Dateline – June 15, 2019
Earlier this summer I decided to make a trip out to Irving to visit a nature park that I’ve never been to before. The somewhat hyperbolically named, Mountain Creek Preserve is located on the Trinity River in the southeast part of town. From the nature park, I planned to follow the Campion Trail for a few miles to the west, over to MacArthur Blvd and then back again.
The trail follows a path running through the woods between the river and the Hunter Ferrell Landfill. As it appeared on Google Maps, Campion Trail promised to trace a route through some prime North Texas habitat.
My plan was to arrive early, hitting the trail just around sunup. I hoped that a combination of early morning hours, the remoteness of the trail, and high summer temperatures would allow me to have the park mostly to myself. With the aid of a little solitude, I liked my chances for observing some interesting wildlife.
Be ready for the smell of methane when you visit
What I didn’t count on was the annual Hero Hustle Half Marathon which started at 7:00 am that morning. I started encountering huffing and puffing runners about 3/4 of the way down the trail. I would be sharing the trail with them, to one degree or the other, for the rest of the morning.
to the Hero Hustle Half Marathon
They had a pretty good turnout on race day, and the busy trail pretty much ensured there would be limited candid wildlife photography on this trip out. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t see anything. I managed a few interesting observations along the way, and even a surprise or two. Have a look…
transmission tower serving as a Black Vulture roost
the Mountain Creek Preserve
on the preserve’s lawn
One of several seen this morning
He was the first of many I would see
these relatively rare birds
