Before I get into this post, I was just perusing the comments on my About Me page and my Marfan Syndrome page. I had forgotten that there were so many nice and caring people out there that follow my posts. I hope you’all are still there. I definitely appreciate you and it is you that keeps me interested in keeping up this blog.
Okay, as most of you know, Ann and I spent nearly a week in Fort Davis, Texas. Fort Davis is named for a restored frontier fort of the same name. A neat little town at the base of the Davis Mountains. We love the area because of the potential for great wildlife photos, not to mention the great scenery at this altitude of about 5,000 feet. Higher if you get up to the nearby McDonald Observatory.
In my recent post I described the local area, the Davis Mountains Inn, etc. I won’t get into that again as I don’t want to repeat myself. I will now get you up to date with some of the photos that I took while there. Ann was a big help with her spotting. I tend to try to drive safely, (yeah, right), and keep my eyes on the road so I depend on her to watch the trees, high wire lines, and fences. As yet, I don’t have a bumper sticker that says, “I brake for birds”. For the record, we recorded 62 different species of birds, 12 of them to be added to our 2015 Big Year list.
First, I must say that there are many Red-tailed Hawks in the area.
Red-tailed Hawk along the highway.
But we can’t ignore the other species.
Chipping Sparrow
Ladder-backed Woodpecker
On Tuesday of our stay, we ventured over Wild Rose Pass and drove down to Balmorhea, Texas, a distance of 38 miles. It wasn’t so much that we had a reason to visit that town, it was the journey that we loved. Raptors appeared on posts and fences and hunted over the land. Other wildlife could be seen, too. Aoudads, (pictured below), Pronghorned Antelope, Bobcat, and Muledeer.
Aoudads, also know as Barbary Sheep, stand on a ridge near Wild Rose Pass.
Did I say there were many Red-tailed Hawks?
Red-tailed Hawk
Lark Bunting – female
Just west of Balmorhea is the Balmorhea State Park. They have some wonderful wetland areas to visit. This is a rather small park so it is easy to get around.
Red-winged Blackbird
A Bufflehead enjoys splashing around.
Lesser Scaup
Ring-necked Duck
A Canada Goose flies overhead.
A happy Western Meadowlark sings his song.
Savannah Sparrow
Before returning back over the pass to Fort Davis and our room at the inn, we stopped at this great little restaurant in Balmorhea. I forget the name, but the sign says it is the “Cutest Restaurant in Balmorhea”. If you are in the area I recommend the food here. We ate the traditional stacked enchiladas with hot sauce, topped with a fried egg. Can’t wait to get back there.
And we will end this post with, you guessed it, another Red-tailed Hawk.
Red-tailed Hawk. This one seems to be saying, “If I stay behind this twig, I can’t be seen.”
Again, many thanks to all who follow this post. Click on the photos to see enlargements. If you like to comment, I sure would like to hear from you. Since our return from our trek to the mountains, I have been busy trying to get some more local photographs for you. I will post again in a few days.
Texas Tweeties by Bob Zeller 