April 2013
   

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Synopsis

Big Bend National Park continued

Lowlands

One morning while driving to Panther Junction, we spotted two Scaled Quails eating peacefully in the grass beside the road seemingly unfazed by each passing car. Later that same morning we saw a small group of javelinas foraging on the side of the road. At the Panther Junction visitor center, we made arrangements for backcountry camping along the Rio Grande. Interestingly unlike all previous experiences on the border, we weren't warned about any hazards illegal activity or smugglers. The only warning that was given was the roughness of the road and the need for a high clearance 4 wheel drive car (and the ability/confidence to use it).

Ernest Tijanas Trail - We turned off the main paved road onto the dirt Ore Road to reach the trailhead for Ernest Tijanas. The hike up the wash was relatively short over soft gravel and shelves of limestone with embedded fossils seashells. Brightly colored earless lizards zipped from one bush to another. We entered the limestone canyon with a wide pebbled floor and high rock walls. The walls of the canyon revealed the layers of deposit that had then been shifted and buckled and finally eroded away by water. The rounded smooth tijanas was full of a greenish murky water of questionable depth. A Lark Sparrow stopped in to investigate but may have been a little befuddled by how to actually get a drink without falling in.

Dugout Wells - We made a brief stop at this small oasis of water and cottonwoods in the middle of the desert. However, during the heat of the day, the only signs of wildlife were the singing Bells Vireos and a few darting lizards. A small nature trail took us through the open desert of prickle pear, ocotillo, and cactus.

Dagger Flat auto trail - This tour was a little slow to start taking us through creosote and ocotillo plants, which we were most familiar. But the dirt road gradually climbed up toward the mountains where we were surrounded by blooming giant dagger yucca with their impressively large blooms. Strawberry pitayas, prickly pears, and rainbow cacti were also in full display. The auto tour turned out to be a beautiful and informative trail through the foothills.

Sam Nail Ranch - We stopped here for lunch during the heat of the day. Under the shade of the cottonwood, mesquite and cultivated nut trees, a Green-tailed Towhee and a Brown Thrasher joined us briefly.

Grapevine Hills Trail - The wind made the morning bitterly cold through the boulder strewn canyon. Under an overcast day, we walked up the wash trying to keep warm from the biting wind. It was a short hike up the canyon that ended at the " window" - a large boulder perched on top of two other boulders to form a window with a view of the desert below. Few birds ventured out during the gusts of wind. A few Turkey Vultures flew a few circles around the canyon before seemingly giving up and settling back down until it got warmer. A few Clay-colored and Black-throated Sparrows took shelter in the bushes, while a Canyon Wren sang its descending tune.

Rio Grande

Rio Grande Village - Down at the village the elevation change was noticeable. It was about 30 degrees warmer than the mountains. We picnicked on the irrigated lawn under the shade of the cottonwoods while the mosquitoes were ferocious and unrelenting. Bell's Vireos, Yellow-breasted Chats, and Summer Tanagers serenaded us. Golden-fronted Woodpecker seemed to flourish in the planted cottonwoods. After lunch we walked underneath the cottonwoods while watching the Vermillion Flycatchers swoop down to capture some tasty morsel. A marked off area protected a nesting Common Black Hawk. All we could see of the hawk were its tail feather protruding over the edge of the nest. A Gray Hawk managed to nab someone before being harassed by a Vermillion Flycatcher.

After our brief stay in the manicured but bird-productive setting, we headed over to the Bosquilla Canyon overlook. The river was surprisingly narrow and shallow, so it wouldn't be hard to cross. In fact, some Mexicans took advantage of this by waiting on the Mexican side and crossing over to try to sell items to tourists. As we pulled into the lookover just as a large group of motorcyclists were leaving. We saw a small group of Mexican men waiting on the other side. One started to wade into the water and cross the river. Just as we were pulling away in our car, I saw the Mexican in the parking lot. I wasn't sure what he was attempting to sell us but signs on the road to the lookout warned of the illegality of buying of them. Not sure why exactly. I could probably buy what he was selling if I crossed at the border and brought it back into the states. Maybe it violates some NAFTA agreement or the US just doesn't like the idea of them crossing over.

Santa Eleana Canyon - On the other side of the park, we hiked up the Santa Eleana Canyon, which straddles the Rio Grande. The narrow slot canyon and slow moving greening brown waters of the Rio Grande were picturesque even in the company of many other tourists.

Rivers Road West - The ranger warned us the road was rough and that 4-wheel drive and high clearance were necessities. However, we found during this time of the year 4-wheel drive wasn't necessary. We were able to reach our campsite at Guaging Station without any problem or concern. There was a stretch of road that followed a large wash. During the rainy season I could imagine that stretch being pretty treacherous. But it was dry and hard when we went through. The desert willows and honey mesquite in the wash were in full bloom.

The Guaging Station - The campground was right next to a guaging station (duh) that measured the water level of the river. The campsite butted up against a small rocky outcrop and a mesquite thicket that grew dense along the river's edge. A small steep dusty path lead through the mesquite and tall grass to the banks of the river. The rest of the campsite was open to the rather bleak desert scape with the Chisos Mountains rising in the distance. By the time we reached our campsite, the evening sun still beat down on us. So Tor rigged up a cover for some shade and we watched and listened to the birds along the river. As always the performers who never seem to stop no matter what time of day it was were the Yellow-breasted Chats and the Bell's Vireos. As the day cooled, we dipped our feet in the shallow river and watched the Black Pheobes flit about the riverside. A pair of Spotted Sandpipers bobbed along the sandy banks. A painted turtle hauled itself out to warm itself. And fish splashed noisily in the water. The real evening show happened at sundown. At first a few Common Nighthawks appeared flying over the river. Soon both Common and Lesser Nighthawks were soaring low over the water in ever direction. The night at the lower elevation was definitely warmer, but it made sleeping in the bed of the truck more pleasant. We awoke after the moon set to watch the stars. The pin pricks of light twinkled down on us and the Milky Way shown down with great definition cross the night sky. A few shooting stars added to the magic of the dark night sky.

The campsite didn't have any trails around it and the desert we traveled through to get here was pretty bleak. We decided to hike the river - as in wade through it. The sides of the river were thick with willows and grasses making walking the banks impossible. The water was cool in the morning but as the day heated up began to feel increasingly refreshing. Some parts of the river was coated with a slick clay bottom making wading through more challenging and slippery. The depth varied as well. About a mile down from or campsite the river was too deep and soft to pass. Walking back on the sandbar we had just walked over, I turned to notice Tor was no longer with me. He sunk hip deep into a pit of quicksand. The sand seemed solid and looked stable but it quickly started to swallow him up. Perhaps he could have sunk more if he hadn't quickly leaned back to catch himself. It was quite a shock! He was able to quickly pull himself out.
Bird life along the river was relatively abundant. There were the ubiquitous Yellow-breasted Chats, Yellow-rumped Warblers, Mourning Doves, White-winged Doves and Bell's Vireos. There were also Wilson's Warblers, a Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroats, Summer Tanagers, a Lazuli Bunting with an Indigo Bunting (don't know how those two got together) even a pair of Clay-colored Sparrows, and a sulking Swamp Sparrow.

As the suns heat beat down on us with unbearable strength, we returned to our campsite and set up our rainfly to hid under. The shade of the fly provided some protection from the heat but it was still hot enough for us to sweat without any effort. Still through the heat of the day it was nice to lay back and relax by the slow moving waters of the Rio and listen to the nonstop singing of the vireos and chats that hid deep in the shade of the thickets.

At sunset we sat by the river and listened to soft songs of the doves that came in for a last drink of the day. Soon the Common Nighthawks came in flying over the river. They were joined by the Lesser Nighthawks who buzzing low over the water. As dusk settled in bats of various sizes shared the air space with their choppy and quick wingbeats and erratic flight patterns.

Marathon

About 7 miles north of the small town of Marathon, there is a prairie dog colony. It was mentioned in the book "Birding Texas" so we went to check it out. The colony isn't protected nor was the site that attractive. There was at least a pull off from the highway where we could park and see the colony. The prairie dog colony straddled highway 385 and is on private ranch land. The reason it exists is probably because it's so close to the highway so shooting them during the day is pretty much out of the questions (at least I hope so... in Texas things might be different). There were many black-tailed prairie dogs running about including young ones and one that gave out warning calls as we stood too close for their liking. A few birds including an Eastern Meadowlark and a pair of Scissor-tailed Flycatchers were also in the area.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park

While we were camping at the Guadalupe Mountains, we took a day trip up to the caverns as it was only 30 miles north. We stopped at Rattlesnake Springs, a picnicking area owned by the park. The spring was damned and managed for irrigating the cottonwoods and grass around the park. But there seemed to be plenty of water and it overflowed freely into the marshy areas and the adjacent sliver of Nature Conservancy land. The birds seemed to relish this little oasis in the desert.

Bird life was hopping in almost every corner of the park with many resident and migrant birds in each tree and bush. Summer Tanagers, a Brown Thrasher, a Hepatic Tanager, Vermillion Flycatchers, Western and Cassin's Kingbirds, and an Indigo Bunting were just some of the birds. A Red-naped Sapsucker seemingly guarded his wells by sitting unmoved on the trunk. A Yellow-rumped Warbler would sneak in to take from the wells below the sapsucker. But if a tanager or oriole should get too close, the sapsucker would bark in disapproval. As soon as the sapsucker left the tree, a Summer Tanager, Bullock's Oriole, or Orchard Oriole would move in quickly to lick up the tasty sap. A Snowy Egret was content working the irrigation canals wiggling its yellow feet to stir up any hiding fish before snapping them up. A Gray Hawk found little peace with the kingbirds who were quick to give chase.

As the day began to heat up, we went up to the caverns. We walked down the natural entrance into the dank cool cavern with the smell of bat guano in the air.

We spent a good three hours marveling at the centuries old cave formations. Some as tall as fifty feet and others still growing. The mineral deposits formed intricate patterns and formations only the most talented artists could dream of.

Unfortunately, the cave swallows had not returned. Unlike when we visited in 2008, it was still too cold for the swallows. Likewise, the Mexican Free-tailed Bats hadn't returned in an significant number. So we couldn't experience the magic of watching the bats swirl and wheel out in a column from the cave and over the desert landscape.

Our trip to western Texas was definitely a full and rewarding trip. We saw a lot of new, beautiful, and interesting things and yet there is still a lot that we haven't seen. The vacation was surely another future trip to repeat.

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Back to Part I of Western Texas trip

Pictures (click on thumbnails to enlarge)