Big Bend
April 26-May 4, 2008 - Trip Report
By Narca Moore-Craig
Guide: Narca Moore-Craig, with 7 participants and local guide Carol Edwards, Davis Mtns.

Sat., April 26 El Paso arrival / Local wetlands
El Paso was our launching point for this year’s swing through the Davis Mountains and Big Bend. Those arriving early in the afternoon began with an outing to the Fred Hervey Water Reclamation Plant, where an out-of-habitat Olive-sided Flycatcher snacked on insects and a flock of White-faced Ibis swooped past, gleaming in the sunlight. Ducks lounged in the shaded wetlands of this oasis in the Chihuahuan Desert. Migrant Swainson’s Hawks were admired by all, and a Northern Harrier stood belly-deep in the water, soaking for a half hour.

Everyone gathered for a delicious welcome dinner, the beginning (for several people) of an intense and prolonged sampling of Tex-Mex cuisine.

Sun., April 27 Balmorhea / Fort Davis 
A “blue norther” moved through West Texas last night and today, bringing high winds and cold temperatures during this travel day. Along our route, a small colony of Cave Swallows was repairing nests under one of the less-frequented highway overpasses. By the time we reached Balmorhea and enjoyed lunch at a delightful Mexican restaurant, the winds were easing. Our next stop was Lake Balmorhea, a magnet for migrating waterbirds and shorebirds. A Sanderling joined the throngs of Western and Least Sandpipers and Wilson’s Phalaropes, which spun circles in the water to draw up invertebrates. Franklin’s Gulls in dapper breeding plumage hunkered down. At Balmorhea State Park, incandescent Vermilion Flycatchers stole the show. Bright Bullock’s Orioles enlivened the cottonwoods, and Lark Buntings foraged in the grasses. We stopped at the cienega to view the myriad of fish, including endangered Pecos Gambusia and Comanche Springs Pupfish, which thrive in the artesian waters of San Solomon Springs.

Late afternoon light glowed on the cliffs and dusty oaks as we entered the Davis Mountains, arriving after a full day on the doorstep of the historic Limpia Hotel in Fort Davis. That evening we shared a festive dinner and lively conversation with Carol Edwards, who would accompany us tomorrow to one of The Nature Conservancy’s excellent preserves.

Mon., April 28 Davis Mountains Preserve / Fort Davis National Historic Site 
Today we met Carol and drove to TNC’s Davis Mountains Preserve, encompassing Mount Livermore and its forest-cloaked slopes. Texas’ only population of Buff-breasted Flycatchers nests here, and we watched one gorgeous Buff-breast as he sang and sallied for insects, joined by Plumbeous Vireos, Grace’s Warblers, Gray Flycatchers and Mountain Chickadees. Three Phainopeplas peered down from juniper tops. A Common Black-Hawk withdrew from a dwindling pond, where it hunted for salamanders. We enjoyed a sumptuous picnic lunch in the shade of majestic Emory Oaks before returning to Fort Davis.

Everyone opted to explore the old fort at Fort Davis National Historic Site. The appropriate bugle calls parsed the hours, and Rock Wrens bobbed around the old, carefully restored buildings. A Canyon Wren’s song cascaded down the rock face behind the fort. As the sun lowered, we drove up the canyon for dinner in another historic building, Indian Lodge, built by CCC craftsmen in the 1930s. Resembling a southwestern pueblo, its adobe walls are 18 inches thick. 

Tues., April 29 Davis Mountains State Park / Museum of the Big Bend / The Post / Big Bend National Park
Our early morning hike in Davis Mountains State Park netted Green-tailed Towhees, a nesting Say’s Phoebe, Ash-throated Flycatchers, knock-out colorful Summer Tanagers, and Cactus Wrens, but the highlight was a pair of splendid Montezuma Quail that flushed from an arroyo at our approach, then proceeded to the host feeding station for a drink of water. Jubilant, we headed south to Alpine and the Museum of the Big Bend, newly installed in a building on the campus of Sul Ross State University. A lone Inca Dove patrolled the grounds as we entered. The museum is a fitting introduction and tribute to the landscapes, history and people of the vast Big Bend region. The replicated bones of one long wing of the extinct Big Bend Pterodactyl grace the entry. With a wingspan estimated at over 50 feet, this is the largest flying creature known!

We indulged in a good lunch and a bit of local color at the restaurant before turning our sights east and south. Our journey to Big Bend was broken by stops, first at a lush oasis known as the Post. Two spectacular Pyrrhuloxias charmed us. Male Lazuli and Indigo Buntings plucked grass seeds, joined on the lawn by Blue Grosbeaks and American Pipits. Nearby, two stunning Scissor-tailed Flycatchers hovered briefly with spread tails. At a large Black-tailed Prairie Dog colony, the chubby rodents stood stiffly alert at our appearance, then relaxed and lumbered about. A courting male Greater Roadrunner presented his would-be mate with a lizard. It looked irresistible to us, but she was coy and raced off, the male in pursuit.

As we drove south, past remnants of the ancient Ouachita Mountains exposed in the Marathon Uplift, the desert vegetation became more complex. We saw fine stands of Lechuguilla and Sotol, two indicator species of Chihuahuan Desert. Rising into the volcanic Chisos Mountains, we noticed evidence of the lack of rain this spring and winter. Only a quarter inch had fallen since the start of the year, and most oak trees had yet to leaf out, delaying their new growth until conditions support it. We checked into our comfortable rooms at the lodge, each with a balcony overlooking the Chisos Basin and surrounding sheer cliffs. Sierra del Carmen White-tailed Deer (a very small race) grazed below our rooms. We finished the day with a hearty meal and retired early, for tomorrow we have our earliest start of the trip.      

Wed., April 30 Big Bend National Park - Rio Grande Village / Daniel’s Ranch / Boquillas
At daybreak, when the air was fresh and cool, we boarded the van for a morning in the valley around Rio Grande Village, the lowest elevation we would visit. Cottonwoods at the Daniel’s Ranch were being irrigated, and the pull of water is very strong in a desert. Among the feeding sparrows, buntings and warblers, a Northern Waterthrush teetered, and Narca spotted a bright male Dickcissel, which was a rare treat this far west. A pair of Gray Hawks ghosted through the big trees. After early birding, we dug into a picnic breakfast, served on bright tablecloths beneath a spreading cottonwood, then continued to explore the low country. Lovely Orchard Orioles sang from the tall shrubs. A stellar Common Black-Hawk perched completely in the open and preened in the early morning sun, allowing scope studies for all. The Rio Grande Valley Nature Trail wound over boardwalk and up a limestone hill, where we looked down on the lonely Mexican village of Boquillas, nestled beneath the massive, imposing wall of the Sierra del Carmen.  Whiptail lizards scurried past. Back at the trailhead, a male Painted Bunting dangled from a shrub, plucking small fruits, his colors dazzling in the sun.

As the heat built up, we headed back up the valley, pausing at Boquillas overlook. At the oasis of Dugout Wells, we picnicked in the shade near an old windmill, which spun in the light wind. This oasis will draw us back tonight! We returned to our lodge and devoted the rest of the afternoon to serious napping, then, after an early dinner, we were back at Dugout Wells for the sundown vigil. All eyes, binoculars and scopes were trained on a cavity in a nearby snag, and soon we heard the chuckle of a tiny Elf Owl. The female’s head appeared at the entrance, and her mate flew up with a yummy moth. What charming owls! Meanwhile, Lesser Nighthawks swooped around and through the oasis. 

Thurs., May 1 Pinnacles Trail / Boot Springs / Laguna Meadows
Today was the day for the big effort, a nine-mile hike into the upper reaches of the Chisos Mountains, in search of upland species and grand vistas. This hike is very demanding, so several of our group opted instead to relax in the Basin and hike the shorter trails that radiate from the lodge. Three intrepid hikers––Jane, Carla and Narca––set out early through pine-oak-juniper woodland. Gradually, the spires of the Pinnacles grew closer. Many dozens of Blue-gray Gnatcatchers were passing through, and soon their calls were exceedingly familiar. Mexican Jays, Scott’s Orioles, Black-headed Grosbeaks, Black-crested Titmice, Hepatic Tanagers, Rufous-crowned Sparrows and Hermit Thrushes foraged along the trail. Shining Violet-green Swallows rode the wind and perched on nearby snags. We heard a Colima Warbler––a real regional specialty––but the increasingly high winds worked against our seeing it. Even Boot Springs was bone-dry this year, although the moist woodland and tall cypress around the spring attracted a host of migrant Townsend’s, Wilson’s, and Yellow-rumped Warblers. A Cordilleran Flycatcher graced the Arizona Cypress. Arizona Sister butterflies flitted among the dry oaks, waiting for their host plant to grow new leaves. High up the Colima Trail, the rarest bird of the trip appeared––a Greater Pewee, quite a good find in Texas. A pair of Zone-tailed Hawks courted around the high spires. Carla spotted a glowing Tropical Leafwing, a beautiful butterfly that barely enters the States. As we descended the long trail back, we were already plotting a return––in a wetter year! Back at the edge of the lodge grounds, an exquisite male Black-chinned Sparrow emerged from a shrub in a fitting finale. Tonight, after dark, our astronomer Mary located Mercury in the evening sky. Here, high in the Chisos and away from any light pollution, the night skies are magnificent.

Fri., May 2 Blue Creek / Burro Mesa Pouroff / Cottonwood Campground / Castolon / Santa Elena Canyon / Old Maverick Road to Terlingua
Our last full day in Big Bend, we explored the west side of the park, starting with a foray into Blue Creek Canyon. Desert Willows were draped in large purple flowers, and in this dry year their scant nectar was attracting hummingbirds. The most exciting was a subadult male Lucifer Hummingbird, buzzing about ferociously, but pausing long enough for everyone to enjoy. Upcanyon, Narca heard a Gray Vireo begin to sing, and soon everyone had studied him in the scope as he worked the hillside shrubs. Continuing south, we pulled into the impressive formation of the Burro Mesa Pouroff, where high, colorful cliffs channel runoff through a narrow slit in the rock. The arroyo is lined with tall shrubs. Here Marcia and Millie spotted the only male Varied Bunting of the trip, a beauty!

At Cottonwood Campground, we picnicked in shade beneath the big trees, where territorial Western Kingbirds drove away a rare Couch’s Kingbird––after we had all savored the rarity through the scope! We lingered here, catching up on our species lists and enjoying a siesta. Along a nearby fence, a constant stream of orioles, buntings and tanagers feasted on the berries of a small shrub. Male Painted Buntings and Western Tanagers glowed. A few Clay-colored Sparrows lingered. As the heat began to lift, we stopped at Castolon for ice cream and a look at the historic photos and buildings of this old farming community. The entrance to Santa Elena Canyon was now shaded, and we hiked into the mouth of this tremendous canyon, carved by the ancestral Rio Grande, which became entrenched as the land uplifted and shifted along the Terlingua Fault. Today the limestone walls of Santa Elena soar 1500 feet above the river, and the skies are the playground of White-throated Swifts and Zone-tailed Hawks. We hiked to a grand overlook, and enjoyed the chitter of swifts and the flashing white tail bands of a Zone-tail, before  venturing onto the Old Maverick Road to Terlingua. Spindly Ocotillo limbs sported the fading flags of old blooms, testimony of a past rain. From a vantage point where we could see Terlingua Creek, Narca spotted a group of Javelina crossing the water and pausing to drink. A Loggerhead Shrike flashed past, stopping in a shrub to study us.

In Terlingua, the old Starlight Theater Cafe was the epitome of local color, and we enjoyed an evening of delicious food, music, and animated conversation. After a group photo at the entrance, we returned to our mountain lodge, watching for night life. A Lesser Nighthawk started up. Jackrabbits and Desert Cottontails emerged in the dusk, and another band of Javelina ambled past.

Sat., May 3 Sam Nail Ranch / Marfa and the Chinati Foundation of Modern Art
Winds today were especially ferocious––it has been a spring of much wind in the Southwest! We walked the short trail into Sam Nail Ranch, hoping for another Varied Bunting or an interesting migrant, but this usually-dependable oasis had also succumbed to the drought and was bone-dry. Rather than battle the wind, we decided that our time was better spent in Marfa. En route, migrant Swainson’s Hawks and Eastern Meadowlarks brightened the road. We relished a topnotch lunch in a historic house-turned-cafe, tucked away on a back road in Marfa.

David had expressed a particular interest in the Chinati Foundation of Modern Art, founded by Donald Judd in this remote West Texas town, and we were all curious to see it. The site was formerly Fort Russell and housed German prisoners of war during WW2. Before the tour, we birded the grounds, where Jane was elated to spot a Zone-tailed Hawk––and to see it very well indeed! The foundation tour focused on the works of several artists, among them Dan Flavin, who worked with colored fluorescent lights and whose work Gloria had seen and appreciated in Washington DC. The large-scale, minimalist installations fit perfectly with the vast and minimalist landscape, where Pronghorn wandered between the old barracks buildings. We found some of the art very appealing, and some not, though it was all interesting. Carla was inspired to return home take up a brush!

Our immersion in western history and culture continued with our lodging at the restored Paisano Hotel, a National Historic Landmark which, in its illustrious past, hosted the cast for Giant––Elizabeth Taylor, James Dean and Rock Hudson. After a wonderful farewell dinner at nearby Maiya’s Restaurant, we returned to the Paisano to find an anniversary party underway and our friend Carol Edwards, from the Davis Mountains, attending and ready to dance.

Sun., May 4 Return to El Paso and home
Anticipating the late breakfast hours of local restaurants, yesterday we had gathered our morning vittles, so that we could all have a light breakfast in our rooms before today’s departure. The bright West Texas sun flooded the Chihuahuan Desert as we left Marfa, and before long we were entering the El Paso Valley, where the distant Rio Grande was fringed by agricultural fields and orchards. Our return was smooth, punctuated by the occasional Chihuahuan Raven or circling Red-tail. We arrived at the El Paso airport in plenty of time for check-in and a final meal of enchiladas or chili rellenos, all of us reminiscing about courting roadrunners and Elf Owls at dusk––and all of us eager for the next adventure! 

 

Photo Credits:
Group at Starlight (2) Ft. Davis and Cacti at Boot Springs, Narca Moore Craig; Narca by Alan Craig; others by Peg Abbott

 

Close This Window