We left San Antonio as scheduled and headed west on I 90, towards Amistad NWR where we planned to camp. There was an antique shop in Uvalde right about where we planned to switch drivers so we stopped and spent an hour browsing. No doorknobs. Plenty of stuff just like the stuff we just gave away, though.
We started getting hungry so started looking for a place to picnic. The Texas vacation guide pointed out the way to a state park only (!) 22 miles off our route so we turned right and wound our way through the edges of Texas hill country to Kickapoo Cave SP. The narrow road ran along pine canyons and ranch lands dotted with mesquite; I don’t think we saw two other cars in the entire 22 mile drive. We easily found the picnic area and cooked up beef and chicken fajitas with the leftovers in the fridge. There wasn’t another soul around, but plenty of birds despite the hour. The first one to visit was a rock wren, followed by a feisty vermillion flycatcher and a chipping sparrow. No question that this was the place for us; we found the office and booked campsite 6, a wide shaded spot overlooking the mesquite hills.
Before cooking supper I took a short walk and looked up at what appeared to be a large nest in a tree near the path. When I got my bins on it it turned out to be a large mammal – a porcupine was feeding high in the branches, about fifteen feet from the ground! Ran to get Ron and the camera, of course, and to ask the volunteer at headquarters if these critters really climb trees like that. Yup.
Now the reason this is called Kickapoo Cave SP is that it sits on top of a system of multiple caverns, one of which (Stuart Cave) houses millions of Mexican Tailless bats that emerge each evening to feast on the insects above the agricultural fields in the area. They are said to feed up to 10,000 feet altitude and range nearly 60 miles from their home. We found out when they were due to go out to eat – about 7:30 – stowed our tuna casserole in the sink and drove to the mouth of the cave. Almost to the minute they started pouring out by the hundreds, in a steady stream that lasted well over 45 minutes. They formed large swarms like so many gnats, hundreds of feet above us as more and more left the cave. Every now and then a large raptor (hawk? Owl?) would fly through the swarm and snatch a bat mid air. There was only one other couple there and we all took pictures like mad until the camera batteries died. I even got some video.
Woke up the next morning to birdsong like we haven’t heard in weeks so we naturally decided to stay another night. Walked about an hour and a half and heard many good birds and even saw a few, including many more vermillion flycatchers and a yellow breasted chat. This campgrounds is definitely one of the top two or three of the whole trip so far, although we hear it will be getting crowded this weekend. No matter. We’ll bird the trails in the morning and get back on the road before lunchtime.
The Ultimate Road Trip 