent bird as a Yellow-crowned Night Heron. It is in fact and quite obviously a Great Blue Heron.

As I state in "At the Trailhead, The Origin of 'While on a Walk'" and in the Disclaimer on my homepage, I have a great love of the outdoors, but my expertise is in photography, not ecology. I make every effort to be reasonably certain any plant or animal I identify in the blog is correct.

I got this one wrong primarily because I rushed to get the post online and didn't follow the meticulous protocol I usually follow. My thanks to the commenter who brought this error to my attention.

Thursday, January 19, 2012

On my walk yesterday, there was a great blue heron standing by the small embayment just downstream of the U.S. 90 bridge. After walking under the Mitchell Street bridge, as soon as I could see the embayment, I saw the heron standing in the vegetation on the river bank. When I would come to a spot that would give another good angle, I took a few more photos of it. (Two of the photos below were also in yesterday's post.)

This heron didn't move from where it was standing when I first saw it, but stretched its neck and raised its head as I walked closer:

The San Antonio River, Confluence Park Trailhead North to the U.S. 90 Bridge

2012-01-19T00:41:00.001-06:00

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Today's photos:

A red-shouldered hawk greeted me on my arrival at the River today. Nothing more needs to be said.

Another View from My Window, The White-winged Dove

2012-01-17T23:48:00.000-06:00

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

I was sitting at my kitchen table this morning after finishing breakfast looking out one of the windows beside the table. I was struck by the fact that a mesquite tree in the neighbor's yard still had so many of its leaves. I noticed a fairy large bird perched in the tree, but wasn't sure what kind it was. It looked like it might be a dove, but appeared to be much too large. I got my camera so I could take a closer look through the telephoto lens. It was in fact a White-winged Dove:

Salado Creek Greenway, Lady Bird Johnson Park Trailhead, South, Cliff Side Dirt Trail

2012-01-16T23:45:00.001-06:00

Monday, January 16, 2012

Today's photos:

While the first few photos today were taken on the paved greenway trail, the majority were taken along the dirt trail at the base of the cliff on the east side of this section of Salado Creek. There are several locations in Bexar County where one enters an entirely different realm and a transformation of consciousness occurs. This is one of them. The photos say more than I can write.

Bamberger Nature Park, Of Rocks and Shallow Washes

2012-01-14T14:07:00.001-06:00

Friday, January 14, 2012

Today's Photos:

Once again, I stayed primarily on the dirt trails that wind through this beautiful, wooded landscape. While I was walking across and through the numerous shallow washes in the park, a quote from Joy Harjo's preface to the book, Secrets from the Center of the World, kept coming to mind:

"All landscapes have a history, much the same as people exist within cultures, even tribes. There are distinct voices, languages that belong to particular areas. There are voices inside rocks, shallow washes, shifting skies; they are not silent. And there is movement, not always the violent motion of earthquakes associated with the earth's motion or the steady unseen swirl through the heavens, but other motion, subtle unseen, like breathing. A motion, a sound, that if you allow your inner workings to stop long enough, moves into the place inside you that mirrors a similar landscape; you too can see it, feel it, hear it, know it."

As a side note, this entry is being posted on Saturday afternoon due to a glitch in the internet system upgrade. The glitch has now been resolved. The walks and posting should be back to normal on Monday, at least as normal as life can be at this point.

The Loggerhead Shrike

2012-01-13T00:44:00.001-06:00

Thursday, January 12, 2012

The Loggerhead Shrike can easily be confused with the more prevalent Northern mockingbird, especially when seen from a distance. When I first saw this bird perched at the top of a tall snag at the beginning of my walk on the Salado Creek Greenway on Wednesday, November 23, I thought it was a mockingbird. With a closer look through the telephoto lens, I realized it was, in fact, a loggerhead shrike. The shrike has a prominent black mask across its eyes:

At Home in the Olmos Basin

2012-01-12T01:10:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Today's photos:

Today was a beautiful day for a walk and the upgraded internet system is working well. Unfortunately, my schedule today didn't work well at all and I wasn't able to squeeze in even a short walk.

At one point, late in the afternoon about the time I realized I wasn't going to be able to work in a walk, I was standing, looking out the window of my back door. It is an amazing experience and a true blessing to live in the Olmos Basin. The mockingbirds, woodpeckers and white-winged doves pictured above are among the permanent residents of the Basin and frequent the pecan tree in the backyard.

Then, late in the evening as I was pulling into the driveway after running a few errands, I saw the moon, two days past full, rising in the sky just to the east above the Quarry Market. The first two moon photos were taken looking at it through the neighbor's red oak tree. The final photo shows how amazing my camera system is as it was taken handholding the camera with the lens set at 300 mm. The moon appears much closer than I was obviously standing to it.

So, even without making it out for a walk, all was not lost for the day. I have found myself recently relying heavily on the motto: "Adapt, Improvise, Overcome."

Walker Ranch Historic Landmark Park, A Somewhat Different Perspective

2012-01-10T20:03:00.029-06:00

While on a Walk is undergoing a major system upgrade today. Just in case the upgrade doesn't go as seamlessly as I hope it does, I set this post up last night and scheduled it to auto publish this evening. If all goes according to plan, tomorrow's post will be published via the new system. If there is no post tomorrow, it most likely means something went wrong with the system transition, not with my walking and photographing.

So for this evening, here are a few more photos taken at Walker Ranch Historic Landmark Park yesterday with an emphasis on line pattern. Perhaps, I should have subtitled it "The Incarnation of Winter":

Walker Ranch Historic Landmark Park, Panther Spring Creek and Monte Galvan Trails

2012-01-09T22:37:00.002-06:00

Today's photos:

Friday was another one of our incredible South Texas days this time of year where the warmth of the sun perfectly balanced the cool edge of the breeze. Today was quite different. Once again I was tempted to make excuses so as not to have to go for a walk on a cold, overcast, dreary winter day. As soon as I was out of the car and on the trail, I was thankful I hadn't given into the temptation.

Eisenhower Park, Cedar Flats > Shady Creek > Hillside (Natural) Trails

2012-01-07T00:39:00.000-06:00

Friday, January 6, 2012

Today's photos:

I admit it didn't occur to me until near the end of my walk today, but the entire walk had a very Jackson Pollock kind of feel to it. Minor White and Paul Caponigro also come to mind.

A Few More Photos of Birds Along the San Antonio River

2012-01-06T01:37:00.000-06:00

Thursday, January 5, 2012

There is an old saying in professional photography: "Your most expensive photo is the one you didn't take." Every true-blooded photographer I know takes a lot more photos than will likely ever see the light of day. It is a compulsion. It is inconceivable not to take a photograph of something that generates a visual response. The majority of these photos, for various reasons, will likely never be published.

So, this is as good a time as any to publish a few of the photos that might not otherwise be included in a post. Here is a series of photos of birds along the San Antonio River that I haven't yet published. The first seven were taken on December 16 and the second seven on December 30:

Hardberger Park, Oak Loop Trail, A Study in Visual Rhythm

2012-01-05T01:43:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Today's photos:

It simply felt good to be outside in the sun this afternoon.

The Lesser Scaup

2012-01-04T02:00:00.000-06:00

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

There are a lot of ducks on the San Antonio River. This time of year they are almost all mallards. On my walk on Friday, December 16, one duck stood out from all the mallards with its black tipped white bill and dark black head. This is a Lesser Scaup. There are a few of them spending their winter here:

The San Antonio River, Concepcíon Park Trailhead, The First Walk of 2012

2012-01-03T01:52:00.000-06:00

Monday, January 2, 2012

Today's photos:

What better place to begin the 2012 walks than at a park named Concepcíon? Both the park and Concepcíon Creek are named after Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purisima Concepción de Acuña, better known in San Antonio simply as Mission Concepcíon, one of the five (counting the Alamo) historic Missions established in the 18th Century along the San Antonio River.

The first week of January is typically the coldest week of the year here, but the latest arctic cold front went well to our east this week. Today was absolutely beautiful with the chill in the breeze offset by the warmth of the South Texas sun, a perfect afternoon for a walk along the river. We will still likely get a fairly cold stretch of weather before winter is over, but not this week.

The San Antonio River, Eagleland Reach, The Final Walk of 2011

2011-12-31T02:16:00.001-06:00

Friday, December 30, 2011

Today's photos:

This blog began back in May of this year with a walk of the Museum Reach of the San Antonio River upstream from downtown San Antonio. I really can't explain why, but it seemed fitting to end this year of 2011 with a walk today of the Eagleland Reach of the river downstream of downtown. This series of photos truly is a fitting celebration of life for the New Year.

Happy New Year, y'all!

A Frequently Asked Question

2011-12-30T01:24:00.001-06:00

Thursday, December 29, 2011

This bird, I think it's a hermit thrush but I'm not certain of my id, landed on the walkway in front of me while I was on my Friday, December 16 walk along the San Antonio River:

It was only a few feet in front of me. If I would take a few steps closer to it, it would fly a little further down the walk, but didn't fly off until I lowered the camera and stopped taking its photo. Which brings me to what, by far, has been the question I am most frequently asked since I began this blog: "Do the animals you photograph pose for you the way it appears in the photos?"

All I can say is that from a very young age I have always had the ability to interact with animals in a very personal, direct way. When I was in high school, there was a squirrel that would eat nuts out of my hand. Now there is a grackle that will fly into the yard whenever I walk out the backdoor that will let me come within an arms length to get whatever food I have for it.

So, I think it best to leave it up to you to decide whether or not the animals I photograph are actually posing for my camera.

John James Park, Salado Creek Bed Dirt Trails

2011-12-29T01:59:00.000-06:00

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Today's photos:

If one takes the time to walk down the slope from the upland dirt trail into the Salado Creek bed trail on the eastern edge of John James Park, one enters a magical riparian woodland. The photos tell the story.

Lots of Lizards, Part 2

2011-12-28T00:32:00.000-06:00

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Today's photos are a flashback to August. They were taken on my walk in the Medina River Natural Area on Monday, August 29. The first part of this series was published on Tuesday, September 27.

On that walk, the lizards were out in an unusually large number. it has been several weeks now since I have seen any lizards, so they must have gone into hibernation for winter. I have several series of photos of birds that I still have to post on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but I thought today the lizards would provide a good change of pace from recent posts: