I recently trekked out to Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge for a morning of birding with a friend. The refuge was created in 1992 to preserve the habitat of two birds with very restricted breeding grounds: the Black Capped Vireo and the Golden Cheeked Warbler.
The Black Capped Vireo’s summer range extends up from Central Texas into Oklahoma and Kansas. It favors oak, juniper and dense undergrowth for breeding. In 2018 it was downgraded from endangered to near threatened due to successful conservation efforts. Concerns have resurfaced because of habitat loss from development.
The Golden Cheeked Warbler is the only bird species who’s population nests entirely in Texas. The Texas Hill Country to be exact. This bird also needs mixed hardwood and dense undergrowth for breeding and uses the shredding bark of Ashe Juniper trees to make its nest. It is currently listed as endangered however its population has significantly increased over the last 10-20years due to places like Balcones Canyonlands.
It took about 30min of heavy traffic driving and 15min of lovely open road before we made it to the refuge. The trailhead starts at the base of the canyon and wanders along the banks of a creek for about a mile or so. This riparian area was great for birding. We saw Blue Grosbeaks (see above), Vermillion Flycatchers, Painted Buntings (featured image), Indigo Buntings, Orchard Orioles, Lark Sparrows and Summer Tanagers (see below).
The area had recently undergone a prescribed burn and the wildflowers were also gorgeous. The trail eventually cut up the canyon via switchbacks and some rather steep hiking for a bit. The plateau was a sea of short grass prairie surrounded by scrub oak and juniper on the canyon edge. It wasn’t long before we saw both the Black Capped Vireo and the Golden Cheeked Warbler, several of each, flitting through the trees and undergrowth. Quite a thrill.
We also saw a Blackburnian Warbler, likely taking a short break during its long migration from South America to parts further north. We followed a half mile loop around the plateau and were serenaded by several Northern Bobwhites as we went. I suspect we would have needed to wade into the prairie to flush one if we wanted a visual, but neither of us had the heart to destroy the native grasses and wildflowers or risk a chigger infestation. Just knowing the bird was there was enough.
The view from the top of the canyon was spectacular, with long vistas and rugged hills. I could also see several new housing developments that had not been there the last time I’d visited the refuge. The population rebound of the Golden Cheeked Warbler and the Black Capped Vireo are due directly to places like Balcones Canyonlands. But the population of humans in Texas has doubled in the past 20years and the effects on the native flora and fauna have not been good. On the canyon edge I felt like I was standing on the battlements watching the enemy tide grow closer and closer. In the infamous words of Walt Kelly, “We have seen the enemy and he is us.”
Photos by Rachel Williams, grbatx.com
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