Mammoth Goes After Spring Migration, Day 2

Friday 8 April 2022

Hooded warbler!!!  No picture, but I got several really good looks at him through the binoculars.  Near the parking lot at Big Creek Scenic Area.  The area wasn't all that scenic, but it was quite beautiful in spring--trees and a creek running through to meet up with the river. I could hear a wood thrush in the distance, plus one of those "trilly" warblers that could have been a pine warbler. And chickadees, cardinals, wrens, and red-eyed vireos.  On the way out of the campground we saw a red-shouldered hawk; and then again on the way back in.

There are lots of lovely, well-marked trails at Double Lake and at the Big Creek Scenic Area, and in fact, a person could hike on trails all the way from one to the other.  I'd guess it would be about four miles, but you can look it up for yourself.  We were limited to the speed of Zack, and even if we hadn't been, we didn't particularly plan on hiking across trails for hours and hours.  it was just a short drive to break up the day.

After that we tried to go to Lake Livingston State Park, but found the entire park shut down due to water line problems. Seems absurd to me, but then if I'd been the maintenance worker who had to clean out the toilets after a few people's "emergency stops" when the water was shut off, I'd want the park closed down too.

On the way there, we'd seen a truck driving across the dam on the Trinity River, so we tried to come back that way. It was closed off, though. Then we tried to drive over to the river access behind the dam (or is that below the dam?), but those roads were marked by signs with a big STOP, permit required, obtain permit at so-and-so marina. So all righty, as the RV dreams guy says. Not doing that.

We found another road that seemed to lead to the water behind the dam. I was marked, oddly, gazebo access. And sure enough, there on a high bit of ground overlooking the tailwaters of the damn, was a gazebo. Just plunk on top of the river bank, out in the middle of nowhere, and rather ugly at that.
 It was very, very windy and very, very amazing--

More birds than you can imagine, all feasting on the fish at the spot. Mostly White Pelicans, gulls and cormorants, but I also saw Great Egrets and Great Blue Herons for sure and a smattering of smaller birds that could have been Snowy Egrets, Tricolored Herson, and Little Blue herons. It was just too cold to stand there and take pictures enough to see.

Also an Osprey or two--seemed to be two--and a few swallows. Wow.