This is the trail to the Kallison Unit of Government Canyon State Natural Area. It is closed to the public, but we have to hike it to check on the cowbird traps.

This photo was taken yesterday in my backyard. The Brown-headed Cowbird on the left was the first male I have seen this year. I included it because it was really hard to get pictures of the ones in the trap.

This is the cowbird trap at the ranch house.

The purple flowers are Goldeneye Phlox.

At the trap, I have to count the cowbirds. I report the number of males and females. I fill their water and food dishes. The reason for the traps is to give songbirds a fair chance. A female Brown-headed Cowbird will lay an egg in up to 50 different songbird nests each season.

This is the ranch house.

A lone blue-bonnet. Notice that the bottom flower has a bit of purple. As butterflies or bees visit and gather the pollen, they gradually turn a red color where the white is. That tells the pollinators that it has been used up.

This is another part of the trail to the Kallison Unit. It is actually an old ranch road.

A lot of the prickly pear cactus did not make it through the Big Freeze/drought combo. I was happy to see these new growths.

That tiny white flower is Erect Bouchetia.

It is a very long trail that is going up the whole time. You don't notice until you see the views from the Kallison Compound.

I have no idea what this old building was. I just love looking at it every time I pass by. Today, I thought something was nesting in it. There was a squawking noise coming from it. I carefully (read that as nervously) crept closer. The sound was caused by a branch rubbing on the roof in the wind.

Oh, look- a bonus butterfly! I didn't see that when I took the photo.

Variegated Fritillary

Straight-lined Cydosia Moth

The flowers are wild onion blossoms.

Variegated Fritillary

Red Admiral Butterflies on some kind of scat. They must want the moisture from it. Yech!

Roundflower Catclaw

I think these are Yuccas.

Here is a good example of a sickly cactus and a healthy cactus.

Golden Hair-lichen

This is the very end of the trail up to the Kallison Compound. As soon as you reach that old barn, it flattens out.

The old water tank.

That is another view of the livestock barn.

This was the Kallison ranch house. Vandals recently broke out the windows so they had to put the wood to protect it. I walked through it once a few years ago. It was a nice house in its day. The view from the porch used to be amazing. Then they built a monster high school and several subdivisions.

This Black Vulture was on the chimney. You can see him in the last photo, as well.

The old stone gate for the Kallison Ranch.... Notice all the buildings in the background. None of them were there when I first started coming 5 years ago.

This is the Kallison cowbird trap.

There was a very modern house in the compound. I don't know much about it. I went through the remains and you could tell how nice it must have been. The roof caught on fire and it left a shell of the building.

Drummond's skullcap

flathead rabbit tobacco

Western Spiderwort

This is Lantana, but I don't think it is the native.

The trail leading away from the Kallison Compound. It is all downhill.

This is just a small break in the trees. You can't really see the higher hills in the background. In person, it is one of my favorite sites.

My favorite- dung beetles

They make a poop ball and roll it far away. Then they lay there eggs in it. The larvae eat the poop. It's the perfect decomposition process. Usually, the beetles push the ball with their hind legs while walking on the front ones. I think these two may have been fighting over the poop ball.

Goldeneye Phlox

Moss Verbena

Variegated Fritillary

Red Admiral

Moss Verbena

It is pretty when you have a mix. I like it when all the other colors start to come out later in April.

Four-nerved Daisies

Bluebonnets

Texas Live Oak

Slender Yellow Woodsorrel

Wafer Ash or Common Hoptree