Puryear Ranch 2019-04-13 to 14

I was fortunate to be able to join Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out last weekend on the Puryear Ranch just west of Austin. I spent Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning taking photos and listing birds, mostly along Rocky Creek. The ranch has these cool old stone fences that I can't imagine building:

Rock Wall - 1

Rock Wall - 2

The wildflowers were stunning, and I got lots of help identifying plants from iNaturalist's recently updated Seek app. Here are my eBird lists from Saturday afternoon, a few heard-only birds over night, and Sunday morning:

https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S54993479
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S54993473
https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S54993482

Sunday morning I climbed a nearby hill and took this panoramic photo:

Panorama - 2

Posted on 15 April, 2019 22:19 by mikaelb mikaelb

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 14, 2019 07:44 AM CDT

Description

Placeholder for sound

Photos / Sounds

What

Engelmann's Sage (Salvia engelmannii)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 14, 2019 11:44 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Wright's Skullcap (Scutellaria wrightii)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 14, 2019 11:40 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Lark Sparrow (Chondestes grammacus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 14, 2019 08:47 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Lark Sparrow is another native sparrow species that breeds in central Texas. I was excited to finally find this bird on the ground after hearing it singing.

Photos / Sounds

What

Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 14, 2019 08:43 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 14, 2019 08:43 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 14, 2019 08:38 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 14, 2019 08:09 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Golden-cheeked Warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 2019

Place

Texas, US (Google, OSM)

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

I heard and finally saw this male Golden-cheeked Warbler singing across the creek from where I was. I was only able to get these distant heavily cropped photos.

Photos / Sounds

What

Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 14, 2019 07:58 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

This bird had me baffled because first I could only hear its muttered song from dense low brush. It turned out to be a Lincoln's Sparrow, a species just in central Texas during the winter. I almost never hear this species sing here in Texas, I was lucky to be able to hear this one before it heads north.

Photos / Sounds

What

Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 14, 2019 07:37 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

This male Black-chinned Hummingbird landed near me and actively preened its feathers. Despite the bright background, the bird itself was in the shade, so I had to use a slow shutter speed. Still I like they way these photos turned out. I especially like how you can see just one purple feather at the edge of the black throat on the second photo.

Photos / Sounds

What

Black-chinned Hummingbird (Archilochus alexandri)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 14, 2019 07:35 AM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Slender Hedeoma (Hedeoma acinoides)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 06:18 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

I took this photo from inside the recently updated Seek app, and the time and date were off. I corrected the date but I'm unsure of the exact time.

Photos / Sounds

What

Prairie Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus lanceolata)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 06:17 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

I took this photo from inside the recently updated Seek app, and the time and date were off. I corrected the date but I'm unsure of the exact time.

Photos / Sounds

What

Many Stem Evax (Diaperia verna)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 06:16 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

I took this photo from inside the recently updated Seek app, and the time and date were off. I corrected the date but I'm unsure of the exact time.

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Hoptree (Ptelea trifoliata)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 06:16 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

I took this photo from inside the recently updated Seek app, and the time and date were off. I corrected the date but I'm unsure of the exact time.

Photos / Sounds

What

Saw Greenbrier (Smilax bona-nox)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 06:15 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

I took this photo from inside the recently updated Seek app, and the time and date were off. I corrected the date but I'm unsure of the exact time.

Photos / Sounds

What

Stretchberry (Forestiera pubescens)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 06:14 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

I took this photo from inside the recently updated Seek app, and the time and date were off. I corrected the date but I'm unsure of the exact time.

Photos / Sounds

What

Antelopehorn Milkweed (Asclepias asperula)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 04:49 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 04:54 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Prairie Pleatleaf (Nemastylis geminiflora)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 04:38 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Slender Hedeoma (Hedeoma acinoides)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 04:15 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 04:01 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Most native sparrow species are only in Texas in the winter, but Field Sparrows breed here too. I heard their bouncing-ball song on the ranch much more often than the few times I was able to see one.

Photos / Sounds

What

Antelopehorn Milkweed (Asclepias asperula)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 03:58 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 03:50 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

I spotted this robber fly when it flew to catch a moth. You can see it's holding the moth as it eats it.

Photos / Sounds

What

Variegated Fritillary (Euptoieta claudia)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 03:38 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 03:34 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 03:34 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis ssp. sialis)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 03:22 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 03:16 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

I was excited to find and photograph this crazy looking furry fly with that long proboscis it uses to feed on nectar.

The plant is Drummond's Onion (Allium drummondii).

Photos / Sounds

What

Berlandier's Yellow Flax (Linum berlandieri)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 03:07 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Texas Yellow Star (Lindheimera texana)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 03:07 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Swainson's Hawk (Buteo swainsoni)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 02:59 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Kiowa Dancer (Argia immunda)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 02:51 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 02:50 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

We often heard these little frogs around the creek, but this was the only one I was able to photograph.

Photos / Sounds

What

Kiowa Dancer (Argia immunda)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 02:50 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Dusky Dancer (Argia translata)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 02:48 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Kiowa Dancer (Argia immunda)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 02:35 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Dakota Mock Vervain (Glandularia bipinnatifida)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 02:26 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Berlandier's Yellow Flax (Linum berlandieri)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 02:25 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

Photos / Sounds

What

Drummond's Skullcap (Scutellaria drummondii)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

April 13, 2019 02:23 PM CDT

Description

Taken on the Puryear Ranch during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC group camp out.

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