Lost Maples State Natural Area (LMSNA), most often simply called
"Lost Maples", is an incredibly beautiful place with
great birding and bugging. There is no other place like it.
You'll never forget your first visit!
You will want to come back again for more! It's that great!
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has an excellent
website which of course has pages about LMSNA.
They also have a park birdlist which is very good
and gives seasonal abundance information.
It was updated May 2002 by Roy Heideman, and you
can pick it up at the park headquarters.
There are about 213 on the park list (I know of two more
species not on the list) with about 60 of them less-than-annual
and over 150 species seen annually.
The main reason most birders visit is to look for
Golden-cheeked Warbler and Black-capped Vireo, both
of which are numerous and fairly easy to see here.
The sites diversity is its strongest asset.
There are many species from east and west found here.
Western species such as Zone-tailed Hawk, Scott's Oriole,
Canyon Wren and Varied Bunting might be seen, along
with southern or eastern species like Green Kingfisher,
Louisiana Waterthrush, Carolina Chickadee (and Wren),
and Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireos.
If it takes rarities to get you excited, then consider
there are records for Common Black and Short-tailed Hawks,
Green Violet-Ear, Rufous-capped Warbler, Painted Redstart
and Tropical Parula! I found the first Edwards Plateau
record of Hepatic Tanager (6/14/86 - ph.) here!
Little Wood Satyr
And if you are into insects, fuggaddabout it! You'll
find it very slow going up the road or trails with all
the butterflies, dragon and damselflies you'll see!
Green Skipper
Pondhawk
Here we'll try to keep updated lists of what is being
seen at LMSNA. But our visits won't be enough, and it
will depend on others sending their sightings here.
So, if you go there please send me an
email
with your
sightings of interest, birds, butterflies, or "Odes",
and we'll put them up on the appropriate
"current news" pages so others can know what or
where to look for something.
Ring-necked Snake
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