Mad Dogs and Welshmen

McKinney Falls SP, Austin, TX

I'm in Austin, Texas, visiting my son and getting a in bunch of birding while Robbie sleeps or works.  It's hot.  Yesterday I walked about 3.6 miles on two trails in a local park in 101 degrees.  Apparently only mad dogs and Welshmen don't come out of the noonday sun!

I arrived in Austin 11:57 ... but got off the plane at 12:52.  Not the start to the trip that I was hoping for.  The moving tunnel that closes over the hatch wouldn't move, so we hung out in the plane waiting for a repair.  The repair didn't work so we were moved to a new gate and finally escaped.  Well, Rob had to start work at 1:00, so after a quick visit I left him and eventually headed to McKinney Falls State Park.  I started out on a small trail of less than one mile and scored a life bird almost immediately when a very curious Black-crested Titmouse followed me around for a bit.  Cute little thing!  This trail turned out to be quite birdy.  A Green Heron flew along the river, and a shallow area yielded some shorebirds.  There were Killdeer, Least and Semipalmated Sandpipers and a lone Spotted Sandpiper.  I watched a Great Egret stab a small fish and wear it on his bill for a bit until he managed to gulp it down.  Meanwhile, an Eastern Kingbird did his little flycatching act just above the water.  The wooded areas yielded bunches of Cardinals, more Black-crested Titmice, a few Carolina Chickadees, a White-winged Dove and lots of Mourning Doves.

So, if the short trail was so good just imagine what I can pick up by walking the 2.8 mile Onion Creek Trail!! Nothing.  Absolutely nothing.  And did I mention that it was hot?

Oh well, I left the park and picked up my son and we grabbed a burger ... scratch that ... we grabbed a REALLY good burger at a place called Hopdoddy (I think).  I had the Llano Poblano with Black Angus beef, perpperjack cheese, applewood bacon, poblano peppers and chipotle mayo.  Dang!  It makes me hungry all over again just to think of it.

Pederales Falls ... In the Dry Season

This morning I headed out early toward Johnson City and Pedernales Falls State Park.  I told the ranger at the office that I wanted to do some birding.  He said, "Go to the bird blind and skip the trails."  He was right.  The two birdblinds were wonderful.  Big glass windows, big fans and comfortable seating inside and lots of birds outside.  At first there were only Cardinals, but within a few moments I saw a huge wren with a heavily spotted upper breast and more lightly spotted belly and a barred tail ... Cactus Wren?  I didn't expect that in this park, but that's a tough bird to misidentify.  As I was watching that bird, a Western Scrub Jay flew in followed a few minutes later by a Greater Roadrunner.  This is awesome!!  Then there were two or three female Lesser Goldfinches and soon a spectacular male joined them.  Wow!  Next were a male and a female Ladder-backed Woodpecker.  I kept flipping back and forth between the two blinds, feeling sure that the best birds were at the other one ... but how could I top this?  Then a Bewick's Wren joined the fray and I had six lifers in a morning.  I can't remember the last time that happened.  What an awesome day.

A View from the Overlook at Pedernales Falls SP.

And let me add that the rangers at Pedernales were all friendly and helpful.  I really appreciated their help and kindness.

So it was back to Austin just in time to pick up Robbie and take him to work.  But my birding day was not done just yet ...

Late last night I checked in with Facebook Birders and Carlos Ross told me about a Least Grebe at Triangle Park in Austin.  I headed over there after a quick lunch.  Let me just say that Triangle Park was harder to find than the Least Grebe.  The park is a bit hidden among buildings and the address given by Google is incorrect.  But I found it after only five or six minutes of driving around the area.  The Grebe was right there where Carlos said it would be; not one minute of searching.  Seven life bird for the day and eight for the trip.  Incredible!

Part of the New Bird Blind at Pedernales Falls SP

There won't be much birding for the next two days.  Rob is off tomorrow so we'll be spending the whole day together.  Then on Saturday we head off to College Station for the Gators' game against Texas A&M (and a tailgate party hosted by the UF Alumni Association!). So the next birding trip will be Sunday.  My tentative plans are to head up to Balcones NWR.  I'll let you know how I do.

Go Gators!