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I arrived pretty late at around 4:30. I checked in and immediate was astounded by the bright red rock on the canyons. It looked like Mars. One of the cooler things about Caprock Canyons are the mammals. The state park is home to the state Bison herd of Texas, a wild herd of bison that live in the park, as well as prairie dog town. The bison roam the park, and when I found them wandering through a campground I was stunned. The symbol of the American West right there in front of me! It was magical, almost as cool as seeing Grizzly Bears in Denali. You're probably thinking "dude, it's just a bovine," but you have to go see them. It'll rock your world. Just a few minutes down the road was the prairie dog town. Although they're on the opposite side of the size spectrum they make up they are equally as fun to watch. I sat there for about 30 minutes just watching them lounge and screech to each other. Having been alone for nearly a week it felt nice to get some social interaction with the bison and prairie dogs. Sad, I know.
The wind was whipping all night, and the windchill really got to me in the morning. It wasn't cold at all, but a cold front was on its way later that night. Fortunately the cold wind was the only issue, the day was clear and I was ready to taking Haynes Ridge and the Upper North Prong Canyon Trail. The wind was actually really nice as I got started and it kept me cool throughout the hike. The elevation gain was unreal, but the views were stunning. The birds were not as plentiful due to the wind, but the views made up for it. I did have a pretty pleasant surprise in Bushtits at the beginning, and Chihuahuan Ravens were abundant as usual. As I got further in the canyon I got Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, and Field Sparrow. The real treat was the Fern Cave at the halfway point, followed up by the views from Haynes Ridge. I think this may have Palo Duro beat. After a steep descent I finished the 6.5 mile round trip hike hungry and ready to get home. I said bye to my prairie dawgs, stopped at Galvan's in Turkey (a must stop with incredible gorditas), and made it home by about 5. What an exhausting, amazing trip.
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| View from Haynes Ridge |
Overall I think I did this trip about as well as anyone could. Palo Duro and Caprock Canyons aren't all that amazing for birds, but the views were good and I still was able to get a few lifers. While a little trippy to camp at, Thompson Grove is a must stop and will have some good birds. If I had more time I would have hung around west of Buffalo to look for Lesser Prairie Chicken, although outside of booming season, which will be starting soon, they are very hard to find unless you have connections to find a lek. The Panhandle is so big that you can't hit it all in one trip. I missed Lake Meredith, Lake Marvin, and Lake McClellan, but that'll be my next loop.
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| American Goldfinch |
Bird wise I got a lot of birds I wanted. Golden Eagle, Mountain Bluebird, Ferruginous Hawk, Prairie Falcon, Common Merganser, and American Tree Sparrow were the highlights. Rarity wise I think Cactus Wren had them all beat. The big misses were Northern Shrike and Rough-legged Hawk. I think I was just too late for Northern Shrike. According to the TOS handbook they start migrating in early March, and I think the time of year made them harder to get. I think if I was a little earlier I would have had them. I am 99% sure I had Rough-legged Hawk, but I can't count it because I couldn't ID one. Overall, an incredibly successful trip. Can't wait to get back up there!
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| Upper North Prong Canyon |
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