Nalle Bunny Run 2016-09-03

I spent about 3 hours on Hill Country Conservancy's Nalle Bunny Run Wildlife Preserve this morning. Here are some highlights.

Bird activity up the hill was primarily mixed groups of White-eyed Vireos, Carolina Wrens, Northern Cardinals, Black-crested Titmice, Carolina Chickadees, and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers. All were very vocal. The only obvious migrants I found were a couple of Yellow Warblers, a Least Flycatcher, a heard-only Dickcissel, and two Mississippi Kites. Interestingly, no House Sparrows were observed.

Common Mestra butterflies were common west of the driveway, and I enjoyed a memorable few minutes watching three of them elegantly fluttering around me in the morning light. I got this photo of one of them:

Common Mestra - 1

Some plants that made an impression on me this morning were the blooming Bitterweed and Camphorweed. The Camphorweed was especially thick, making part of the northeast corner of the preserve very yellow:

Camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris) - 2
Camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris) - 3

There was also a beautiful patch of Indiangrass near the lake's edge. Was this planted?

In a mixed patch of Late Boneset (Eupatorium secotinum) and Frosted also near the lake, I was excited to find a dragonfly I've never seen before, this Flag-tailed Spinyleg. Look at his long and spiny those back legs are!

Flag-tailed Spinyleg - 1

Here's my complete eBird List.

And here are more Photos on Flickr.

Attached are my observations.

Posted on 03 September, 2016 23:16 by mikaelb mikaelb

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Grey Fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 08:27 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Raccoon (Procyon lotor)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 08:30 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

New World Vultures (Family Cathartidae)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 09:26 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Pigeonberry (Rivina humilis)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 09:37 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Southwestern Bristlegrass (Setaria scheelei)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 09:38 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 09:49 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Indiangrass (Sorghastrum nutans)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 10:57 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Rabid Wolf Spider (Rabidosa rabida)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 10:52 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Flag-tailed Spinyleg (Dromogomphus spoliatus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 10:49 AM CDT

Description

I was excited to find this Flag-tailed Spinyleg. I read that they are common but I've never seen one before. Look at how long the back legs are!

Photos / Sounds

What

Dusky Dancer (Argia translata)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 10:46 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Emerald Moths and Allies (Family Geometridae)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 10:44 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 10:39 AM CDT

Description

There was a pair of robberflies, one following and hovering over the other, about a foot away from it. My guess is that this was a male hovering over a female as part of some kind of courtship.

Photos / Sounds

What

Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 10:26 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 10:16 AM CDT

Description

The Camphorweed was blooming like crazy this morning on the northeast section of the preserve.

Photos / Sounds

What

Common Mestra (Mestra amymone)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 09:41 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Bitterweed (Helenium amarum)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 09:10 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Gulf Coast Toad (Incilius nebulifer)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 09:17 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 08:53 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Ladder-backed Woodpecker (Dryobates scalaris)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 09:08 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 08:50 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Widow Skimmer (Libellula luctuosa)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

September 3, 2016 08:35 AM CDT

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