Eagle Update

One of the young eagles had fallen (or was blown) from the nest sometime between yesterday afternoon and early this morning.

He was spotted on the right side of the nest between the two large trees down deep in the brush resting on a log.  His
wingbeats were strong and he was moving normally so is is uninjured!  The black line at the bottom of the photo is the
railroad.

Public Service Announcement – CASA SuperHero 5K, March 10

Click here to register online!

Public Service Announcement – Lifeline Screening May 7th

Where:  Hill Country Hall

When: Monday, May 7, 2012

Pre-registration is required. Call  1-800-690-6313

Painted Sky Inn on Lake Buchanan – Grand Opening

Grand Opening!!

You knew it before (formerly Silver Creek Resort)…. Come see what we have become…. Painted Sky Inn will host it’s Grand Opening on March 8th from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Come take a progressive refreshment tour through our newly remodeled Inn and enter a drawing for a free weekend for 4!

Open to businesses, neighbors, friends and guests.

When: March 8, 2012

Time: 3 pm to 7 pm

Where: Painted Sky Inn

1400 CR 128

Burnet, TX   78611

Map It

Contact: Denise Lewis

512-715-9896

Tour the Falls – Only 40 tickets will be sold!

EXCLUSIVE EVENT – Tour the Falls, Saturday, March 3rd

(very limited availability)

Join Ed and Susan Auler, co-owners of Fall Creek Vineyards, on Saturday, March 3rd, for what will be the inaugural tour of the 90-foot Fall Creek waterfalls, never before opened to the public, on gorgeous Lake Buchanan.

Follow your tour with a creek-side picnic lunch – menu by renowned Chef, Baker and Author, Rebecca Rather.

Two 20-person lunch tours by bus will be offered on March 3rd, the first one at 11:30am and the second tour at1:15pm.

Make your reservation NOW, as each tour is limited to only 20 guests!  Click HERE for more info or call (325) 379-5361.

Have you watched a bald eagle recently?

Prepare to have your breath taken away.   Do NOT look at the pictures below on a mobile device while you are driving.  Seriously! 

Our thanks to Jim Bains for sharing his excellent photos of the Bald Eagles nesting off TX29 about 8-10 miles west of Buchanan Dam! The pictures were taken this week (Feb 16, 2012). Following is Jim’s description of the pictures with the pictures added to go along with his narrative.

To make downloads fast, we have used thumbnail sized pictures.  To see one in a larger format, just click on any of these pictures.

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This morning about midway between the old and new nest I was watching a Red-tailed hawk at a distance to see what his next move would be.  Suddenly, a Mockingbird appeared from nowhere and ran that hawk away!  I’ve seen them try that with the eagles too, but the eagles just give the Mockers a nasty look.

Photos By Jim Bains

Upon arrival, the female eagle was perched a very short distance above the nest for a long time, perhaps an hour or more, then decided to go to the nest.

Bald Eagles near Lake Buchanan TX

Rather than just flutter down to it she flew out behind the trees, circled the trees and entered the nest from the front.  The closeup shots are all a part of that nest approach.

bald Eagle Near Lake Buchanan TX

Female Bald Eagle on-approach to the nest off TX 29 west of Buchanan Dam, TX

Close-up of female bald eagle on approach to the nest a few miles west of Buchanan Dam, TX on Texas Highway 29

I had the old Nikon D200 on rapid fire and got some pretty good ones.

Female bald eagle turns onto final approach to her next near TX29 west of Lake Buchanan TX

Note how the tail feathers are used as a rudder, helping them to steer and maneuver in flight,

Eagle turn into the wind toward her nest

Female bald eagle uses her tail for a course correction as she lines up into the wind to land at her next west of Lake Buchanan and Inks Lake in Texas

Uses her tail feathers for slight course corrections

they also act as a “speed brake” when they are landing

Female bald eagletill turning into that southeast breeze, and starting to slow her approach to the nest

Eagle 1 on final approach, checked gear down, flaps configured for landing

One of a sequence of pictures taken as one of our Eagle Winter Texans approaches her nest near Lake Buchanan, TX - pictures by Jim Bains of Buchanan Dam

One of a sequence of pictures taken as one of our Eagle Winter Texans approaches her nest near Lake Buchanan, TX - pictures by Jim Bains of Buchanan Dam

Houston, The Eagle has landed - note the chick in the lower left corner

and help them to keep their balance while they are perched.  They blow my mind sometimes!!

Mother and chick in the nest, waiting for Dad to bring home a nice bass from Inks Lake.

With the Eagle in her nest, Jim noticed another spectator nearby!

The little American Kestrel kept running away from me flitting from wire to wire as I chased him down the highway in the truck!  They are FAST!
Regards,

Jim

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If you have a day off, or a weekend, stuff like this is happening all the time out here.  The eagles will only be around for a few more weeks

We are only 70 miles from Austin,

only 90 miles from San Antonio,

only 150 miles from San Angelo,

only 240 miles from DFW and

only 230 miles from Houston.

Come spend a day, a weekend, or the rest of your life with us.

Bring your boat and do some fishing, launching is available on both Lake Buchanan and on Inks (see the Boat Launching page above for information)…  or bring your bicycle and tour our country roads… or just come and soak up the scenery.

Our Visitor Center on Texas Highway 29, just west of the bridge over Inks Lake, is open every day except Tuesday and has free maps and other useful information to make your stay everything you hope for.

For details about the area, area lodging, and other activities visit our web site.

Also visit the web sites of our other area chambers of commerce:

http://llanochamber.org/

http://www.kingslandchamber.org/

http://www.burnetchamber.org/

http://marblefalls.org/

http://www.masontxcoc.com/

The first Bluebonnets of 2012!

Local cyclists have been reporting that the shoulders of area roads are covered with young Bluebonnet plants and that we should expect a very good wildflower season if rains continue to come every week or so for the next 3 months.

On February 13th, one group saw and photographed the first Bluebonnets of the season. 

2012 Llano County Bluebonnet Season

The first Bluebonnet blooms of 2012 were photographed and submitted to the Lake buchanan Inks Lake Chamber of Commerce on February 13!

 The picture was taken by the Hilly Bikers cycling group on the south shoulder of FM2241 about 3 miles west of the Bluffton Store. 

Email us your best wildflower picture of 2012 ( buchinks@gmail.com ) if we can post it on the blog, website or Facebook page.  Give us your name, when and where the picture was taken and state that we may use the picture for promotion of commerce in the Texas Hill Country.  If we publish the picture we will ackbnowledge your contribution of the picture.

Austin Boat Show Pictures

We  had a lot of fun at the Austin Boat, RV and Sport Show. Our new banner was a huge attraction and I think we did a great job of getting the word out about our lakes and lodges and all the fun things to do around here. We also handed out over 600 Lakes and Hills Magazines! We are off to the Midessa Boat Show on Feb 9-12.

Buchanan Arts and Crafts Christmas Bazaar

The Buchanan Arts and Crafts Christmas Bazaar

17534 E. Hwy 29

Buchanan Dam, TX 78609

Saturday Dec. 10th 10-4

Bake Sale and Chili Luncheon

Christmas Gifts,Christmas Decorations, Chili, Frito Pie, Pies, Cakes, Cookies

Eat lunch and do your Christmas shopping!

Ink Lake Bridge Lighting and Boat Parade