March Madness

Evidently my March Madness was making plans to travel to the Trans-Pecos region where rain is a rare event.  Well I guess that myth is ended, at least this year, because since I arrived at Seminole Canyon SP on Wednesday it has rained nearly non-stop.  In fact, it began around 10 this morning (Thursday) and it is still raining hard now, 6 PM.  The forecast tomorrow is for more rain.  The saying "The best laid plans of mice and men" is certainly applicable to this trip.  I never expected to have rain from the first day of the trip to the present in an arid area of the western part of our state.  There is a silver lining to this story however.  This is early March and is and was one of my favorite times of the year to live in south and southwest Texas,  blooming black brush (Acacia rigidula).  This yellow flowering shrub permeates the air with a wonderful fragrance that fills your nostrils as you travel the highway.  I have missed this experience these past few years living in central Texas.  

With limited time to do some photography this morning before the relentless rain began, I took a short stroll in the park.  In the distance I could hear the familiar, beautiful song of Cassin's Sparrow and the harsh cackling of Cactus Wrens singing from their perch.  It is evident that Spring Migration for many species is well underway.  I observed large flocks of Lark Bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys) heading for their breeding grounds on the western Great Plains.

In addition, there are other large flocks of White-crowned Sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys) moving northwest as well.  It never ceases to amaze me that these sparrows who wintered on my ranch in deep south Texas breed in the boreal forest and on the tundra of Alaska,  That's quite a move for a small sparrow. This is a first year bird that is not yet molted to breeding plumage.

Finally I was able to get a shot of a Pyrrhuloxia (Cardinalis sinuatus).  This is a cousin of our ever present Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) in central Texas. This if a female and I was not able to find a male who is especially striking this time of year.  Hopefully when I get to Laredo and the RGV the weather will improve and I will have a better opportunity to do some photography.