Warblers

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="096d4c00dduajq.gif"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="95" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 46 WIDTH="91"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="46" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="91" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#003333" FACE="Arial" ><B>The Fauna and Flora of Kerr County, Texas</B></FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Fauna and Flora of Kerr County, Texa"><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id91.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Loons, Grebes, Pelicans, Cormorants, Anh"><U>Loons, Grebes, Pelicans, Cormorants, Anhinga</U></A>   |   <A 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Shrikes, Vireos</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id100.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Jays, Crows, Ravens, Lark, Swallows, Mar"><U>Jays, Crows, Ravens, Lark, Swallows, Martin</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id101.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Chickadee, Titmouse, Verdin, Bushtit, Nu"><U>Chickadee, Titmouse, Verdin, Bushtit, Nuthatches, Creeper, Wrens</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id102.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Kinglets, Gnatcatcher, Thrushes, Mocking"><U>Kinglets, Gnatcatcher, Thrushes, Mockingbird, Thrashers, Pipits, Waxwing</U></A>   |   <B>Warblers</B>   |   <A HREF="id104.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tanagers, Sparrows, Grosbeaks, Cardinals"><U>Tanagers, Sparrows, Grosbeaks, Cardinals, Buntings</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id105.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blackbirds, Finches"><U>Blackbirds, Finches</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Introduced, Feral and Exotic"><U>Introduced, Feral and Exotic</U></A></div> <div> Warblers</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Black-and-white Warbler, </B><I>Mniotilta varia</I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Orange-crowned Warbler, </B><I>Vermivora celata</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="45e9a8d0.jpg" border=0 width="154" height="141" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Orange-crowned Warbler, </B><I>Vermivora celata</I></div> <div> Camp Rio Vista, 8 September 2002</div> <div> <I><B>photos </B></I><B>©</B> <I><B>by tony gallucci</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="cd58a680.jpg" border=0 width="138" height="104" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> <B>Orange-crowned Warbler, </B><I>Vermivora celata</I></div> <div> Camp Rio Vista, 9 October 2002</div> <div> <I><B>photos </B></I><B>©</B> <I><B>by tony gallucci</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Nashville Warbler, </B><I>Vermivora ruficapilla</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B><IMG SRC="cd7d1920.jpg" border=0 width="209" height="146" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Nashville Warbler, </B><I>Vermivora ruficapilla</I></div> <div> Camp Rio Vista, 9 October 2002</div> <div> <I><B>photos </B></I><B>©</B> <I><B>by tony gallucci</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B>Yellow-throated Warbler, </B><I>Dendroica dominica</I></div> <div> A single bird was at Camp Rio Vista, 6 September 2002 (tg).</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Yellow Warbler, </B><I>Dendroica petechia</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><IMG SRC="28c6f6f0.jpg" border=0 width="111" height="111" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="28b916f0.jpg" border=0 width="145" height="111" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <div> <B>Yellow Warbler, </B><I>Dendroica petechia</I></div> <div> Camp Rio Vista, 5 September 2002</div> <div> <I><B>photos </B></I><B>©</B> <I><B>by tony gallucci</B></I></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="45c0fd90.jpg" border=0 width="271" height="217" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> <B>Yellow Warbler, </B><I>Dendroica petechia</I></div> <div> Camp Rio Vista, 8 September 2002</div> <div> <I><B>photos </B></I><B>©</B> <I><B>by tony gallucci</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="0ef20200.jpg" border=0 width="32" height="32" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> Golden-cheeked Warbler,</B> <I>Dendroica chrysoparia</I></div> <bR> <div> Kerr County lies in the heart of Golden-cheeked Warbler territory. This bird, found nesting nowehere in the world but Texas (and is the only species of bird that nests wholly within the confines of one U.S. state), is a federally-listed endangered species. Finding them is much the same as finding Black-capped Vireos -- it's dependent on knowing the habitat and the song. Unlike the vireo however, once you've located the habitat and heard the song, seeing the birds is pretty easy, because they most often sing from the tip of the large cedar trees that are required features of their habitat.</div> <bR> <div> The bird require several things for their habitat to be suitable. First, and foremost, is the presence of older, mature trees of Ashe Juniper (Juniperus ashei; also known as Mountain Cedar, Ash Cedar, That Damn Cedar, Aaaa-choo, and just Cedar). The bird has to have this tree because it uses strips of bark to build its nest (which also can contain lichens, grass and some other minor elements). This species of tree because it is the only juniper in which the bark comes off in strips; and this age of tree (around 30-years plus) because the younger trees' bark only comes off in large bulky strips, way too large for this tiny bird to deal with. The fact that this tree grows only in chalk limestone soils stretching from northern Mexico to Arkansas, and only in any abundance in the Edwards Plateau of Texas, means the bird is also limited to this area. Only in the deep hills country of central Texas are there any sizable populations of the bird, and Kerr and neighboring Real Counties are where the cedar is densest, and so are the birds. </div> <bR> <div> Let us now completely dispel one grandiose myth about this species of cedar: that it is not native to the Hill Country. This is one of those things that got twisted by an amateur researcher and untrained biologist. It involves a semantic confusion. Pioneer settlers in this country, looking to describe their newfound territory to friends back in Europe, had a need to label many things that had never been described by science (at a time when even that concept was new). Seeing our junipers, they sensed a similarity to their cedars back home. Their old-country cedars were related, but the description of these trees as cedars led to  the proclamation that they were brought from Europe, which is patently untrue. And it's a rural myth  that is hard to stop. In fact, the Ashe Juniper occurs nowhere else in the world but here, and based on the local ranchers' hatred of it, we wouldn't wish it on anyone else. What has changed about the cedars is their massive encroachment on the uplands of our area. Until the late 1800s Ashe Juniper was a tree of the canyons where it grew on steep rocky soil that few other plants could get a toehold on and where water was deep and thus scarce. The Ashe Juniper adapted to living on bare rock and in sending out deep tap roots in seach of water, and became adept at making use of even tiny amounts of soil moisture. This adaptation allowed it to occupy the most barren of areas. Until sheep and goats were introduced to the range in the 1800s, the uplands were lush grassalnds with scattered mottes of oaks. The grasses shaded out the sun from any oak and juniper seedlings that might try to grow from seeds dropped in the prairies by birds or other animals. Cedars in particular are sun-loving plants, and it doesn't take much to keep them from growing (this is a typical confier scenario). When the prairies were grazed, and badly overgrazed, for decades, the bare, sun-beaten rocky soil provided an ideal growth medium for cedars. Before the grasses could regenerate (after the range became so sterile as to allow any grazing at all), the cedars took over. Because of that the uplands in our county are now mostly covered with what were once canyon-limited cedars. These cedars not only shaded out future growth of grasses and other plants, but they utilize almost all of the soil moisture that comes their way. They're just doing what they were adapted for.</div> <bR> <div> Secondly, the Ashe Juniper, like other junipers, produces powerful chemicals in their bark, wood and leaves: turpins. This acts as a deterrent to insects and disease-causing organisms, making these very healthy trees. It's just another adaptation for surviving in a harsh environment. Junipers have long been rendered to produce Turpentine. You get the picture. It's also what results in Cedar Chests, known for their ability to naturally protect things from bugs. This chemical also makes its way into the soil through drippings from leaves and through the roots, and prevents the growth of other plants. And that just gives ranchers another reason to hate it. On another side, it is important to note that the pollen of this plant, released in huge explosions of the cones during dry, windy weather from mid-December through late February, is a notoriously virulent allergen, and produces the Hill Country disease known as Cedar Fever. Of all the natural dangers i have ever been around, this alone produces the most powerful illness: impossibly itchy throat, sever nausea, bronchitis, throat and lung lesions. It is horrible. This area has long been advertised as a healthy environment for retirees -- but they never mention Cedar Fever. It's one of the ugliest endangered species battles there is: a bird that has to have the tree to survive vs. a ground-encroaching, water-sucking, chemical-laden, sickness-inducing weed. It even has minimal economic value: non-rotting fenceposts, some rendering, cedar chips for gardens, etc. Rarely do ours get  large enough anymore for using the wood for decorative reasons. Probably the greatest economic value is in its value to bulldozer operators and the local industry that produces "cedar-shoppers".</div> <bR> <div> Back to the Golden-cheeked Warbler. Because cedars repel insects, the warblers must find food in other places, and thus the requirement for other types of vegetation in the habitat. Large trees that tower above the cedars are the usual other component of Golden-cheeked Warbler habitat. Likely trees in Kerr County are Escaprment Black Cherry (an endemic race), Sycamore, Texas Oak (an endemic species; also known as Texas Red Oak or Turkey Oak), Chinkapin Oak, and Lacey Oak (an endemic species; also known as Blue Oak). Secondarily, but less important are elms, and Plateau Live Oak (an endemic species). When not singing the warblers are most often found in these trees foraging just inside the canopy and more likely near the top. </div> <bR> <div> Lastly, Golden-cheeked Warblers need access to a flowing source of water, even if not located directly within a territory. Where you find Golden-cheeked Warblers you'll find springs, a stream, creek or river generally. I have seen the birds where it seems like the only water is that pooled in canyon bottoms, but even that has to be there season long. I suspect in areas where Golden-cheeked Warblers are present in some years but not others, that the difference is whether or not there is water in these ephemeral pools. Spring Trap Canyon at Kerr WMA is one of these places. Drought conditions have probably dimished their population there in the last couple of years.</div> <bR> <div> The song of the Golden-cheeked Warbler is highly distinctive and very unlike anything else singing in Kerr County, with the possible exception of a few migrant Black-throated Green Warblers that might be singing. Although the song sounds very strong when close, it is of a quality that is quickly diminished over distance. In fact, some birds that appear quite close, may sound very distant. The song itself is best related as sounding like Lazy-Dazy with the long a sound stretched way out. I would render it as Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzy-Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzy. The two segments are about equal in length to our ears, and the whole song has a very buzzy quality to it -- which is probably what causes us to hear it as a hard Z sound. Up close, you may often hear a couple of preliminary notes that make the song sound more like Dee-Dee-Laaaazzy-Daaaazzy. The females, when not on the nest, may frequent the area where the male is singing and can be quite vocal, with flat chip notes and a chattering that has the same quality as the chips.</div> <bR> <div> The males arrive in mid to late March and begin singing soon thereafter. Singing early in the season can be nearly day long, slowing only late in the afternoon, but by early to mid-April, after the arrival of the females, singing is reduced to the early morning hours. Singing generally quits by the time it gets really hot and, of course, as the season wears on, that heat hump occurs earlier and earlier in the day. By the first of May the birds usually quit singing by 8 or 8:30 in the morning. In late May, the birds may be silent by 7:30, in part at least because they are also involved in food-gathering for the young. The birds are present but not often detectable by song in June, and by late July, having begun wandering, storing fat for energy, they are most difficult. They begin heading south and are virtually gone by mid-August.</div> <bR> <div> Accessible, publishable locations that don't jeopardize the birds are few. The easiest places are at Spring Trap Canyon of the Kerr Wildlife Management Area, across the road from the river pullout at the Kerr WMA, at Skull Gulch, and in Johnson Canyon (where parking can be dangerous). You can also listen at various places that look good along Texas Highway 39 and FM 1341, but be judicious about letting anyone know what you are doing, such as saying the E-word (endangered), or mentioning Golden-cheeked Warbler as everyone here is tightly attuned to those words.</div> <bR> <div> In 1988 I produced an audiotape for the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department of the Voices of the Black-capped Vireo and the Golden-cheeked Warbler. I long ago gave away or sold all the extras i had of the production tape. However, i still have the master tape and would be happy to make copies for anyone interested in having one, for the cost of the tape and mailing. Check the Ordering GCW/BCV Audiotape page for more info.</div> <bR> <div> Here are sites where you can get more information on Golden-cheeked Warblers:</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.nwf.org/wildalive/warbler/" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.nwf.org/wildalive/warbler/"><U><B>http://www.nwf.org/wildalive/warbler/</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.cecer.army.mil/techreports/hay_warb/hay_warb-03.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.cecer.army.mil/techreports/ha"><U><B>http://www.cecer.army.mil/techreports/hay_warb/hay_warb-03.htm</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/endang/birds/gcw.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/endan"><U><B>http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/nature/endang/birds/gcw.htm</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://endangered.fws.gov/i/b6j.html" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://endangered.fws.gov/i/b6j.html"><U><B>http://endangered.fws.gov/i/b6j.html</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="http://ecos.fws.gov/servlet/SpeciesProfile?spcode=B07W" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://ecos.fws.gov/servlet/SpeciesProfi"><U><B>http://ecos.fws.gov/servlet/SpeciesProfile?spcode=B07W</B></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Golden-cheeked Warbler, </B><I>Dendroica chrysoparia</I></div> <div> <I><B>photos </B></I><B>©</B> <I><B>by tony gallucci</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Wilson's Warbler, </B><I>Wilsonia pusilla</I></div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <I><IMG SRC="6f663f70.jpg" border=0 width="355" height="247" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="6f5cf870.jpg" border=0 width="207" height="135" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="6f4a4870.jpg" border=0 width="164" height="135" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="6f285870.jpg" border=0 width="133" height="135" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"><IMG SRC="6f1a7870.jpg" border=0 width="167" height="135" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <div> <B>Wilson's Warbler, </B><I>Wilsonia pusilla</I></div> <div> Below the dam at Ingram Dam Lake, 2 October 2002</div> <div> <I><B>photos </B></I><B>©</B> <I><B>by tony gallucci</B></I></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>