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Down in southeast Austin along Onion Creek lies a somewhat tucked away state park called McKinney Falls State Park. The wealthy Thomas F. McKinney was one of the "Old 300" original settlers who received land grants in Stephen F. Austin's colony back in the 1820s (McKinney actually moved there around 1850), so this park definitely has its history. Now, some of that history sadly includes McKinney's use of slaves, the clearing of acres and acres of precious woodland, the racing of horses, and aid to the Confederacy -- but this post isn't about all that! What it is today is a state park filled with walking and biking trails, with waterfalls, creeks, and historical buildings mixed in. And that's what this post is about.

The main areas of McKinney Falls State Park are divided into the Upper Falls and the Lower Falls. We visited the Upper Falls first. When rain is plentiful, the falls are much more substantial, but at least water was flowing. What I was particularly drawn to, and you'll see this in many of my pictures, is the erosion power of the water, shaping beautiful curves and channels into the rock.

Below the falls is a larger pool in which people sometimes enjoy swimming. However, often the pool is closed to swimming because of high fecal counts due to runoff from upstream areas and flooding. During our visit, the pool was open for swimming, but given that it was December, it wasn't so surprising that no one cared to swim in the cold water. Bald cypress trees, complete with twisted roots, line the pool's edges. 

Dogs are not permitted to swim at the state park, but the headquarters said it was ok to let them take drinks. Of course, leashes are also required at all times. 

The Upper Falls trail is actually paved and seems a great place if you have young kids who like to ride their bikes while parents walk along. For adults on bikes, the distance is probably on the short side.

We visited in winter, and there were few leaves left on the trees, except for the annoying occasional invasive ligustrum which just thrived; its dark-green foliage really stood out when we ran across it.

The path travels along Onion Creek, which Austinites know is the area most prone to serious and dangerous flooding during heavy rains. You can see evidence of flooding in the images below, though the results seemed to be to the basking turtles' favor.

To get to the Lower Falls, you have to drive to a separate parking area, then walk for awhile across exposed rock. I imagine during floods that this whole area gets quickly covered in water. Again you can see the result of water erosion -- broken limestone slabs and large pools carved out in the open rock, as seen below.

The Lower Falls look different from what I remember from years ago -- presumably this is a combination of water erosion at work and current flow of the creek. To cross to the other side, where the old homestead is, one has to jump across a channel just large enough to be risky for an adult and way too dangerous for children to safely cross.

So we, the ever-adventuring gang, decided to take advantage of the fact that this was an ON swimming time for MFSP, and we crossed the creek higher up. Yep, in our tennis shoes. Well, except for me, who was clever enough to wear my Keens. Though the water was plenty shallow, the carved channels in the creek bed (the always-occurring water erosion still at work) were hidden by long strings of algae, so we still had to be careful in our endeavour.

But we wanted to see the homestead and grist mill, and crossing the falls was simply too hazardous for my youngster. It would be nice to have a bridge built someday, one safe from the effects of flooding, if that's even possible.

Yeah, I think the boys will be getting new shoes for when they go back to school.

On the other side of the park, we could really envision the McKinney ranch of old. The McKinney homestead was built around 1850 and stayed relatively intact until a fire in 1943.

It's easy to picture horses pulling a wagon under the trees along this wide road.

  The trails were lined with yellow flowers and a variety of shrubs and grasses.

Little remains of the grist mill, once used to grind flour. It was destroyed by a flood in 1869.

There are other remnants to be found along the Lower Falls trails, but we had to get home. So we followed the trail back to the creek for another adventure in crossing. We enjoyed a different view of the falls from the other side, but the muck we found in the creek was pretty much the same!

While waiting for the kids to cross, I snapped a close-up of our husky. He's a handsome brute, isn't he?

Imagine it's just before Christmas Eve again, for that is when my boys and I took our dogs to McKinney Falls State Park for a little nature excursion before the holidays. Having recently enjoyed autumn colors at Lost Maples, Westcave Preserve, and Hamilton Pool, we found that McKinney Fall seemed appropriately devoid of leaves and color -- we had found winter in Texas at last.

But it didn't really bother us, and it certainly didn't upset the dogs one bit. Instead of delighting in vibrant colors and active wildlife, as there wasn't much around, we enjoyed themes in nature and the unusual that caught our eye, noticing things that might have escaped observation at another time of year.

For one, we discovered that nature provided hints of Christmas all around us. From ornaments...

to red and green colors.

Sometimes we found unexpected shapes that brought our thoughts to ordinary objects or otherwise sparked our imagination, such as hearts...

  Bigfoot tracks...

and even a longhorn. Hook 'em Horns!

We enjoyed "Wildlife Words of the Day" including "snag," "hollow," and even "scat" (I declined to post of picture of scat, however).

And we enjoyed a variety of textures, from the soft to the rough to the bristly.

  The cactus kept our attention, through color, shape, and spines. Sometimes it was pests, like cochineals...

but sometimes it was beauty in age and decline. Have you ever wondered about the interior structure of a cactus, its vascular system that supports its water conservation? When dry, it leaves behind a beautifully intricate skeleton.

We found animal tracks...

a lone butterfly...

a flower staring back at us (you can really have a conversation with this flower if you choose to)...

nifty things plants and fungus do...

and vicious man-eating fire ants.

The winter season can keep some people indoors, but there is still so much to see, even when the leaves are on the ground instead of in the trees. Sometimes it's noticing the little things that really open up the wonders of nature. And when you do it with your kids, you feel like you're helping the whole world open up in their eyes.

 
I'll give an actual tour of McKinney Falls State Park in the next post, to complete our nature walks. I'm almost caught up!

After our trip to Westcave Preserve, the boys and I enjoyed a picnic lunch with our friends, then headed to nearby Hamilton Pool for an afternoon trek. The park is about 232 acres located near Pedernales River, and it's famous for its natural swimming hole formed from a collapsed grotto. We followed the main trail down to the creek below, enjoying a slow pace along the water's edge until we reached the large pool and steadily flowing waterfalls.

Along the way, we enjoyed turtles, fish, and the occasional butterfly.

The walk seemed short, and before we knew it, we had reached Hamilton Pool itself, where 50-foot waterfalls pour over limestone cliffs into the chilly pool below. The large cavern allows visitors to walk and relax along the cool rocks and boulders behind the falls.

  And from the back, the autumn colors seem all the more vibrant.

The sound of the waterfall is loud but not deafening, though my children sure couldn't hear me when I tried to call to them from a few feet away. Or could they...?

    Though the waters were chilly (luckily this was still in November), the boys were tempted to take advantage of the open swimming hole and swam across to the waterfalls. Ok, maybe mom challenged them. And maybe they turned a little blue. But they had fun, even if it meant they were soaking wet on the ride home.

The holidays really played a toll on my keeping my posts up-to-date. We took some lovely hiking trips in November-December that I never had a chance to share photos of, so with it being New Year's Day today, I want to get caught up to start 2010 out right, even if it means backtracking. I'll start with our trip to Westcave Preserve back in mid-November. This Hill Country wonder is situated near Pedernales River, not too far from Hamilton Pool (which we visited later the same afternoon).

Westcave Preserve is lesser known than the popular Hamilton Pool, though they are only about 5 minutes apart from one another. Perhaps it is because tours are required to hike through Westcave. However, the tour guides are quite knowledgeable and dedicated.

The Environmental Learning Center is impressive, with its solar-tracking exhibit built into its ceiling and floor, its sustainable energy, its exhibits relating the Fibonnacci Series numbers to nature, and more.

Along the upper trails, visitors delight in native woods and beautiful views overlooking the river below. Though it wasn't the right season to see one, endangered golden-cheeked warblers sometimes nest in the preserve, using strips of ashe juniper trees and spider webs to build their nests.

Descending down the steep trails along the cable-only handrail, we began to see large slabs of limestone rock, evidence of the geologic changes in the area over many, many thousands of years.

Down in the ravine, a variety of ferns, wildflowers, shrubs, grasses, and trees such as oaks and bald cypress set the peaceful scene along the creek.

Before arriving at the trail's end, we could already hear the tranquil sounds of the 40-foot waterfall, but the beauty of the waterfall backed by caves and fern-covered travertine walls drew our breath away. The water wasn't a massive flow, as it was still affected by the area's drought, but happily it still dropped into the pool below.

  Sunlight streamed into the cave, providing backlighting for glistening water drops and shining upon the moistened moss and ferns. The almost fantastical scene seemed perfect for little gnomes, fairies, or elves.

Just outside, a water moccasin basked in the sun at the base of a giant bald cypress. Can you spot it below?

Near the larger cave was a smaller one, and inside we could see geological formations in the making. Though human visitors had wreaked havoc on the caves stalactites and stalagmites in the past, we could see new ones that had formed slowly over more recent decades.

It amazes me that I've lived in the Austin area since 1987, and this year is the first year I'd ever even heard of Westcave Preserve. But I'll definitely be taking friends and family to visit it for years to come. 

Lost Maples State Natural Area, near Kerrville and Vanderpool, Texas, is beautiful year-round, but it is the fall colors of its bigtooth maples and other deciduous trees that draw in the crowds. The park is named for its pocket of bigtooth maples that were brought to its canyons by Ice Age glaciers. The maples do well because of the park's microclimate, though in any given year the fall colors are dependent on that year's rainfall and temperatures.

During our visit, the woods were a colorful palette of greens, golds, oranges, reds, and browns. The colors come from the Bigtooth Maples, Red Oaks, Lacey Oaks, Flameleaf Sumacs, and other trees, and even vines such as Virginia Creeper and Poison Ivy.

    Sometimes the colors were all present on the same tree.

But when the trees were ready, they really did the colors right.

  Aside from the pleasing flora, the park offers miles of trails, springs, rivers, overlooks, grasslands, fern-covered canyon walls, and more. During the fall, visitors will wait in car lines for two hours just to get into the park. We cheated by going on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and we had no problem getting in. After the 3.5-hour drive from Austin, we were ready for some exercise!

The dogs were very excited to be there, too. Most of the pictures in this blog were taken after their energy wore out a little. Guess why?

Lost Maples' most popular trail is a short, relatively easy walk, but we opted for the almost-5-mile East Trail. Shortly into the hike, we were met by a sign that read something along the lines of "Steep Trail for the Next 1.5 Miles." It was not just steep -- it was very, very rocky, too. And you know, what goes up, must come down.

But it was worth it to see the beauty of the area for miles around.

The mountaintop was covered in Ashe Junipers and various grasses. The boys imagined a scene from an African savannah, with lions lurking about.

As we made our way down the other side of the mountain, the stunning fall foliage came forth again.

            Though the dogs were worn out by the end, they didn't mind a final jog.

On our way home, we stopped at Stonehenge II, a smaller version of its more famous archaeological wonder of a cousin. It also has an Easter Island-like statue. It was getting dark, so we snapped a picture and headed on. A nifty spot to visit -- we'll go back in daylight.

 What do you get when a bunch of Austin Garden Bloggers get together?

• Beautiful plants to ogle
• Introductions to species you'd never seen or heard of
• Visits to nurseries and gardens you'd never been to
• Lots of chatting with new friends you have so much in common with
• Cameras. Need I say more?
• Celebrations of colors, textures, garden design, hardscape, art, and all things nature
• Stories of plants (identified by scientific name), trips, tours, kids, spouses, gardens, chicken coops, plant-swapping, buggy pests, and decaying dead urban wildlife at lunchtime (oops)
• Cars filled to the brim with newly-purchased plants
• Good times and good food and sometimes a little confusion

Yesterday many Austin Garden Bloggers gathered for a day trip to Madrone Nursery in San Marcos, San Antonio Botanical Garden, and Antique Rose Emporium.

Blogs represented were Digging, Sharing Nature's Garden, Go Away, I'm Gardening!, In Bloom, Great Stems, Shovel-Ready Garden, Garden of E, Rock Rose, Gardener of Good and Evil, Round Rock Morning Glories, Some Like it Hot, and Zanthan Gardens. We were quite the eager plant-loving caravan!

Our first stop was Madrone Nursery, owned by Dan Hosage, Jr. A native plant specialist, he was both enthusiastic and energetic in sharing his love of plants. Many of us bought plants, and I know I'll need to go back again soon with list in hand for others I'm interested in. 

At the San Antonio Botanical Garden, we were greeted by towering century plant blooms.

The lime-colored leaves of Duranta "Gold Mound" provided a colorful contrast to the surrounding plants.

Note regarding many of these plant photos from SABot: I wrote down the names of as many plants as I could, and now I can't seem to find the sheet of paper I had. Perhaps I left it in Pam's car? If I can locate the paper, I'll update this blog with more plant IDs.

  Bird of Paradise

Bee in Datura

Black Beautyberry

  Barbados Cherry, loaded with fruit

Pacific Chrysanthemums (the lovely white trim on these leaves inspired a few people to take this plant home from Antique Rose Emporium later in the day)

Papyrus On display throughout the gardens were Dave Rogers' Big Bugs statues. Apparently these were at the Wildflower in Austin a year or two ago, but as I had never seen them before, I decided to run around to get pictures of all of them. They included a praying mantis, a dragonfly, a line of ants, an assassin bug, a ladybug, a grasshopper, a damselfly, and a giant spider on a web. Hmmm, it's hard to pick a favorite. It's hard to resist the spider, though. Guess that makes me a fly.

Of course, there was other beautiful art all over, as well. This statue represented different things to different people: a star, a child, a seastar, a Thumbkin, a dancer, and more.

There were hundreds of Monarchs, especially around the pentas. I found it interesting that all the ones I studied were females. Where were the males?

Oddly, the Monarch species dominated most of the gardens. Occasionally I'd see another species, like this Ceraunus Blue (Hemiargus ceraunus).

This Bordered Patch butterfly (Chlosyne lacinia), along with a companion, enjoyed a treat of Gregg's Mistflower nectar by the Auld House.

  I fell in love with the Children's Vegetable Garden. These organic plots are maintained by children, and as you can see, they are quite productive. I couldn't help but admire the very creative scarecrows and other decorations throughout the mini-farm.

The Japanese Garden seemed a little sad because of its missing tranquil waters. The drought-caused water restrictions in San Antonio forced the shutting off of water features throughout the park.

I was wowed by the simple design but elaborate effect of the fence surrounding the Japanese garden.

In addition to special exotic areas of SABot, the gardens also had areas focused on different Texas regions, such as South Texas, Hill Country, and this scenic lake setting representative of the East Texas Pineywoods. The reflections on the water were occasionally disturbed by a falling maple leaf or a duck creating a "V" while swimming across the still water.

I am always fascinated by the protective spines found on cactus and various succulents.

Ocotillo

This Dr. Suess-like agave bloom is from a Butterfly Agave.

A close-up, and the plant is still delightful.

The Sensory Garden was an abundance of textures and scents. Here silver ponyfoot drapes off the sides of a raised garden.

In the same garden, it might be tempting to touch this bumpy plant, but a closer look shows that each bump ends in a tiny and very painful spine. I wondered whether it really should be in a Sensory Garden, then realized that it was just barely kept out of eager hands' reach. I guess an attempt was made to correct the mistake, if it was one.  

Off in the glass and cement pavilions of the conservancy, we were introduced to a vast collection of unusual plants from different growing regions across the world.

Karoo Cycad (Encephalartos lehmannii)

  A photographer stops at nothing to get that perfect plant shot!

This Christmas plant looks similar to a Poinsettia, but it's actually a bloom on a large tree.

A big black bee visits a Lucky Nut, or Yellow Oleander.

Life-Saver Plant (Huernia confusa) -- it's pretty obvious where this plant got its name!

Many of the windows of the glass pavilions had been replaced with boards. It turns out that some of these had been damaged by deliberate gunshots from nearby Sam Houston. I'm quite appalled and upset about this. American soldiers and officers should be role models, not thugs.

I had great interest in the Watersaver Lane, a series of houses showing a variety of approaches to yards. Tell me, would you choose the sparse, wildlife-unfriendly, and rather unimaginative traditional American yard? (The hint here is, "Please say no!")How about a Cottage-Garden style, with reduced lawn and colorful flower beds?

Or a Wildscape Landscape, complete with curvy paths, reduced lawn, and plants selected for their value to birds, butterflies, and other wildlife?

Or do you prefer the style of a Spanish courtyard?

Two other styles were represented, a Manicured Xeriscape Lawn and a yard straight out of the Texas Hill Country. Certainly this look at yard styles and water-saving options gives one a lot to think about in terms of plant selection and design.

On the way back from San Antonio, we stopped at the Antique Rose Emporium near Selma. At first, I expected to be very much out of my element, as I don't know a thing about roses. However, it's hard not to take delight in the beauty and fragrance and variety of roses, and there were many native and Texas-adapted species as well, along with fun garden gifts.

This single white flower surrounded by pink buds was a bouquet all by itself.

A white climbing rose in the "Mannerly Climbers" section drapes out of its pot.

I was sorely tempted to go against my grain and choose a water-loving non-native Curly Willow to enjoy at home near my air-conditioner drain. But at the last moment, I resisted. I left with a native Passiflora and two kinds of wonderfully scented Pineapple Sage instead. If I ever have an appropriate bog, however, that Curly Willow might be mine for sheer fun!

  A good time had by all. Can you tell that this was the last picture taken of people restless from standing too long for photos? There were a lot of cameras "in line."

Time to go home. The cars that had room for plants were filled up completely, of course.

What a fulfilling, pleasant, happy day. Thanks, everyone!

As a special treat on Halloween, other recent Habitat Steward graduates and I had the honor of visiting the award-winning and very beautiful wildlife habitat of Dale and Pat Bulla here in Austin. 

I had heard a lot about their spectacular wildscape, so when our Habitat Steward group was given the opportunity to have a tour, you know I jumped at the chance!

Dale (left) and Pat (center) are also both Habitat Stewards with NWF, and preserving native Texas plant life is exceptionally important to them. They are leaders in conservation efforts in Austin and Texas, and they were a primary force in helping their neighborhood win Austin's Community Wildlife Habitat challenge in 2008 with the highest number of certified wildlife habitats.

Pat and Dale have lived on their property since 1998, building their home on a rocky limestone slope overlooking the Balcones Canyonland Preserves. Their efforts to create a natural landscape since then have paid off -- paths of natural materials such as mulch, rock, and cedar lead visitors through peaceful woods and past pocket seeps.

Many of the plants were placed there by the Bullas, but many more were delivered by birds and other creatures. The result is a wonderland of native Texas species.

Pat told me that the plants on their property are about 95% native, with the remaining being well adapted plants such as rosemary and winter-blooming germander.

It being the end of October, we were able to see many species just beginning their fall fruit or fall color stages.

As we toured the Bulla wildscape, Dale and Pat identified many of their favorite trees, shrubs, and perennials, sometimes sharing stories about certain plants. We tasted the leaves of a Toothache Tree (Zanthoxylum hirsutum), and after a couple of minutes I felt my gums tingle, as if they were going numb. I want one of these trees for the pure fun of it.

The Bullas are fortunate to have many rare or unusual plants, such as the Lindheimer's Crown-Beard (Verbesina lindheimeri), a plant so rare and special that the Wildflower Center collected seeds from the Bulla plants and sent them to the Millennium Seed Bank in London. Other plants, not necessarily considered rare, can still quite difficult to find in nurseries. 

The Bullas study the soil, light, and water conditions of their property in order to best place plants. With a combination of rocky slopes, natural seeps, sun, shade, woods, and open areas all on their property, it seemed to me that they had an advantage in being able to plant a little bit of everything!

Bluebonnet seedlings, Tropical Sage, Little Bluestem, and other plants were interspersed in the Buffalo grass of the Bullas' front yard mini-prairie.

Amazingly, the habitat is home to six different kinds of native Texas passionflower vines.

The Bullas have a knack for creating functional habitat features that blend in with the natural setting, including a manmade seep-like water source, beebox (with nesting holes for solitary bees), and rock man.

Dale and Pat's home serves as an example to others about how to minimize their carbon footprint. Not only is their carbon footprint exceptionally low due to natural paths, water collection systems, zero lawn, and minimal water usage, the Bullas also use solar panels that produce enough electricity to actually return some back to the city.

And of course, the wildlife love the Bullas' habitat, too. Unfortunately for the Bullas, however, this includes destructive feral hogs that visit the property from the BCP during the night, occasionally tearing up pathways and plants while looking for grubs, roots, and tasty vegetation. Deer prevent Dale and Pat from planting certain delectable species and veggies, too. But birds, butterflies, lizards, and other creatures call the Bullas' habitat home. We enjoyed watching the Queens and Monarchs fluttering about, but I was truly mesmerized by this Buckeye. I have yet to see a Buckeye in my yard!

It's no wonder the Bullas' habitat is designated as a Green Garden by the City of Austin. An award well deserved!

Yesterday, my boys and I did a whirlwind tour of the beautiful yards of this year's Inside Austin Gardens Tour. There was something special about each and every home, and we thank the homeowners for opening their yards to the community. Each yard was a certified wildlife habitat, and we even got to see some wildlife at a few of them!

We zoomed through so very fast due to our overbooked afternoon schedule. But even in our few minutes of touring, we found inspiration. From mixed yard/habitat homes to luscious looming tropics to sheer vastness in variety of plant species to pure folly, we saw it all.

As is typical of me, I was drawn to the use of native plants and whimsy in the garden, as you can see in these select photos. But without a doubt, I saw some very unique and beautiful plants at all the homes. I greatly appreciate the lists of plants available at every location! And there was such creativity in layout and design and decor.

These little glimpses don't give much in the way of overview, I know. I regret that I'm posting so few pictures, but  I encourage you to visit Pam's blog at Digging, MSS at Zanthan Gardens, Jenny at Rock Rose , and Linda at Patchwork Garden for exceptional details and photos of the tour (so many of our pictures are of the same plants and garden wows, and I shamelessly admit that I'm taking advantage of the fact that they beat me to the blogging punch). I've got so many projects looming over me at the moment, but if I don't get something out, I'll get nothing out, if that makes sense. Life just isn't stopping still and letting me catch up! What's up with that?

We're very fortunate that Texas is home to the truly special Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, and we Austinites are particularly thrilled that it's right here on the edge of our beautiful city. The center is dedicated to the conservation of native plant species across North America, providing an incredible online database of information about thousands of plants and giving visitors to the center a first-eye glimpse of the beauty of Texas plants. 

Throughout the gardens lovely sculptures and other art complement the natural beauty of the Texas flowers, shrubs, and trees.

Spectacular combinations of colors and textures bring unconscious serenity to the viewer. Here the majestic Goldenrod really stands out against the wispy seeds and grasses of Big Muhly.

  All around the center are fantastic displays of plant diversity, with settings typical of our state: prairie, pond, woodland, meadow, and more. Even a few coastal plants are represented, minus the ocean and the sand.

It was my husband's first time to the Wildflower Center, so we did a quick little walkaround, but there wasn't much time to take a thorough tour. There is so much more the center offers, from truly impressive rain collection systems to walking trails to green roof research to continuing education courses, and more.

 But twice a year, Texan gardeners get very excited about a special event that takes place at the Wildflower Center. The center hosts an outstanding native plant sale each fall and spring, and gardeners from all over the state converge to seek and buy plants they might not be able to get at any other time. I know that there are always plants I've never seen before, and it's hard not to get carried away with purchasing. People line up with their wagons and lists. 

Even the rainy day couldn't keep the buyers away, though fortunately the rain came the night before and in the morning, but not during the actual sale. The crowds were a little smaller than is typical of the opening day of the sale, but it might be chaotic this weekend instead.

Here you can see some of the plants set aside for the rest of the weekend, so that plants would be available throughout. You can still see the mini-lake left over from the heavy rains.

Up near the front of the line, my husband and I chatted with our friendly line neighbors.

(I had great fun trying to figure out where to put the copyright on this image of my husband. He wouldn't let me plaster it right across his nose, though.) 

Of course, when the ribbon was cut and the sale actually opened, we all said something along the lines of "It was so very nice talking to you! Now stay away from my plants!" (And at this point I stopped taking pictures, because the mad rush to find all coveted plants began. In fact, if you couldn't tell from the images -- these are from my pocket camera instead of my regular camera. I had to make sure I wasn't overburdened when plants were at stake! Yes, at first it can seem like a frenzy, particularly for the rarer species. I didn't start taking pictures again until all our plants were chosen, and by then many buyers had already cleared out, so this crowd looks small compared to the earlier blockade of people all trying to get their carts through the aisles while collecting as many plants on their list that they could).    

Now, this being Texas, even though there is definitely a mad rush at first, people really are friendly about it. And I think the biggest rush is for trees and shrubs, and perhaps some succulents and water plants. The perennials can go fast, but in general there are plenty available.

I  should mention that two Native Plant Society groups and Native American Seed were also there as vendors, and I made sure to visit their tents.

My special purchases of the day were Rusty Blackhaw (there was definitely a crazed rush to find these, and even then, only very small plants were available; I consider myself very fortunate to be able to buy any) and Anacua, or Sandpaper Tree. I also got a gorgeous Anachacho Orchid, an Evergreen Sumac, and a few other smaller plants. I even got a Lizard's Tail plant for my pond. My husband was a trooper about it, despite the money being spent. But I'd been preparing him for several months that by gosh we were going to the Fall Plant Sale at the Wildflower Center, no matter what! :)

Last weekend was a busy wildlife weekend for me. Just before zooming down to the Rockport Hummer/Bird Festival, I visited another bird paradise much closer to home. I almost didn't post about it, simply because it was difficult to capture pictures of the birds without a zoom lens, and due to circumstances mentioned below, the migrant birds were relatively few. But this wildlife habitat, the lands and waters of Hornsby Bend, is so remarkable that I wanted to draw attention to it, especially for anyone in central Texas or visitors to the area. Birding binoculars are highly recommended!

Hornsby Bend is an area along a "bend" of the Colorado River, southeast of Austin, Texas, near the airport. Once home to dense forests and thickets, a man named Reuben Hornsby settled there in 1832, clearing the land for agricultural uses. Today it is home to the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant, which deals with -- yes, that's right -- our city's poop. But this is a particularly good thing, because the Hornsby Bend plant combines the treated solid wastes with residential yard trimmings (picked up curbside) to make Dillo Dirt -- a nutrient-rich compost. The plant also houses the AWU Center for Environmental Research, which studies urban ecology and sustainability.

But Hornsby Bend is so much more -- 1,200 acres of marshes, woodlands, pastures, and riparian (river) areas. Because of the incredible biodiversity along the food chain and its multiple habitats, it has become known nationally as one of the best birdwatching sites in Texas, especially during times of migration. More than 360 species of birds have been sighted at Hornsby Bend. Migratory shorebirds, wading birds, and landbirds, some from the Arctic or from the southern tip of South America, stop at the ponds of Hornsby Bend as they travel to and from their winter habitats.

Though Hornsby Bend is best known for its birds, the native plants along the shores of the ponds and river provide excellent butterfly and dragonfly viewing as well.

Members of Travis Audubon and other organizations survey the birds and other wildlife frequently year-round, but the peak months to view migrating birds are August and September, with wintering birds arriving in October through December. March and April are the peak months for spring migration.

Due to recent rains in Central Texas, the normal shorelines of the lagoons were underwater, so during my visit to Hornsby for Habitat Steward Training, there were very few migrating shorebirds, despite it being a peak month for migration through the area. Audubon viewers did note 57 different species that day, however, including various grebes, kingfishers, vireos, hawks, egrets, swallows, orioles, and many, many more. But with the cold front incoming this week, the birders at Hornsby said that many other species would be arriving, and they expected local birdwatchers to flock to the ponds (pun intended) for species viewing. Our group did see many barn swallows enjoying the insects near the ponds, and several duck species.

Near the wet grounds by the compost, many least sandpipers and other species scooted about for insects.

And humans studied them from afar.

The wooded areas along the river provided opportunities to see tree-perching birds. A quiet walk along the paths allowed us to listen to the beautiful songs of many a bird, including the white-eyed vireo.   

Another treatment area, these long greenhouses will also provide winter shelter to area birds. A red-shouldered hawk reportedly has hunted in there, in fact.

  Near the main building at Hornsby Bend, viewers can enjoy butterflies, hummingbirds, and other wildlife visiting the demonstration habitat. Hummingbirds are particularly fond of the thriving Tropical Sage (Salvia coccinea) among the many plants in the gardens.

 And there are purple martins, too, though they are absent in September.

A few words about Dillo Dirt. The Dillo Dirt program was created in 1989, the first such program in the state of Texas, and one of the oldest in the nation. The natural process of creating this compost produces temperatures up to 170 degrees Fahrenheit, which kills human and plant pathogens. The compost is further cured and screened before becoming the final Dillo Dirt product. Rather than wastes filling a landfill or being dumped into rivers, this incredibly beneficial compost returns organic material to the soils of Austin yards, pastures, golf courses, and other landscapes. 

Back at the main building, the Habitat Steward Trainees listened to three speakers. The knowledge I gained this day was tremendous, from the history of the soil in the Austin area to the how's and whys of organic matter, and from butterflies of Central Texas to urban wildlife, such as coyotes and raccoons. A great day, and a great place to visit.