Ray Roberts Lake State Park: Isle du Bois Unit

I was delighted to stumble upon something online called the Great Texas Wildlife Trails the other day -- a project of Texas Parks & Wildlife consisting of "950 special places where you can view the diverse wildlife and landscapes of Texas." The DFW Metroplex is in what's referred to as the Prairies and Pineywoods part of the state, which boasts 252 sites.  Talk about literally having a road map of where to go to shoot pictures!

I'd already been to one by chance -- the Bob Jones Preserve.  Today I added the Isle du Bois unit of Ray Roberts Lake State Park to the list.

Warm temperatures, light winds and just enough clouds to add some interesting elements to the sky made for excellent conditions.

After stopping at the interpretive center and talking with the new director, Ricardo, I decided to hike the Randy Bell Scenic Trail, a 2.2-mile loop through the center of the park.  The trail is very well-maintained, and goes through some pretty dense woodlands.

The winds from the north were creating some small waves on the shore of the lake that rolled repeatedly over this piece of driftwood.

I didn't see a ton of wildlife.  But I didn't get a very early start, either.  A small group of white-tailed deer were grazing along the roadside, fairly unperturbed by my presence since I kept my distance.  Later on my hike I got to hear the alarm noise they make as one saw me before I saw it -- like a sharp burst from a raspy steam engine.  Then I saw its namesake tail as it bounded away through the trees. 

Along the lake shore these little birds would periodically fly up from the undergrowth.  This one stayed still long enough for me to get a decent shot.  I believe it's a Song Sparrow, but I'll confirm with the local Audubon folks.

Edit: Here's some feedback from Jim Jones, Education Chair with the Fort Worth Audubon Society
"Sparrows are difficult to ID.... especially when you don't see the under-parts.  My best guess for the photo is Song Sparrow. My guess comes after eliminating other sparrows which have similar coloration of wing feathers and head pattern.  A Song Sparrow's supercillium is more gray than white. The brightness of this bird's head in the photo could be due to the bright sunlight.  So I am left with the coarse streaking on the back and wing feathers which leads me to calling it a Song Sparrow."

Thanks, Jim!

I'm getting closer to that solid cardinal shot I know is coming.  This one would obviously be better without the obscuring branches in the foreground and with a little catch light on an eyeball.  But it's at least a sign of progress.

I spent about three hours total in the park, enjoying the relative quiet broken only the wind rustling through dead leaves and the occasional bird call.  Ricardo recommended checking out the Johnson  Branch and Greenbelt Corridor units of the park as well, which I look forward to doing in the future!