Bleakley Ranch Camp Out
Last weekend I got to camp out with Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group on one of HCC's conservation easement properties, the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs.
We camped by the ranch's stock tank which is large enough to be cool and clean enough for swimming in the deeper parts. Everywhere else things were dry. I made two circuits around the stock tank, one Saturday afternoon and one Sunday morning. Odonates were the most obvious animal, with Blue Dashers being maybe the most common dragonfly. The next two most common dragonflies around the edge of the water were Eastern Pondhawks and Common Green Darners. There were also smaller numbers of Black Saddlebags, Red Saddlebags, Checkered Setwings, and I saw a single Twelve-spotted Skimmer. Here's a Blue Dasher which was right next to our huge camp kitchen:
The most common damselflies were the tiny Familiar Bluets at the water's edge, many mating. Here are three males that were nicely lined up:
I also found a single Variable Dancer on Sunday. But the damselfly I was most excited to find was the Great Setwing. At two inches long, it's the largest damselfly in north america. I estimated finding half a dozen, always in the (usually dry) small tributaries feeding into the stock tank. It's not a rare species, but it's one I haven't seen very often and I was thrilled to get my best photos yet of one:
Birds were few and far between. By the tank there were almost always a couple Eastern Phoebes to be found. Away from the tank there were small mixed species foraging flocks of Carolina Chickadees, Black-crested Titmice, and newly returned winter resident Orange-crowned Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. I got lucky and got this close-up shot of one of the Orange-crowned Warblers:
Around the tank there were some water-oriented bird species like Killdeer, a female Belted Kingfisher, and my first-of-season sightings of Wilson's Snipe and American Pipit. Here's the kingfisher about to swallow a sunfish:
There were at least two kinds of frogs using the stock tank, Blanchard's Cricket Frogs and leopard frogs. (I never got a good look at one of the leopard frogs, but another camper said they were Southern.) A few interesting plants were Salt Marsh Fleabane and Buttonbush.
There were a few more birds, plants, and insects I observed. See the attached observations and my two eBird lists:
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25450463
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S25461393
And here are my photos, including all the ones embedded above, the ones with my observations, and a couple landscapes:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikael_behrens/albums/72157659619888819
Many thanks to HCC for taking such good care of us and letting us spend some quality time on the Bleakley Ranch!
Observaciones
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Rayadora Azul (Pachydiplax longipennis)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Planeadora de Alforjas Rojas (Tramea onusta)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Planeadora de Alforjas Negras (Tramea lacerata)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Caballito Crucifijo Mayor (Archilestes grandis)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Although common, I have not encountered this species often. This was the first time I found it in good light, so these are the best photos I've gotten of it. At 2 to 2.5 inches long, Great Spreadwing is the largest damselfly in north America.
I found about 5 of these as I made a circuit around the ranch's large stock tank. They were always found in small tributaries to the tank (which were almost all dry).
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Azulilla de Estanque Común (Enallagma civile)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Qué
Rayadora Azul (Pachydiplax longipennis)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Fotos / Sonidos
Qué
Mojarras, Lobinas Y Parientes (Familia Centrarchidae)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
I think these cleared areas in the shallow areas of the ranch's large stock tank are fish beds. In the spring and summer, sunfish clear areas like this to hold their eggs, and vigoursly defend them from other fish. This time of year these beds are no longer in use.
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Rayadora Abigarrada (Sympetrum corruptum)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Female.
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Rayadora Vigilante de Estanque (Dythemis fugax)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Male.
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Rayadora Vigilante de Estanque (Dythemis fugax)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Male.
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Chorlo Tildío (Charadrius vociferus)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Mariposa Vanesa Pintada (Vanessa cardui)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
On Marsh Fleabane (Pluchea odorata).
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Chapulines de Antenas Cortas (Familia Acrididae)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Rana Grillo del Noreste (Acris blanchardi)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Azulilla de Estanque Común (Enallagma civile)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Fotos / Sonidos
Qué
Agachona Norteamericana (Gallinago delicata)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
I walked over to where the previously photographed snipe was walking and found its tracks.
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Jazmin Tallo (Cephalanthus occidentalis)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Rana Grillo del Noreste (Acris blanchardi)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Hierba de Santa María (Pluchea odorata)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
This plant occurred in large patches around the ranch's large stock tank.
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Carpintero Moteado (Sphyrapicus varius)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Rows of holes like this in tree trunks are from Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
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Martín Pescador Norteño (Megaceryle alcyon)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Female.
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Coma (Sideroxylon lanuginosum)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Mariposa Almirante Rojo (Vanessa atalanta)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Quilico (Falco sparverius)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Male.
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Plantas con Flores (Subfilo Angiospermae)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
This plant was about one to two feet tall and was plentiful on the ranch. Any ID help is appreciated!
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Chipe Oliváceo (Leiothlypis celata)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Rhus lanceolataObserv.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Qué
Rayadora Abigarrada (Sympetrum corruptum)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Female.
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Rayadora Espinosa del Este (Erythemis simplicicollis)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Male.
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Qué
Rayadora Abigarrada (Sympetrum corruptum)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Male.
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Azulilla de Arroyo Versátil (Argia fumipennis)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
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Qué
Jazmin Tallo (Cephalanthus occidentalis)Observ.
mikaelbDescripción
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Comentarios
Those pictures are just magnificent, Mikael. Thanks so much for sharing these all with us on iNat. :)
Thanks! It's great to have a place to share them with other naturalists!
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