Hill country is such an amazing place in April, so I couldn't help putting a few more pics on the blog before heading south to the valley. The first is of a very co-operative female Golden-cheeked Warbler. This one has a mouthful of crane fly... there was a big hatch during our visit. Golden-cheek is an endemic breeder to the state of Texas and a really beautiful bird.
The bat cave at Concan really is something special. I always tell birders they have to go there and they frequently are hesitant. However I have never had anyone visit this spectacle who didn't go away wowed by the experience.
This area is really a meeting ground for species from east west north and south. For many species it is the '...est' limit of their range. For example for Barred Owl it is the southwest limit of their range. They are quite common in the larger wooded riparian areas of the hills. This one responded well to an imitation of its call.
I really MUST get myself a Texas flower book. This year provided incredible opportunities for wildflower photography. I wish I knew how to properly capture this spectacle. I took a lot of shots with the new macro lens that Kathi got me for my birthday last year. This was one of the ones I liked the best. My apologies for not knowing the species!
