Traveling to The Lower Rio Grande

North America » United States » Texas » Comstock
April 2nd 2009

Published: April 3rd 2009

Seminole State Park and Amistad National Recreation Area were a wonderful surprise. The State Park was at one end of the Amistad Reservoir where the Pecos River flows into the Rio Grande. The Devils River also flows into this reservoir somewhat downstream. The absolutely gorgeous lake and canyons would have been enough of a reward for the visit. The second reward was the Native American history... Read Full Entry

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Lynn & Jon Glase

Wondering Naturalists

Jon and Lynn are two sixty-something, retired, PhD ecologists seeking the wisdom from the natural world that can only come from first-hand experience with things and events. Our current arrangement is to keep a house as a home-base near Ithaca New York, where we have lived for the past 35+ years, spend summers in our trailer around New England (where Lynn's extended family resides), return to Ithaca for the fall and early winter, and depart for warmer climes after the Christmas-New Years holidays. We travel with Moxie, a Bichon Frise, in an 28 ft. Airstream trailer pulled by a Ford F-250 dies... full info

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Ocotillo Flower Buds

We had observed ocotillo plants in the desert from Arizona east. Now they were getting ready to bloom!

Ocotillo Flowers

This plain thorny plant produced these beautiful flowers. Maybe sometime we can see them with leaves!

Jon, Lynn, and Moxie on the Pecos

I hope that you all get a chance to see this part of Texas

View of the Falcon dam from the Falcon State Park boat ramp

There was plenty of room to launch a few kayaks. Unfortunately, strong winds and rain prevailed.

Flock of White Pelicans

These impressive birds winter along the coasts and major rivers of the southern US and Mexico and breed on inland lakes of central and northwestern North America.

Male Golden-fronted Woodpecker

This species is a close relative of our Red-bellied Woodpecker and fills a similar niche. Like the Red-bellied it is also quite vocal.

Northern Bobwhite

It is always nice to see a familiar species from back home doing well in a different habitat.

Pyrrhuloxia

This gray, cardinal-like bird was very common around the campground in Falcon and observed in loose flocks of 12-50 birds.

Mockingbird

This vocal mimic is ubiquitous and the Texas state bird.

Javelina

Also called the Collared Peccary, this porcine mammal was common at the bird feeders and also wherever human food was left unattended. Moxie found javelina intimidating.

Anacahuita or Mexican Olive

This attractive shrub or small tree produces large white flowers year-round.

Yucca (Spanish Dagger, left) and Soap-Bush or Guayacan (right)

We learned quite a lot of botany on this trip, but much ignorance still remains.

Flowers forming the inflorescence of Yucca

Very fragrant and pollinated, in part, by night-flying bats. Considered by many to be the first sign of spring in Texas.

Soap-Bush or Guayacan

Just one of many flowering shrubs found in this art of the southwest.

Blackbrush Acacia

In addition to all of the pollen-producing male flowers, note the abundant growth of lichens covering the twigs. The bushes seemed like the Chihuahuan version of our forsythia; their striking yellow blooms were everywhere.

Flower buds of Texas Prickly Pear Cactus

We look forward to seeing the flowers in the next several weeks.

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Traveling to The Lower Rio Grande

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