 |
|
Locality: Hill Country & Big Bend Country - Landmark Inn State Historic Site, Seminole Canyon State Park, Davis Mountains State Park & Big Bend National Park. Camera Equipment: Canon Digital Rebel, Canon 28-105 3.5-4.5 II USM lens, Canon 100-400 IS Lens, Canon EW-63II Lens Hood, Hoya Cir-Polarizing |
|
Landmark Inn State Historic Site Castroville, TX - Standing in front of a water-powered grist mill. The site is about 4.7 acres and it has a bed and breakfast (Parent, 1997). |
Hondo Entering God's country. Be on your best behavior. I like to stop and photograph this sign on every trip for good luck. So far, it has worked pretty well. The only time we didn't stop for it was June 2005, it was because Monica and I just got pulled over by a cop for speeding, but decided to give us only a warning. So we didn't want to push our luck by stopping at the sign. |
Texas Tortoise Gopherus berlandieri An unexpected surpise, shows that I need to review the range map of this species. Its luckly that I'm not under somebody's permit, or I'll be counting its scute annuli. Crossing Highway 90 in Kinney County. N029° 16.695' W100° 18.894' Elevation: 1098 ft. Time 4:06 pm Date: Oct 8. 2006. |
|
Coleoptera Insects have parasites too. This red spot on this beetle is a mite. |
Seminole Canyon State Park A quick hike with Janie and the dogs before sunset. You might wonder why its called Seminole Canyon. Most likely named for the "Seminole-Negro scouts stationed at Fort Clark in Brackettville during the 1970's" (Parent, 1997). |
Texas Longnose Snake Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus A lifer for me. They are such beautiful snakes. Notice Janie's large Texas graduation ring. Crossing Seminole Canyon SP road in Val Verde County. N029° 49.837' W101° 19.236' Elevation: 1364 ft. Time 8.34 pm Date: Oct 8. 2006. |
|
Texas Longnose Snake Rhinocheilus lecontei tessellatus A very good find, but sadly the only find of the night. |
Canyon Towhee Probably its last clutch of eggs for the season. Nest in a Dagger plant by the park restrooms. For some reason, I left that park thinking it was an Olive Sparrow. |
Canyon Towhee When I got back home, I was able to correctly ID it with this photograph. Notice spot on chest. Also, if every birder would bring a camera to the field with them, we would know if the Ivory-billed Woodpecker exists or not. |
|
Seminole Canyon State Park Picture taken at 8:09 am on Oct 9th, 2006. |
Fulvous Harvest Mouse Reithrodontomys fulvescens Not 100% on this ID. But tail is longer than body, so not Onychomys, also not Chaetodipus and not Perognathus. Next year, I'm coming back with permits and we are going to have a look at its incisors. If it has grooves, then I'm right. |
Ashley Ashley is enjoying the pretty West Texas landscape with her lease tucked under a rock, while I look around for signs of herp life. |
|
Spanish Dagger Got a chance to work on my identification of West Texas plants. |
Janie Showing off her Bi-noc skills |
Seminole Canyon This canyon provided "large rock shelters" for the natives to live in (Parent, 1997). The park is known for its pictographs. |
|
Seminole Canyon During spring and summer, Rio Grande young Leopard frogs, tadpoles & eggs in this valley. I've seen them during the Fate Bell tours. |
Seminole Canyon Probably my favorite Texas state park. I have found by far the most animal species in this park than any other state park. |
Red-tail Hawk Looking for breakfast. |
|
Ashley and I I'm tired of picking up her poop. Actually no, we're just posing. I do need to bring a couple of camalots to secure the dogs to a rock crack. Maybe I should market doggy grade camalots. |
More birding Not a very productive birding session. Red-taile Hawk, Turkey Vulture and American Kestrel. |
Desert Surfing Please note: This is the first rock that Janie free climbed on and now she is surfing on it. |
|
Pancho Villa @ Seminole Canyon This trip was very hard on Pancho, he came back to Houston a happy dog. |
Lake Amistad National Reservoir The river behind Janie is the Pecos River. |
Pecos @ Rio Grande Always a great place to stop by when you are in Val Verde County. |
|
Judge Roy Bean Vistor Center, City of Langtry. I've heard of this place on many herper's West Texas stories. Finally, I get to see it for myself. |
West Texas Plant Garden Saguaro Cactis is one of the few cacti in the gardent that is not from Texas. But they had alot of West Texas plants. Got a good education on them. Allowed me to say: the bird nest that I found in the Cholla, or the Canyon Towhee that I found in the Dagger plant. |
Texas Spotted Whiptail Aspidoscelis g. gularis Formerly of the genus Cnemidophorus. The only Whiptail that I saw during the whole trip. Kinda sad, but then again it was fairly cool. |
|
|
|
