A Leap Day Stroll Along Salado Creek

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

About the only flowers blooming along the Salado Creek wetland on Leap Day this February were the Huisache fully covered with their fragrant yellow blossoms. Fortunately, there were more than enough birds and a few turtles to photograph. The Northern Shovelers, a pair of Black Vultures, Mallards with what suspiciously appears to be a Ruddy Duck mingling amid the flock, Red-eared Slider Turtles and a flock of Gadwalls had no idea it was Leap Day and could have cared less:

And while they are not the best photos of birds soaring I have taken, I thought these two were worth including here just to show more of the avian diversity present along Salado Creek this time of year. The first is a Caracara and the second one flying into the frame is a Red-shouldered Hawk:

These photographs were taken along the Salado Creek Greenway trail between Lady Bird Johnson Park and the end of the boardwalk near Wetmore Rd on Monday, February 29, 2016.

Thanksgiving 2013

Happy Thanksgiving

give thanks always for the precious gift of life

This Thanksgiving Day I would like to offer a special word of thanks to all those in the U.S. Armed Forces and to all the health care professionals on duty, away from their families during this holiday. Your service and your sacrifice is greatly appreciated.

This set of photographs of a young White-tailed Deer was taken along the Ssg Morningstar Boardwalk on the Salado Creek Greenway on Veterans Day, Monday, November 11, 2013.

An Abundance of Familiar Damsels

Countless Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile) damselflies flew about over the shallow water of the Salado Creek wetland. Their gossamer wings would periodically catch the sun at just the right angle, appearing as small, bright flashes above the water's surface. These bluets are among the smallest of the damselflies. I had to watch intently to see where they momentarily perched:

This set of photographs was taken along the SSG Morningstar Boardwalk on the Salado Creek Greenway Trail on Monday, November 11, 2013.

Relaxing in the Shade

I first saw the small herd of four or five White-tailed Deer from about a quarter mile away as they made their way slowly down the slope on the other side of the creek. By the time I was directly across from them, they had found a depression filled with tall grass and were lying down in the shade of a tree, so all I could see from where I was standing were their heads:

This set of photographs was taken along the SSG Morningstar Boardwalk on the Salado Creek Greenway Trail on Monday, November 11, 2013.

Sparkling in the Sun

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Salado Creek Greenway, Lady Bird Johnson Park Trailhead,
SSgt Morningstar Boardwalk

Today's photos:

The angle of the late afternoon sun combined with the water remaining in the wetland from Saturday night's rain made everything sparkle.