Spring also signals the start of Texas wildflower season. Usually lasting from March through May, you’ll have plenty of time to prepare for photo shoots, sketching, painting or just to sight see.

With more than 5,000 different wildflowers stretching across our state and many cities and highways to cross, it can be a daunting task to find the perfect spot to view and behold the beauty of these blooms.

Luckily here in San Antonio, there are several locations to see wildflowers and a few also happen to be great outdoor spots to visit during spring break (denoted with an asterisk).

Friedrich Wilderness Park: Just beyond Fiesta Texas is this City of San Antonio park that’s free to the public. With ten miles of hiking trails (at varying degrees of difficulty), Friedrich is one of the best parks to hike in the San Antonio Area. Within the park are several trails that highlight beautiful wildflowers and rare, endangered bird species.

*Government Canyon State Natural Area: In far northwest Bexar County, this Texas State Park that has over 40 miles of trails to hike, and also offers camping as well. Within the park are the only known dinosaur tracks on public land in the Bexar County area. There are even guided tours on the hikes for wildflowers, endangered species, wildlife habitats and native plants.

*Guadalupe River State Park: Just a few minutes outside of San Antonio is this beautiful state park with over 13 miles of hike/bike trails and the legendary Guadalupe River. In addition to several camping locations, swimming and fishing, there are dedicated hiking/biking trails to sightsee wildflowers and wildlife.

State highways and backroads: In Bexar County alone, there are more than 1,000 miles of state-maintained roadways and San Antonio has over 250 miles of freeway. Within all these roadways and highways, wildflowers grow — particularly our state wildflower the Texas bluebonnet. Just use caution when approaching these locations for sightseeing and photos.

Here’s a few helpful tips if you’re venturing out locally for wildflower viewing and photography.

• When approaching wildflowers off a highway or road, please take caution when driving and use your turn signals and flashing emergency lights.

• Be cautious of wildlife around the surroundings in any location you choose (snakes, wild dogs, mountain lions, feral hogs).

• Look out for poisonous plants and flowers (poison ivy, poison oak).

• Be aware of private property and dangerous surroundings.

Of course, you can always grow your own wildflowers! Fall is the best time to plant them, but you can plan now to so you’ll be ready to plant wildflower seeds when it’s time.

It’s no secret that birds fly south for the winter, but just how far south do they go? Mexico, Central and South America are common winter retreats for some. But for a wide variety of species, mild-wintered San Antonio is south enough.

Roving flocks of warblers, vireos, sparrows, waxwings, wrens, kinglets and more join our year-round residents like cardinals, jays, chickadees and titmice in calling San Antonio and the Hill Country their winter retreat.

And while bird feeders with seed and suet do a fine job of attracting an assortment of species to your landscape, some birds simply aren’t interested in such fare. Luckily, there is another way: water!

All animals need H2O, and birds are no exception. In fact, you might be startled to peak out your window and see birds not just drinking but even bathing in surprisingly frigid temperatures.

While the exact science is still open for debate, many believe birds bathe so religiously — even in cold weather — because it helps keep their feathers clean and oils evenly distributed. Having clean, tidy and well-oiled feathers helps a bird fly faster with more agility, an important asset when dangerous hawks and other predators may be lurking nearby. It also helps more efficiently trap and hold pockets of air around the bird’s body, providing layers of insulation from the cold.

By adding a simple bird bath or shallow water feature to your garden, you are creating an important resource for our resident and visiting bird species. Species you may not see in your garden otherwise — like insect-eating warblers — will readily drop in for a bath given the opportunity.

However, not all bird baths are created equal. Remember, shallow is better. The deepest point should be a couple of inches or less. Adding a bit of gravel or textured rocks to the bird bath will also provide better footing for the birds.

Movement through the use of a small recirculating pump will help birds hear and hone in on the water. Perhaps most important is to simply keep it clean. Depending on how often birds use it, rinsing, scrubbing and refilling regularly will help keep your birds healthy, happy and coming back for more.

The ideal placement will be somewhere the water can be warmed by the winter sun, but close enough to brush or vegetation the birds can readily emerge from or retreat to should they need a quick escape.

Of course, don’t forget to find a place where you can comfortably sit back and enjoy watching as your feathered friends flit to and from their new bird bath on a cold winter’s day!

By Seth Patterson, SAWS Conservation Consultant. A naturalist by nature, Seth spent his early childhood crawling through creeks and caves of the Hill Country before moving to South Texas where he found his passion in nature photography. Now an avid scuba diver and underwater photographer, Seth follows the water wherever he lands and truly takes to heart his role as a conservation consultant for San Antonio Water System.