Half Past 2014, Floral Fireworks for the Fourth of July

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)

Something About the River, Part 1

Friday, December 7, 2012

San Antonio River, Mission Reach, VFW Blvd Trailhead upstream

Today's photos:

Yes, there is definitely something about the San Antonio River that keeps drawing me back. It is tempting at times to completely dedicate this blog to the River, but given the ecological diversity throughout Bexar County, that isn't likely to happen, at least anytime soon.

This is only a very small sample of the photos from today's walk. The Egyptian Geese (an imported exotic), one of which is prominently featured in this series, that I first saw in February are back. It is possible they didn't migrate, but I haven't seen them since early in the year.

There will be at least two and possibly more posts of photos from today. The wildlife along the river is always abundant and diverse.