Fieldtrip Announcement Saturday, May 14th - Southeast Metropolitan Park Primitive Trailhead -Fieldtrip Led by Gary Sinclair
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Field Trip: 8 AM May 14, 2022 to Southeast Metropolitan Park Primitive Trailhead lead by Gary Sinclair We're going to do an ABF field trip to Southeast Metropolitan Park. This park is located at 4511 State Hwy 71, Del Valle, TX 78617 about three miles east of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at 71 and Ross Rd. You turn in at the main entrance, then right on the park road to the Primitive Trailhead. It's located on a promontory where the Blackland Prairie meets the alluvial plane of Onion Creek and the Colorado River. The front half of the park has athletic fields, pavilions, and improved trails. Onion Creek cuts into a bluff on the west side, about 80 feet in elevation below. The creek then winds around the north side, eventually joining the Colorado River a mile to the northeast. The rear half of the park has A Primitive Trail and a service road that winds in a descent towards some fishing ponds and Onion Creek. Post Oak, Cedar Elm, and Hackberry provide most of the forest canopy, with Ash Juniper creating some breaks on the hillsides. It becomes more brushy in the steeper inclines, with elbow bush, agarita, and kidney wood. Eventually, this gives way to the more riparian fauna near the creek. Pink Thoughwort grows in the understory near the trailhead. We've found it's a local host plant for Rounded Metalmark Butterflies. The last few years in the middle of May, I've been able to find Soapberry Hairstreaks on a small patch of blooming Prairie Acacia. There's a small Western Soapberry tree nearby. It's about a half mile down the service road from the trailhead. This location is also one of the premier dragonfly spots in Central Texas. The diversity of water conditions and geography provide abundant ambush sites for these predators. Other large and tiny Robberflies can frequent here as well. With the local specialties and the usual suspects I'm optimistic, we'll have a nice outing. (Photos are from last year at Southeast Metropolitan Park) Looking forward to seeing many of you there.
