March 25, 2018
From Lost Maples
...we didn't go far I was tired...so we stopped at San Pedro Flats a National Recreation Campground part of the Amistad Lake Recreation area..this lake is shared by the USA and Mexico. This campground is priced right with a seniors pass it's $2 a night! No niceties just a pit toilet and no water... but some sites have a covered table and we chose one with a shade cover.
A Bewick's wren played in the trees near us, A Vermilion Flycatcher was hanging around reminded me so much of my time in Big Bend when I had one hunting right by my site.
Somebody needed a nap...
Early to bed and early to rise makes a woman healthy wealthy and wise! 2 outta 3 ain't bad!
sunset at San Pedro
March 26
I slept good it got cool and in the morning it started out nice
sunrise at San Pedro
had a good breakfast...
but then the fog rolled in...we drove over to Governor's Landing, a very nice but small and tight campground with views of the lake just down the road from where I stayed...for only $4 with your senior pass...I thought of going here to start with but there was more room for the dogs to run off leash where I stayed in the closed Group Campground.
There's a view of the bridge and the train trestle from this point.
If you're wondering how I know about all these camp spots I bought a copy of the Free Campgrounds by Don Wright about 6 yrs ago... I could use the updated version but for the most part it's accurate. It goes state by state...and it's chock full of good info...sometimes the directions are a bit vague.
Under the bridge the cliff swallows were busy trying to repair old nest sites and a pair of Hooded Oriole necturing on these flowers...
there was at least 150 swallows around!
Couldn't pass the "nearly a ghost town" of Langtry and Judge Roy Beans without stopping... it's only a mile off highway 90 a nice spot to get info and check the cacti garden, and enjoy some birds...
old Langtry building
Judge Roy Beans Visitors Center The dogs barked the whole time I was in there I could hear them...this is the big problem with them...mostly it's Flossie but Annie and Casey will join her once she starts...
With the beautiful cactus garden birds are attracted to the flowers and insects that the flowers bring in...so there was more Hooded Orioles, a Curved Bill Thrasher, a Northern Mockingbird, a female Pyrrhuloxia, and an Ash Throated Flycatcher.
hooded Oriole
claret cup
pyrrhuloxia fuzzy shot but..,
n mockingbird with a desert plant
curved bill thrasher
The barking continued so we left and I went down the road a bit to a wayside picnic area to make my lunch where no barking happened we had some visitors...and I met a lady who was on a bike tour she had just peddled from Marathon and was going to Sanderson where I got my warning ticket last year...she had been peddled Big Bend for an entire week...I didn't ask how far she planned to go.
These guys passed by I did not get a photo of her...
TX roadside picnic table hwy 90
lunch visitor white crowned sparrow..
We hung a right at Alpine, TX. This is the Chihuahuaian Desert. It is so beautiful...In the town of Ft Davis. The County, the Fort and the Town was named after Jefferson Davis who was then the Secretary of War under President Pierce. The Fort is a State Historic Site, and one of the best remaining examples of an Indian Wartime Military Fort.
I took this one shot of the court house I imagine...the Fort was closed by the time I came through on my way to Davis Mountain State Park.
It's such a beautiful landscape
Yucca
It's a beautiful park surrounded by rocky hills. The campground is nice but I did not like the spot they put me in...
There's a couple photo blinds and that was cool...I met some of the locals in there...one guy very nice the other was strange...he said he doesn't care what bird it is he just wants a decent photo of it..OK THEN! ...later when I finally "got the babies" down for a nap, I went back spotted this Acorn Woodpecker hiding acorns in this pole, then from the blind all sorts of activity at the feeders.
acorn woodpecer
The Mexican Jay...
March 26
In the morning the dogs and I drove up the Skyline Drive and made our breakfast in the picnic area up there where there was not one soul around. The view was awesome! You can see the Indian Lodge in the distance...and the Skyline Drive as it weaves it's way up to the top. I really enjoyed the blooms of the Spanish Bayonette's especially in the rising sun light...
On the way back to I-10 we took the scenic route and passed by McDonald's Observatory. Curious I went into the visitors center...really interesting displays the merchandise was a little pricey for my pocketbook, but I enjoyed the free museum. The do give stargazing tours but advance reservations are necessary for that. We headed north on 118 toward Kent.
Which is another ghost town as far as I could tell...
I was not crazy about being back on the speedy I-10 but it was the fastest route to get to Las Cruses and the Organ Mountains where I had planned to camp...
We Got off the I-10 onto I-25 North. Exited almost right away on Hwy 70 east and to the Organ Mountain Desert Recreation Area and the Aguirre Springs Campground. It was up and up a paved but steep and narrow road. We found a decent site and paid our $5.
The tall rocky spires around us made for a beautiful spot to spend the evening. I had the hillside behind me to let the dogs run, and a Mexican Jay eyed us up along with a few Canyon Towhees.
Canyon Towhee
IT was COLD that night... we were at about 6,000ft again. We left after cooking and eating breakfast at our site...and on the way out the light was so pretty! We spotted a grasshopper sparrow and a black throated sparrow near the fence line.
Black Throated Sparrow
It was not too much backtracking to I-10 and then onto Arizona!
PEACE
Every day is a new Adventure.
Hello, Wonderful bird sightings. I love the Oriole, Jays and the Acorn Woodie. The Vermilion Flycatcher is a beautiful bird. The cactus and blooms are lovely. Happy birding, enjoy your day!
ReplyDeleteHi Eileen thanks for the encouragement. The birding had been a little slow I think I'm a bit early in the season but I have seen some really gorgeous ones.
DeleteSome really good pictures here Sondra, both of the birds and the blooms. The camera is holding out well. The curved bill thresher is spot on. I'm not sure I would like to cycle on some American roads, that lady was doing well.
ReplyDeleteI know you would have know exactly what to ask the solo lady cyclist...she did tell me she had passed a group of about 40 and they had a complete Entourage including a chef traveling with them
DeleteThe camera could operate like this for years lol.
It’s especially encouraging to see the colony of Cliff Swallows refurbishing their nests. This is a species that is not doing well overall, as is true for all other aerial insectivores.
ReplyDeleteYes it is encouraging there is a small Colony back home under our Highway 1 Bridge
DeleteGreat cheap campground out that way. Wish we had more around here. Your pictures are great of the birds and flowers even the landscape looks good. The Langtry Depot doesn't hold much hope, but the court house building is gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteI finally bought my butane today so maybe tomorrow I'll try out my stove
Awesome you're going to love that stove and it works great if the power goes out at home
DeleteSo many lovely places you pass through and the birds are gorgeous. It's great following your trips :)
ReplyDeleteHi Pam I've been enjoying your weekend getaway so many good birds our spring migration seems slow this year
DeleteWe've stayed all around that area -- and I loved it (but you know me, I'm a wuss and we stayed in RV Parks).... great memories of Alpine ... and all that area, so unique , it's almost hard to explain to anyone who hasn't been there.
ReplyDeleteLoved all your pictures and in awe of all the birds. But oh my gosh that claret cup cactus plant is utterly stunning. Fun post, great memories, loved this.
I've never stayed in an RV Park, I got close once in a KOA tho. I think Claret Cup is my fav cacti.
Delete