Ladder-Backs, Broad-wings and more at the Red Corral

We escaped once again to a favorite R&R place, the Red Corral Ranch between Wimberly and Blanco, Texas. There is a cabin stuck way back in the woods where one can lounge around, read, listen to the silence and relax. Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice flit about the cabin grounds.



Of course, if one wishes, there are plenty of trails through the ranch to explore. One of those trails, appropriately called the Nature Trail, follows the creek from the cabin to the main lodge. It is easy walking, about a mile long, and takes you past open spaces and along cliffs and by terrain where, if one is lucky, one might spot a Golden Cheeked Warbler. Yet, even if one doesn’t there is other avifauna about. On one such walk, we spotted first a female Ladder-Backed Woodpecker and then the male in the oak grove. The sexes look much alike with the exception of red on the head of the male, which the female lacks. The face of this bird is distinctive, and this is what caught our eye. We, also, had a Hermit Thrush run the trail before us as we pressed onward. Pausing as if to wait on us to catch up, it slowly lifted and lowered its reddish tail. Turning once to show us its spotted breast, it darted for cover and left the trail to us.

We walked several trails in addition to the Nature Trail; the Goddess Trail, the Pond Trail and its unmarked offshoot to the north pass a windmill on top of a rise. We saw White Winged Dove, Northern Cardinals, Scrub Jay, Spotted Towhees, Vesper Sparrow, American Robins, Turkey Vultures, and two kettles of Black Vultures. The area just northeast of the Pond netted a pair of soaring Broad-winged Hawks.

The fact that this ranch is managed for the protection of the Golden Cheeked Warbler and the Black Capped Vireo makes this one of our top places to visit, which we do as often as possible.


Photograph of Ladder Backed Woodpecker from Animal Diversity Web.

Golden Cheeked Warbler & Black Capped Vireo

Photo by Bill Ravenscroft

May 4, 2008, Sunday, Field Trip to Ft. Hood, Temple, TX. 5:00 AM-12:00 Noon. The skies were clear. The early morning temperatures were cool and crisp but it warmed later. Six of us from Waco left in the dark for Ft. Hood, arriving at the rendezvous at 6:25 AM, the sun having risen a little after 6 AM. We joined two from Houston, two from Kentucky, two from Temple with Rich of the Nature Conservancy and Gil, who led us around Ft. Hood. The roads were rough and we had to fjord a few creeks. Since the chiggers were out, we donned bug spray, too. Our first stop was to the Owl Creek Region where we were able to see the Golden Cheeked Warbler and the Black Capped Vireo, both endangered, many Painted Buntings, a female Summer Tanager, and a Yellow Warbler. Our second stop was to The Willows where we found Baltimore and Orchard Orioles, Indigo Buntings, Prothonotary Warblers, and Warbling Vireos. We also sighted an immature male Blue Grosbeak at The Willows. Forty-two species sighted are listed below.

Golden Cheeked Warblers
Carolina Chickadee
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Northern Cardinal
Tufted Titmouse
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped “Myrtle” Warbler
Mourning Dove
Rufous Crowned Sparrow
Lark Sparrow
Cedar Waxwing
Yellow-breasted Chat
Red-tailed Hawk
Painted Buntings
Black Capped Vireos
White-eyed Vireos
Red-eyed Vireos
Summer Tanager, female
Turkey Vulture
Black Vulture
American Crow
Brown-headed Cowbird
Cliff Swallow
Barn Swallow
Least Flycatcher
Blue Gray Gnatcatcher
Black & White Warbler
Clay Colored Sparrow
Dickcissel
Indigo Bunting
Great Blue Heron
Eastern Kingbirds
Common Grackles
Baltimore Oriole
Warbling Vireo
Great Crested Flycatcher
Orchard Oriole
Prothonotary Warbler
Blue Grosbeak, imm. male
Mississippi Kite
Chipping Sparrow
Common Yellowthroat