290 West between Dripping Springs and Johnson City is Pedernales Falls State Park, known for its beautiful falls, its carved limestone channels, and the rustic beauty of its river canyons. Most people go to this park to enjoy the wonderful wild scenery, to hike one of its many scenic trails, or to take advantage of the cooling water of the river, which flows through the park. This past spring I was impressed by the number and diversity of birds present in the park. This park has never been known as a birding hot spot, except for the Golden-cheeked Warbler, which can be found there during spring migration and is a summer breeder within the park boundaries. Because the Hill Country is the dividing line between many eastern and western species, one can potentially find several of the western birds that regularly occur in Texas.
Winter is probably the best time to visit, when the greatest diversity of birds occurs.
Spring, summer, and fall offer unique challenges in that the birdlife is continuously changing. Spring brings in the countless migrants moving north to their breeding grounds. Summer finds a lot of people in the park taking advantage of the cool refreshing river. Species diversity is at its lowest point in the summer, but the birding is still great. A visitor can see the Painted Bunting in all its splendid glory and the singing display of the Cassin's Sparrow.