Texas Hill Country
April 13-19, 2009 - Trip Report
Guide Bob Behrstock with 5 participants

Report by Bob Behrstock

Monday April 13: San Antonio to Neal’s Lodges, Concan
As all participants had arrived in the vicinity earlier, it was a simple matter to round up everyone near the airport and leave San Antonio by 1:00 PM—well ahead of schedule. Heading west on Hwy 90, there were map and bakery stops in Castroville. Outside of Hondo, we made our first wildflower stop. Roadside flowers were a bit sparse because of the drought but even this brief look yielded Twist-Leaf Yucca, and over a dozen species of flowers.

In this agricultural land just south of the Edwards Plateau, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were numerous, as they would be throughout the tour. Stopping at a feed lot just outside of Sabinal, we saw numerous Black-bellied Whistling-Ducks, Yellow-headed and Brewer’s blackbirds, and glorious. yellow-flowered Prickly Pear cactus.

After arriving at Neal’s Lodges, our home for six nights, we checked out the Cabin 61 and Cattle Guard feeders, getting close looks at a number of species such as Chipping, Clay-colored, Lincoln’s, and Rufous-crowned sparrows, both local goldfinches, and Brown Thrasher—quite a rarity in the Hill Country. Our cabins are surrounded by live oaks, and are full of singing birds including Carolina and Bewick’s wrens, Black-crested Titmouse, Carolina Chickadee, Summer Tanager, Ash-throated and Vermilion flycatchers, Yellow-throated Warbler, and Northern Cardinal.

Tuesday April 14: Park Chalk Bluff and Neal’s Lodges
After what was to become our standard 6:30 AM breakfast, we departed for Park Chalk Bluff, NW of Uvalde. Within a distance of less than a mile, the park offers Tamaulipan Scrub remnants, agricultural land, live oak and pecan groves, the gin-clear Nueces River flowing over gleaming limestone, and dense riparian thickets of mulberry, hackberry, and greenbrier—all presided over by the vertical wall of limestone for which the park is named. Walking the entrance road, we viewed the first of innumerable Bell’s Vireos, and two desert grassland species—Cassin’s and Black–throated sparrows. Continuing to the live oak grove, we encountered White-eyed, Red-eyed, and Yellow-throated vireos, Yellow-throated Warbler, and tame Summer Tanagers. On the cliff face, we spot Great Horned Owls sitting in two cave openings and an active nest of Red-tailed Hawks. After a box lunch provided by the park staff, we continued to a pecan bottom along the river, adding several south Texas species such as Green Kingfisher and Couch’s Kingbird. Winecups, American Water-Willow, Mexican (Yellow Prickly) Poppy, and a variety of yellow composites added a bit of contrast to the countless shades of green that are so characteristic of the Hill Country in spring. After a shopping stop on Uvalde, we returned to Neal’s. A visit to the Pecan Grove feeders added several species including Field and White-crowned sparrows, Indigo Bunting, and Pine Siskin.

Wednesday April 15: Fort Inge, Cook’s Slough, Uvalde National Fish Hatchery     
Today we were joined by local wildflower expert Sage Kawecki, formerly of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin, Texas. A stop with her along Hwy. 83 en route to Uvalde produced Cardinal Feather, Limestone Gaura, Leather Stem, primroses, and a number of other interesting plants. Continuing to Fort Inge, we birded the dry access road below the remnants of a curiously out of place volcano, seeing desert species such as Cactus Wren, Pyrrhuloxia, and a cooperative Long-billed Thrasher—here near the northern edge of its range. Continuing a short distance to the lush banks of the Leona River, we found three species more reminiscent of South Texas—Great Kiskadee, Ringed Kingfisher, and Couch’s Kingbird, as well as more widespread species such as Green Heron, Bullock’s Oriole and Blue Grosbeak. Traveling westward a mile or so, we visited Cook’s Slough, one of the area’s newer parks. Wetlands here yielded herons, both local cormorants, several ducks including a drake Bufflehead, and Solitary Sandpiper.

After an unusually leisurely lunch in Uvalde, we continued to the west side of town and the Uvalde National Fish Hatchery—one of the area’s only sites for migrating spring shorebirds. Here, we were not disappointed as one of the first birds we saw was a totally unexpected American Golden-Plover. Other shorebirds included Pectoral, Least, Solitary, and Baird’s sandpipers, Black-necked Stilt, and Lesser Yellowlegs. A few of the flowers near the hatchery’s parking lot included Pincushion Daisy, Fiddle-Leaf Tobacco, and Texas Bluebonnets—emblematic of spring in the Hill Country. On the way home, a stop at the quaint Rexall Drug Store’s soda fountain alleviated everyone’s craving for ice cream.    

Thursday April 16: Neal’s Lodges vicinity to Leaky
Today began with a light drizzle. Undeterred, we walked the cabin loop on the south side of Neal’s, then continued to the Buchanan Trail on the east side of the Frio River, seeing Spotted Towhee, a White-throated Sparrow and the nest of a pair of Golden-cheeked Warblers (but no occupants), kindly shown to us by a local guide. Little else was moving, besides the ever present Black-crested Titmice and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. Our scheduled lunch was barbecue; however, as half the group had vegetarian leanings, we opted for lunch at Vinny’s—an Italian restaurant in Leaky. All agreed that this was the best meal of the trip.

After going over the bird list at 5:30, we drove the short distance to the Frio Bat Flight Cave, summer home to what is very likely the world’s second largest aggregation of mammals. There was a very real possibility that inclement weather could cancel tonight’s visit and possibly, tomorrow’s as well. We arrived somewhat early, enjoying a few roadside flowers and a Nine-banded Armadillo. At 7:00 PM, we met our guide Bain at the gate, relived that he showed up as scheduled, and were joined there by four birders from Alaska. If the rain would hold off for a short time, we had a good chance of seeing at least a few of the estimated 10-12 million Mexican Free-tailed Bats that roost in the cave. As the skies darkened, a Great Horned-Owl called to its mate, Cave Swallows flitted about the entrance, and a Merlin and a Swainson’s Hawk showed up to hunt the emerging bats. As we waited, Bain explained certain aspects of the bat’s life history, and answered questions from the group. At 7:42, the bats began to emerge—first as singles, then several at a time, then in clusters of several dozen. As the winds increased, we saw perhaps several tens of thousands of bats depart for their nocturnal feeding flight, but soon, some bats were returning to the cave, anticipating the change in the weather. Once the rain began, we retreated to the van, happy to have enjoyed close looks of at least a portion of the cave’s inhabitants.  

Friday April 17: Kerr Wildlife Management Area
Our day began with overcast skies that promised to clear after breakfast. However, shortly after leaving Neal’s, we found ourselves in a spectacular deluge that was accompanied by darkening skies, thunder and lightening. Happily, about 20 minutes after our arrival at Kerr WMA, the clouds parted and we were able to get on with the birding. Clothed in the oak and juniper thickets favored by the bird, Kerr has one of the largest, known populations of Black-capped Vireos. Along with Golden-cheeked Warbler, this is one of the Hill Country’s specialty birds and, arguably, America’s fanciest vireo. Singing males are easily located by listening for their scratchy song; but getting good looks at the bird may require some patience. Eventually, we saw several birds—including a cooperative pair that was foraging close to the ground. Although the overcast continued to suppress bird activity, we saw other birds, including: Wild Turkey, Eastern Phoebe, Ash-throated Flycatcher, Nashville Warbler, Summer Tanager, and a surprise Pectoral Sandpiper at a roadside puddle—new for Kerr WMA’s bird list.

Our picnic lunch was at a roadside shelter within Kerr. Recent showers had encouraged the appearance of thousands of snowy-white Rain-Lilies and we were hard pressed not to tread on them as we milled around. After lunch, we searched for Gooden-cheeked Warblers in the SE portion of Kerr, the highlight of the walk being a pair of blooming Lace Cactus.

A quick roadside stop on the way home produced the trip’s only Hill Country (Scarlet) Penstemons, Old Plainsman, yellow primroses, and several other wildflowers.

Saturday April 18: Lost Maples State Park, Utopia
Among birders, Lost Maples State Park is synonymous with Golden-cheeked Warbler, a black and yellow sprite whose world nesting range is restricted to the Texas Hill Country. Here, it constructs its nest with strands of Ashe Juniper bark—an unusual degree of specialization. At first, Lost Maples was rather quiet because of overcast skies. We began on the Maples Trail, walking along the river in the shadow of a tall hillside. As the morning cleared, Canyon Wrens sang above us and before too long, we heard, and then saw our first Golden-cheeked Warblers, a male and a female. Besides the warbler’s buzzy song, other bird music was provided by Black-and-white Warblers, Summer Tanagers, Indigo Buntings, and the occasional hiccup of a well-concealed Acadian Flycatcher. The botanical highlight of the morning walk was probably several blooms of Scarlet Leatherflower, a Clematis that is endemic to the Texas Hill Country.

We ate our picnic lunch in the park’s campground, all the time being entertained by the activities of a huge group of scouts who appeared to be on their first camping trip. Afterwards, we drove to another part of the park with different habitat. Arriving at a feeding station, we were treated to multiple male Painted Buntings and Blue Grosbeaks among the numerous Chipping and Clay-colored sparrows. The trail to the ponds produced a locally uncommon Hutton’s Vireo, and our first Wilson’s Warbler.  Driving southward to Utopia, we visited a city park full of towering live oaks.

Here, we found a Blue Jay—a very nice addition to the trip list. A drake Northern Shoveler was, then wasn’t, and then was a decoy, and the issue may never have been settled to the satisfaction of all participants. Dinner was at the Lost Maples Café, where the antics of our young server rivaled those of the scouts at lunchtime, and a certain amount of begging yielded two kinds of pie—after being told there was none. After returning to Neal’s, we spent a final half hour at the Cattle Guard Feeders, for our final dose of Black-chinned Hummingbirds, Lesser and American goldfinches, Clay-colored, Rufous-crowned, and Lincoln’s sparrows, and Hooded Orioles.

Sunday April 19: Neal’s Lodges to San Antonio
By this morning, the cold front had passed and we packed the van to a dawn chorus that included White-winged Dove, Carolina Wren, Yellow-throated Warbler, titmice, chickadees, Summer Tanager, and Northern Cardinal. As Neal’s restaurant was scheduled to open late, we opted for a small Mexican café in Sabinal. Nearly every farmer and rancher in Uvalde County was there for coffee and breakfast, suggesting the popularity of the spot, and we were all pleased with the breakfast. As they had upon our arrival, Scissor-tailed Flycatchers lined the fences, their acrobatic flights offering us a last view of their intensely rosy underparts and improbably long tails. Clear skies and a lack of traffic eased the drive to San Antonio and by 9:15, participants were at the airport.  

Photo credits

Photos by Bob Behrstock (RB) www.naturewideimages.com  and
Tony Beck www.tonybeck.ca

P1 Twist-leaf Yucca-N of Leaky RB / Scissor-tailed Flycatcher TB
P2 Summer Tanager, TB / Winecup – Park Chalk Bluff, RB
P3 Long-billed Thrasher, TB / Texas Bluebonnets N. of Leakey, RB
P4 Yellow Prickly Poppy--Park Chalk Bluff RB /Nine-banded Armadillo, TB
P5 Hill Country Penstemon - N of Leaky RB
P6 Maples Trail, Lost Maples SP RB / Red Leatherleaf--(Hill Country endemic)-Lost Maples SP, RB
P7 Neal’s Lodges scenic, RB & Antelope Horns Milkweed - N of Leaky, RB

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