Texas RV Travel blog

Leaving Stubblefield Lake campground, we turned back toward FM 1375,  passing the cutoff to the multi-use trailhead. We stopped at the Red-cockaded Woodpecker Interpretive site.

Red-headed Cockaded Interpretative Site

The Red-cockaded Woodpecker lives in  mature southern pine forests. Often the woodpecker selects pine trees that have an inside core of  dead wood. This allows the woodpecker to easily dig out a cavity. As the woodpecker pecks, the pine tree bleeds pitch around the nest hole. The heavy flow of gum helps keep tree-climbing snakes away from the nest.  It also makes the nest easier to spot.

We were standing there looking for the woodpeckers and their nests.  All of a sudden, we heard them.  Tok, tok, tok.  We remained still and then realized the woods were full of woodpeckers.

Where the Red-cockaded Woodpeckers Live

Can you spot the cavities in the trees excavated by woodpeckers?  Look for cavities with stains beneath them on the trees.  This is where the sap has run.

Multi-Use Trail

Past the interpretive site was a road crossing for the Lone Star Hiking Trail (LSHT) and one for the multi-use trail.  Horses and mountain bikes are allowed on the multi-use  trail; but, evidently, it is too sandy and not many people use it.  We have heard about a mountain bike trail at Double Lake Recreation Area. We will check it out tomorrow.

Ferns

I continued to be amazed by the lush greenery everywhere.  Look at the ferns growing along the roadside (above).  The only place you see ferns growing in Texas is on a rock face after a hard rain or under a waterfall.

We crossed back over Lake Conroe and turned right on FS 205 into the Cagle Recreation Area.  Cagle RA has a boat ramp, hiking trails, and 47 full-hookup RV camping sites.  The camping sites are situated along two loops under the pines, Sweet Gum Loop (19 sites) and Sycamore Loop (28 sites).  Some of the camp sites are overlooking Lake Conroe.

We followed FM 1375 to Highway 75, the original highway between Houston and Dallas that was replaced by IH-45. We headed south through the small towns of New Waverly, Montgomery, Esperanza and Willis.  When we pulled back into Thousand Trails we were greeted by a newly blooming tree in our camp site.

Posted by CyberCelt under Birding & Camping & Hike/Bike/Run & Horseback Riding & Lakes & Nature & RV Travel | 2 Comments »

Posted by CyberCelt under Beach & Birding & Camping & Family Fun & Fish/Hunt & Horseback Riding & Lakes & RV Travel & Rivers & Wildlife Watching | 1 Comment »

Great Egret taken at the Rookery in High Island.

7th Annual FeatherFest

April 2-5

Galveston Island, Texas

Support recovery efforts after Hurricane Ike and visit one of the nation’s top birding locations during spring migration  Download this event schedule (PDF) or Galveston birding guide (PDF).

Green Jay Photograph from McAllen Chamber

McAllen International Birding Tour

April 18-May 3
Based in McAllen, Texas

The most spectacular birding experiences throughout South Texas, Mexico, and Central America. April 18-21 Monterrey, Mexico; April 22-24 Rio Grande Valley; and April 26-May 3 Costa Rica.

Visit the Rivers in Texas

10th Annual Nature Quest

April 21-26

Garner State Park, Concan, Texas

Birding, wildflowers, butterflies, stargazing, rivers and Garner State Park.  Golfing and flyfishing.  See event schedule (DOC), Registration required.

Visit the Canyonlands

Celebrate Nature! 2009

April 24-27

Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge

See Yellow-Cheeked Warblers, Black-capped Vireos, learn about native plants. Sunday is FREE fun-filled family events.

Brown Pelican from TPWD

Great Texas Birding Classic

April 26-May 3

Based in Lake Jackson, Texas

The Great Texas Birding Classic (GTBC), sponsored by the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, is a friendly, but serious birding for conservation tournament. Read more on the Texas Parks and Wildlife website.

Posted by CyberCelt under Beach & Birding & Camping & Family Fun & Nature & RV Travel & Rivers & Wildflowers & Wildlife Watching | No Comments »

This video highlights some of the breathtaking landscapes that The Nature Conservancy of Texas has protected over the years.

The landscapes, skies, waterways, and wildlife of Texas will astound you

Posted by CyberCelt under Beach & Birding & Education & Lakes & Nature & Rivers & Skywatching & Wildlife Watching | No Comments »

. . . You should plan to see stunning documentary called Texas: The State of Flowing Water that will air on PBS stations throughout the state at 8 PM on February 12. The program will feature environmentalists, landowners, anglers, river enthusiasts and others who know and love Texas rivers and the rich coastal bays and estuaries.  See the beautiful natural water features and the fish and wildlife that they nurture.

From the Lone Star Chapter of Sierra Club:

Texas is blessed with an incredible bounty of water resources.  The preservation of those resources is not assured, however; their future depends on the efforts of all of us to protect our natural water heritage.  The Parks & Wildlife program will highlight some of the steps being taken now to insure that our rivers continue flowing.

Tune in to the program on the following PBS stations:

• KACV Amarillo
• KLRU Austin
• KAMU Bryan-College Station
• KEDT Corpus Christi
• KERA Dallas
• KCOS El Paso
• KMBH Harlingen
• KUHT Houston
• KNCT Killeen, Temple
• KTXT Lubbock
• KPBT Odessa-Midland
• KLRN San Antonio
• KWBU Waco

For more information about Texas water, visit the website of the Texas Living Waters Project (a joint project of the National Wildlife Federation, the Lone Star Chapter of the Sierra Club, and Environmental Defense Fund) at:  http://www.texaswatermatters.org

Posted by CyberCelt under Beach & Birding & Education & Fish/Hunt & Kayak/canoe/tube & Nature & Rivers & Wildlife Watching | 2 Comments »

While looking around for new information on Port Aransas (last post), I happened to check the website of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute.  What a wonderful place.  Next time we visit Port A, we are going to the Visitor’s Center.  Now, if I can get Michael into the idea of Elderhostel, I will be on that barge trip next January.

University of Texas Marine Science Institute

The University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) Visitor’s Center has seven aquaria that depict Texas coastal habitats and the organisms that live in them, including Spartina, black mangrove marsh, oyster reef, open bay bottom, rock jetty and offshore artificial reefs.

The planned Wetlands Education Center, known as Windows to the Sea, will occupy over three acres next to the UTMSI Visitors Center and the South Jetty. A marshland pond, planted with sea grasses and surrounded by coastal vegetation, fed by water from the Aransas Pass Ship Channel, will serve as an outdoor exhibit demonstrating the power of wetlands. Visitors may view migratory waterfowl and resident marsh birds from a surrounding boardwalk. Guided tours will penetrate the wetlands on interior boardwalks.

UTMSI sponsors an exciting Elderhostel Adventures Afloat program each January beginning in Galveston. The beautiful hotel barge, R/B River Explorer, navigates the intracoastal waterway through salt marshes including the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, ending in Port Isabel on the southern tip of Texas. Elderhostel programs from November through mid-April include a field trip to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge to observe and study the endangered whooping cranes. The programs held in Brownsville and McAllen specialize in birding.

Teacher workshops and summer programs at UTSMI are aimed at upgrading the proficiency of classroom teachers at all levels by the introduction of marine science topics and techniques into the curriculum of all subjects, from science to art and history.

Summer camps for kids are learning experiences about science on such topics as:  about bays and beaches; seaweed, sea grasses and salt marshes; life as an oceanographer; sea creatures adaptation and ecology.

During the school year, visiting classes are taken board the R/V KATY to develop an understanding of the marine environment through measurement, observation and sampling.

Visit the website Science and the Sea for an understanding of the sea and its myriad life forms. Or the educational and Interactive Beach Debris website.

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Port Aransas

Port Aransas is an island paradise tucked away on the Gulf Coast, reached by car ferry from Aransas Pass or by driving up Mustang Island from Corpus Christi. Port Aransas is the only town on Mustang Island and inhabits 8 miles of the 18-mile long barrier island. Everything moves on Island Time in Port Aransas, so relax and enjoy all that this Texas treasure has to offer.

The bays, jetties and deep Gulf waters offer the finest fishing around. Take an excursion for sport fishing, spearfishing or scuba diving. Grab the Jetty Boat to St. Jo Island for a few hours or the day. Sign up for a sunset cruise, a gambling or a dolphin encounter.

Visit the Fennessey Ranch, 4,000 acres of wetlands, meadows and natural lakes for discovery and photography. More than 500 species of birds visit annually, making Port A one of the most popular birding destinations in Texas.

Rent a bike or electric buggie to zip around the town. Kayak, kite board or surf. Build a sandcastle or just lay back and relax the temperate climate. Remember, you are on island time.

RVers will love Port Aransas. Some of the RV parks in Port A are right on the beach. Others are located inland within walking distance to restaurants or on the trolley route. Some offer amenities like pools, wi-fi and cable.

Posted by CyberCelt under Beach & Birding & Family Fun & Fish/Hunt & Kayak/canoe/tube & Nature & RV Parks & RV Travel & Scuba/Snorkel & Wildlife Watching | 1 Comment »