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Sunday, November 21, 2010

Enjoying Some Down Time At Falcon State Park.

The weather’s great and the park is almost empty,and its a weekend…go figure.31 sites and only 6 of us…Cant even see my neighbour….50 amp electric and water…$16.00

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After one day over in the horrible full hook-up burr infested area,they made us all move over to the electric and water area,which is were I wanted to be in the first place.Nice paved semi-circles.This is because the construction crew had finished this area and wanted to start on the other.

When I was setting up in this new spot,I was busy brushing a couple of hundred burrs out of the truck and I look over into my site about 30 feet away and low and behold I got to see my first Armadillo.

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Unfortunately he didn't want to face me and just ambled off.I yelled at him not to walk away when I’m talking to him…..But he didn't care.Flirt maleI’ve been hoping to see one on my 2 previous visits to Texas and was told that probably the chances were slim, so I consider myself lucky.

As I said before this is a birding paradise with all the thick foliage and lots of water with a 50 mile long and 5 mile wide lake out front.You have quite a nice selection like the Curved Billed Thrasher below.

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And the place is crawling with Pyrrhuloxia like this sunrise shot yesterday,along with this second shot of one of a pair of them feeding in the grass a few feet from my trailer yesterday afternoon.I’m wondering if they are eating burrs…..Ouch!

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And we cant forget one of the hundreds of Northern Mockingbirds here.They are so territorial,chasing all the others away…..But I could listen to them all day when they get warbling.

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On my morning walks I see dozens of small rabbits and many deer like these two yesterday checking me out.

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Haven't seen any Javelina’s since the first evening at the other site when a family of 9 came by and did some feeding on my burr infested lawn…..The little ones are cute…I didn't take any pic’s……I’m all Javelina’d out since Fort Davis St.Pk.

And here in the campsite I have a regular buddy who I named Rodger the Road Runner.He sticks around all the time so I guess this is his personal stomping ground.When I’m sitting outside he will walk to within about 5 feet of me.He got some wiener bits last night.

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Yesterday when I was doing my breakfast dishes I heard a lot of chatter coming from the bushes outside my door that sounded like chickadees,and when I looked I saw that they were Tufted titmice,which are only in this area and eastward I believe.No chance for a photo this time.Too fast for me.

This lake is a very popular bass fishing lake and yesterday morning by 7 the big parking lot down by the boat launch already had 2 dozen trucks and boat trailers.

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Its a huge parking lot so I’d assume it gets very busy.I also noticed that 6 of the truck/trailer combo were from Mexico,so either they don't have any good launching facilities on that side of the dam,or things are just too hot with the cartels roaming around,so they fish this half of the lake.

I also discovered a nice Butterfly garden by the clubhouse here, with some interesting local plant life.

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The place was full of butterflies.Mostly Monarch but a few others too.

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Some of the plant life that I found interesting was this Mexican Olive,explained below.

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And another plant which seems to grow in abundance here in this thorny thicket country, is the….

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With a few remaining flowers that look like this…

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So!..Today is my last day here….On Thursday last, I drove into Mission about 50 miles down the valley and checked out a few RV parks that I could call home until after the holidays.It was a nice little daytrip with a Burger King stop included.And I took my first choice among my on line researches for a park.I had a choice of about 8 sites in this park that were still available into January and took a site close to the road but BIG with no close neighbours,and my own orange tree….full and ready for picking….And the owner says,enjoy them…They are yours to eat…Until next time.

5 comments:

  1. Yum! ripe oranges from the tree. Love your bird and plant photos.

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  2. Glad to hear you will be moving away from the drug wars,and you get orange juice freshly squeezed, can't beat that. Be safe out there, Sam & Donna.

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  3. Wonderful pictures today, really enjoyed all of the bird shots!

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  4. Unfortunately, Texans usually only see armadillos after they are road kill.

    "Why did the chicken cross the road?
    To show the armadillo that it could be done!"

    Lovely pictures, as usual. Thanks.
    Happy Trails, Penny TX

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  5. We have been to Falcon Lake about 6 times, but not this year...I'm gun shy..literally! Yeah, the Valley will be nice and warm and safe! Enjoyed the familiar pictures!!!

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