Day 4

June 13, 2015

I had raced through the previous three days.  Now was time to relax.  I only planned light birding for the day and the rest of the time was supposed to be idol.  I could work on my new novel or my symphony or this idea I’ve got for a smaller composition for band.  Except it’s hot.

I got out of my tent around seven and talked to the park ranger for a bit.  I decided to do a bit of hiking up towards the Pinnacles Trail.  The Pinnacles is what I plan on hiking tomorrow.  I have bad memories of that hike from last year.  A year ago, it took 8 hours to hike 11 miles in 100 degree heat.  I finished in the midafternoon dehydrated and my fingers were swollen to the size of sausages due to altitude sickness.  This year, I’m planning things differently.  Step one: start earlier.  Last year I started the hike at 6 in the morning.  Seemed reasonable enough.  That’s too late evidently.  This year, I play it safe and will wake up at 3, and hopefully be out by 3:30.  That should put me at the top by sunrise at 7:00.  Step two: don’t start hiking from the campground, start from the lodge.  The lodge is a mile further up the trail (saving 2 miles round-trip) and about 400 feet higher in elevation.  This will save a lot of effort.  Step three: don’t stop on the way up.  Last year, I stopped every step of the way to look at birds and plants and deer.  At 3:30 AM there won’t be anything to look at.  I’ll go up quicker.  Step four: bring more to drink.  On the midway point last year, I ran out of water.  No way in hell am I doing that again.  I’ve got an 8-pack of fruit punch Gatorade and several bottles of water.  I’m ready to go.  With any luck, I’ll be back down by 10 before it gets too hot.

Speaking of hot, today is sweltering.  There is absolutely no shade at the campground.  I’m sure I’ll sweat off a pound or two just sitting here typing this.  I tried getting shelter in my tent, but it was even hotter.  Sane people don’t do this.

At any rate…

I’ve rambled on long enough about tomorrow’s plans.  Here’s what I did today.

On my mini hike, I was able to pick up a single new bird, a Scott’s Oriole.  It flew across the path twice.  I only glimpsed it, but it’s an unmistakable bird with its bright yellow and black coloration.

#359 Scott’s Oriole

I hiked this trail only for about an hour.  It gave me a good feel of how to proceed with tomorrow.  From here, I headed to the Rio Grande Village on the other side of the park.  It is a completely different habitat.  It’s right along the river, so a cottonwood riparian area for those who keep track of that kind of thing.

On the way there, out from the desert plants on the left side of the road hopped up a Scaled Quail.  I wish I had gotten a better look, but it was most assuredly a quail and the only possibility here is Scaled.  Add another lifer to the list.

#360 Scaled Quail (Lifer 475)

Down at the river, I was able to get great views of the nest Common Black Hawk.  It swooped down to fend off a Common Raven.  Then, it posed for a while while I took pictures.  The nature walk area was closed off sadly.  I knew they had closed off half of the campground down there to save on costs (how this saves on costs I have no clue).  I didn’t realize that this meant that the whole nature trail would be closed off as well.  I had been hoping to go down it on the off chance of seeing otters (a really remote possibility, and honestly, one that I should have done at dawn).  A friend of mine told me that it is possible that the otters in Big Bend may not me North American River Otters but rather Neotropical Otters.  A good photo of one could go a long way in determining this.  It’s an off chance, but not out of the range of reality.

Gray Hawk

Common Black Hawk

I was also able to pick up some Texas year birds today (including Common Black Hawk and Black-Tailed Gnatcatcher).  With those, my Texas tally of birds comes in at 334, which is good enough for #28 out of all Texas birders.  I should be in the top 20 within a week.

It’s 3:30 in the afternoon as I write this.  I’m slowly waiting for the sun to set and the temperature to drop.  My computer will probably overheat soon if I keep typing.  Early to bed, early to wise, and hopefully I’ll get a Colima Warbler.

Update.  Here it is three hours later.  I’ve now had two pints of ice cream and have the severe milk farts.  Bad choices are sometimes tasty.  That last part just came out wrong.  I was referring to the ice cream, not the… ewww… what were you thinking?

A little after five, the skies (ok sky singular) started to grow dark.  Looks like we were in for another storm, but it only threatened with lightning.  The thunder in the basin echoed like I’ve never heard before.

I should probably stop writing.  Vultures are swooping down a few feet from me.  I think they’re telling me I need a shower.  And to cut down on the ice cream.

I refuse to listen to the vultures.  My brain needs activity. I seem to be the only person at the campground who is camping by themselves.  I go to get away from everything.  Everyone else goes as a social experience.  People are playing music and cavorting.  Is nature not enough?  Is the sound of the wind in the trees or the call of Cactus Wrens not enough?  Is the stunning landscape not enough? Am I a hypocrite for writing this on a computer?  Probably.

I bet the other campers have no idea that there is a Painted Bunting calling in the distance, America’s most colorful bird.

Wait, is that a Painted?  Goes to get scope…

Woohoo!  It’s a Varied Bunting!

#361 Varied Bunting

Update Number 2

The clouds burst.  Rain and hail and thunder and lightning rained down in torrents.  I huddled in my little tent for the duration.  It was intense.  The tent blew in the wind.  Drops came in and I started to worry about getting everything inside soaked.  Luckily, my little $19.95 tent from Target was up to the task.  The storms have passed and I am ready to get some rest.