Friedrich Wilderness Park, Forest Range > Juniper Barrens > Water And Connecting Trails

Today's photos:

Today my eye seemed to be attracted to the photographic elements of light, line and texture. With all the close-ups and macro photos, I'm tempted to label this series "abstract realism." The early autumn sunlight lends itself particularly well to a high contrast, stark affect.

Most of the walk was through the ashe juniper (more commonly known in South Texas as mountain cedar) thicket in the southeast corner of Friedrich Park, hence the trail name, Juniper Barrens. The "second spring" that I had described in Wednesday's post was as much in evidence today as it was along the Medina River earlier in the week.

The almost annual major late October cold front is supposed to blow through on Thursday dropping the temperatures even lower. Hopefully, it will bring more rain to sustain the new growth that has emerged over the past couple weeks.

The Ospreys, Part 3

It was windy with scattered showers on Friday, October 7. I don't know if the weather had anything to do with it, but the ospreys on the San Antonio River were spending most of there time perched in trees when I walked that day.

I was fairly certain there were at least two ospreys that I had seen on my previous walks, but I hadn't seen the two at the same time. On this walk, I had confirmation that there are, in fact, at least two. Each was perched at the top of separate snags not far downstream from the U.S. 90 bridge.

This photo shows the two ospreys on separate snags with the
CPS Mission Road Power Plant Training Facility smokestack in the background.

I really do hope these birds winter over on the river. Whether flying or perched, these birds are truly magnificent.

Medina River Greenway, El Chaparral Trailhead, East

Today's photos:

I was quite pleased to see the impact the recent rain and cooler temperatures have had on the Medina River basin. What was becoming dangerously dry on my previous visit to the greenway Monday, September 5, is once again green and vibrant.

It occurred to me that here in South Texas in most years we have a "second spring." Plants that have dried out in the typical summer heat and dry spell begin to send out new growth in the autumn when the rain returns and temperatures drop.

Today I managed to walk from the trailhead in the Medina River Natural Area to where I had turned back on my walk on Friday, August 19, so in two walks I have now covered the entire distance between the El Chaparral Trailhead and the Old Applewhite Road Trailhead, a total distance of 2.83 miles (one way). And once again I have so many photos from today's walk, it was a challenge editing them down to what will fit in a single post. I will be posting one additional set from this walk in the near future.

This section of the greenway trail is on the high ground well above the Medina River's channel. It is a very different ecosystem from the riparian environment of the Natural Area's lower trails. Today, the cool air with the brisk west-northwest wind added to the experience of the walk.