Basking on a Rock

The slider turtles were unusually skittish as I walked along beside the river. They slid into the water faster than I could aim and focus the camera:

Then I happened upon this Guadalupe Spiny Softshell (Apalone spinifera guadalupensis). Judging from its size, it looks like this one is old enough to have seen just about everything that could happen around its aquatic habitat. It continued basking on its rock while I captured its image from the opposite bank:

This set of photographs was taken along the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River near the Roosevelt Park Trailhead on Thursday, October 31, 2013.

River Turtles

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Two general types of turtles live in the San Antonio River: spiny softshell turtles and slider turtles. There are probably more species of turtles along the river than I am aware of, but I know the majority of the softshell turtles are Guadalupe Spiny Softshells. I think I read somewhere that softshell turtles have the longest necks of all the turtles. The slider turtles are almost all, if not all, Red-eared Sliders.

On a sunny day, both types of turtles come out of the water, climbing up on the river bank and on rocks and even on top of each other to soak in the warmth of the sun. On other waterways, they will also be on logs, but given the lack of trees along the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River at this early stage of the restoration process, there are no logs that have fallen in the river.

The following four photos were taken on my walk on Friday, March 15, 2013. The first three photos are Guadalupe Spiny Softshell Turtles and the fourth photo is a Red-eared Slider Turtle:

Beginning With the River

Friday, March 1, 2013

San Antonio River, Roosevelt Park Trailhead, upstream along the Eagleland Reach

Today's: photos:

I began While on a Walk with a walk along the San Antonio River. It got the blog off to a very good start. I really couldn't think of a better location to begin the journey through the next 500 posts.

The Eagleland Reach from S Alamo St  to Lone Star Blvd was the "proving ground" for the Mission Reach restoration project downstream. This is where the initial feasibility studies were done to prove that the reconfiguration of the fluvial geomorphology of the river could be successfully accomplished within the constraints of the flood control channel. So this is where the entire River Restoration Project began.

• The first photo is a Cowpen Daisy. At least that's what I think it is. The yellow asters can be notoriously difficult to distinguish one from another. Not to mention, I really like the name "Cowpen Daisy." (Update, March 2, 2013, 11:15 PM: My go to person for plant identification tells me this flower is NOT Cowpen Daisy. He assures me this is actually (more than likely?) Slender Greenthread, Thelesperma simplicifolium Grey. I had a hunch when I took this photo I was about to learn a little more about plant identification. Though, I still really like the name "Cowpen Daisy." )
• The second and third photos are Guadalupe Spiny Softshell Turtles. It was a very good day to be out enjoying the sun.
• The fourth photo is a Pied-billed Grebe. (Update, March 24, 2013, 5:05 PM: I'm not sure how I missed this one when I originally posted this, but I had mistakenly identified this grebe as a juvenile American coot.)
• The fifth photo is an American Coot.
• The sixth and seventh photos are a Great Blue Heron.
• The eighth photo is an overview of the river channel as the river comes out of a bend. The low rock wall along the river bank on the outside of the curve is an example of one restoration technique that was used along the Eagleland reach. This wall minimizes erosion on the cut bank side of the river. Its design and use of material compliment the surrounding landscape architecture while fulfilling a specific hydrologic function.
• The ninth photo is a damselfly. There were numerous damselflies of a wide range of species active along the river. I have a lot to learn about identifying damselflies and dragonflies, but this appears to me to be a female Blue-fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis). I may not have the species correct, but I am reasonably certain this one is in the Genus, Argia.
• The tenth and eleventh photos are my friend, the Red-shouldered Hawk keeping an eye on me from a perch in a Bald Cypress on the opposite side of the river.

In The Brilliance of a Sunny Autumn Afternoon

Friday, November 16, 2012

San Antonio River, Mission Reach, The Roosevelt Park loop trail

Today's photos:

The overcast sky cleared late this morning and the afternoon sun warmed the earth. Once again, my schedule today left the River as my best option for my walk late in the afternoon. And once again, this is only a small selection of the photos from the walk.

A Necessary Reminder With Critical Implications

Thursday, October 11, 2012

"To be whole. To be complete. Nature reminds us what it means to be human, what we are connected to rather than what we are separate from."  -  Terry Tempest Williams

This set of photos was taken on my walk along the San Antonio River on Wednesday, June 20. In the order of appearance there are: Guadalupe spiny softshell turtles, a pair of barn swallows, a little blue heron, a great egret and a black-bellied whistling duck.

A Great Way to Spend a Sunny Day

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Guadalupe spiny softshell turtles are very common in the San Antonio River. When I passed this one on my walk Wednesday, September 5, it seemed to be taking great pleasure basking in the sun on a rock all to itself while contemplating whatever it is turtles contemplate: