Big Webberville to Howard Lane, Bastrop, Texas, US
August 1, 2015 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Protocol: Traveling
9.0 mile(s)
Comments: EPISODE 111: we Called the Jenny Howard

Along Howard Lane and Francis Loop there are several houses. These houses are home to a menagerie of barnyard critters like hogs, sheep. guinea hens and chickens. There is also a Jenny that is especially friendly. When we pulled up to drop off cars and here came Howard to see what was going on. After a round of picture taking Howard gladly accepted an apple as reward for her work. She also totted along behind us like a little puppy dog as we drove out.

Howard was the start to a very nice day. We found all kinds of other interesting things. Pileated Woodpeckers, Barred Owls, and Louisiana Waterthrush were the bird highlights. Not in the survey area but a bird I want to mention is a White-faced Ibis I saw along Highway 969.
Our bird list came to 41 species.

In the other critter department we had all kinds of turtles, dragonflies, damselflies, and butterflies. We found a small family of raccoons; mother and two little ones. CR Smith gave us as demonstration on snake catching and handling.

All in all it was a very good day. We enjoyed the company of Stacy Bucklin, Janell Arms, Jason Evans, Denis Brenning, Bob West, Bobby Hughes, and CR Smith.

Don’t forget to like the Austin Bastrop River Corridor Partnership Facebook page. Here you will find more information about the river and water issues in central Texas. Learn more about the Austin-Bastrop River Corridor Partnership at the CER website.

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40 species (+1 other taxa)

Black-bellied Whistling-Duck 9
Great Blue Heron 8
Great Egret 3
Snowy Egret 1
Little Blue Heron 2
Cattle Egret 5
Green Heron 1
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron 5
White-faced Ibis 1
Black Vulture 43
Turkey Vulture 12
Red-shouldered Hawk 1
Spotted Sandpiper 11
Inca Dove 5
White-winged Dove 24
Mourning Dove 14
Yellow-billed Cuckoo 7
Greater Roadrunner 1
Barred Owl 2
Belted Kingfisher 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 8
Downy Woodpecker 1
Pileated Woodpecker 2
Eastern Phoebe 3
Eastern Kingbird 1
White-eyed Vireo 17
American Crow 15
Purple Martin 35
Cliff/Cave Swallow 100
Carolina Chickadee 12
Tufted Titmouse 3
Carolina Wren 9
Eastern Bluebird 2
Northern Mockingbird 7
Louisiana Waterthrush 1
Prothonotary Warbler 1
Northern Cardinal 34
Indigo Bunting 1
Painted Bunting 2
Common Grackle 8
Great-tailed Grackle
21