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River Walk - Bird Walk

Birding over the San Marcos River
   The first Saturday in June didn't look promising as another inch of rain fell overnight. Under cloudy skies and a discolored river we began our walk at the Recreation Center in City Park. We started slow gaining more birders until we reached 16 early-risers.
    It wasn't long before we spied ducks flying overhead and insect-loving birds flitting between the power lines and trees. Many of the kingbirds, wrens and sparrows had a bug-in-beak to feed hungry babies.
   The highlight for me was the juvenile Red-shouldered hawk high in a snag overlooking the river. Although not taking flight, still majestic watching the area below.

   The monthly birding hikes are led by Stephen Ramirez and the birding list is provided by Colton Robbins. --LJ

San Marcos River Walk, Hays, Texas, US
Jun 4, 2016 7:30 AM - 8:35 AM
Protocol: Traveling
0.75 mile(s)
Comments:     San Marcos Monthly City Bird Walk
32 species
 
Black-bellied Whistling-Duck  4
Wood Duck  5
Green Heron  3
Yellow-crowned Night-Heron  3
Black Vulture  6
Turkey Vulture  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  1
Red-tailed Hawk  1
Killdeer  1
Inca Dove  4
White-winged Dove  3
Mourning Dove  3
Yellow-billed Cuckoo  1
Golden-fronted Woodpecker  2




(special effects added)



Downy Woodpecker  1
Eastern Phoebe  3
Great Crested Flycatcher  3
Couch's Kingbird  1
Western Kingbird  2
Scissor-tailed Flycatcher  1
White-eyed Vireo  1
Blue Jay  3
Barn Swallow  1
Carolina Chickadee  1
Black-crested Titmouse  1
Carolina Wren  4
Northern Mockingbird  3
European Starling  6
Northern Cardinal  7
Great-tailed Grackle  7
Brown-headed Cowbird  1
House Sparrow  10
 
View this checklist online at
http://ebird.org/ebird/view/checklist?subID=S30082405
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Greenways and Trails Master Plan Survey

 
Under City Spotlight click "here" to take the survey
http://www.ci.san-marcos.tx.us/index.aspx?page=1

Welcome

Thank you for participating in our survey. The purpose of the survey is to gather information that will assist the City of San Marcos and the San Marcos Greenbelt Alliance in developing a greenways and trails master plan (GTMP). The City, the Greenbelt Alliance and Texas State Univeristy are all stakeholders in the GTMP, a component of the City's Transportation Master Plan. The GTMP will include a layout of existing and proposed greenways. The map below illustrates a possible layout of greenways that connect various areas of the City. 

Greenways are corridors of open space that connect people and places. Most greenways contain walking and cycling trails that enhance opportunities for transportation and recreation. Here are some examples of greenway trails:

1. In which city do you live?

2. If you live in San Marcos, which best describes the area of town where you live?

3. Describe your level of support for a system of greenway trails to get from place to place in San Marcos. Select one:

4. What mode of travel do you use most often in San Marcos? Rank each of the following from 1 to 5, with 1 being most likely mode of travel and 5 being least likely:

5. Are you a commuter to San Marcos? Select one:

6. If you are a commuter to San Marcos, do you commute for work or school/university? Select one:

7. How likely would it be for you to use greenway trails to get from place to place in San Marcos? Select one:

8. If you used greenway trails to get from your residence to another place in San Marcos, what would your most likely destination be? Rank the ones you feel are important in ascending order with the lowest number (1) being most likely and highest number (10) being least likely:

9. How often do you use existing trails in San Marcos? Select one:

10. Have you used an existing trail or sidewalk in San Marcos that dead-ends and wished that the trail or sidewalk continued on to a destination?

11. If you answered yes to Question 10, where is the trail or sidewalk located?

12. How important to you would each of the following destinations be if the trail or sidewalk was extended? Rank the ones you feel are important in ascending order with the lowest number (1) being most likely and highest number (10) being least likely:

13. If you used greenway trails to get to a destination in San Marcos, how long would you be willing to walk or bike to get to the destination? Select one:

14. How far do you live from the nearest park/natural area? Select one:

15. Have you lived in a community that has a system of greenway trails to get from place to place?

16. If you have lived in a community with a system of greenway trails, how often did you use the system of greenway trails in that community? Select one:

17. In your opinion, what are the most important benefits and uses of a greenway trail system? Rank from 1 to 4, with 1 being most important and 4 being least important:

18. What do you think are the biggest factors that discourage greenway trail use? Rank from 1 to 8, with 1 being the biggest factor and 8 being the smallest factor:

19. What amenities are most important to you for greenway trails? Rank from 1 to 9, with 1 being the most important and 9 being the least important:

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