Lake Lewisville Environmental Learning Center
Reviewing Cicada and Redbud Trail at LLELA
Well… Here We Go!
Blog 1 is now published, We hope you enjoy our outlook and candor as we explore, photograph and hike, attempting to articulate experiences as we know it to be.
We started the day out at the damn and trinity water release, walked the Cicada Trail first and then moved quickly through the backside of the Redbud Trail for a few reasons covered below.
Amira’s Review
Ahh my first blog…of many! Forgive me if there is no flow or rhythm to my ramblings I’ll figure it out along the way.
Today we decided to check out LLELA in Lewisville, TX. The day started chilly and overcast, which is great for hiking but bad for a newbie bird photographer.
The trail we started down was thick with trees and brush. For the first 20 minutes or so I wasn’t able to get a clear shot of any birds womp… womp but I did spot a couple of mushrooms ( I have a new odd interest in mushrooms) one being some sort of Lactifluus. Like birds, there are so many different species. It will take me a while to differentiate them all. Haha Nerd moment!
Walking further down the trail Paul and I turned off the path to catch a glimpse of the water flowing nearby.
That is the moment I caught the female cardinal who is very common but difficult to photograph because she blends in with her surroundings and prefers dense trees or shrubs, making it a challenge. Compared to other birds, their nests are low. Despite my incredible luck at having this beautiful bird land virtually in front of me I couldn’t get my camera to focus and took an okay but not great picture.
Fun Fact: Cardinals sing more than 24 different songs! Of course the male cardinal has to be louder and sings more often than the female but on occasion she will also sing.
LLELA is a beautiful, clean and excellent park to hike, photograph and camp. Props to Lewisville for keeping the trash out of the park and providing plenty of signs to help guide and educate. We will definitely be back!
Paul’s Review
Before deciding to go LLELA, we were hearing a lot of social chatter and seeing photos of continued sightings of a couple of Bald Eagles that were showing up at the spillway of the damn, fishing.
The Cicada Trail
So, this is where we started off our day. There were many blue herrings out fishing, but no real action outside of that. We decided to start off our hike up the Cicada Trail, it is a one direction trail that runs in to the Redbud Trail or you can make the decision to double back.
It starts off I’m immediately with towering cottonwoods with thick bush and brambles covering the floor, there isn’t a photo that could communicate how beautiful this trail is. I did find it interesting to learn that most of the trees that looked Jurassic in their age, were most likely only 75 years old. Apparently the cottonwood can grow to mammoth size in a relatively short amount of time.
According to Lake Forest College,
“Cottonwood groves are typically indicative that a water source is nearby as they consume large amounts of water in their growth cycle; a mature cottonwood tree uses 200 gallons of water a day…Read More on The Cottonwood.
The songs of birds are everywhere, but with the lush spring undergrowth it was almost impossible to get a sighting ground level or canopy shot for that matter.
However, it was absolutely beautiful from start to finish, with a nice over look of a small stream at the end. Doubling back a short distance, we jumped over to the backend of the Redbud Trail and the bird sightings became a lot easier.
The Redbud Trail
The Redbud is a full loop trail that starts off a the top of the trail and runs parallel to the Cicada. This was also a great trail that provided everything from prairie views, lakeside views, passes by some old homesteads that are really cool to take in and think about a life lived back before the chaos of technology, infrastructure and an abundance of population in the area.
We were able to add two news birds to our list of photographed birds, getting decent shots of the
- Red Bellied Woodpecker
- Pied-Billed Grebe
When we first came upon the lakeside area, there were a dozen or so bird watchers, trying to get a shot of the Red Bellied Woodpecker, gave them a little bit of space, then moved in for our own attempt. Amira has such a good eye and steady hand … she was able to get the shot! I’m always impressed with her patience and willingness to get the shot… even with the amateur camera we are utilizing.
We have two more trails to still explore the Blackjack and Bittern Swamp, so we will definitely be back! Truly appreciated how well the park and trails are maintained, for a park that seems it’s right in the middle of the city, I believe regardless of your age, you will find LLELA doesn’t disappoint.
