I spent Easter Sunday with Meredith Edgley O'reilly visiting Government Canyon State Natural Area just northwest of San Antonio. What a fun day! We covered about 5 miles of the Lytle's Loop front country trail. Highlights included an unseen singing Olive Sparrow (which only got identified here on iNat), a Texas Wafer Ashe tree full of swallow-tail butterfly caterpillars, and a Pipevine Swallowtail laying eggs! See the attached observations.
Here's our complete eBird list.
And here are the same photos on Flickr.
Can anyone help ID this bird song heard on Government Canyon State Natural Area? Could it be a Dickcissel?
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
I was excited to spot this tiny moth and get some photos of it. I've never heard of it! "Coffee-loving?"
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Plant is phlox.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Something I've never seen before that Meredith spotted was this Pipevine Swallotail butterfly searching for its hostplant near the ground and laying eggs on it!
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
On the 5 miles of trail we walked, I estimated there were 30 singing Painted Buntings!
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
On Texas Wafer Ashe.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Meredith was super excited to find several swallow-tailed butterfly caterpillars in different stages of development on this Texas Wafer Ashe. She even found at least one egg!
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Meredith was super excited to find several swallow-tailed butterfly caterpillars in different stages of development on this Texas Wafer Ashe. She even found at least one egg!
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Meredith was super excited to find several swallow-tailed butterfly caterpillars in different stages of development on this Texas Wafer Ashe. She even found at least one egg!
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Meredith was super excited to find several swallow-tailed butterfly caterpillars in different stages of development on this Texas Wafer Ashe. She even found at least one egg!
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
There's a European Honey Bee on the left flower.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Plant is a phlox.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
Taken on the Lytle's Loop front country trail on Government Canyon State Natural Area with Meredith Edgley O'reilly.
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