Whether you go on a long hike or a short walk, the sights at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge will always please you. In the fall, you have vibrant colors from the Prairie Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus lanceolata) and Roosevelt Weed (Baccharis neglecta), creating impressionist scenes with Hill Country plants, as shown in the featured image. With trails for every endurance level, the Refuge is a constant destination for people who want to photograph wildlife and wildflowers, one step at a time.
Springtime is when you see more visitors at the Refuge, and it is one of my favorite times to go there. Wildlife and wildflower lovers flock to the park. Admission is free, and the park remains open as long as there is daylight. Besides the number of flowers and insects one can find, there is also another thing a visitor can count on: cell phone reception is very spotty or non-existent. You may get a signal in the higher elevations, but if you stay close to the creek and lower-elevation trails, you’ll be in complete isolation. What a way to enjoy nature!
The following are a very small sample of what you can expect to see in the spring. The first image is the Scarlet Leather Flower (Clematis texensis), which is endemic to the Edwards Plateau. Seeing these flowers blooming along the creek is always a welcome sight. They are only found in this part of Texas.
Next, you can expect to see fields of Texas Prairie Parsley (Polytaenia texana) adding yellow hues to the landscape. With them, you can also expect to see Western Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) and other pollinators.
Don’t forget to look at the ground, too. You never know whether you will see a lizard or a beautiful Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) butterfly resting.
Whatever your eyes are looking for, you can be assured that the Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge will please you, one step at a time.
That is the story behind the shots. For more like this, enjoy these related stories: Balcones Canyonlands NWR, FlowerHour, Landscapes, Macros, One Step, Orange sulphur, Parks, Scarlet leather flower, Sunday Stills, Texas, Texas Prairie Parsley, Western Honey Bee, Wildflowers, and Wildlife. Until the next shoot, keep chasing the light and the wonders it reveals.
- Posted for Terri’s Flower Hour #43.
- Posted for Terri’s Sunday Stills Monthly Color Challenge: Yellow Hues Featuring Ochre and Saffron
- Posted for Pepper’s One Step at a Time #22.
Sources:
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge — https://www.fws.gov/refuge/balcones-canyonlands
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center — Rhus lanceolata (Prairie Flameleaf Sumac) — https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=rhla3
- Native Plant Society of Texas — Baccharis neglecta (Roosevelt Weed) — https://www.npsot.org/posts/native-plant/baccharis-neglecta/
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center — Clematis texensis (Scarlet Clematis) — https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=clte2
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center — Polytaenia texana (Texas Prairie Parsley) — https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=POTE3
- Butterflies and Moths of North America — Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) — https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Colias-eurytheme
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Frank Hubeny
Beautiful autumn colors in the first photo!
Egidio Leitao
Thank you very much, Frank. I’m hoping to see similar colors this year at that location.
Anita
Beautiful, Egídio! I love the autumn colours in this series, so many beautiful shades of yellow, orange and red. Your featured image really does look like an Impressionist painting.
Egidio Leitao
Many thanks, Anita. I can hardly wait for fall and cooler weather.
shoestringdiary
Gorgeous colors, especially at the first shot.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Leo.
Steve Schwartzman
Baccharis neglecta has had a bunch of common names. The one you used, Roosevelt weed, along with depression weed and New Deal Weed, all go back to the Great Depression of the 1930s, which coincided with the drought and dust storms that plagued the middle of the country. After farmers’ crops were destroyed, Baccharis neglecta was quick to spring up on the land. In our own time, I’ve seen these bushes quickly colonize land along the Colorado River that resurfaced when the river was low for lack of rain.
Egidio Leitao
Excellent additional information you provided here. Many thanks.
Toonsarah
The flowers and butterfly are beautiful but nothing beats the glow of that wonderful opening shot of autumn colours 😀
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Sarah. Fall will hopefully be coming around soon. I can hardly wait.
Kirstin Troyer
Absolutely beautiful choices for this week.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for your kindness, Kirstin.
Terri Webster Schrandt
Nice triple dip, Egidio! The Balcones Canyonlands Refuge looks like an amazing place to walk and enjoy nature. Wonderful shots of the yellow foliage and insects!
Egidio Leitao
Thank you so much, Terri.
Pepper
Beautiful shades of yellow, Egidio. 👍🏽
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Pepper. It’s one of my favorite colors.