36 hours and counting

I only had six people for the bird tour this morning, and the winds were howling.  That's not a good thing.  We took more than the three allocated hours for the tour, but with patience were successful in seeing both endangered species.  What a great way to end my assignment here.

G & M commented on yesterday's post that she would like to see a picture of the area where I had the passenger's seat removed.  So, here it is.  The bottom two three drawer plastic units fit snugly into the space.  I hook bungee cords across the drawer fronts when traveling (I learned that the hard way  :) )  The smaller set of drawers sets on the floor with the drawer fronts braced against the back of the booth seat on the right.  That drawer space is a lot more useful to me than a passenger's seat.  I've made good use of the rechargeable lantern when the power has gone out after dark in my travels.  It also is put on the floor when traveling.  When we're not moving, Emma likes to perch on the dashboard and gaze out the window for rabbits, (on the left) so I got some indoor/outdoor carpet from Lowe's, and cut it to fit the dash area.  Besides protecting the dash, it also keeps most of the hair she sheds out of the windshield vents.

Perhaps you remember this picture of the Blue Bonnets that I posted a couple of weeks ago. (remember to double click if you want a larger picture)

Well, I was back to the same place a couple of days ago, and this is what it looks like now.  No more Blue Bonnets, but the blooms continue.

It's just a parade of changing colors here in the Texas Hill Country.

Thank you, Lady Bird Johnson!

Every drive down FM 1431 is a delight for the eyes!

I'm so happy I returned this spring to see this magnificent display!

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

Songbird Festival - Day 2

It was my turn to lead the "Endangered Ones Tour" this morning, and the pressure was on!  We headed for the Russel tract first.  I wanted to find the black-capped vireo first, since it can be the hardest to see.  I decided to lead the group right down the middle of the road since I knew a male had a territory that straddled both sides of the road.  Within five minutes, I found a singing male, and unbelievably, he hopped into plain view numerous times so everyone got excellent views of him, and many folks even got pictures!  What a treat for them!  That sure put everyone in a very good mood.

We didn't have such an easy time finding the golden-cheeked warbler, but eventually we coaxed a singing male into view.  The views of that bird lasted about ten minutes!  What a relief that was for me.  A totally successful tour with 90 minutes left to spare!  We actually returned to headquarters a little early, and everyone had smiles on their faces.  :)

I went back to the rig to grab a little lunch before returning.  This afternoon was the free family day at the refuge.

There were all kinds of things for kids to do, like building a birdhouse...

make a wind chime...

or become a junior fire fighter!  Those were just a few of the many things for youngsters to do today.

This is Karen Kilfeather, the professional photographer that I've mentioned before.  She was displaying some of her outstanding wildlife photos.  If I had a sticks 'n bricks, I'd sure want some of her photos hanging on my walls.

A couple of times throughout the afternoon, there was the Last Chance Forever Raptor Show.

Last Chance Forever is a non-profit organization that takes in injured raptors.  The first bird in the program was a Harris' Hawk.  This bird was able to fly, so the speaker sent him on his way...

flying to his partner.

The bird flew right over the heads of the crowd.  That lady in the tan shirt in the middle of the crowd is Deborah Holle, the refuge manager.

Then the hawk flew back to the speaker's hand.  It was quite a show.

Afterwards, they brought the barn owl up to the registration area so the folks manning the booths had a chance to at least see one of the raptors.

Just before 4:00, I headed back to the rig to check on the pork roast I had simmering in the crock pot.  I put it in the pot this morning before I left to lead the tour, and slow cooked it all day.  I had invited fellow volunteers, John and Lynne, to dinner tonight.  They will be pulling out at dawn tomorrow and I wanted to thank them for helping me with my radiator hose problems and for sewing the new seats on my camp stools.  I served pulled pork with Russel's BBQ sauce (from Chicago) on fresh buns with potato salad, noodle salad, and creamed cucumbers.  We were able to eat outside at the picnic table, and it was very tasty, if I do say so myself.  :)  They have been a great couple to volunteer with, and are very talented.

Well, I've got one more Endangered Ones Tour tomorrow morning, and then I'm going to collapse for a few days while I start packing up to hit the road myself.  The festival is always a very busy three days for the staff and volunteers here, but lots of fun as well.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

Balcones Canyonlands NWR Songbird Festival

I didn't get much sleep last night.  :( The predicted storms began to roll through the area in the late evening.  Shortly after midnight, the rig began to rock and roll, and rain and light hail began to fall.  I got up and retracted the slides after moving things around so I could do so.  Storms rolled through all night.  When I looked out my window in the morning, the tree with my bird feeders in it was bent way over.  The tube with the seeds in it was only a couple of inches off the ground!  So now that tree grows horizontally instead of vertically.  The birds, however, were undeterred by this occurrence and were back feeding as soon as the sun rose.

The skies had cleared by dawn, so the early bird tours went out on schedule and had a good morning.  By the afternoon, the temps had risen along with the wind.  I co-led an afternoon tour on the breeding birds of Balcones.  I was able to show the participants nests of blue-grey gnatcatchers, barn swallows, Eastern phoebes, the hummingbirds, and a black vulture.  As those of you that are birders know, the middle of the afternoon is not the best time to go birdwatching....they're all taking their siestas!  We had a good group to work with, and I think everyone enjoyed themselves.  That's what's important.  I was pretty worn out by the time the tour ended and we returned to headquarters around 5:30.

There won't be many picks from this weekend as I'll be busy insuring that the participants enjoy their tours.  I'll be heading out early tomorrow morning to lead the only "Endangered Ones Tour" of the day.  Then in the afternoon, we have a big free program for families.  It will be a very busy day!

I need to just chill this evening so I'll be ready for tomorrow.  I'm sure glad Emma is at the kennel for the weekend.  She would just be raring to go, and my energy level is low right now.  :)

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

A walk in the rain

I awoke to the calls of the Chuck-Will's-Widows.  These birds are nocturnal insect eaters with large flat heads, small bills, and enormous mouths.  They catch insects on the wing, and their name comes from the call they make.  They have just arrived in the last two nights, and were calling from everywhere around the rig.  Since I set the alarm for six, I took Emma out in the dark and we were surrounded by their loud calling.  We were also pretty wet by the time we returned to the rig as clouds and light rain moved in overnight.

Everyone showed up for the bird tour this morning despite the overcast and wet conditions.  I took the folks to the Victoria tract, but we got skunked!  There wasn't one golden-cheeked even singing in the murky conditions.  Okay, so we drove the 25 miles or so to the Russel tract, and after using up almost all of our time, I finally found a black-capped vireo, and everyone was able to get a look at it.  :)  Phew!  I didn't want to end the trip totally skunked, so I was relieved that this bird cooperated.  The folks today were a happy group and especially friendly.  It made for an enjoyable morning.

Emma and I spent most of the afternoon and evening indoors since there seems to be a constant drizzle out doors.  More rain and possible T-storms are forecast for tomorrow as well.  I have several errands to run in Cedar Park tomorrow, so I won't be bothered much by the weather.  I just hope it clears out of here for the festival over the weekend.

I did start my "getting ready to move on" lists today.  I've got about eight days to get everything accomplished so it won't be overwhelming if I work on it a little at a time.  My most dreaded chore is checking the air pressure in the tires.  I have an air compressor, but it is really heavy for me to move around.  I also struggle with the pressure gauge.  I just can't seem to get it seated properly on the tire valves to get an accurate reading without numerous tries.  Ugh!  I guess that's the only thing that I really hate about this lifestyle.  I wish there was some one else to do that chore.  :(

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

I've been counted!

Just as scheduled, the worker from the Census Bureau showed up at 9:00 this morning to count about four people that are living on the refuge.  I was first.  What a sour puss young lady she was!  I made the mistake of asking her how she liked her job.  She "counts" folks that are in group homes, nursing homes, homeless, and those of us presently living on the refuge.  She went into a tirade of how she felt this is such a colossal waste of the tax payer's money to seek out such people to just boost the economy.  I'm thinking it rather boosted her economy by providing her with a job.  I have a friend, Susan, in Minnesota, that I think is doing the same job, and I'm sure she wouldn't be so negative about it.  Sheesh!

Anyway, since I guess I'm an indigent (my home just happens to have wheels), I got to fill out the short form.  There were only 7 questions: Name, birth date, sex, race, home address, etc.  No more questions about whether or not I had a TV or computer.  It only took a couple of minutes.  I claimed South Dakota as my residence rather than Texas, even though I was in Texas on April 1.  Texas is huge and has enough people to claim residency.  Enough of that....

Once I was done with that rather unpleasant experience, I did some more Xeroxing for Rob.  Then I headed out to go to the Victoria Tract to see if it was better for finding golden-cheeked warblers for my tours.  Of course, I got a little lost and took the wrong path.  I don't understand why this always seems to happen to me.  :(  However, it was an enjoyable walk and I did find some warblers. 

My time was limited since I had to be in Jonestown by 11:30 for the thank you luncheon for John, Lynne, and myself.  We will all be finishing our volunteer stint here in the near future.  Deborah, the refuge manager, picks up the tab for our lunch, and we are recognized for our contributions.  It's a nice gesture that the folks in a couple of other refuges could learn from.  :)  It doesn't take too much to make us happy, and recognition for our work is the best way to do it!

Back at the ranch, Emma and I relaxed outside for the early evening.  I'll be setting my alarm again tonight for an early wake up for tomorrow's bird tour.  I'm going to take the folks to the Victoria Tract and hope not to get lost again.  :)

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

Wet and dreary

Only one person didn't show up for the bird tour this morning even though the forecast was for a 90% chance of rain and thunderstorms.  We experienced a little moisture, but mostly is was just dreary.  We had a good tour and most folks were able to see the black-capped vireo. 

It did get rainier in the afternoon, so I headed to Cedar Park for some groceries and dog food.  About half way there, I noticed that I had forgotten my wallet.  Ugh!  I had to travel back through the hills and start over again.  I can't believe I did that.  :(  It looks like Emma and I will be spending the evening indoors, as the rain is persisting.

Yesterday, on my way back from checking out the hummingbird nest, I stopped along FM 1431 for some more pictures of the blue bonnets and other wildflowers.  It seems that half the country drives this two lane road on the weekends to see the flowers, so I thought it would be a little safer on a Wednesday. These blooms will be gone soon, so I wanted to appreciate them now.  I hope you enjoy them as well.  :)

I chose to stop at a spot that I think has the most beautiful display on a little hill between here and the Doeskin Ranch turn off.  It's also about the only place you have room to pull off on this stretch of curvy, hilly road.

The new header picture that I have at the top of the blog...

also came from this absolutely gorgeous spot.  :)

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

Birds, bees, flowers, and stools

Eleven people showed up for the bird tour this morning.  That's a pretty nice sized group.  We headed out for the new location I had scoped out yesterday.  The bird life wasn't as abundant this morning, but we did try to chase down several golden-cheeked warblers that we heard.  We didn't actually get to see one, but they are there.

Then it was on to the Russel tract for the vireo.  We covered a lot of territory without hearing a thing.  As we returned to the vehicles, the clouds dissipated, the sun came out, and I decided to give the fence line one more try, and sure enough, we found two vireos bouncing around in the brush.  They made appearances often enough that everyone got a good sighting of the bird.  I can't tell you how that improves the attitude of the group.  :)  Everyone was as happy as a clam!  Another successful tour!

This afternoon, I took Emma out for a run and found many more wildflowers up in the hills to photograph, so here goes....

The flowers are so abundant this year that it's hard to walk without stepping on them.

Most of these flowers are less than an inch across.  Such variety....

Even the prickly pear cactus are getting in the swing of things.

I promised birds and bees.  :)

While I was gone on the bird tour this morning, Lynne whipped up the new seat covers for my camp stools.

So, this is what they look like now...new covers and a paint job.  Now they're ready for another twelve years.  :)  Thanks Lynne!!!

I'm ready for a couple days off.  The weather is supposed to deteriorate, but I'm hoping for some sun in the next couple of days so I can go enjoy the blue bonnets some more before they're gone for another year.

Thanks for stopping by.... talk to you later,  Judy

Busy day

I headed out this morning to check out another location on the refuge for finding the golden-cheeked warbler.  The tract was easy to find, but getting the gate open was definitely a challenge.  I have a key for the lock, but then it was a real struggle to lift and pull the gate open enough to get the vehicle through.  :(  Eventually, I drove up a hill and parked the Suburban about 100 yards up the road, next to a pond.

As I jumped out of the vehicle, I noticed a black vulture perched on a dead branch, and he also noticed me.

Apparently, I had disrupted his dozing while he waited for the air to warm, and thermals to begin.

He/she began to stretch and bask in the morning sun.

It wasn't long before he took wing.  As I headed up the rustic road on foot, I was accosted by myriad bird songs....cool!  Among them were the songs of a black and white warbler, white eyed vireo, blue gray gnat catcher, and, most importantly, a golden-cheeked warbler!  Aha!  This will be a good spot to go first thing in the morning tomorrow with my Saturday tour.  There are several men signed up for the tour, so it looks like I'll have some help available to battle the gate.  :)

After I got back to the rig, I headed to Lago Vista to run errands like grocery shopping, getting a hair cut, and purchasing some rustoleum (?) to repaint my little outside tables/camp stools.  Lynn stopped by before I left, and will be making the new seats for the stools from fabric that I picked up in Cedar Park earlier this week.  After she removed the old fabric, I was able to spray paint the frame early this evening.  I thought I would have to scrape and sand the metal frame, but apparently, John did that for me.  What a great couple they are!

Pam Goolsby sent me an email late last night with her pictures of the black-capped vireos that we found yesterday morning:

Here he is singing his heart out.

Then he was off to sing from another perch. I'm so pleased that the folks on the tour were able to experience these moments.  :)

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

Doing time...

I spent most of today working in the office.  That's not my favorite thing to do, but since Peggy and Caroline left, Rob is somewhat at loose ends (no shock there!).  I got quite a bit of the stuff assembled for the van packets for drivers for the Songbird Festival that is only two weeks away.  I also reorganized the education boxes for the insect program that were pretty well all mixed up from last Thursday's school presentation.  I put in my hours, so now the rest of the week I'll be doing things that are more enjoyable for me.

Tomorrow morning I'll get organized for my talk to the Burnet County Master Naturalists meeting in Oatmeal, TX.  Then on Thursday and Saturday I'll be doing the bird tours.  I won't have the van to use, however.  It left today for Atwater NWR.  They are borrowing it for their Atwater Prairie Chicken Festival this coming weekend.  Next week, they'll drive it back along with one of their vans that we'll borrow for our upcoming Songbird Festival. 

I'll be driving an old Suburban for the bird tours, and will probably have some people drive their own cars since there is not as much seating in the Suburban.  It should be interesting.  :)  I'm hoping we'll be luckier than the past tours.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

Spring fever (a tale of two birds) :)

Picture this.....last week, a couple of male lark sparrows began visiting and enjoying the seeds I cast on the ground each night for ground feeders (birds that don't like using a feeder).  Enter spring, with warm temperatures and abundant sunshine.  You know that old saying about spring turning a young man's heart to fancy?  Well, soon these males began feeling the spring fever and singing their hearts out.  The result...

...they soon began appearing in close knit pairs.  That's fine until...

...two pairs decide to show up at the same time!  (notice how the bird in front has his hackles raised?)

It wasn't long before the two males prepared for action.

Both prepared for a showdown....(dun dun dun dah! dramatic music, please)

They squabbled; screeching at each other as they both rose into the air together.  Then, they went their separate ways with their ladies.  Wouldn't it be great if mankind could take a lesson from these guys?  (pardon the anthropomorphism here).

Okay, back to reality....we got skunked on the bird tour this morning in finding either of the endangered species.  :(  We did have an enjoyable morning, though, and did see some interesting birds.  On the Russel tract, we spooked a great horned owl, found a black vulture nest, and actually found two black chinned hummingbird nests!  One was last year's nest, but the other was busily being worked on by a female hummer.  It is amazing how these nests blend into the oak branches they were built on.  I will try to get some pics next week  so you can see.  We didn't find any vireos on the tract, though.

As we arrived at the area to search for golden cheeked warblers, we were greeted by a nice kettle of Swainson's hawks just beginning their circular ride on the morning thermals up into the sky.  There were nine hawks in that kettle.  It was an unexpected treat to watch them so closely.  However, there was not one warbler singing in the area this morning.  That was a bummer!  I sure hope things improve for the remainder of the tours.  I'll be scouting for better locations next week, for sure!

I hope you all (that's northern for the Texas y'all  :)) have an enjoyable Easter Sunday.

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy

Blowin' in the wind

Holy Mackerel it's been a windy couple of days!  That doesn't make for good birding, so it certainly had an effect on my first bird tour this morning.  Six hardy souls showed up, and we headed to the Russel tract to try to find the black capped vireo.  We were not successful.  Nothing was moving or singing.  We did chase up the black vulture that seems to reside in a clump of brush.

So, then it was on to the Flying X to look for golden cheeked warblers.  As I led the group into the woods, we heard a male singing and I was able to catch a quick look at the bird, but no one else saw it.  :(  Oh well, as one of the participants said, "Any day out birding is better than being inside."  So we were almost 50% successful.  Hopefully the wind will die down by Saturday.

On our hike this afternoon, Emma and I enjoyed the many wildflowers that are blooming in our "back yard."

I hope you enjoy them also.

This is the best wildflower bloom that this area has seen in years.

What a variety of colors....

and shapes...

Okay, Google blogger is doing strange things again tonight.  (maybe that's because it's called Topeka today :))

Thanks for stopping by....talk to you later,  Judy