Twenty-seven NPSOT-Wilco members and guests started off the New Year right by attending a First Day Hike led by Gary Bowers and Sue Wiseman at Fern Bluff Park on the Brushy Creek Trail in Round Rock. Unseasonably warm weather made for a pleasant hike and appreciation for the shade provided by the terrain. The large group split into two as we progressed along a paved and popular trail between Hairy Man Road and the bluffs for which the park was named. Gary and Sue discussed several native tree species found along the path, as well as emerging forbs and shrubs.
A notable find along the walk were Ashe Juniper and Eastern Red Cedar in close proximity, allowing for easy comparison. Several other native tree species were found along the path, as well as emerging forbs and shrubs. An Anacacho Orchid still retained its leaves, but other trees which had long since shed their leaves could be identified using clues from bark, seeds or seed pods, and branch arrangement (opposite or alternate). Emerging plants near the bluff included Drummond’s Aster and wild onion. Vines such as Saw Greenbriar were more noticeable without competition from leaves on deciduous trees and shrubs. A pod of milkweed seeds was spotted with the fluff on top and all the seeds resting in the open pod underneath the fluff. Even in the current drought, seeps along the bluff were active and dripping, making a moist habitat for mosses and ferns. A few species of mushrooms and lichens rounded out our observations.
The hike ended after nearly two hours of leisurely walking and discussion with a quick ten-minute walk back to our parked vehicles. This park has a wide variety of native species ready for spring and promises to be even more appealing in a few months when they start to bloom. It is certainly worth a repeat visit, and it’s easy to see why the nearby residents use it year-round.
– by Cindy Chrisler
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See photos from this trip and others in our album =>