Today Was a Proper Camping Day

After yesterday’s constant precipitation, today came as a very welcome change. It was nice and sunny, as well as pleasantly cool. I was ready to get in some exploration of Lake Whitney State Park!

The first thing I did was head back to the Two Bridges Trail for a birdwatching walk. It was led by two fellow Master Naturalists who claimed to be amateurs but have lots of experience.

We had a very good time, even if we didn’t see or hear too much exciting bird action. I learned much about the park and lake. The lake is only about a foot deep, for the most part!

The walk ended on a triumphant note when I heard a male painted bunting then actually spotted it. I got a great look with my binoculars and even got this blurry yet identifiable photo.

In the same clump of trees, a Nashville warbler appeared. I’d been hearing them, but this was my first sighting. We felt quite successful.

On the way back, I saw a guy walking down the road who had three cameras and binoculars. I stopped to tell him about the birds and he laughed. The other two had just told him, as well. I guess bird lovers stick together.

When I got back, I sat by the RV and hung out with Lee for a while. I heard an unusual bird, so I turned on Merlin. It was the summer tanagers! We quickly figured out they were close. Sure enough, we got to enjoy great views of both the male and female! He’s solid red and she’s pale yellow. Whew, that’s a lot of bird excitement for one morning.

After lunch I headed out again so I could check out the other trail. It’s called the Towash Forest Trail, but there’s not much forest. Towash is the town that’s now under the lake.

I must say the scenery left a lot to be desired. The first part interested me, because I could see old fences, and trees were all lined up as if they used to be along a fence. I think that part of the trail used to be the road leading to Towash.

Most of the trail went along the lake. There were small trees but lots of dewberries and grapevines. Of course, there were insects. There were disturbing numbers of caterpillars and butterflies, along with a new friend, the bird grasshopper. They were flying off in front of me, just like the butterflies were. I even saw a Gulf fritillary and a black swallowtail but they avoided my camera.

Yes, there were birds. There weren’t too many, but I did enjoy finding a flock of coots, watching Scissortail catch a bug, and startling a spotted sandpiper. Again, there were lots of egrets.

Later, after some lovely rest, I couldn’t control my nature-loving self and I blazed through the trees behind our campsite to find the lake we can barely glimpse. It was worth it. This inlet is very natural and beautiful. I saw so many shore birds, ducks, and others!

Having just dozed off, I’m pretty sure I should stop typing. But it was a great day in nature. Ahh.