Hi everyone,
Ahead of the upcoming open weekend (12-14 August) at The Nature Conservancy's
Davis Mountains Preserve, which will again likely be well attended by birder,
hikers, etc., I have received a few private requests to post/re-post some info
on birding the preserve. Â Unfortunately, I have no info on current conditions
(birds, habitat, weather) to impart to you at this time as I have not been out
there since the beginning of June. Â About all I have heard is that there have
been some Anna's Hummingbirds recently observed at the feeders outside of the
McIvor Center. Â I also will not be present during the open weekend due to a
prior obligation (getting married on the 12th and as much as Veena, my
wife-to-be, appreciates my birding ways, bailing on her, our family, and our
friends this weekend to chase potential Red-faced Warblers in the Davis
Mountains high country would probably be inappropriate). ;-) Â Anyway, one can
always search the Texbird archives for past posts on birding the preserve. Â A
few that I was able to search out that seemed to have some relevant information
on birding spots on the preserve, likely species, etc. included these 2 posts:
//www.freelists.org/post/texbirds/Davis-Mountains-Preserve-open-weekend-1416-Augusthttp://www.freelists.org/post/texbirds/Davis-Mountains-Preserve,1
I also put the following content together for a blog-type post on birding the
preserve:
The Davis Mountains rise out of the grasslands andscrublands of Jeff Davis
County in far West Texas. Formed from volcanoes andsculpted by wind and water
more than 35 million years ago, the mountains form aunique âsky islandâ
surrounded by the Chihuahuan Desert. The Nature Conservancyâs Davis
MountainsPreserve protects the heart of these mountains. At the center of the
Conservancyâs 33,075-acre preserve is the8,378-foot Mount Livermore, the
highest peak of the Davis Mountains, andsurrounding âhigh countryâ.Â
Focalhabitats on the preserve include ponderosa pine forest, mesic
north-facingcanyons, extensive pinyon-juniper-oak woodlands, grassland, and
Madera Creek. A birding trip to the preserve could occupyhours, a full day,
or a full weekend depending on access, your mobility, andyour birding
preferences. Note, theclosest services (camping, gas, groceries, restaurants,
etc.) are in FortDavis, approximately 20-25 miles from the preserve. A gas
station and convenience store is alsolocated on I-10 east of Kent,
approximately 33 miles north of the DavisMountains Preserve. Cell service
isspotty at best on the Preserve. Aregular cell signal can usually be found
near the McDonald Observatory, about 9miles southeast of the Preserve.
Open: Access to the heart of the preserve and higher countryis only on selected
days and weekends. Hours for Open Day events are from 8:00am until 4:00 pm;
hours for Open Weekend events are from Friday at 8:00 amuntil Sunday at 4:00
pm. Camping (withsome limitations and restrictions) is allowed on the
preserve only during openweekends. Currently scheduled open days and weekends
for 2016 are listed below.
â¢Â            March18-20 - Open Weekend
â¢Â            April 16- Open Day
â¢Â            May 21 -Open Day
â¢Â            July 1-3â Open Weekend
â¢Â            August12-14 - Open Weekend
â¢Â            October15 - Open Day
â¢Â            December9-11 - Open Weekend
However, Madera Canyon Trail (2.4 mile loop), also locatedin the Davis
Mountains Preserve, adjacent to the Lawrence E. Wood Picnic Area,is open to the
public year-round from dawn until dusk.
Facilities: All visitors must check in at the McIvorConservation Center.Â
Restrooms andpotable water are available at the McIvor Conservation Center.Â
Otherwise, conditions are primitive.
There are 7.1 miles of dirt, high clearance onlyroads on the Preserve drivable
by the public during open days and weekends. There is an additional 20+ miles
of trailsand roads that can be hiked by the public. Trail and road conditions
range from flat and relatively easy in spots tostrenuous (loose rock with
uncertain footing and steep with elevation gains ofup to 1,800â). Hikers
should be in goodphysical condition, equipped with sturdy hiking boots, and
carry plenty ofwater (1 gallon per person is recommended during hot weather).Â
Information and trail maps can be obtainedwhen visitors check in at the McIvor
Conservation Center.
--
Arguably, birding is best during late-summer and early fallduring the peak of
the monsoon season when wildflower displays tend to be themost vibrant and
habitat conditions are green and lush. However, all seasons have something
tooffer. During the non-winter months, astop at the hummingbird feeders which
are maintained outside of the McIvorConservation Center is a must. A totalof
10 species of hummingbird have been documented on the preserve, most atthese
feeders. Â Peak hummingbird numbersand species richness typically occur in
August and September. During the breeding season, grasslands aroundthe McIvor
Conservation Center can be good for species such Montezuma Quail,
CommonPoorwill, American Kestrel, Sayâs Phoebe, and Cassinâs Kingbird.Â
The most accessible ponderosa pine forest onthe preserve occurs along Madera
Canyon Road. Species that can be found along this road in season include
CommonBlack-hawk, Zone-tailed Hawk, Montezuma Quail, Wild Turkey,
MexicanWhip-poor-will, Acorn Woodpecker, Western Wood-pewee, Gray
Flycatcher,Ash-throated Flycatcher, Plumbeous Vireo, Huttonâs Vireo, Mountain
Chickadee,White-breasted Nuthatch, Hepatic Tanager, Western Tanager, and
Black-headedGrosbeak. In the recent past,Buff-breasted Flycatchers occurred
along Madera Canyon Road (e.g., at the mouthof Wolf Den Canyon), but now may be
gone from the mountains due to negativeimpacts to the pines from bark beetles,
drought, and wildfire. Mesic north-facing canyons (Tobe Canyon andLimpia
Chute Trail) offer the possibility of breeding species such as
MagnificentHummingbird, Cordilleran Flycatcher, Dusky-capped Flycatcher,
Warbling Vireo,Stellarâs Jay, House Wren, Hermit Thrush, Virginiaâs
Warbler, Graceâs Warbler, andPainted Redstart. Gambel oak woodlands
andscrubby habitat around the top of Mount Livermore offer the possibility
ofobserving breeding Dusky Flycatcher, White-throated Swift,
Orange-crownedWarbler, Audubonâs Yellow-rumped Warbler, MacGillivrayâs
Warbler, and Green-tailedTowhee; several of which have extremely limited
breeding ranges in Texas. Of course, there is also a killer view fromthe top
of Mount Livermore. Duringmigration, many western species pass through,
including most all of the westernEmpidonax flyhcatchers, warblers such as
Black-throated Gray and Townsendâs,and, if you are lucky, warblers such as
Hermit and Red-faced. Winter season birding is typically quieter inthe
mountains (though lots of Chipping Sparrows and juncos), but offers
thepossibility of species such as Red-naped and Williamsonâs Sapsuckers,
otherwoodpeckers, nuthatches, Brown Creeper, and Golden-crowned Kinglet, as
well asthe possibility of irruptive corvids and finches. There is also
greater probability of findingresident species such as Stellarâs Jay and
Mountain Chickadee in lowerelevations during the winter.
--
With the purchase of much of the historic U Up U Down Ranch,the Nature
Conservancy established the Davis Mountains Preserve in 1997; theheart of the
preserve is the 8,378-foot Mount Livermore, the highest peak ofthe Davis
Mountains. A few years later, the Conservancy purchased and created thenearly
5,000-acre Madera Canyon Preserve just eight miles northeast of theDavis
Mountains Preserve. In 2004, the Conservancy purchased the 10,000 acresbridging
the two preserves to create one contiguous protected landscape of over33,000
acres, now known collectively as the Davis Mountains Preserve. Subsequentland
acquisitions combined with conservation easements on adjoining propertyhave
allowed the Conservancy to protect 102,675 acres of the Davis Mountains.
Some nearby birding sites include the Lawrence E. WoodPicnic Area, Davis
Mountains Scenic Drive (TX 118 and TX 166), Davis MountainsState Park, Fort
Davis, and Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute, LakeBalmorhea, and Balmorhea
State Park. Note:please respect private lands!
For more information (website)
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/texas/events/davis-mountains-preserve-2016-open-days.xml
Reservations for Open Days and Open Weekends are notrequired at this time. For
more information, contact Deirdre Hisler, the DavisMountains Project Director,
at deirdre.hisler@xxxxxxx or (432) 426-2390. Tolearn more about the Davis
Mountains Preserve and other Texas lands The NatureConservancy works to
protect, visit www.nature.org/texas.
If anyone has any questions, let me know.
Rich Richard Kostecke, Ph.D.
The Nature Conservancy
318 Congress Ave., Austin, Texas 78701Email: rkost73@xxxxxxxxx or
rkostecke@xxxxxxxÂ
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