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!
Observations
Photos / Sounds
What
Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Black Saddlebags (Tramea lacerata)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Great Spreadwing (Archilestes grandis)Observer
mikaelbDescription
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).
Photos / Sounds
What
Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Freshwater Sunfishes (Family Centrarchidae)Observer
mikaelbDescription
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.
Photos / Sounds
What
Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Female.
Photos / Sounds
What
Checkered Setwing (Dythemis fugax)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Male.
Photos / Sounds
What
Checkered Setwing (Dythemis fugax)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Male.
Photos / Sounds
What
Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
On Marsh Fleabane (Pluchea odorata).
Photos / Sounds
What
Short-horned Grasshoppers (Family Acrididae)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Familiar Bluet (Enallagma civile)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Wilson's Snipe (Gallinago delicata)Observer
mikaelbDescription
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.
Photos / Sounds
What
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Blanchard's Cricket Frog (Acris blanchardi)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Marsh Fleabane (Pluchea odorata)Observer
mikaelbDescription
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.
Photos / Sounds
What
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (Sphyrapicus varius)Observer
mikaelbDescription
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.
Photos / Sounds
What
Belted Kingfisher (Megaceryle alcyon)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Female.
Photos / Sounds
What
Gum Bumelia (Sideroxylon lanuginosum)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Male.
Photos / Sounds
What
Flowering Plants (Subphylum Angiospermae)Observer
mikaelbDescription
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!
Photos / Sounds
What
Orange-crowned Warbler (Leiothlypis celata)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Prairie Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus lanceolata)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Female.
Photos / Sounds
What
Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Male.
Photos / Sounds
What
Variegated Meadowhawk (Sympetrum corruptum)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Male.
Photos / Sounds
What
Variable Dancer (Argia fumipennis)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Photos / Sounds
What
Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis)Observer
mikaelbDescription
Taken during Hill Country Conservancy's EPIC camp out on the Bleakley Ranch just west of Dripping Springs, Texas.
Comments
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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