Big Bend NP, Cattail Falls hike, day3 prt 2

Howdee all,

While hiking Lost Mine trail..we met a couple who suggested we hike to Cattail Falls.

Round trip-3 miles

Difficulty-easy

    “This is a gem of a trail that's not listed in any National Park literature. That's because it's perhaps the loveliest short hike in the park, and it goes to a delicate area so sensitive that it would be destroyed with overuse. I feel justified in describing it here, as 99.999% of you will never visit the park, and those that make the effort to will respect this beauty spot.”

    We started this trail around 4pm

   There used to be a Ranch here..this large tree is growing near a spring.

   Underneath the canopy..

   Our hike starts out fairly easily…views of grass and scrub

The trail meanders past an old Ranch, we saw an old water tank, and pipes on the trail, which I suspect they used to pipe water from the falls.

I really like the dried seed stalks

   We descend into a lush Oasis..   

Flowers..oh darn, sicksta Adele told me what this was last night..I didn't write it down..

The falls were just a trickle of water now..A nice pool of water at the bottom.  Some type of flowering shrub… Very lush, maiden hair fern was growing here..       and lots of small pools of water…

We heard Canyon wren and saw Hermit thrush..We had just an hour of light left before sunset..so we left the Oasis..

  another type of seed head..

Evening sun starting to light things up..

  A small cactus starting to bloom

Torrey Yucca

I love hiking this time of day..

We saw a flock of Lesser goldfinch, the dark Texas type

more golden hues..as the sun starts to go lower in the sky ohhh..I love this pink..

   And this orange

And the golds…And our very very long shadows………..

goodnight for now…I am tired from hiking..

Birds of the day..

Rock and Canyon Wrens..think we also saw Winter wren...looked like it to us..A nice flock of Lesser Goldfinch, Texas variety...Canyon and spotted towhees, Solitaire, Mockingbirds, Acorn woodpeckers, Black tailed Gnat catchers,Black crested titmouse, Ladder-back woodpecker, Black eyed Junco..pink sided and Oregon, Mexican Jays,Vesper Sparrow, Says Phoebe, White wing doves, Hermit Thrush.Turkey Vultures, Red tail hawk