Birding the Hills October 6-10

Sunday, October 6

STILLWATER, OK to FREDERICKSBURG, TX

I picked up Deb at 7:00 am and we drove straight through from Stillwater to Fredericksburg, Texas. We got to F’burg at about 4:30 stopping for lunch at an Olive Garden on a frontage road. Deb works at Stillwater’s Olive Garden so paid for our meals which were discounted. She talked for a bit with the manager and they found that they had a mutual acquaintance, a man who now works in the Stillwater Olive Garden but who was trained by the manager of the one we were in.

As with our trips to Texas for birding in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and last spring for Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s Birding the Border, we stopped at Johnson Park in Marble Falls. Our third time to stop here and take photos. On our first stop, on the way to the Lower Rio Grande Valley Deb shot the great photo of the Great Horned Owl chick here.  We looked for its nest cavity this time but found it empty. 

We stopped at the park again last spring just after Easter on our way to Birding the Border. The park was reinventing itself then after a major flood of October 16, 2018 which saw the Llano River crest at 40 feet above flood stage (Internet photo below). Repair of flood damage was still underway with areas of the park off limits. Portions of a house still hung precariously from the cliffs across the river.

Egyptian Geese; c Deb Hirt

During our spring visit, there were many black vultures pecking around in the confetti from Easter cascarones. I am unsure what these vultures were looking for—bits of real egg? Nonetheless, last spring and this time, Deb photographed some Egyptian geese and mergansers. The geese we had seen in the spring were young and they had matured to juveniles in the interim. It was 97F and very hot when away from the car's air-conditioning, so we did not stay long in the park. Also, not much else but reconstruction was going on at the park which is about 35 miles north of Fredericksburg.

A little about Fredericksburg from the Internet:

“Fredericksburg, Texas, dates back to its founding in 1846. It was named after Prince Frederick of Prussia, and was founded by German immigrants under the Society for the Protection of German Immigrants in Texas. John O. Meusebach chose the location for the second of the Society's colonies four miles north of the Pedernales River in a valley situated between two creeks, which are now known as Barons Creek and Town Creek, and surrounded by seven hills. Fredericksburg is notable as the home of Texas German, a dialect spoken by the first generations of German settlers who initially refused to learn English. Fredericksburg shares many cultural characteristics with New Braunfels, another German Texas city that was established by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfel the previous year.”

We had reserved at the Peach Tree Inn Saturday through Thursday night and we added Sunday, a sixth night, because we had driven straight down. 

After getting settled in our room, which had hardwood floors (big improvement over ratty, smelly wall-to-wall) and high, comfortable beds, we washed up and then asked at the front desk about a good place to eat. We were told “Anywhere on Main Street, but be aware that everything closes at 9:00 pm.” 

We found this to be true. Fredericksburg rolls up its streets at 9:00 PM at which time all of its shops and several of its restaurants close. We happened to arrive as Octoberfest was in full swing, the Main Street awash with cars, pickups, and people. Cars and pickups were parked nose in, and their “tails” effectively reduced the four-lane street to the two inside lanes. We ended up in this German city eating at a Chinese restaurant. Both of us wanted to get to the German Bakery on Main Street (below) but kept getting diverted by late evenings and the need to sleep and prepare for the next day.

Monday, October 7

ENCHANTED ROCK STATE NATURAL AREA

This morning—before the 5:00 pm check-in for our Birding the Hills birding tour—Deb and I drove to Enchanted Rock State Natural Area, located on the Llano Uplift, arriving about 8:10 am. It was cool and windy this day a big contrast to the preceding 97ºF day.

Texas Bull Nettle            Horned Bladderwort

Though the Internet told us that the area opened at 8:00, it did not open until 8:30 this Monday. Several others had arrived early, too, so we talked with them. Though we all could have registered and paid our $7 entry fee in a self-pay box, none of us had the correct change. One couple was hunting for and cataloging plants, including, I think, horned bladderwort. I took the photo left of a white-flowered plant that I thought might be horned bladderwort, but horned bladderwort is yellow and definitely has a “horn.” iNaturalist helped me identify the very thorny white-flowered plant as Texas Bull Nettle (Cnidoscolus texanus). I am glad that I did not come in contact with it. “The main stem, branches, and leaves are all covered with ‘hispid‘ or glass-like bristly hairs that release an allergenic toxin upon contact. Exposure to the plant by contact results in intense pain, burning, and itching and, if not treated promptly, can cause problems ranging from skin infection to allergic reaction.”

Quite a few people were there for the hike to the top of Enchanted Rock, a 425-foot pink granite batholith or, more simply, a great mound of pink granite. 

Internet photo of Enchanted Rock

Internet photo of people hiking to the top of Enchanted Rock

Wikipedia has this to say about Enchanted Rock:  "Folklore of local Tonkawa, Apache, and Comanche tribes ascribes magical and spiritual powers to the rock (hence the name 'Enchanted Rock'). While attempting to hide from Anglo settlers in the area, the natives would hide on the top two tiers of the rock, where they were invisible from the ground below. The first European visited the rock in 1536. The Tonkawa, who inhabited the area in the 16th century, believed that ghost fires flickered at the top of the dome. In particular they heard unexplained creaking and groaning, which geologists attribute to the rock's night-time contraction after being heated by the sun during the day. The name "Enchanted Rock" derives from Spanish and Anglo-Texan interpretations of such legends and related folklore; the name "Crying Rock" has also been given to the formation. A plaque formerly embedded in Enchanted Rock near the top, but now removed to a kiosk below, reads: “From its summit in 1841, Captain John C. Hayes, while surrounded by Comanche Indians who cut him off from his ranging company, repulsed the whole band and inflicted upon them such heavy losses that they fled. — Marked by the State of Texas 1936”

We took a photo of one of these couples and they us before the Enchanted Rock dome. Pretty chipmunk-cheeked and ugly of me but good of Deb.

We spent the morning at Enchanted Rock, walking several trails and taking pix of the ball moss in the trees, persimmon bushes, cactus, rock slide area, etc.

Persimmon

Littlebell (Ipomoea triloba)

Close up of blooming ball moss, its long stemmed tan flowers looking alien

A heart-shaped not very prickly prickly pear, but don't be fooled. Its glochids,
the  tiny, hair-like, barbed spines (brown clusters in this photo) that
appear to be fuzzy are much more devilish than its thorns

Another prickly pear cactus with many peach colored tunas per paddle

Texas Buckeye Tree festooned with its seedpods and ball moss

Texas buckeye seedpods

Canyon Wren; c Deb Hirt

While Deb was trying to call out several birds, I tried to get her attention on a Canyon Wren that was bathing behind her in a water-filled depression atop one of the pieces of pink granite rock. It would have made a great photo. Though she missed a shot of it here, on Thursday, she got the photo (left) of a Canyon Wren at the Field's Ranch.

We birded the Interpretative Trail, then birded the Frontside Trail along a dry riverbed to its intersection with the Loop Trail back to our car.We were eager to see what bird life was near or on the Frog Pond our map showed at the intersection of these trails.When we finally got to Frog Pond we had to laugh. There was no water. There were no frogs. There were no birds. The pond had evaporated and turned into a slimy mud hole. We laughed harder when we saw a sign that said "Swimming Prohibited."

The dry riverbed

We weren't even tempted

After slowly birding nearly 3.4 miles on the trails, we settled at a picnic table near the parking lot and ate our lunch. How do I know we walked precisely 3.4 miles and 7,664 steps? Cell phone app again that records my daily activity, heart rate, etc.

REGISTRATION FOR BIRDING THE HILLS

After lunch we left Enchanted Rock Natural Area and got back to the room about 2:30. Back at the Peach Tree, we each did a bit of computer work. Then we cleaned up and drove to the Gillespie Ag Extension office seven minutes away where we registered. While the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension’s “Birding the Border” event drew seventeen birders, this Birding the Hills event drew only four: three of us—me, Deb Hirt, and Susan Himes, a Texas Master Naturalist from Marble Falls—had been on the Birding the Border tour and were returnees. We three were joined by Mickie, a young woman from the Netherlands who had married a Mexican and was at the time living in Chihuahua, Mexico, but working in the States. Two others, a woman named Dawn and a man named Patrick, joined us for a half-day of birding, each on a different day.

Because of the small number of paying birders ($850 for the tour) we had to pay our room ($305 each) unlike the spring tour when it was provided. Also since there were only ten or eleven of us on any given day, including the six or seven staff members, lunch was catered in the field but dinner was enjoyed in a restaurant.

Our program leaders for this trip, Brad Roeder, Gillespie County Extension Agent; Emily Grant, Val Verde County AgriLife Extension Agent; and Dr. Maureen Frank, Assistant Professor & Extension Wildlife Specialist for Texas AgriLife’s Wildlife and Fisheries Department welcomed us. The two women had been our program leaders on the Birding the Borders tour. We were also introduced to Bryan Calk, our professional bird guide who lived in Albuquerque, NM. And, finally, we were glad to see Terry Hibbitts, a man who knows the names of countless plants, amphibians, dragonflies and damselflies and Connie Hoke, a Texas Master Naturalist. Both had been our guides on the BtB tour. Connie helped me get on the inaturalist app--no doubt so that I wouldn't be pestering Terry about the names of things so often. Just kidding. By my count there were six or seven staff helping us four participants see the birds, get to birding locations, and eat meals each day.

L to R: Deb Hirt, Terry Hibbitts, Mickie, Connie Hoke, Bryan Calk, Susan Himes, Susan Walker,
Brad Roeder, Maureen Frank, Emily Grant

Speaking of meals, soon after we registered, we were taken to Pasta Bella, an Italian restaurant in Fredericksburg, for dinner. We sat at a long table in a back room full of cycling pix and bicycles. I surmised that this was where the local bike club met. Either that or the owner was an avid cyclist.

We all introduced ourselves and got a little acquainted, but the room was noisy and with fans whirring and noise from the restaurant, it was difficult to hear the other end of the table, despite my new hearing aids. Romey Swanson (not pictured below), Director of Conservation Strategy, Audubon Texas (not a chapter), introduced himself. He was to take us on a tour of Hershey Ranch the next day. I had chicken marsala with walnuts, first ever and it was delicious. I’m going to try it for Jeff. 

L to R: Bryan Calk, Emily Grant, Brad Roeder's wife in yellow (forget name), Brad Roeder, Deb Hirt, Susan Walker (moi daahlinks), Staff member who joined us for two meals, Mickie ?, Connie Hoke, Sue Himes, Terry Hibbitts, Maureen Frank taking photo

Tues, October 8

HERSHEY RANCH

Because the Hershey Ranch was some distance away, we left the Gillespie County Extension Office at 6:30 in two expeditions for a day of birding first at Hershey Ranch where we had lunch and then at Boot Ranch where we enjoyed dinner. While breakfast was not provided we enjoyed bananas, apples, fig and oat bar snacks on the way to the ranches.  

On this first day of the tour, it was cool enough for a jacket until late morning. Yes!

With Romey Swanson of Audubon TX, as our ranch guide and Bryan Calk of Albuquerque our bird guide, we spent all morning at the Hershey Ranch and saw 47 species, including a group of wild turkeys, a beautiful wood duck, black-bellied whistling ducks, common ground doves, a covey of bobwhite quail, as well as house, Carolina, and Bewick's wrens; ground doves; a Hutton’s vireo—a first for me. The ranch was alive with sparrows. We got good looks at the six sparrow species below.                                         

We saw many turkeys and white-tailed deer also, but most interesting was a sharp shinned hawk that chased off a belted kingfisher and then got into it with a kestrel, the two duking it out in the sky for quite awhile. Each time one or the other landed, the other would swoop in for the attack. Definitely a territorial dispute.

Sharp Shinned ©Greg Lavity; Kestrel ©Вых Пыхманн

Lunch of tuna salad, chocolate chip cookies, crescent rolls, cuke and tomato salad, Ruffles chips, sweet tea, reg tea, and water--all served on the patio of the female ranch owner’s house (below). 

During lunch, Romy gave a program in which he explained the history of the Audubon Society; he also talked about how more than 95 percent of Texas land is privately owned. The state has more than 142 million acres of "private working lands" and leads the nation in land devoted to farms, ranches and forests. These working lands account for 83 percent of the state’s total land base and provide substantial economic, environmental and recreational resources that benefit the state’s population. Because so much of Texas land is privately owned, ranchers are certifying as sanctuaries and Audubon areas and some are raising exotic animals and profiting by charging hunting fees. Also because of the large percentage of privately owned land in Texas, companies with oil pipelines, electrical lines, and cell towers are “condemning “ parts of these vast ranches to install their equipment. The Hershey Ranch is fighting this process.

BOOT RANCH

After lunch we drove to Boot Ranch, which does not resemble a ranch in any way. The "ranch" contains a golf course, giant club house, huge expensive houses, two good sized “ponds” and acres of golf cart driveable trails. It advertises itself so: "Boot Ranch, a private club and family retreat firmly rooted in the authentic culture of the Texas Hill Country. Soul-stirring views of the seemingly endless horizon, fine homesteads that bespeak the honesty and tradition of family. Marked by generous luxury and legendary recreation, Boot Ranch provides renowned service amid the rustic beauty of ranch life."  

The house above as described by a realtor : Purchase of this property includes a $100K exclusive membership to Boot Ranch, with access to private golf and family amenities in a luxury community with homes ranging from $1.3M to $10M. The community boasts a lake club, swimming pools, fitness center, golf, fishing, private dining, the 55,000 sq ft Clubhouse Village, tennis, multi-sport courts, biking, trail systems, trap and skeet range and regular member activities.

Romantic view of Boot Ranch from advertising on the Net

This property was listed as "move-in ready new home with 3 guest suites, $1,795,000;" two-acre lots were selling for $825,000

One of the small ponds on Boot Ranch

We toured the property in a golf cart. Only the driver and front passenger faced front. The other two passengers (me included) faced back, making it difficult to see the birds, but when we stopped and got out, birding became easier. See below:

The golf carts that transported us around the property; that's Connie next to the one on the right

Ahh, shade provided by live oaks and a comfortable hammock from which to survey the tops of the trees for birds

Brad, catching a few z's at a playground, hanging bridge, dock, and fishing area on the property;
like me, he was worn out after his golf cart ride. Actually it was quite hot in the afternoon and
we all craved shade.

At Boot “Ranch” we spotted  three Mute Swans, Eastern bluebird, American pipit (right), grebe, American coot, great blue heron, and a red-tailed hawk  to name a few birds not seen at Hershey Ranch.

The photo below of the l-o-o-o-o-ng-horned cow and her babe is the only evidence I found that this was a ranch, but this longhorn was on the other side of a fence, so I’m not sure it was on the property. I saw no signs of a ranch house or barn ... but the place is big so maybe we did not see the working ranch end of things.

We were brought to the Boot Ranch because its golf course is a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” through the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses, an Audubon International program. To reach certification, a golf course must demonstrate that it maintains a high degree of environmental quality in a number of areas. These categories include Environmental Planning, Wildlife & Habitat Management, Outreach and Education, Chemical Use Reduction and Safety, Water Conservation, and Water Quality Management. Courses go through a re-certification process every three years.

That evening we ate dinner at Mamacita’s Restaurant in Fredericksburg .

Deb at Mamacita's before its wall of water

Deb and I were back at the Inn by a little after 7:00 pm. Deb was in bed and asleep shortly thereafter, but I took a warm, relaxing shower, worked on my computer notes for a bit, and then I too, fell into bed.

Wednesday October 9, 2019

BLOCK CREEK RANCH

We met this morning at Gillespie A&M Extension HDQ at 7:00 and were driven to Block Creek Ranch. The day was hot, the car registering 88ºF.

Located in Kendall County halfway between Comfort and Fredericksburg, Texas, Block Creek Ranch and Wildlife Sanctuary sits in the middle of several very large, old ranches. A large pond is a magnet for numerous species of birds and native wildlife. Block Creek and Elm Bottom Creek usually flow here year-round. Diverse vegetation provides habitat for many species of resident and migratory birds and wildlife.

Most flowers at this time of year had long since gone to seed, but this brave
 clump of Mexican Hat bloomed nicely at the edge of a walk by the pond

Block Creek Ranch was small—only 27 acres—but with a stream and waterfalls . . . during a normal season, but Texas had been in drought conditions for some time and the stream was dry.

The ranch owner was eagerly awaiting us and he took us on a tour of the property and then we birded the property but to no avail. We saw little that we hadn’t already seen . . . birdwise, but I did happen upon a soft-shelled turtle high up on a grassy bank. Terry, the flora, herp and odonata expert on this tour, picked the turtle up carefully as these soft-shelled turtles have a painful bite and can twist their long necks around and also scratch with their claws. After I’d taken the pix below, Terry carefully carried the turtle to a pool in the creek and released it.

Texas spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera emoryi )

Terry holding the turtle. Notice its long nose and the three claws on each foot

My internet sleuthing tells me that "the spiny softshell turtle (Apalone spinifera) is a species of softshell turtle, one of the largest freshwater turtle species in North America. Both the common name, spiny softshell, and the scientific name, spinifera (spine-bearing), refer to the spiny, cone-like projections on the leading edge of the carapace, which are not scales (scutes). These turtles are bimodal breathers, meaning that they have the ability, to some degree, to perform oxygen and carbon-dioxide exchange by breathing air or while breathing underwater." Internet pic left.

At the side door to this ranch house were two beautiful live oaks, artfully trimmed so that they would not branch over the house. There were also several walnut trees. The ranch house and guest houses at Block Creek Ranch were very beautiful in a big, Texas, oversized and overstated way.

Internet pix of black walnuts and on tree

Block Creek Ranch was certified as a wildlife property. These properties, more commonly referred to as “wildlife exemption” properties, allow a qualifying Texas landowner to have their property valued at the agricultural tax rate without traditional farming or ranching activities taking place on the property. Landowners with a wildlife exemption pay the same property taxes they paid when their property had only an agricultural tax exemption.

Since the Block Creek Ranch qualified as a wildlife management property, the owners were obliged to perform activities that benefited the Black-capped vireo, their target species, by following a wildlife management plan (providing supplemental water and food supplies, providing shelters; and making census counts to determine bird populations). Once a property qualifies as wildlife management land, the property owner protects its target species by practicing predator control. In this case it is the cowbird that predates black-capped vireo nests, so Block Creek Ranch had a cowbird cage.

Texas Parks and Wildlife: “Cowbird trapping is a valuable management tool available to private landowners in Texas who enjoy bountiful songbird populations and wish to contribute positively to songbird diversity. Private landowners from approximately 50 counties participate in the cowbird trapping program each year. Cowbird populations are concentrated in certain habitats that are more typical of some regions than of others. Trappers follow strict protocols to protect other bird species and ensure that harvested cowbirds are humanely dispatched. Since the initiation of cowbird trapping programs in Texas, studies at specific sites have documented reductions in parasitism rates on Black-capped Vireo nests from over 90 percent in the 1980's to less than 10 percent by 1999.” 

At the end of our visit, the owner, who runs the ranch mainly as a place for bird photographers and birders and has set up several blinds and feeders, took us to what appeared to be a cold cellar in which he had set up a mini-theater. Here, he narrated a slideshow of wonderful photographs of birds and wildlife taken on his property and from some of the blinds.

We were served a lovely lunch on a long table before a chuck wagon: chicken salad in red and orange sweet pepper halves, turkey wraps, sliced turkey, and plenty of chips and raw veggies with hummus. Sweet tea or regular tea as well as ice water for a beverage. The table was set with cloth tablecloth, trenchers, cloth napkins, and flatware and was beautified with vases of flowers. I am sorry that I did not get a photo of the luncheon.

This is the chuck wagon set up for coffee on our cur arrival at the ranch.
We were served our lunch from it and sat at a table to the left in this pic

LESLIE RANCH

After lunch we drove a mere half mile to the Leslie Ranch, which we could actually see from the Block Creek Ranch down a hill and across a vast field in which we spotted a wild turkey..

At the ranch, owner Roy Leslie introduced himself as “a Hill Country land owner, a Master Naturalist, co-winner of the 2014 Lone Star Land Steward Award, Realtor, hunting guide and guide trainer, member of the Trinity University Biology Department's Animal Resource Committee, and sworn enemy of exotics and invasives.”  We were also introduced to Roy’s wife Jessica and his sister Patty Pasztor. All three were conservationists, he game management, his wife Jessica a naturalist and butterfly specialist, and his sister Patty and her husband, Greg Pasztor, naturalists.

Axis deer

The Leslie ranch is bordered by a high-fenced exotic farm.When Roy spoke about exotics (animals imported from abroad and farmed to be hunted by trophy hunters), he explained that though they are classified as livestock, exotic meat cannot be sold to the public because it has not been inspected. It can be eaten by the hunter and rancher, however, and given to friends, so when I asked about these rules and asked if we could taste some of the exotic meat he had cured, he brought out a plank with axis deer sausage and cheese on it.  We all tried some and deemed it delicious. Alas, under Texas law that forbids the sale of exotic meat, often only the head of these exotic trophy animals is kept to hang on a wall and many pounds of meat that could feed the hungry are wasted. I think a wild game inspection, butchery, and meat store would do a booming business.

Roy explained that axis deer, which escaped confinement in the 60s, outcompete whitetails. They have a different digestive system and can also eat grass, which white-tailed deer cannot. Managing ranch land means that these exotics must be killed to bring the balance back.

Texas game laws are confusing to me. Below are definitions gleaned from our talks and the Internet:

Tophy rancher—One who imports exotic animals and makes a profit by selling access to these animals and other wildlife, generally to hunters who want to hang the animal’s head on their trophy wall
Exotic animal—A member of a species of game not indigenous to Texas, including axis deer, nilgai antelope, or other cloven hoofed ruminant animals
Game animals—Indigenous wild animals that are hunted for food or recreational purposes
Livestock—Cattle, sheep, swine, goats, horses, mules, other equines, poultry, domestic rabbits, exotic animals, or domesticated game birds.
Bottom line—Meat and/or poultry products sold to the public, whether wholesale or retail, shall not be produced in a residence.

An Eastern screech owl with a better
 pic than mine of ball moss flowers; Internet.

After introductions and the sample exotic axis sausage, we birded along the fence line of this 240-acre ranch, spotting “the usual suspects” and hearing an eastern  screech owl but unable to discover the owl's location.

Underwing Moth

We also saw several butterflies that Jessica identified, and at one spot,
we discovered an underwing moth (right above). How we spotted this well-camouflaged moth on the side of a tree beats me. There are several species of underwing moth. Its underwings can be yellow or red as right. I do not know what color underwings our moth had as we did not disturb it.

We also found Agarita, a plant that we had been introduced to when Birding the Border with the A&M Extension. This bush with its red, edible berries has an unusual leaf (see below). 

Agarita bush; leaves below

Dinner that evening was at the Alamo Springs Cafe, a place that advertised "the best Hamburger in Texas!" It also featured 

Jefe's Challenge

Our famous cheeseburger with 6 beef patties, 6 slices of cheese and a large order of fries.
Challenge requires that you consume this monster in 30 minutes or less.

Remain at the table for 15 additional minutes 

and you get what you just ate for free!
Successful completion of the challenge gets you a free T-shirt and your picture prominently featured on the "Gluttons Wall-of-Fame"

 If you fail--$38.00

We all looked to Deb, who can eat a pound of cheese at a sitting and suffer no consequences, but she begged off. "Too much meat," this near-vegetarian declared. 

We ate al fresco under umbrellas in a walled tri-level patio. French fries and fried onion rings were ordered for the whole table and then we each ordered from the menu. I had a mushroom burger. It was hand-shaped and delicious. Again, fans were whirring noisily, people were talking, and the sun ignored our umbrellas so it was difficult to converse.
  

L to R: Terry's hands and phone, Connie, Emily, Brad, Maureen, and bird guide Bryan

Directly after dinner we walked about one tenth of a mile to Old Tunnel State Park, home to up to three million Mexican free-tailed bats and 1,000 to 3,000 cave myotis bats from May to October. Many had already migrated and it grew dark before any that were left in the tunnel flew out, so we did not see the bats leaving the cave on their nightly foraging flights.

Deb and I got back to the Peach Tree about 8:30. We saw several groups of white-tailed deer on the way home. See below, Deb's photo of same taken on another day.

White-tailed Deer; c Deb Hirt

Thursday, October 10th

FIELDS RANCH

The path to the ranch’s front door was lined with flowers that had attracted many queen and Gulf  fritillary butterflies. These butterflies were so busy sipping nectar that they were indifferent to my cell camera. I did not see any soldier butterflies (Danaus eresimus) which closely resemble queens but are not the same species.  They are marked like the Queen but are darker with darker veins. In Gulf fritillary butterflies the female is the darker veined of the two. Also the underwings of both male and female Gulf fritillary butterflies are candidates for a stained glass window, each having intricate silver splotches on a black, buff and orange background.

Queen (Danaus glippus) 

Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae)
 

Underwings of Gulf fritillary; unattributed Internet photo

We toured this ranch in the Extension's vehicles, led by the ranch owner. We saw few bird species not already seen but did pick up a juvenile verdin and a black-chinned sparrow. Adult verdins have a bright yellow head and crimson shoulder patches but the juveniles are small all gray birds. Not an LBB but a LGB.

Juvenile Verdin; c Jim Hully

Black-throated Sparrow; utahbirds.org

As we left the ranch house, we came upon a group of watusi cattle (Bos taurus).  The Internet tells me that "the Ankole-Watusi is a modern American breed of domestic cattle. It derives from the Ankole group of Sanga cattle breeds of central Africa. It is characterized by its huge horns." Watusi cattle can be hunted in Texas year round, and, according to one exotic ranch “ the best part is that their horns never stop growing!” Question: If this is a domestic animal—and the group we saw were hanging out like cattle and not bothered by our vehicle (see below)—how are they “hunted.” Seems like shooting fish in a barrel to me. Ox ranch hunting fees for watusi, range from $6,000 to $20,000 depending on horn size. Despite the horns being hollow, they must be a heavy burden to carry.

Watusi cattle; c Deb Hirt 

Most of what we saw on this ranch were exotic animals. At one point, a plains zebra (Equus quagga) ran out of the oak and mesquite and peered into our vehicle window. Then it quickly wheeled  and galloped back into the scrub. I couldn't stop laughing at this bizarre incident. It was completely unexpected. I have learned from my Internet sleuthing that there are no seasonal restrictions on hunting plains zebras in Texas, which “makes it a suitable trophy year round.” I’m gritting my teeth here. Seems like hunting a mustang to me. Ox Ranch, the largest trophy ranch in Texas, charges $5,500 to hunt a plains zebra.

Our Plains zebra; c Emily Grant

Obviously not all feel as I do about shooting zebra; c Peter Flack. 

Interested in the photo above? Go to Flack's website to read more about this trophy "hunter, writer, conservationist:" https://www.peterflack.co.za/

We got out of the vehicles and walked a bit. Looking at the cliffs to our right we spotted  three feral  black goats high on a ledge, two adults and a kid. It was while looking at them that we noticed a small group of aoudad (Ammotragus lervia) or barbary sheep. They regrouped and then we spotted them at quite some distance nimbly climbing the very edge of the cliffs, entering a crevice, and then appearing at the top. Were we in Africa? No we were in exotic Texas. These sheep, native to North Africa, were brought to Texas after WWII. They thrived in the rugged, West Texas mountains and now biologists estimate that there are more than 25,000 of the animals in the Lone Star state. Ox Ranch hunting fee: $4,500.

Here's a closer look at aoudad, prized by hunters for their curved horns; c Brad Hoelting

Aoudad climbing the cliffs to the top; c Deb Hirt

Next thing we knew, we were in Europe and seeing European Red deer (Cervus elaphus). Red deer (really elk) may be hunted year round in Texas. These deer "have a brown coat, with a red hue that becomes more pronounced in summer months. The stags' antlers are the species' most distinguishing feature. They are highly branched and the branches increase with age with multiple points on each antler." Ox Ranch red deer stag hunting fees range from $8,750 to $35,000.

Red Deer; c Luc Viatour

Suddenly a group of Scimitar-horned oryxes (Oryx dammah), emerged from the thickets. This oryx species may be extinct in the wild, but "Texas is home to a population of approximately 12,000 of these animals, as large a number of animals as ever existed in Africa. Presently the only populations left in Africa are on a wildlife sanctuary in Senegal. Unlike the straight horns of the other three oryxes in their genus, the scimitar-horned oryx has clearly decurved horns." At the sight of these animals, Deb leapt out of the car and despite her heavy camera raced up the dirt track to get a the shot of them. She was well rewarded as the animals stopped and looked at her curiously. 

Scimitar-horned Oryx; c Deb Hirt

 Oryx in one of Peter Flack's trophy rooms, the scimitar-horned oryx on the center pedestal; c Peter Flack 

Ostrich; c Deb Hirt--photo
taken of a distant subject

The Fields Ranch was also home to Ostriches (Struthio camelus)  These birds are advertised by Ox Ranch as “The world’s fastest and largest bird! Our ostrich hunts put you against an adversary that is capable of running up to 42 miles per hour, has razor-sharp talons, and is capable of splitting a man in two!” Ox ranch charges $4,000 to hunt an ostrich.

Presently on our Fields Ranch drive, we came upon Sika Deer (Cervus nippon), "native to much of east Asia and overabundant in Japan, these deer are disappearing rapidly from their native range due to habitat loss, but Sika were introduced to 77 counties of central and southern Texas in 1939, with free-ranging populations known from 12 of these counties.

Sika differ in coloring, though most are either light tan or a medium brown color. They may also feature white spots that don’t go away on maturity. Other sikas may be a darker color that is almost gray and may not have any spots at all. In spite of the color differences, DNA testing confirms that no matter the coloration, they are all Sika deer."  Females do not grow horns but male deer keep their horns as they mature. Ox Ranch charges $4,500 to hunt one.

Sika Deer; c Deb Hirt

The Fields Ranch also had many free-range fancy chickens. There were a couple by a fence that may have been Polish chickens, the kind with large head feathers that obscure their vision (right), and many were the feather footed kind like that left. I love to see the feather-footed chickens strut their stuff in their large, fancy  "slippers."

After our birding, which was more exotic animaling than birding, we birded in a caravan of cars around the ranch’s stock pond and to the top of a tall hill with a wonderful view and a tight turn-around at the pinnacle. Here the rancher had set up a functional but humorous picnic and rest area for viewing the valley below, the trees sporting fancy chandeliers. I had left my camera behind so you will have to use your imagination.

KLUSSMANN RANCH

That afternoon we visited the Klussmann Ranch, the last ranch on the birding tour. The ranch, owned by Dr. Wallace Klussmann and his wife Delores, is maintained for wildlife--especially white-tailed deer--and is supported by hunting fees from game hunters. Klussmann charges hunters $1,000 or up to $4,000 depending on length of stay and number of animals killed.

Klussman, a retired Texas A&M University faculty member with the Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences Department, who had served as department head for a period of time, was revered by all, including Terry Hibbitts, whose son had been one of Klussmann’s pupils.

We gathered outside at picnic tables and listened to Dr Klussmann ("just call me Mr. I'm not working anymore") describe his ranch and the Texas Youth Hunting Program (TYHP) which he, the Texas Wildlife Association and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department established in 1966 to "provide opportunities for youth to participate in hunting activities safely, legally, and ethically, while learning about the valuable role landowners and hunters play in wildlife conservation." 

While Dr. Klussmann was talking, Susan Himes, who was sitting near me, spotted a young rattlesnake at our feet. All immediately stood up . . . and began taking pix.

Young rattlesnake that was under our picnic table; c Bryan Calk

After our outside introduction, Mr. Klussmann took us inside the bunkhouse, which was outfitted to hold six or more hunters, I believe. Then we climbed into his jeep and he took us for a merry ride around the property, at one point taking us down a steep bank to a pond. The large catfish in the pond crowded into the shallows, believing it was feeding time.

On the way back to Fredericksburg, we stopped at a low-water bridge and Bryan called out a black-throated sparrow and a rufous-crowned sparrow.  Here we also found a ribbon snake (Thamnophis proximus rubrilineatus) much to Terry's, satisfaction.

That evening we gathered for our final dinner at the Navajo Grill in Fredricksburg. We ate outside on the patio near an artificial waterfall to which house sparrows came for a drink. During our meal, someone spotted a white-winged dove in the middle of the side street. Bryan dutifully added these birds to our ibird list which ended up with 61 bird species on it at the end of the tour though we managed despite poor weather to see five of our target birds (those in boldface): Pied -billed grebe, White-tailed kite, Swainson's hawk, Common ground dove, Rufous-crowned sparrow, Clay-colored sparrow, Pyrrhuloxia, Canyon wren, Canyon towhee. 

Friday, October 11
KERR WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA

We met this morning at 6:00 at the Gillespie County Extension Offices and were transported to the Kerr Wildlife Management Area. Since we had met so early, we stopped for coffee and ate breakfast of bars and fruit en route.

Here is how the Kerr Wildlife Management Area introduces itself on its website:

"The Kerr Wildlife Management Area is owned and operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. This area was selected as a land base for the Edwards Plateau ecological area to develop and manage wildlife habitats and populations of indigenous wildlife species, provide a site where research of wildlife populations and habitat can be conducted under controlled conditions, and to provide public hunting and appreciative use of wildlife in a manner compatible with the resource. The Area's primary mission is to function as a wildlife management, research, and demonstration site for trained personnel to conduct wildlife related studies and provide resultant information to resource managers, landowners, and other interested groups or individuals to acquaint them with proven practices in wildlife habitat management."

It was a bitter cold morning, temps hovering at or just below freezing, and we were scheduled to tour the area in the back of pick-up trucks sitting on hay bales. On this cold but brief tour, we were shown forest managed with great success for the black-capped vireo and golden-cheeked warbler. We also got a glimpse of the property, which is extensive and divided into research areas.

Unfortunately it also began to spit rain (sleet?) on our tour of the Area, so the tour was cut short when those of us freezing in the pickup beds could no longer tolerate the cold and wet or find shelter in the pickup cabs. I had no gloves and my head was protected only by my flimsy raincoat hood which kept blowing off. The general wind and the wind from the slow-moving pickup was a bear.

LUNCH AND PROGRAM 
So, we met in the warm KWMA conference center and ate a delicious hot lunch while listening to a researcher explain the Area's white-tailed deer management program, which program was basically to  produce a "product" as he called the male deer, with the biggest antlers and thus make them attractive for ranchers to improve their wildlife stock and thus attract more hunters and more revenue used to manage their properties as wildlife certified. 

The room was filled with horns and deer heads, plaques on every wall comparing antler size of generations of the research subjects. The largest rack adorned "Big Charlie," a prodigious deer head hung above the big fireplace, the horns of this stag's many offspring hung beside him.

PEDERNALES FALLS STATE PARK
Deb and I had already packed the car and checked out of our room at the Peachtree Inn, so after we got back to the Gillespie offices, we said goodbye to the group, were promised a bed in Susan's house in Marble Falls if we ever found ourselves in that area of Texas again, and immediately jumped into our car and headed for Pedernales Falls State Park. We were looking for Woodhouse's Scrub Jay, which we had failed to find on the A&M Extension Tour.

Here is the blurb from PFSP website illustrated with my photos: "Just 30 miles west of Austin, Pedernales Falls State Park is a 5,212-acre Hill Country paradise that is best known for the scenic overlook at its north end. Here, the river drops 50 feet in elevation over a distance of 3,000 feet, creating dramatic waterfalls over tilted, layered stair steps of limestone that date back 300 million years."

After perusing our maps, we hiked to and from the falls area.

Deb searching the trees on the trail to the falls

The sign in the foreground of the photo above reads: "WARNING: The Pedernales River running through the park can flash flood with little or no warning. The water in the river can rise from a placid stream to a raging torrent in a few minutes. If you are in the river area & notice the water beginning to rise you should leave the river area IMMEDIATELY." There are many You Tube videos of the river at flash flood stage.

People are forbidden to swim in the area shown in the photos but they can swim, tube, kayak and fish at other sections of the river.The park map told us that hiking and horseback riding were also popular, the park having trails ranging from the Twin Falls Nature Trail (an easy half-mile) to the Wolf Mountain Trail (a challenging six-miles). There are also 10 miles of rugged horse trails.

My leaflet also told us that "bird watching is another popular activity, as this park is home to more than 150 bird species, including ravens, vultures, herons, quail, doves, owls, roadrunners and wild turkeys, rufous-crowned sparrows and western scrub jays. The endangered Golden-cheeked Warbler nests here in the spring." 

Deb and I had come to hunt down Woodhouse's Scrub Jay. Not finding the scrub jay on our hike to the falls, we drove to an equestrian area with a big barn and other outbuildings and found the trail leading to Duck Pond. We walked this narrow muddy trail, filled with dainty deer tracks, until we reached the pond. Disappointment. It was just a mud hole (see below).

On the way back to the car, however. I stopped and played the Woodhouse's call on Bird Pro. Immediately two Woodhouses scrub jays appeared. One disappeared into the thicket but the other perched high in a tree and Deb got her photo of it (below)

Woodhouse's scrub jay; c Deb Hirt

Then it was home again, home again, jiggity jig. Our birding outing had been expensive, but fun and interesting despite the weather, which conspired against us.While we didn't see several of the birds we were hoping to see, we were entertained by all of the exotic animals we saw and photographed and interested in the ranchers and ranches we visited that were being managed for wildlife. All told, another Texas adventure for Deb and me, our seventh birding foray into this diverse state.