Berry Springs Park and Preserve Herps of Texas report, 17Dec2023
In spite of the on-going COVID-19 pandemic, there was a small group outing to Berry Springs Park and Preserve again this month.
No identifiable amphibian species were observed, although some medium-sized tadpoles were seen in the ditch in the pecan orchard. The sloughs and ponds continue to slowly refill, but the water level in the creek was about the same as last month, and water still wasn't flowing over the dam yet. The highlight of the night occurred at sunset near the Red and White Mulberry interpretive plants signs - an American Woodcock (Scolopax minor) was seen foraging on the ground between the crushed granite trail and the edge of the slough.
According to the USGS gauge station at Berry Creek at Airport Road near Georgetown, TX (https://waterdata.usgs.gov/monitoring-location/08105095/#parameterCode=00065&period=P7D), there had been 0.32 inches of rain since our last monitoring event 29 days earlier.
The monitoring period was 17:30 - 18:30.
Participants were Kathy, Carolyn, Christie, and Amy.
Environmental conditions at the main ponds at sunset:
Air temperature = 51.6 deg F
Water temperature = 58.0 deg F
Sky = no/few clouds
Water level = below average
Relative humidity = 36 %
