Springing Up in the Basin, Part 2

Thursday, March 28, 2013

This is the remainder of the photos taken on my walk along the Hondondo Creek Trails yesterday (March 27, 2013):

• The first photo is a Dewberry flower. I thought there would be a lot more Dewberry, and there might be, but this is the only one I found.
• The second photo is Greenbriar, also known as "nature's barbed wire." This vine is very common in wooded areas in South Texas. In some locations, it is difficult to walk through a wooded area because this vine has numerous very sharp prickles that have been known to cut through the pant legs of inexperienced (and at times, experienced) hikers. The tender young leaves of this vine make a tea that is very high in vitamin C.
• The third photo is Guayacan, also known as Soapbush. This shrub is more commonly found in the South Texas Plains and Northern Mexico, but grows as far north as Austin. It is called Soapbush because the bark of the roots was frequently used to make soap for washing wool.
• The fourth photo is a close up of the flower buds of the Wafer Ash, also known as Hoptree. The first two names are derived from the shape of the seeds. This shrub is actually in the Citrus family, not the Ash family. It is also sometimes called Skunk Bush because of the odor emitted by its leaves when they are crushed.
• The fifth through seventh photos are close ups of the flowers on a Texas Persimmon tree. The fruit of the Texas Persimmon is edible, but the tree is usually used in landscaping because of its beautiful, very smooth bark. This is an excellent native plant substitute for crepe myrtle. 
• The eighth through tenth photos are a Black-crested Titmouse. This bird remained perched just long enough for a brief portrait session.
• Unfortunately, the titmouse was perched on a very large Ligustrum, also known as Glossy Privet. Ligustrum are, by far, the predominant invasive plant species in the Olmos Basin. They have taken over large areas of woodland, completely crowding out native hardwoods. As can be seen in these photos, this shrub is loaded with berries, many of which are going to continue the rapid proliferation of this plant.

Springing Back to Life

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Walker Ranch Historic Landmark Natural Area, Panther Spring Creek Trails

Today's photos:

The South Texas landscape never goes completely dormant during winter, but this time of year as the Spring equinox approaches, new plant growth becomes vividly apparent and the fauna become more active.

• The first photo appears to me to be an Eastern Phoebe. This isn't the best angle and lighting for identifying birds and I really didn't get a much better look at this one when I was taking the photos, but from what I can see, I can't think of a more likely possibility of what it could be.
• The second photo is a Black-crested Titmouse.
• The third photo is a Lesser Goldfinch.
• The fourth photo is Scarlet Sage, also known as tropical sage.
• The fifth photo is the top of a Cedar Elm (also known as fall elm) that is setting new leaves.
• The sixth photo is Huisache. There were so many huisache blooming, the fragrance from the flowers filled the air along the trail. An extract from these flowers is a common ingredient in perfume.
• The seventh and eighth photos are Prairie Verbena. These verbena are blooming here and there, but aren't yet as abundant as they were last year.
• The ninth photo is the top of another Cedar Elm tree.
• The tenth and eleventh photos are close up views of one of the branches of the cedar elm in photo nine. These two photos show a better view of the emerging leaves.
• The twelfth photo is an overview of the vegetation along Panther Spring Creek. The large tree on the opposite side of the creek is a Cedar Elm. The most common trees in this area are the cedar elm, the live oak and the Texas red oak.
• The thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth photos are Tasajillo, also known as Christmas cactus.
• The sixteenth photo is a female Northern Cardinal.
• The seventeenth and eighteenth photos are close ups of newly emergent Cedar Elm leaves.

Birds of Crescent Bend, Part 2

Monday, January 14, 2013 *

Today's photos are from my walk at Crescent Bend Nature Park on Monday, December 17, 2012:

There are 437 species of birds listed on the San Antonio Audubon Society's checklist of birds that have been reported to have been sighted in Bexar County. I am fairly good at spotting and photographing the birds, but I am still learning to identify many of the species.

I find the sparrows especially difficult to distinguish one species from another. With that in mind, I think the first bird in this series is a savannah sparrow. The next two birds are an eastern phoebe and a house finch. The fourth bird is another sparrow that I think is a Lincoln's sparrow.

The two photos following that are of the same bird. The best I can tell, it appears to be a house wren. Then there is a black-crested titmouse, a northern cardinal and a northern mockingbird.

The last five photos are all of the same sparrow. It appears to me to be another Lincoln's sparrow.

* Due to the full schedule I have this week taking a class, all the posts for the week will be from previous walks.

Afternoon in the Woods of Brackenridge Park

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Brackenridge Park, Wilderness Loop Trail

Today's photos:

The tree canopy of the woods in Brackenridge Park is a dense brilliant green. While a significant number of trees at the southern most end of the park were killed by the drought of this past year, this is, once again, a majestic urban forest.