Bird Festival Trip With Jo – April 26 to 29, 2013

Jo and I went to the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge Songbird Festival in April. We each took three classes and garnered some good information and great views of sunsets, birds, wildflowers and so much more. On the way back, we stopped at Pedernales Falls State Park and Don’s place in Smiley.

The highlight of the trip for me was seeing both of the endangered species at the Refuge – the Black-capped Vireo and the Golden-cheeked Warbler. I got photos of both, but they were not very good.

The most popular bird we saw at the Refuge … These Painted Buntings were everywhere and singing loudly.

The lizards were out basking in the sun and they were very cooperative for a change.

Some of the wildflowers we saw on a hike through Inks Lake State Park, our campsite for the trip. The flower with the visitor was from Pedernales Falls State Park

“Eagle eye” Jo was constantly on the lookout for birds, but somehow she managed to spot this butterfly caught in Spittlebug foam and the rock full of fossils in a stream bed at Inks Lake SP.

And, what a way to end each day. This is what we could see a short walk from our campsite …