(Sunday)
Davis Mountains to Chisos Mountains. “Sky Islands” because they’re individual mountain ranges rising out of the desert, with more moisture and foliage at higher altitudes, supporting more diverse wildlife than the desert below. A steep and winding road from the picnic area where we spent the night. We drive without hooking up the car until we get back to Fort Davis and easier roads. Judy behind me, in the Jeep, sets cruise control on 65, faster than I’ll ever go on that road, and steers while adaptive cruise keeps her at an appropriate distance behind the bus. Towing the Jeep, but only kind-of.
We’re at Terlingua/Study Butte, a little town just west of Big Bend National Park.
Different version of the West Texas Birding Map
(Google locked me out of the original map, so I copied it and moved on.)
The drive here was eventful; the event being a stop at Christmas Mountains Oasis to get the Lucifer Hummingbird. The place is wonderful, but just driving in there on the primitive road is an adventure. High clearance vehicle recommended…
Once there though, a world-class bird-feeding station.
Lark bunting
Hedgehog cactus
Lincoln’s sparrow
White-crowned sparrow
House finch
And the star of the show, Lucifer hummingbird!
