Back to Day Trippin'....finally

Lovely weather!!! On Wednesday I took a drive to Calallen Texas where the river runs through the park and two ponds and hawkwatch platform attracts birders and birds that are migrating and/or permanent residents. My first few minutes there, before I even parked my car to walk, I spotted four white tailed deer. Didn't even get out of the car but rolled the window down and took a few photos of them before I continued driving the park loop to stop at the platform and begin my walk. While on the hawkwatch area, a gentleman photographer asked me if there is a way to get to the ponds from there. I gave him directions and then stayed on the deck a while longer watching all the cardinals in the trees. They were everywhere I looked. Dozens of them. And, pretty since the trees are budding out and a beautiful contrast with the red birds and clear blue sky. As I began my step count, I ended up on the nearby incline to the larger pond. As I walked the trail, I was sure I saw a rabbit in the tall 'unmowed' grasses and brush. But, then, as I continued walking the pathway to the pond, I convinced myself it WASN'T a rabbit. Too large a critter. Well, by the time I got to the observation box to look out onto the pond, the gentleman who asked for directions was there. He said "Did you see the bobcat in the brush?" I guess maybe I did and didn't realize it!!

The ponds were quite filled with waterfowl. I saw ducks, egrets, herons, stilts, sandpipers, and such. The smaller pond, from a distance I could see more egrets and herons. Then, from a long distance I could hear the call of a kingfisher! I climbed out of the brush, walked around the curve in the park's road and stopped at the smaller of the two watering holes! There in the tree, just as pretty as could be was a large male kingfisher. He was a great specimen and posed for all of us avid bird watchers for some time. Cars, walkers, and joggers were all stopped on the road, watching.

After taking my photos, I walked more. Stopped to turn off the road and walk the boardwalk back into the dense woods along the river. A hawk flew away as I rounded the corner...then, nothing. I could hear a kiskadee [found it]. Enjoyed the quiet of the river and taking photos of the Spanish Moss hanging from the trees. When I left the park, a Cooper's Hawk bid me farewell along the exit road.

Along the way home, I stopped a few more times, to get gas!! [choking all the way as the pump told me the price was gonna break the bank!] -then I walked along the back field nearby and got some beautiful photos of the Texas State Flower, the Bluebonnet. As I predicted, at least right now, the blossoms are quite scarce because of the drought conditions. Then, to the grocery store for bottled water and fruit for our lunch. We had leftover sausage pizza, cottage cheese, and bananas. Not all that healthy, but still good. After lunch, I worked some more to get my blog[s] background black and white polka dots. It shows okay from my perspective, I hope it fills the background on mobiles, laptops, desktops of others, and isn't too much of a strain on our eyeballs-lol.

I will share some photos in a few posts to keep it from being so heavy. For now, the four deer...