A Commonly Overlooked Common Native Plant

Thursday, March 10, 2016

When it comes to wildlife habitat, there really is nothing trivial about the Southern Dewberry, Rubus trivialis:

Frequently considered a weed, the Southern Dewberry, known in Spanish as zarzamora, grows abundantly in Bexar County providing beneficial shelter and food for wildlife. Dewberry's arching stems covered with abundant sharp prickles form dense mats that give protection from predators and shelter for numerous small animals. The white flowers bloom in March and April making them one of the important early Spring nectar sources for pollinators.

The ripe fruit is a dark reddish-purple berry resembling its close cousin, the blackberry. Before foraging recently went out of fashion, the Dewberry was a popular food item for people. It continues to be a critical food source for berry eating birds and mammals.

These photos were taken on a walk along the Mission San Juan, Mission Reach loop trail on Wednesday, March 2, 2016.

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.

Springtime Awakens Along the Lower Medina River

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Winter transforming to Spring in the South Texas brush country:

These photos were taken on a walk at the Medina River Natural Area on Friday, February 26, 2016.

Winging It

Thursday, March 3, 2016

A Snowy Egret winging its way upstream over the river:

"The more often we see the things around us -

even the beautiful and wonderful things -

the more they become invisible to us.

That is why we often take for granted the beauty of this world:

the flowers, the trees, the birds, the clouds -

even those we love.

Because we see things so often,

we see them less and less."

- Joseph B. Wirthlin

These photographs were taken on my walk along the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River downstream from the VFW Blvd trailhead on Monday, February 15, 2016.

Meditations Along the River

Tuesday, March 1, 2016

ten meditations

arising within a riparian domain

"We must begin thinking like a river

if we are to leave a legacy of beauty and life

for future generations."

- David Brower

These photographs were taken on a walk on the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River on Wednesday, February 24, 2016. The walk began with a short segment of the loop trail at Roosevelt Park. The majority of the photos, however, are from a longer walk a bit later in the day between Confluence and Concepcion Parks.