Red Corral Ranch, Wimberly, Texas

May 6 through May 8, 2009.

We made it back down to one of our favorite places to do some R&R, Red Corral Ranch (RCR) near Wimberly, TX. This is huge ranch where many events take place. Weekends in the spring are often for weddings. Yet, during the week it is possible to spend two or three days in a cabin deep in the woods, and to wander about the woods and fields and not see another human being. This was exactly our plan, and we took advantage of these dates.

We have been coming to this place for several years because it is Golden Cheek Warbler and Black Capped Vireo habitat. And this visit is the first in which I was rewarded with a sighting of the Golden Cheeked. I did not find him in the usual place but about 100 yards down the road from our cabin, a beautiful bird. I have seen these in other places, but this was a first for the RCR. The five best species of birds seen on this trip have to be Summer Tanagers (both male and female), Painted Buntings (both male and female), Ladder Backed Woodpeckers, Lark Sparrow and the Golden Cheeked Warbler. Below is a list of the birds seen or heard.

Northern Cardinal
Carolina Wren
Black Capped race of Tufted Titmouse
White Eyed Vireo
House Finch
Carolina Chickadee
Black Vulture
Bewick’s Wren
Hummingbird sp.
Ladder Backed Woodpecker
Mourning Dove
Brown Headed Cowbird
Summer Tanager
Barn Swallow
Painted Bunting
Nashville Warbler
Turkey Vulture
Lark Sparrow
Red Winged Blackbird
Gray Catbird
Song Sparrow
Red Eyed Vireo
Golden Cheeked Warbler
Black and White Warbler
Yellow Billed Cuckoo