Archives 2: 2004

<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 Best of Texas Nature Writing . . . </B></FONT>     |     <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Best of Texas Nature Writing . . . "><U>home</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id116.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Current Column"><U>Current Column</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id147.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Book Reviews"><U>Book Reviews</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id130.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Archives 1: 2003"><U>Archives 1: 2003</U></A>   |   <B>Archives 2: 2004</B></div> <div> Archives 2: 2004</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>West Texas Nature Festivals</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> September 5, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>       </B>I recently participated in two West Texas nature festivals, the new Big Bend Nature Festival in Big Bend National Park and the Hummingbird Festival in the Davis Mountains. I presented evening programs at both, and I gave two butterfly field trips in Big Bend. I had a great time and was impressed with both festivals. Participants seemed to have had a great time, as well. </div> <bR> <div>       Next year promises to be even better, as the coordinators hope to blend the two into one so that the two can run together as a seven-day affair, three days in Big Bend, one in Marathon, and three in the Davis Mountains. This year there were five days between the two, so most of the participants in Big Bend's Nature Festival went home. Only a few return to join others for the Hummingbird Festival. </div> <div>  </div> <div>       Participants in Big Bend's Nature Festival were offered a diversity of activities. These ranged from birding for beginners to those individuals willing to hike into the Chisos Mountain highlands to see Colima warblers, painted redstarts, and a number of hummingbirds, butterfly field trips that chalked up almost 50 species, and geology jeep trips. Talks also covered a range of interests from wildlife to reptiles and Big Bend's diverse plant life. A highly successful star party, under a clear star-filled sky, was held one night.</div> <div>  </div> <div>        The Hummingbird Festival included several field trips that were able to show participants a grand total of nine hummigbird species, including some true rarities such as Anna's, Allen's, Broad-billed, Lucifer, and Magnificient. My keynote program was on the environmental diversity of the Davis Mountains using butterflies as examples.</div> <div>  </div> <div>      Like most nature festivals, part of the fun was seeing friends that only seem to appear at such events. I also was able to spend a few "free" days just roaming around the two areas, some of my most favorite places in the World. I found a total of 64 butterfly species in Big Bend and 58 in the Davis Mountains. One day was spent wandering about the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute property just south of Ft. Davis. This is a fascinating place with good trails and a visitor center/gift shop well worth visiting. The cactus garden at the Institute is exceptional and includes all the species known for the Trans-Pecos as well as many rare Mexican species. </div> <div>  </div> <div>       I also visited the Texas Nature Conservancy property in the Davis Mountains uplands, where a new visitor center is under construction. Rainy weather had produced swollen creeks that did not permit a visit to the higher Mt. Livermore area. I had visited that magnificient area several times in the past, so I was not too upset. And I also visited the new visitor center at McDonald Observatory; it even has an excellent luncheon suite.</div> <div>  </div> <div>      In 2005, the joint nature festival is scheduled for August 11 to 17. Although folks hearing about a summer festival in West Texas often comment that at that time of year it is too hot. Actually, once the rainy season begins in July, the mountains, where the majority of the activities are planned, are very pleasant. In fact, participants wore jackets several mornings this year. Weather conditions in the Chisos and Davis mountains are wonderful by then; April and May are the hottest months. </div> <div>  </div> <div>        I have every intention of participating in the West Texas Nature Festival in 2005, and I know that many other folks interested in nature will join me. For more information you can check the Big Bend web page at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><A HREF="http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=0e2949d406de733fecc366eb192b36a8&lat=1094622769&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2evisitbigbend%2ecom" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lan"><U>www.visitbigbend.com</U></A></FONT>.              </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Slugs are not the Loveliest of Creatures</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> August 15, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>      </B>Most non-biologists or gardeners think of a slug as the guy next door who spends most of his time drinking beer and watching TV, and rarely if ever has anything nice to say. We all know some slugs, and none are very pleasant. And what is fascinating is that the slow moving creature that crawls across the roadway, invades gardens, and is a beer-lover - also known as a slug - fits the human profile pretty well. </div> <bR> <div>      The outdoor slug is closely related to snails, even possessing a shell. Those of snails are obvious, but slug shells are much smaller and rarely visible as they are located underneath the flesh on their back. Their mouthparts are located in front of the head and contain a sharp rasping strap, called the radula. It is used to tear food into small pieces, which are then passed back through a cavity to be digested.</div> <div>   </div> <div>      Slugs move across the terrain by gliding on a ribbon of mucous secreted by their own bodies. They are able to follow slime trails secreted earlier by themselves or other slugs. In this manner they are able to utilize a network of host plants. Dee Kennedy, in "Nature's Outcasts," wrote that "slugs aren't just slimy - they're connoisseurs of slime. They secrete and employ different kinds of mucous for use in locomotion, self-defense, temperature regulation, and mating."  </div> <bR> <div>      But what is the strangest slug characteristic is that it is a hermaphrodite, having both male and females reproductive organs. They go through male and female stages at different time. In a sense, they can mate with themselves. Eggs are laid in the soil in clusters of two dozen or more. Adults usually overwinter in the soil and can live for several years. When warm weather arrives, they soon are gliding about in search for food. </div> <div>  </div> <div>      There are about 40 species of slugs in the United States. Three of the more common types include grey field, black, and common garden slugs. In the Northwest there is a huge yellow slug known as a banana slug because of its banana-like appearance. The slug in the Mission Valley area where I live is the common garden slug. I believe that it has only moved into the area during the last couple years; I never saw one until about two years ago. And now it seems to be on the increase; it is most abundant during rainy periods. During dry periods, like what we have experienced the last few weeks, slugs remain burrowed in the soil or in other moist sites. Since slugs are composed mostly of water, dehydration is dangerous.  The common garden slug is one to two inches in length with a lighter side-stripe. Like all slugs, it has two pairs of tentacles, a longer upper pair that has eyes on the end and a shorter lower pair that is utilized for smell. </div> <bR> <div>       Most slugs are vegetarians and can cause serious damage to garden plants, but a few are carnivorous and prey on snails and earthworms. The latter group may have little effect on gardens, but the vegetarians can be a real pest. Those species feed on many kinds of leaves, stems, bulbs, and even tubers, often digging deep into the soil for a choice meal. They are able to detect food at a distance, and Kennedy points out that "if you change the location of the food while they're en route, they'll reorient and set off in a new direction." </div> <bR> <div>       Does this suggest that our gardens are doomed once slugs invade? Although many unattended gardens can be impacted, slug control is possible. Controls can range from direct elimination, which takes a concerted effort once the slugs have invaded, to a number of ideas from maintaining soil free from decaying materials, establishing a barrier, to various chemical controls. I once attracted slugs to beer bait and physically killed those that I found in the saucer of beer. C. Malcolm Beck and John Howard Garrett, in the "Texas Big Book," suggest dusting "dry hot pepper in problem areas," or using citrus oil spray or coffee grounds "sprinkled on top of mulch." They also suggest some natural controls like planting "stands of clover and mulches to favor ground beetles and rover beetles (which eat slugs). Centipedes also eat slug eggs." And they point out that "in the insect world their biggest enemy in the larva of the lightening bug." The abundance of lightening bugs in our area is on the side of our gardens.          </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Fall Migrants Already</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> August 8, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>        The appearance of a female black-and-white warbler in my yard on July 27 suggested an earlier than normal southbound migration this year. Although this warbler species nests in woodland areas not far to the north of the Golden Crescent, any warblers that enter our area after mid-July can be considered a migrant. This is especially true for females, because females of most bird species usually remain on their breeding grounds longer than the males. Males of many species are well known for their habit of departing early, leaving the ladies to finish raising the babies. </div> <bR> <div>       Hummingbird males always leave early. They are considered little more than "promiscuous rakes," departing their breeding grounds almost immediately after breeding. Even male rufous hummingbirds, a species that is little more than an uncommon migrant and winter resident in South Texas, can be found in mountain meadows of Mexico by early July. Rufous hummingbirds nest only in the extreme northwestern United States and north into Alaska.</div> <bR> <div>       There are numerous other bird species considered "early" migrants. Examples include most shorebirds and many ducks, especially those that nest on the northern tundra. These birds usually arrive on their nesting grounds in early spring, raise a precocial family, and must leave before winter weather sets in. Sometimes circumstances, such as nest destruction in the far north where time does not permit a second try, can lead to an earlier than normal movement toward the south. </div> <bR> <div>        Some of the earliest of the southbound migrants reaching the central Texas Coast area include species that nest just north of our area. A few examples include broad-winged hawk, eastern wood-pewee, northern rough-winged swallow, yellow-throated and black-and-white warblers, Louisiana waterthrush, and field sparrow. Some usually late southbound migrants to reach South Texas include house and winter wrens, hermit thrush, orange-crowned and yellow-rumped warblers, scarlet tanager, and white-crowned sparrow. </div> <bR> <div>       One of the very best references to our local bird's status and their movements through our area is Mark Elwonger's little book, "Finding Birds on the Central Texas Coast," subtitled "What to look for, how, when, and where to look," is available from the author at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><A HREF="http://by2fd.bay2.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/compose?mailto=1&msg=MSG1091369148.10&start=1020449&len=10437&src=&type=x&to=greenowl%40vicec%2eorg&cc=&bcc=&subject=&body=&curmbox=F000000001&a=75e7b89d06e3dbad48e9cf87087be79e" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://by2fd.bay2.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bi"><U>greenowl@vicec.org</U></A></FONT>. The bird distribution list included with this book can also be obtained from ornifolks.org. Elwonger's book also includes 19 of the best bird-finding sites in the Central Texas Coast area.</div> <bR> <div>       Is there any significance to an earlier than normal migration period? Any response to that question would be analogous to a meteorologist explaining why Hurricane Claudette hit our area earlier than predicted in July 2003. However, everything about nature has an explanation. And most explanations regarding bird migration relates one way or another to weather conditions. But one explanation is that an earlier or more severe than normal stormy period in the Arctic or elsewhere in northern North America could speed the departure of many species, resulting in their arrival into Texas earlier than normal. </div> <bR> <div> Whether that occurrence suggests weather patterns to the south, such as whether or not we can expect a colder or warmer winter than normal, does not relate.       </div> <bR> <div>       What does relate, however, is the greater than normal number of waterfowl, sandhill cranes, and some of the more northern songbirds in South Texas when wintertime weather patterns just north of our area are extremely cold. For instance, ducks and geese can occur in huge numbers in South Texas when weather conditions in northern Texas and further north produce heavy snows and frozen lakes and bays. It is far too early to predict winter bird numbers.    </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Water Snakes in South Texas</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> August 1, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>       </B>Water snakes, those that live primarily in and adjecent water, are not often seen in most of South Texas. So, when I recently encountered two individuals of a species I had not previously seen, it awakened my interest in these water-loving creatures. This new find was especially well marked with broad yellow-orange bands across its black body and an orange head pattern. Both individuals were about three feet in length. It took me only a few minutes to identify it as a broad-banded water snake once I got home and looked through my various reptile books.</div> <bR> <div>        The location, Palmetto State Park in Gonzales County, where I found these serpents represents the western edge of its range, according to my three reference books: Roger Conant's "A Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians of Eastern and Central North America," Werler and Dixon's "Texas Snakes," and Alan Tennant's "A Field Guide to Texas Snakes." The latter two contain excellent photographs of this colorful snake, and all three describe its normal range extending eastward along the Gulf Coast and within the lower reaches of the Mississippi River Valley. They also point out that broad-banded water snakes prefer fresh water sites, although the species also occurs in marshes of Chambers and Jefferson counties, some of which lie along salt water margins. </div> <div>  </div> <div>       There seems to be a difference in this water snake's taxonomy. Werler and Tennant (published in 2000 and 1999, respectively) refer to the broad-banded species as Nerodia fasciata confluens, while Conant (1975) uses the genus Natrix. But to most of us it matters little whether it is Nerodia or Natrix; the common name remains the same in this case. They all agree it is live bearing, broods number about 15 young, and it preys primarily on fish, frogs, toads, salamanders, and crayfish. It feeds both at night and during the daylights hours, foraging mainly along the shoreline. </div> <div>  </div> <div>        At least four additional species of water snakes occur in South Texas: diamondback, blotched, gulf salt marsh, and Mississippi green. Diamondback water snake (N. rhombifer) inhabits much of Texas, including the coastal plain where it can be abundant. It has blackish-brown lines that form a diamond-shaped network across its dark olive to grayish-brown back. Blotched water snake (N. erythrograster) also occurs throughout most of Texas. It is gray-brown with a hint of olive color with pale dorsal lines bordered with black. Gulf salt marsh water snake (N. clarkii) is restricted in Texas to a coastal fringe south to about Corpus Christi. It has a pair of dark brown stripes against a paler, grayish ground color. Mississippi green water snake (N. cyclopion) is also restricted to the coastal plain, but it does occur further inland than the gulf salt marsh species. It is poorly marked, but is blackish with faint paler markings.</div> <div>  </div> <div>       None of the Nerodia/Natrix water snakes are poisonous. All will attempt to escape when cornered, and will bite only as a last resort. There are several more snake species that spend considerable time in and around water areas, in both fresh and salt water. Several of the garter snakes (genus Thamnophis), a few occur in South Texas, are good examples. And several of the poisonous snakes also frequent water areas. The best known of these includes the western cottonmouth and a number of the rattlesnakes.</div> <div>  </div> <div>        Snakes are fascinating creatures, and the encounter of one not previously seen was something special!      </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Cliff and Cave Swallows are Commonplace</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> July 25, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>      These two look-alike swallows are commonplace throughout almost all of South Texas. That has not always been the case. Although cliff swallows have long utilized concrete overpasses and similar structures during their nesting season, cave swallows have become common only is recent years. Cave swallows, as their name implies, utilize shadowy nesting sites only, such as culverts and the underside of dark kiosks and similar small structures. </div> <div>  </div> <div>      Besides their use of different nesting sites, the two species possess rather subtle differences in appearance. Although both are "square-tailed" swallows, at least in comparison with the longer, fork-tailed barn swallow, except for the voice, a positive identification may require careful study. Both possess a whitish belly, dark back and wings, and a buff-colored rump. Cliff swallows possess a dark rufous throat and whitish forehead, while cave swallows have a buff throat and rusty forehead. The voice of the two species often provides the easiest method of identification, especially when these birds are in flight. The call of the cliff swallow is usually described as a low "churr" and nasal "nyew." That of the cave swallow is a clear "weet" or pweet" or a soft, low-pitched "prrt."   </div> <div>  </div> <div>        Another interesting difference between the two species is their nests. Cliff swallows build the typical gourd-like structure from mud balls that they acquire from nearby puddles. Hundreds can often be found on the edge of concrete overpasses. Cave swallows build open mud nests, much like those of barn swallows, that they paste on rough edges.           </div> <div>  </div> <div>       Cliff swallows can be found throughout North America except for the southeastern corner of Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. They overwinter in South America. Cave swallows occur north of Mexico only in South Texas, southern New Mexico, and in extreme southern Florida, although nesting has been recorded throughout most of the High Country. They once were found only in natural cave-like sites in limestone area, but they learned that culverts and other man-made structures do just as well. Their principal requirement is a shadowy location. From the mid-1960s until about 1990, Carlsbad Caverns in southern New Mexico was the only place in the United States where cave swallows were known to nest. But by the turn of the century they had begun to expand their breeding grounds eastward in Texas. </div> <bR> <div>         One reason why cave swallows have been able to enlarge their range is that they have been able to roost in vacant cliff swallow nests during the wintertime when the original inhabitants are off on their winter vacations. Many populations are able to survive all winter in the original and temporary sites. That gives these new explorers a significant advantage each spring. They are able to nest earlier than they might otherwise if they had to migrate northward, and they therefore are able move northwards into new areas as post-nesting wanderers. It apparently has worked very well.  </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>30th Annual Butterfly Counts</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> July 11, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <div> <B>       </B>Since 1975, butterflies counts have been conducted all across North America in an attempt to acquire up-to-date information on butterfly distribution and abundance. Like Christmas Bird Counts that are held annually around Christmas time, butterfly counts are limited to 15-mile diameter areas during a single day. Butterfly counts can be scheduled between June 12 and July 25, although there is some flexibility for bad weather, like this year. The first of the local counts was undertaken at Goliad on July 2. Although only 29 counts were held the first year, 470 counts in 44 U.S. states and 5 Canadian provinces were conducted in 2003. Texas led with a total of 46 counts. </div> <bR> <div>       Bill Farnsworth, Paul Julian, and I tallied a total of 47 species on the Goliad count. Extremely high numbers (30-plus individuals) were recorded for pipevine swallowtails, pearl crescents, tawny emperors, sickle-winged skippers, common and tropical checkered-skippers, and southern skipperlings. Also abundant (10 to 29 individuals) were rounded metalmarks, bordered patches, and clouded, fiery, and eufala skippers. All of the other species tallied were less numerous. There were no surprises, as all of the species recorded were more-or-less expected. Goliad has a reputation in the butterfly community as being a good place to find a good variety of species. Over the years, a grand total of 107 species have been documented for Goliad.</div> <div>  </div> <div>      The reason Goliad can boast about their butterfly abundance is that the area lies along the northern edge of the South Texas brushcountry and the southern edge of the eastern forest region. Species such as rounded metalmark, white peacock, coyote cloudywing, mazans scallopwing, and laviana and turk's-cap white-skippers are southern species that reach their northern limits in Goliad and adjacent counties. Silvery checkerspot is an example of a northern species that reaches the southern edge of its range in Goliad. Plus, the presence of the San Antonio River is also influential in that some butterfly species, especially summer/fall wanderers such as julia and zebra heliconians that often follow river corridors, occur there with some regularity.         </div> <div>   </div> <div>       Several more butterfly counts are scheduled within the region during the July count period, and anyone interested in participating is welcome. The dates and meeting locations (all starting at 9am) include: Palmetto State Park on July 9; meet at the HQ building. Choke Canyon State Park on July 12; meet as the South Unit entrance station. Indianola/Magic Ridge on July 15; meet at the entrance to Zimmerman Road along CO 316. Aransas National Wildlife Refuge on July 17; meet in front of the visitor center. Rockport on July 19; meet at the butterfly garden on Business 35.</div> <div>  </div> <div>       All count data are submitted to the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) and published in an annual summary report. Although the original butterfly counts in 1975 were begun under the auspices of the Xerces Society, a national butterfly organization, NABA now has responsibility for the count coordination and publication. Count results and additional information about NABA is available at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><A HREF="http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=2c7d8e6030dbe3cab67eae031a1761b3&lat=1094623031&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2enaba%2eorg" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lan"><U>www.naba.org</U></A></FONT>. Count forms can even be downloaded for anyone interested in starting their own count(s) at new locations.   </div> <div>  </div> <div>       The hobby of butterflying is one of our fastest growing hobbies. It attracts anyone interested in spending time in the outdoors. It takes less energy than birding, but has many of the same challenges. Since numerous excellent field guides have become available, the majority of species found in our yards and fields can be identified by sight. Close-focusing binoculars (those that focus to 6 feet or less) help considerably with identification in the field. Butterfly-watching can be great fun, whether undertaken in your our garden or along a trail or roadway in the wilds.  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Butterflies and Host Plants</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> June 20, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <div> <B>       </B>A recent trip to Aransas National Wildlife to survey butterflies was a good reminder how some butterfly species can only be found during a brief period of time each year when their larvae (caterpillar) foodplants are available. At Aransas, a few soapberry trees were in flower at the entrance to the Rail Trail, and several of the creamy flower clusters contained feeding soapberry hairstreaks. This hairstreak can occur throughout most of Texas, although its range excludes most of South Texas, but it flies only for a few weeks each May and June.</div> <bR> <div>        There are several other butterflies that fly only during brief periods, but most are not so dependent upon obtaining their food from their flowering hostplant. The majority of butterflies feed on nectar that they obtain from a wide variety of flowering plants. Yet each species has one to several larval foodplants on which it lays eggs. The larvae will then consume that plant before developing a chrysalis from where the adult will eventually emerge. Larval foodplant examples include dill for black swallowtails, pipevines for pipevine swallowtails, mistletoe for great purple hairstreaks, passion vines for gulf fritillaries, Texas thistle for painted ladies, and hackberrys for snouts the emperors. </div> <bR> <div>        One of the more interesting host-specific butterflies is the yucca giant-skipper that lays its eggs on the tip of yucca plants. These large skippers fly only during springtime but never feed on nectar; males obtain nutrients by sipping mud. The eggs hatch within a few days and the larvae build a silk "nest" among the leaf tips where the larvae live, feed on the leaves, and grow. They eventually tunnel into the yucca roots and construct a dung-covered silk chimney-like tube near the yucca base. The larvae are able to hibernate. In spring they emerge from the silken tube as an adult giant-skipper.</div> <bR> <div>        Butterfly watchers learn that knowing the proper foodplants help considerably for finding butterflies. Although species like the gray hairstreak can use an enormous variety of plants, the reason that species is so widespread and common all across North America. And painted ladies are also widespread; they are commonplace all through Europe and Central and South America. All species must find their essential foodplant in order to reproduce. Milkweeds are good examples, for migrating monarchs can only survival their springtime journeys if they reproduce along the way; monarchs feed on milkweeds and milkweeds also serve as their larval foodplants.</div> <bR> <div>       A number of other larval foodplants in the Gulf Coastal Area of Texas include mustards for checkered whites, kidneywood for southern dogface, sennas for large orange sulphurs and sleepy oranges, blackbrush for coyote cloudywing, various oaks for Horace's cloudywing, mallows for checkered-skippers, sedges for dun skipper, and various grasses for clouded, fiery, eufala, and ocola skippers.</div> <bR> <div>        Anyone planning a butterfly garden, a hobby that is becoming increasingly popular, should always select their plantings to include some larval foodplants as well as flowering plants that are most likely to attract and feed the adults. The ten very best nectaring plants for South Texas, in order of importance, include crucita or mistflower (Eupatorium odoratum), cowpen daisy, tropical sage, mealy sage, frog-fruit, Texas palafoxia, palmleaf eupatorium, Mexican heather, weeping lantana, and gold lantana. A few other good nectaring plants include Mexican flamevine, milkweeds, pentas, skyflower, zexmenia, and zinnia. All of these plants and other suggestions are included in a brochure that Derek Muschalek and I wrote for the North American Butterfly Association, and available on the internet at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><A HREF="http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=86478658ff85a02b56c74aae66adeb6f&lat=1094624090&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2enaba%2eorg" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lan"><U>www.naba.org</U></A></FONT>. </div> <bR> <div>       One huge advantage of your own butterfly garden, whether it is an acre or more or simply a tiny one in a planter on your porch or deck, is that you can watch these marvelous creatures up close and personal.            </div> <div>       </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Barn Swallows are Widespread across Texas</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> June 13, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <div> <B>       </B>Of the eight regular North American swallows, none are as widespread and commonplace as the barn swallow. It can be found in every Texas county, including all those within the Coastal Bend where it usually is abundant from spring until late fall. And although most spend their winters south of the border, a few can usually be found wintering in South Texas every year.</div> <bR> <div>       Sometimes known simply as "swallow," its name throughout Europe, it is one of the easiest of the swallows to identify. It is a lovely bird with a long deeply forked tail, rusty throat, often a black upper chest band, and pale orange underparts. Juvenile birds possess white underparts. Its song is long and twittering, sometimes described as "energetic chattering," usually at different pitches. Kent Rylander, in his book, Behavior of Texas Birds, states that the male barn swallow's song rate is related to the bird's health. A female selects the healthiest male by listening to his song.</div> <bR> <div>        Barn swallows generally return to the same nesting site throughout their lifetime, but young birds do not return to their natal area to breed. They find other sites, often those that have been deserted or new sites altogether. Courtship occurs soon after the birds return to their nest sites. Pairs sit side by side on a perch, touch bills, rub their heads together, and preen each other's feathers. Then the will take off on a long, fast, but graceful flight, the male chasing the female. This flight can be extensive and can almost touch the ground to high overhead.  </div> <div>  </div> <div>       Another of the barn swallow's interesting characteristics is its seemingly preference for nest sites, often on man-made structures such as barns, houses, and the like. It builds an open nest plastered onto a wall, usually under the protection of an overhang. Construction materials include numerous pellets that it obtains from nearby mud puddles and plastered with bits of grass and heavily lined with feathers. Nests are constructed in seven to fourteen days, depending upon the availability of the season and availability of nesting material. </div> <bR> <div>      Four to seven eggs (usually 4 or 5) take 13 to 17 days to hatch, and the babies fledge in 18 to 23 days. Nesting pairs may occur in small colonies or they can be territorial, driving competitors away. But they join flocks of other barn swallows soon after the young are on their own. And migrants can occur in flocks of hundreds, and often in mixed flocks with several other swallow species. In spring and fall, when swallows are passing through, a large flock can take several minutes to pass.</div> <div>  </div> <div>       A barn swallow diet is dominated by flying insects, but they can land on the ground to capture prey, or they occasionally feed on various berries and seeds. Swallows spend much of their time flying rapidly over croplands, pastures, lawns, and other places where they are likely to find food. The results are a marvelous display of pest control.          </div> <div>  </div> <div>      Of the five South Texas nesting swallows - purple martin and northern rough-winged, cliff, cave, and barn swallows - the barn is best known and most common.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Breeding Bird Surveys</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> June 6, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>       </B>Last week I completed my annual breeding bird survey, one of 140 surveys conducted annually in Texas, and one of 2,444 run throughout the United States each year. Adding the 391 surveys conducted in Canada brings the total to 2,835. My route, known as "Yoakum," number 83-314, produced 718 birds of 55 species this year, with about the same numbers that I recorded in previous years. High species included 129 northern cardinals, 61 black vultures, 48 painted buntings, 44 American crows, 33 tufted titmice, 32 Carolina chickadees, 28 Carolina wrens, and 27 northern mockingbirds. </div> <bR> <div>       Some of the less abundant species, however, were somewhat different than usual. Finding eleven wood storks, four white-tailed kites, and two roadrunners were somewhat surprising, as these birds are rarely recorded on the Yoakum survey. The wood storks were of special interest, as these huge black-and-white waders nest in coastal Mexico and wander north into Texas afterwards. Five northern bobwhites were more than usual, good evidence of a good year for bobwhites. But fewer loggerhead shrikes, dickcissels, and lark sparrows suggests poor years for those species. Of course, local weather conditions influence breeding birds to a significant degree. Droughts and greater than normal rainfall seriously affect a bird's nesting potential. That is why it is important when accessing bird populations in any area to examine long-term records rather than those for a single or even several years.</div> <bR> <div>       Breeding Bird Surveys (BBS) are designed for long-term data-gather. Under the coordination of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and with state coordinators, BBS have been undertaken in some areas for 30 years. Victoria's own Brent Ortego, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, is the Texas State coordinator who assigns routes and provides advice as needed. The long-term database produced from the BBS provides researchers and other interested people with the very best understanding of the changes in bird numbers available anywhere. Anyone can query the database at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><A HREF="http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=da812910c85db86de62acc0801583017&lat=1094624180&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2emp2%2dpwrc%2eusgs%2egov%2fbbs%2f" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lan"><U>www.mp2-pwrc.usgs.gov/bbs/</U></A></FONT>.</div> <bR> <div>       The surveys are all conducted with the same protocol. Each must begin at 6am, about the time when songbirds are most active. Each route is 25 miles in length, with stops every half-mile, resulting in 50 stops. Each stop is three minutes in duration, during which time the counter records on a tally sheet every bird detected visually or audibly. Oftentimes the first few stops are so full of morning songs that it can be difficult to sort through them all, and by the time the last 20 or so stops are made birdsong is usually only a shadow of what it was at the start of the route. I have found that visual observations, especially early in the mornings, are less important than the audible clues. But as the day begins to warm up and the vultures and hawks begin to fly, visual observations become important as well. </div> <bR> <div>       My Yoakum route runs from the junction of Kaiser-Adams Roads and SH 3010, just south of Yoakum, westward toward Cuero, Lockhart Cemetery Road across SH 183, past the prison onto SH 766, and branching northwest onto a county road toward Cheapside. I mention my route because a number of people pass me standing on the roadside, trying to ignore them, while watching and listening for what birds can be detected during each three-minute period. Occasionally someone will stop and ask if I need assistance, or some folks just stop to visit. I do appreciate those who stop to ask if I need help. Most folks, when they discover that I am doing a "breeding bird survey" in their neighborhood, just look at me as if they are uncertain about my intentions. Most understand and go on, leaving me to enjoy the morning and what birds the day may provide. BBSs are fun and most worthwhile!    </div> <div>                      </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Cicada-Killers and other Parasitic Wasps</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> May 30, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>      </B>All the recent talk about cicadas reminds me that all cicadas and all other insects have natural prey that keep their numbers in check. And many of the natural predators are parasitic wasps that without them our world would be a very buggy place. </div> <bR> <div>      The largest and most obvious of these wasps are the various spider- and cicada-killers. The best known of these is the pepsis wasps, blue-winged creatures with a red body that can reach two inches in length. The largest one, although rare along the Gulf Coast but far more abundant throughout the southwestern deserts, is known as the "tarantula hawk." A slightly smaller species - Pepsis elegans - with orange wings and a blue body, is far more common in the Central Gulf Coastal area. </div> <div>  </div> <div>      These two impressive wasps spend a good deal of time on the ground walking about in search of spiders. Once an appropriate spider is found, it will sting its prey, depositing just enough venom to paralyze but not kill it. When the spider is subdued, the wasp will then carry or drag its prey, depending upon the size of the spider, to a hole that it already has excavated in the ground. It will then cram the spider into the hole, lay eggs in the spider's body, and cover over the hole with the excavated debris. The wasp eggs will hatch within a few days, and the larvae will consume the body of the living spider.</div> <bR> <div>  </div> <div>      The cicada-killer, known to scientists as Sphecius speciosus, which looks all the world like a huge yellow jacket, is also an effective parasitic wasp. This individual, however, finds its prey above ground in trees. Once it discovered an appropriate prey, it will jab its stinger into the insect's nerve center, paralyzing it. When that occurs, the wasp and prey usually fall to the ground. She will then drag the cicada back up the tree to where she can carry her prey in a direct glide to her burrow. The size of the cicada negates any chance of carrying such a load up and over vegetation, but she has the strength to drag it up an unobstructed tree trunk. Unlike the pepsis wasp, which lays numerous eggs in the body of a spider, the cicada-killer deposits a single egg on the body of the paralyzed victim. And since its burrow usually contains several chambers, it takes several cicadas before its chores are complete.</div> <bR> <div>       None of these adult wasps actually feed on their prey. Instead they utilize sap or nectar from flowers. The wasp larvae, however, remain underground feeding on their victim for several days until they reach full size and their food is depleted. Then, rather than emerge as adults, they spin a silken cocoon in which the larvae remain and develop until the following season. Finally, in summer of the following year, they emerge from the cocoons and leave the burrow as adult wasps. And the process begins all over again.               </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Thunderstorms are Marvelous Examples </B></div> <div> <B>of Nature's Power</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> May 16, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>      </B>Because of the abundant examples of storms we have experienced in recent weeks, I am repeating a nature note on thunderstorms that appeared in the Advocate on September 13, 1998. It is worth repeating:</div> <bR> <div>       Building storm clouds display Mother Nature's immense power and can be counted among one of the most awe-inspiring sights on earth. Thunderstorms represent violent movements of air. They occur as a result of strong uplifting drafts that sometimes build the clouds to heights in excess of 75,000 feet. Meteorologists tell us that thunderstorms develop in three stages. First, small cumulus clouds build into larger masses of billowy, mushroom-shaped clouds called cumulonimbus, the familiar thunderheads that can be seen for more than 100 miles. Second, when the ascending air reaches a low enough temperature, precipitation occurs. Tiny water droplets are blown wildly around within the clouds until they join together to form larger droplets that are too heavy to remain in cloud form. Then gravity takes over, and the droplets begin to fall as rain, ice crystals, or snow. Huge downdrafts are created when this occurs as the falling precipitation cools the air below, producing the third stage. The entire cloud then becomes a sinking mass of air and precipitation.</div> <div>  </div> <div>      Lightning is an electrical charge within a thundercloud or between it and the earth. Charges between clouds or between clouds and the earth are released when electrical pressure becomes high enough. The first strokes are within a cloud; approximately 65 percent of all discharges occur there or between clouds. Lightning to the ground starts with a relatively thin "leader" stroke from the cloud and is followed immediately by a heavy return stroke from the ground. A single lightning strike goes back and forth from cloud to ground many times in less than a tenth of a second. A lightning discharge is incredibly powerful - up to 30 million volts at 100,000 amperes - but is very short in duration; hence, the power of lightning has never been harnessed.</div> <div>  </div> <div>       The total energy of a major thunderstorm far exceeds that on an atomic bomb. The sudden heat from lightning causes compression of shock waves that we call thunder. The distance of these can be estimated by sight and sound. Light travels at about 186,000 miles per second, and sound travels only 1,100 feet per second, or one mile in a little less than five seconds. You, therefore, can judge the distance of a storm by timing how long it takes for thunder to reach you after you see the lightning flash. If you hear the thunder 40 seconds after the lightning, then you are eight miles from the storm.</div> <div>  </div> <div>      The energy of one of our coastal thunderstorms is almost beyond imagination. I can think of few other experiences that demonstrate so vividly the power of Mother Nature.  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>A Gray Fox is a Marvelous Creature</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div>  May 2, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <div> <B>      </B>I hadn't seen a gray fox in my yard for several months. But last week one was there nevertheless, and I even was able to watch it for several minutes before it ran off into the adjacent woods. It was obvious why it was named "gray" fox. The entire upper side is gray from the head to the tail, although the snout and the end of the tail are black. And the undersides, including the legs, are a cinnamon color. The legs are short, not like the lanky stature of the larger coyote. And the ears are noticeably smaller, too. </div> <bR> <div>      The gray fox, along with the coyote, is one of the most widespread mammals in Texas, residing from the Trans-Pecos to the Gulf Coast and from the Panhandle to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Its habitat preference differs, however, as the gray fox is a woodland animal and the coyote prefers more open areas. And as its choice of habitats suggests, the gray fox, unlike the coyote, spends considerable amount of time in trees; it is able to climb quite well. Not vertical trunks like a cat, but it does manage to climb into trees with lower branches, and it will often rest and even sleep on larger branches.</div> <bR> <div>      The gray fox is the most omnivorous of the canids. Its diet varies from prey like small mammals, such as cottontails, mice and rats, to birds, snakes, frogs, and even insects. And during the fall when berries ripen, or when cactus fruits are available, it can take advantage of that food source as well. A report on the stomach contents of 42 gray foxes in Texas revealed that in late summer and fall, persimmons and acorns dominated its diet with 30 percent, insects 26 percent, small mammals 15 percent, crayfish 14 percent, and chicken and quail only once each. The winter food of a similar number of gray foxes included small mammals 56 percent, insects (primarily grasshoppers) 23 percent, and wild birds 21 percent. And because it spends so much in trees, bird eggs would not be ignored.       </div> <div>  </div> <div>      In Texas, the breeding season begins in February and continues into March. Three to six pups are born in April or May, after a gestation period of about 63 days. Although the pups are born blind and helpless, they grow rapidly and leave the den within a few weeks. They then seek shelter in rocky and brushy areas. It is during this period when the adults are most likely to be seen in the open as they search their neighborhood for food for their growing families. Their weight can increase from a few ounces at birth to 7 to 12 pounds as an adult; there also is a record 19 pounder.</div> <div>  </div> <div>      The gray fox must be ever aware of its surroundings, as it often becomes prey to coyotes and bobcats, both predators that occur in the area. In fact, biologists believe that gray fox populations are generally held in check by predation, principally from coyotes. Plus, wild dogs, especially those in packs, also take their share of gray foxes. And gray fox roadkills by vehicles are not unusual. </div> <div>  </div> <div>      Although those of us that live outside the cities and towns only occasionally see a gray fox, it is very likely that a pair or a family of these little canids is a local resident. They are most active at dusk and dawn, but they are not limited to the non-daylight hours. Especially this time of year when they must feed hungry youngsters, they can be active during all 24 hours. If you have an opportunity to watch one of these little wild dogs you will appreciate them even more.   </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Cuckoos are Back in Our Neighborhood</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> April 25, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>     </B>The arrival of our nesting yellow-billed cuckoos is a little earlier than usual this year. But a couple of these very vociferous birds have been calling in my neighborhood since before the middle of the April. They are one of our last breeding bird to arrive each spring, but their arrival is well marked by their distinct song, a strange guttural sound that starts fast and slows at the end, like "kalala-kow-kow-kowp-kowp-kowp." Not the sweetest song out there, but welcome nevertheless. </div> <bR> <div>       Yellow-billed cuckoos, unlike most of the spring arrivals, are not classified as a songbird, one of the perching birds like warblers, flycatchers, and thrushes. Cuckoos on the other hand are closely related to roadrunners and groove-billed anis in the avian family Cuclidae. Perhaps the most famous of all the cuckoos is the European cuckoo that sings the typical "coo-koo" song, after which the cuckoo clock was developed. That bird, along with several other European and African cuckoos, is a nest parasite, like our cowbirds. They lay their eggs in the nests of other birds, and the foster parents raise the young cuckoos. </div> <div>  </div> <div>       North America has only three true cuckoos, the yellow-billed cuckoo that nests throughout North America, expect for most of the northwestern quarter, and the black-billed cuckoo that nests throughout the northeastern portion of North America; there are no known nesting records in Texas. Black-billed cuckoos do migrate through Texas, however, although they never are commonplace. The third cuckoo, the mangrove cuckoo, occurs only in south Florida, although there have been a handful of records in Texas. The other North American cuckoo family member is the roadrunner, resident in all of Texas, except along some portions of the upper coast. They all have a somewhat similar song, a slow and guttural caw notes.</div> <div>  </div> <div>      Yellow-billed cuckoos are secretive birds, usually remaining concealed in the foliage of the taller trees. They do on occasion fly from one tree to another, often crossing a roadway or trail. Then is when they are most likely to be observed. When landing, they usually remain still long enough to get a good look. They are so unlike the ground cuckoo or roadrunner. Yellow-bills are long, thin birds about 12 inches in length. They possess a cinnamon back and cap, orange eyerings, gray underparts, a long yellow and black bill, and a long black tail with large white spots on the underside. In flight, the upperside of the wings often show reddish flight feathers.</div> <bR> <div>         Many folks know our yellow-billed cuckoo best by the name "rain crow," due to its habit of calling frequently on cloudy days or just prior to rain. Its taxonomic name is Coccyzus americanus; Coccyzus is Latin for "to cry cuckoo," referring to the birds' strange song. It also is know for its habit of consuming large quantities of caterpillars, some of which are injurious insect pests. It isn't an exception to find a yellow-billed cuckoo tearing apart tent caterpillar webs to capture the caterpillars. It also feeds on a wide variety of beetles, grasshoppers, ants, wasps, flies, and crickets we well as various fruits such as wild grapes and mulberries. One can't help but wonder if it earlier than normal arrival this year might reflect the greater than normal caterpillar populations in our oak trees.      </div> <div>  </div> <div>       Although there are a few records of yellow-billed cuckoos practicing nest-parasitism, like they're European and African cousins, that behavior is extremely rare for this species. It appears that our cuckoo is beneficial not just to the nature-lover but to the farmer and rancher as well.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Oak Caterpillar - Songbird Connection</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> April 18, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>      </B>There is a well-accepted ecological principle that states: "Everything living and nonliving is related to or connected to everything else." Also known as the "web of life" and generally defined as whatever man does in the natural world, it causes extensive reactions that usually extend beyond those that are expected and observed. There has been a fascinating example of these interrelationships played out in many of our yards this spring.</div> <bR> <div>     The recent example involves the much greater than normal emergence of caterpillars, actually oak leaf rollers and a few other species, in our live oak trees. Their abundance this year, probably due to a mild winter with abundant rainfall, has created an amazing response from land-owners that cannot put up with the abundant caterpillars hanging from silken threads. It is like something out of a horror movie, when creatures from outer space threaten our very existence. An amazing reaction to tiny creatures that are harmless to humans. Sure they are a nuisance, they practically defoliate some of our trees, and the frass (scat) makes a huge mess on our driveways and decks. But it only lasts a couple weeks. </div> <bR> <div>        Oak caterpillars, oak leaf rollers as well as inchworms and a few other species, occur in spring just when the migratory birds are passing through South Texas. They provide an enormously important food supply for those songbirds and other species that may have just flown 550 miles across the Gulf of Mexico from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula the previous night. Without such an immediate supply of nutrients many of our birds would not survive.  </div> <bR> <div>       Most of my neighbors in response to the almost overwhelming number of oak caterpillars this year sprayed their trees. Most used pesticides that killed every kind of caterpillar, whether oak caterpillars or various butterfly caterpillars that the spray contacted in both the trees and in the fallout area. I did not spray my yard, although I admit I was tempted. Immediately after the spraying the number and species of butterflies in my yard declined dramatically from what they were just prior to the spraying. But, on the other hand, I discovered that the number of migratory songbirds that were present in my yard were considerably greater than in adjacent yards. Their food supply was far more abundant in my yard than in the yards that had been sprayed.</div> <bR> <div>       As for the butterflies, the only species found in my yard after the spraying were wanderers, such as giant swallowtails, cloudless and large orange sulphurs, and monarchs. These apparently flew in from elsewhere not subject to the spraying. The more local species that hatch out in and adjacent to my yard, such as gray hairstreak, dusky-blue groundstreak, rounded metalmark, and coyote duskywing, disappeared totally. I am not sure at this writing how long it will taken before my butterfly numbers build back up.</div> <bR> <div>       What about the oak trees? How will they do after such a severe outbreak of oak caterpillars? Because the defoliation process is early in the growing season and, although some trees may be weakened, the majority will adequately recover. A recent post on Tex-Butterflies, submitted by Parks and Wildlife Entomologist Mike Quinn, explained that the "defoliated trees are temporarily subjected to reduced productivity (less growth) but they usually experience increased productivity later as a result of a large percentage of their leaves having been converted to frass." Mike also mentioned a recently released fact sheet (No. E-206) on the subject, available at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><A HREF="http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=9447345cee191d8a6123d075f5913157&lat=1094624331&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2ftcebookstore%2eorg" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lan"><U>http://tcebookstore.org</U></A></FONT>.</div> <bR> <div>       There is no doubt that our natural environment is one huge web, like that built by a spider, and subject to much damaging activity. Each strand effects all the others. In most cases the spider can rebuild its web, and we can continue to use pesticides to address what we perceive as negative impacts on our personal environment. But each year the incidents of cancer and other life-threatening problems increase. At what point will we accept and live with the natural processes? Another ecological fact is that nature always will win in the end!                         </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>How Well do You Know the Mammals?</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> April 4, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>       A few weeks ago (Sept. 28) this column included a bird quiz that lots of readers enjoyed (I was told). So, assuming that my spies were correct, here is a follow-up to that quiz, one on mammals. Answer by circling A, B, or C. The correct letters are included at the end.</div> <div> 1. The official Texas mammal is the (A) mountain lion, (B) armadillo, or (C) javelina. </div> <div> 2. The smallest of all the Texas mammals is a (A) mole, (B) shrew, or (C) mouse.</div> <div> 3. Which one of the following rabbits does not occur in Texas? (A) swamp rabbit, (B) black-tailed jackrabbit, or (C) antelope jackrabbit. </div> <div> 4. The most common bat in Texas is the (A) big brown, (B) Mexican free-tailed, or (C) hoary bat.</div> <div> 5. The largest of the Texas ground squirrels is the (A) Mexican ground-squirrel, (B) rock squirrel, or (C) spotted ground squirrel.</div> <div> 6. Which one of the following tree squirrels does not occur in Texas? (A) red, (B) gray, or (C) red-bellied squirrel.</div> <div> 7. Which one of the following rodents is not a native Texan? (A) lemming, (B) cotton rat, or (C) flying squirrel. </div> <div> 8. The gopher that does not occur in Texas is the (A) Botta's pocket-gopher, (B) Southeastern pocket-gopher, or (C) yellow-faced pocket-gopher.</div> <div> 9. Opossums occur throughout Texas; the exception is the (A) Pineywoods, (B) Far West Texas, or (C) Lower Rio Grande Valley.</div> <div> 10. Which one of the following skunks does not occur in the Coastal Bend? (A) spotted, (B) striped, or (C) hooded skunk.</div> <div> 11. Which one of the following deer in not native to Texas? (A) mule, (B) fallow, or (C) white-tailed deer.</div> <div> 12. Bighorn sheep are Texas natives, but are found only in the (A) Trans-Pecos, (B) Pineywoods, or (C) Edward's Plateau. </div> <div> 13. The only native Texas weasel is the (A) ermine, (B) ferret, or (C) long-tailed.</div> <div> 14. The river otter occurs in Texas only in the (A) Pineywoods, (B) Lower Rio Grande Valley, or (C) Upper Colorado River.</div> <div> 15. Raccoons are most closely related to (A) skunks, (B) cats, or (C) the ringtail.</div> <div> 16. The only bear found in Texas is the (A) brown, (B) polar, or (C) grizzly.</div> <div> 17. The only fox that is widespread in Texas is the (A) red, (B) gray, or (C) kit fox.</div> <div> 18. Which one of the following cats is not listed as an endangered species? (A) bobcat, (B) ocelot, or (C) jaguarundi.</div> <div> 19. The largest of the native Texas cats is the (A) ocelot, (B) mountain lion, or (C) jaguar.</div> <div> 20. Which group of mammals possess antlers instead of horns? (A) deer, (B) bison, or (C) pronghorn.        </div> <div> 21. Which one of the following wetland species is not a native Texan? (A) beaver, (B) nutria, or (C) muskrat.</div> <div> 22. Which species of wolf was once native only to eastern Texas? (A) gray, (B) red, or (C) Mexican.</div> <div> 23. Which one of the following species in not a native Texan? (A) badger, (C) lynx, or (C) porcupine.</div> <div> 24. Javelinas occur throughout much of Texas. The are absent from the (A) Big Bend area, (B) Lower Rio Grande Valley, or (C) Pineywoods.</div> <div> 25. Which one of the following whales does not occur in the Gulf of Mexico: (A) blue, (B) humpback, or (C) sperm.</div> <div> Answers: 1 (B), 2 (B), 3 (C), 4 (B), 5 (B), 6 (C), 7 (A), 8 (C), 9 (B), 10 (C), 11 (B), 12 (A), 13 (C), 14, (A), 15 (C), 16 (A), 17 (B), 18 (A), 19 (C), 20 (A), 21 (B), 22 (B), 23 (C), 24 (C), 25 (B).</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Spring is a Good Time to Add Yard-Birds</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> April 1, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>      </B>March 2004 was a good month for yard-birds. I recorded far more warblers in my yard than usual. And one - a worm-eating warbler - represented a totally new yard species, making my yard bird list at 170 species. This warbler is a subtly beautiful little bird with a yellowish breast and head with black streaks running from the bill to the nape. It spent only a few minutes in my yard, drinking at a birdbath and hunting insects in my live oaks.  I could not help but remember earlier sightings in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. It nests there along rhododendron dominated streams. And, although my yard-bird was silent, I could not help but remember its high-pitched trilling song, arising out of the Smoky Mountains thicket.</div> <bR> <div>       March was also a good month for several other warblers. Northern Parulas were especially numerous, and their songs were evident throughout much of the daylight hours. This is a tiny little warbler with a yellow breast, crossed with a blackish and reddish band, and yellow-green back. Its song is very distinct, a rising trill, ending with an abrupt zip.    </div> <bR> <div>      Yellow-throated warblers were more numerous this year than usual; one or two individuals were present almost every day during the last half of the month. Several of those warblers sang partial songs, enough for me to recognize them even as they searched for insects in the upper canopy of my large live oaks. Other warblers found in March included orange-crowned, black-and-white, Nashville, and yellow-rumped. A few additional March migrating songbirds in my yard included numerous ruby-throated hummingbirds, lone blue-headed and red-eyed vireos, a couple summer tanagers, and an indigo bunting.   </div> <bR> <div>      A day before finding the worm-eating warbler I recorded an additional new yard-bird, an adult bald eagle. That is, one flew directly over the house, giving a short scream as it flew northward to where it, assumedly, will spend the summer months. Since this large raptor nests in the Coastal Bend, it can be expected to return to our area in September or October. </div> <bR> <div>      And speaking of raptors, a friend (John Gee from Alpine), while camping at the Riverside RV Park, discovered a swallow-tailed kite along the Guadalupe River on March 20. I would love to have seen this large, graceful raptor, as it is a very rare migrant in coastal Texas. It nests in East Texas in the southern portion of the Pineywoods. Swallow-tailed kites are huge black-and-white birds with a four-foot wingspan and long swallow-like tails. Even the most ardent birder cannot help but be impressed with this wonderful creature.  </div> <bR> <div>      But nevertheless, finding two new yard-birds so close together is extra special, especially since I did not find a single new yard-bird in all of 2003. Four species - pileolated woodpecker, black-throated blue and yellow warblers, and ovenbird - were added in 2002. </div> <bR> <div>      Although I no longer keep a "life list," a list of all birds identified everywhere, it is rather fun to maintain a yard-list, just to see how many species occurs in one tiny area over the years. My yard list was started in 1989. The first few dozen were little more than the resident and common migrant species that can be expected. But it is the unexpected species that are most exciting, like a bald eagle and worm-eating warbler. And March is only the start of the spring migration.          </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U>Book Review</U></B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Handbook of Texas Birds</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> April 1, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>       Everyone interested in Texas birds must have this marvelous book. It is full of up to date information about Texas birds that cannot be found in one place anywhere else. And the 140 color photos of some common and especially rare species are excellent additions. Both authors - Mark Lockwood and Brush Freeman - know Texas birds and are privy to the most recent information about Texas bird records. They include a discussion of all 623 accepted (well-documented) species, 30 reported but non-accepted species, and even a few “exotics and birds of uncertain origin.”</div> <bR> <div>      The heart of this book is the annotations of the 623 accepted species. These are full of good information that anyone interested in birds will sooner or later refer to when trying to better understand their own yard birds or species seen in a various other locations throughout the state. For instance, the paragraph on our own buff-bellied hummingbird includes the following: “Uncommon to locally common summer resident in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and along the coast north to Victoria County. This species appears to be expanding its range northward up the coast and inland into south central Texas. In recent years, there have been numerous records, primarily during spring and summer, from as far east as the Louisiana border and inland to Bastrop and Washington Counties. Most Buff-bellied Hummingbirds retreat southward during the winter and are rare to uncommon and very local at feeders and ornamental plantings in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and along the coast as far north as Calhoun County. There are scatted winter records father north along the coast and inland to Austin and Travis Counties.” An excellent summary!</div> <bR> <div>      Another example of a local but less common favorite is the green kingfisher. Lockwood and Freeman wrote: “Uncommon resident from the Edwards Plateau south to the Lower Rio Grande valley. Green Kingfishers are found north along the Coastal Prairies to Victoria and Jackson Counties. They are rare along the Rio Grande to Brewster County and along the lower Pecos River drainage. Green Kingfishers are rare to locally uncommon east to Bastrop County where nesting records exist. They have occurred as vagrants during the summer north to Randall County in the Panhandle and east to Washington County. This species is very sensitive to cold weather. During colder than normal winters, northern populations retreat well to the south and often do not return for several years.”  </div> <div>   </div> <div>      I found equally worthwhile information in all of the annotations I read. Even those on several of the species found only in the Big Bend Country were well documented. I found current information about all the West Texas species that I was once involved with, such as Lucifer hummingbird, thick-billed kingbird, Colima warbler, and black-vented oriole. And I found additional and often fascinating data about several species that have been recorded only once or a few times only in the state. These examples include such rarities as jabiru; greater flamingo; snail kite; crane and roadside hawks; double-striped thick-knee; black-tailed, mew, Iceland, slaty-backed, yellow-footed, and kelp gulls; ruddy quail-dove; mottled and stygian owls; masked tityra; Aztec thrush; and so on. Handbook of Texas Birds truly provides a treasure chest of information about any Texas birds that the reader might want to better understand.</div> <bR> <div>      The photos are for the most part quite good, although a few are not as high a quality as others. However, there is a good reason for this because the authors selected some photos that represented the very first time a species was documented in Texas. The Eskimo curlew photo is a good example; the caption states that “these may be the only Eskimo Curlew ever photographed in the wild and are the last documented in Texas or anywhere else.” Photos of the crane hawk, gyrafalcon, ruddy quail-dove, snowy and stygian owls, greenish elaenia, piratic flycatcher, masked tityra, Yucatan vireo, gray silky-flycatcher, and slate-throated redstart are of equal interest. </div> <bR> <div>      Handbook of Texas Birds, prepared under the auspices of the Texas Ornithological Society, is by far the finest overview of the status and distribution of Texas birds ever produced. The 15-page “Selected References” and extensive index also are of value. Published by Texas A&M University Press, it is available from the publisher (979-845-1436) or <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><A HREF="mailto:upress@tamu.edu" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:upress@tamu.edu"><U>upress@tamu.edu</U></A></FONT> or from any good book outlet elsewhere. The paper edition sales for $24.95, while the cloth edition is available at $50.00. This book is a must buy for anyone interested in Texas birds!              </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Wildlife Favorites and Otherwise</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> March 28, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>        I often get asked what my favorite bird or butterfly or other wildlife might be. And each time I have to admit that I do not have a favorite. I guess I have a few species that I enjoy seeing more than others, but I really don't have a favorite. My wife, on the other hand, has a favorite bird, the painted bunting. I admit it is a gorgeous creature with its striking pattern of reds, green and blues. But to me it is rather gaudy, not one that could possibly be a favorite. I much prefer, in fact, the more subtly colored varied bunting.  </div> <bR> <div>         As for butterflies, I guess I like the hairstreaks as much as any other group, but not a single species. Most of the hairstreaks are little, and people not watching for butterflies are likely to miss them altogether. But to me, they are a fascinating family, with their little tails and habit of rubbing their hindwings together. Their behavior suggests that their tails are antennae, so a predator is more likely to attack their less vulnerable rear end rather than their head. And one of the dullest of the hairstreaks - the gray hairstreak - will never win a butterfly beauty contest, but it does very well nonetheless. It is one of the most widespread butterfly species in all of North America.</div> <bR> <div>         Is there also an avian example of dullness? I suppose if required to name one, I would select the willet, a shorebird common along the Gulf Coast in winter. Although it is a fairly large bird, half again larger than the common killdeer, it seldom gets much notice. Except in flight, when its black-and-white wing pattern is obvious, it is largely ignored. The other exception is when someone gets too close, the willet can be a real loudmouth, with its penetrating calls of "pill-will-willet." The plumage of wintering willets is mostly dull gray with a dark bill and gray legs. Not a real attractive bird. </div> <bR> <div>        The advantage of a dull appearance is its ability to go unseen, to blend into its environment so that a predator is likely to pass it by when searching for prey. Many of the shorebirds possess similar characteristics. It is amazing how difficult it is to locate one of these nondescript birds on a broad plain. Even gulls, especially immature birds that still possess juvenile plumage, often blend in perfectly with the landscape. The patterns of many inconspicuous birds, shorebirds in particular, is known as "countershading," darkest on the back and gradually becoming lighter until the belly may be pure white. </div> <bR> <div>         Other species, such as killdeers, possess "disruptive" coloration, the use of striking patterns to break up the bird's outline. The extreme in cryptic coloration would be a bird, such as a ptarmigan in winter that possesses plumage the exact same color as its snowy surroundings. And some butterflies blend in so well with their substrate that unless one is able to see it in flight before landing, it can be next to impossible to find it once perched with folded wings. The leafwings, such as the goatweed leafwing that is common in the Coastal Band, is a great example. The underside is gray-brown, while the upperside is bright orange. </div> <bR> <div>        Several more tropical species, such as the bluewings and beauties, possess an underwing pattern and color that have evolved specifically to camouflage the bearer. The patterns on some mammals, such as spotted cats, have the same purpose. </div> <bR> <div>         On the other hand, there are lots of wildlife species, like painted buntings, that stand out among all its neighbors. Female painted buntings, however, are greenish, so that they blend in very well with their greenish environment. Although the gaudy males do not blend in well, their strategy is designed to be so attracting that a mate can hardly pass them by. Hummingbirds also utilize this same technique; male hummingbirds possess brightly gorgets while the females are dull. Apparently, both methods work reasonable well. Painted bunting and hummingbird populations, as well as those of willets, killdeer, and gray hairstreaks are doing very well. </div> <div>       </div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Long-legged Skeeters are Actually Crane Flies</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> March 21, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>        Crane flies are later than normal this year. But it seems that lots of things are later than usual this year. While crane flies sometimes appear in South Texas as early as late January or early February, the first did not appeared this year until March. I discovered a few crane flies, mostly paired, in weedy areas in my back yard. I did not find the huge numbers that occur at times. Huge swarms occasionally are found in cool, damp places, such as in culverts or under concrete bridges. Sometimes these swarms bob up-and-down, by raising and lowering their bodies by bending their long legs, in a really strange manner. This behavior is not well understood, although some entomologists suggest that it may be a way for the males, that dominate the swarms, to attract passing females. Others suggest that it is more related to safety-in-numbers. But whatever the reason, it is a little odd and also a little spooky.</div> <bR> <div>        Crane flies are those huge mosquito-like insects that, when flying about, are slow and clumsy, sometimes even bumbling into lights, doors, and even mouths of predators. These daddy-long-legs of the air have also been called "drolls of the insect world," due to their unassuming personality. They are not at all like most other members of the Diptera or the True Fly Family, that include such well-known creatures as the house fly, mosquito, fruit fly, midges, and gnats. Most of these other flies are sun-loving creatures. There are about 90,000 Diptera species worldwide, including almost 17,000 in North America. Dragonflies, mayflies, and stoneflies are not true flies.        </div> <bR> <div>        All of the true flies possess a single pair of wings and a pair of short knobbed projections called "halteres," located on their bodies just behind the wings that serve as balancing organs. They are easy to see on crane flies, due to the insect's large size. Halteres act as a second pair of wings, like gyroscopes, vibrating rapidly in opposition to the insect's wingbeat; when the wings move up, the halteres move down. If one of the halteres is removed, the insect can no longer fly; it sideslips and yaws, out of control. In people, this sense of balance derives from structures in the inner ear. If something goes wrong with this mechanism, a person has difficulty in navigating, and even standing up.</div> <bR> <div>       Crane flies, unlike their mosquito cousins, have no sting or bite; they are totally oblivious to humans. One usually can get within a few inches for a close-up examination. Except when disturbed, they will stay in place. They can be described as having a narrow abdomen, narrow wings, and absurdly long legs. Occasionally they can be found walking about on tree trunks or logs or damp leaf-cluttered ground. Many of those found on the ground or on logs are males in search of a female. They may even sit beside a pupa until the female emerges and then mates, scarcely before she has freed herself of the pupal skin. The female crane fly, once filled with eggs, deposits them on the surface of rotting wood or pushes them into the soft pulp. The larvae, tiny greenish grubs, crawl about below the surface of the ground, feeding on roots and seedling plants, sometimes killing them. Although adult crane flies are most obvious and attract our greatest attention, the larvae, that are rarely evident, are biologically more important.</div> <bR> <div>      In spite of the relative unimportance of the adult crane flies, they are far more interesting at this stage than at the larval stage. Finding a swarm of these long-legged insects on some damp structures, or seeing several individuals flying about one's property on a warm spring day, seems to be a telling signal that the new season has truly arrived.       </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Bird Songs and Springtime</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> March 16, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>      Anyone wondering if spring has really arrived has only to spend a few minutes outdoors listening to the abundant bird songs. Avian vocalization has increased considerably during the last few weeks, so it is impossible not to notice. Perhaps our northern cardinal was the first to speak out, but several of the other full-time residents were not far behind. Now, any wooded area in the Coastal Bend rings of songs by chickadees, titmice, wrens, jays, mockingbirds, and doves.</div> <div>  </div> <div>      Most folks pay little attention, and when asked to identify even the most common bird songs, readily admit they are birdsong challenged (I believe that is the current appropriate term). But yet, it would surprise those same individuals how many bird songs they already know. For instance, who doesn't recognize the "bob-white" song of a bobwhite quail, the "fee-bee, fee-bu" song of a Carolina chickadee, the "jay, jay, jay" song of a blue jay, or the "what, cheer, cheer, cheer, cheer, cheer, whot, whot, whot," or "birdy, birdy, birdy" song of the northern cardinal. And what about the "caw" of a crow or "teakettle" of a Carolina wren? </div> <div>  </div> <div>       Birdsong can be difficult for even the avid birder. Even those of us who have been enjoying birdsong for many years can have problems in spring, especially when the neotropical migrants begin to arrive. Songs not heard since last year, or for several years for some species, can be difficult. Others can be easily recalled. The "pee-ah-wee, pee-err" of the Eastern wood-pewee, for instance, can hardly be mistaken. Warbler songs require an extra good memory to be able to identify each in spring. Although a few, such as that of a northern parula, is so distinct that the first song each spring is easily recognized. And what about the high-pitched calls of cedar waxwings? </div> <div>  </div> <div>      The vast majority of South Texas birds possess a song, although fewer than half of the almost 9,500 known bird species actually sing. But many species possess a repertoire of songs, often singing different songs in order, one after the other. Our northern mockingbird has as many as 150 songs, while a brown thrasher can sing more than 3,000 song types. A European starling's repertoire may include as many as 67 song types. And many wrens, especially the tropical wrens, often sing duets, so that one individual begins the song and its mate ends the song. </div> <div>  </div> <div>      Although most birds learn only the songs they hear from their own species, the mockingbird is an exception. It is estimated that only about 85 percent of a mockingbird's singing are "uniquely mockingbird," while the other 15 percent are derived from all types of sources. Those can include other nearby birds, a human baby's cry, an engine, a whistle, and an amazing assortment of other sounds. They rarely imitate extensive sounds, but rather simplify a phrase by utilizing only pieces. Mockers often imitate cardinals but seldom if ever imitate the more detailed and extensive songs of wrens.</div> <bR> <div>       How many songs do birds sing in a single day? That varies with the species. Ornithologist Margaret Nice recorded 2,035 songs in a single May day for a song sparrow. She also reported a black-throated green warbler that sang 1,680 songs in seven hours, and she estimated that on a typical day of 16 daylight hours he would have sung more than 3,000 songs. But the North American winner is the red-eyed vireo. Ornithologist Harold Mayfield recorded a Michigan red-eye which sang 22,197 songs in a day. </div> <div>  </div> <div>       Biologists tell us that bird songs are utilized to identify the bird's territory, usually directed at other males, and to attract a mate. The song may also serve to convey a message. But whatever their purpose, most listeners appreciate birdsong simply for their acoustical quality. For many of us, it would be an empty world without the songs of birds. And who could enjoy a fresh spring day without birdsong?</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Hawk Nests are Built in a Variety of Locations</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> March 7, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>       A recently reported nest atop a utility pole along Loop 463, between Mockingbird and Ben Jordan in Victoria, is that of a red-tailed hawk. It is a huge nest, built of sticks, situated at the top of the pole. When I checked it out, an adult hawk was sitting on what I assumed to be a clutch of eggs. It probably is too early in the season for youngsters, although I suspect that hatching will occur any day. And then we can watch the adults bringing food back to the hungry nestlings. </div> <bR> <div>      The nest was first reported to be that of an eagle, but eagles do not nest in such locations, and most bald eagle nests, the eagle species that does nest in the Coastal Bend, would probably be considerably larger. In fact, one bald eagle nest in the East was measured at 10 feet across and 20 feet deep. Bald eagles often utilize the same nest for many years, normally adding several sticks to the nest every year. There are records of eagle nests becoming so large that they eventually break the tree branch on which they are built.</div> <div>  </div> <div>      Hawks, including eagles, as well as some owls, such as great horned owls, are some of the earliest nesters. Already most of our local bald eagles have fledged young. Red-shouldered hawks have been screaming overhead for several weeks. Doves and pigeons are early nesters as well, although these birds will usually nest two or even three times each year. And many of the full-time resident birds are also nesting, or at least preparing to nest. Carolina wrens, Carolina chickadees, bridled titmice, northern mockingbirds, and northern cardinals are in full courtship mode. The neotropical species, birds that overwinter south of the border and spend only the breeding season in the U.S., nest somewhat later. Most of these neotropical migrants are only now, as the day lengths increase, getting the urge to head north. Many fly nonstop across the Gulf to Texas from Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, while other take a land route. </div> <bR> <div>      Nest types vary considerably. Although the larger species, such as the hawks, build stick nests on poles, on tree branches, and even on ledges of cliffs when available, other birds utilize very different nests and sites. Many are cavity nesters, taking advantage of cracks and crevices in trees, cliffs, and even riverbanks. Examples of cavity nesters include many of our more common species, such as chickadees, titmice, bluebirds, martins, and woodpeckers. Kingfishers are also cavity nesters, actually constructing tunnels in dirt banks. </div> <div>  </div> <div>      Cliff swallows construct closed nests of tiny mud pellets, usually placed under a concrete bridge or similar place. Although cliff swallows usually return to their natal nesting ground and often only restore last year's nest, a colony of these birds are just as likely to complete brand new nests in record time to lay eggs, fledge their young, and be heading back south within only eight or ten weeks.  </div> <bR> <div>      Many other birds, including most of the neotropical migrants, build open nests in foliage or on tree limbs. In fact, 77 percent of all birds utilize open nests. Hummingbirds, for example, construct tiny thimble-sized nests of grasses and spider webbing on branches. These tiny nests are flexible so as the family grows the nests expand. Warblers, vireos, doves, thrashers, thrushes, and even finches utilize open nests. </div> <div>  </div> <div>      There also are a number of birds that nest on the ground, some barely building a nest at all. Our common killdeer, for example, may only smooth out an area for a nest. Nighthawks practice a similar nesting regime. Quail, such as our bobwhites, also are ground-nesters. All of these usually lay numerous eggs and produce very precocial young, many able to run about within only a few hours after hatching.</div> <div>  </div> <div>        The nesting red-tailed hawk along Loop 463 offers an exceptional opportunity. Most large nesting birds shy away from people. But here is a pair that has decided to share their lives with interested humans. But stay some distance away, like across the highway, so they will not vacate their nest.              </div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Spring Heralds Abound</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> Februaryu 29, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>       Fresh spring blooms, bird songs, and butterflies are everywhere these days. These wonderful indicators of the new season can hardly be missed. Richard Hovey wrote: "Spring in the world! And all things are made new." And Robert Herrich wrote: "Rise and put on your foliage, and be seen. To come forth, like the Springtime, fresh and green." </div> <bR> <div>      Anemones are already sprinkled across my yard. Their ten white petals contrast with the still brownish grasses. These little gems, sometimes known as "windflowers," are well known around the world, and are well known as early bloomers. A thousand years ago, the Saxons named their anemones "flaw-flowers" - flaw meaning gust - because they wave in every gust of spring winds. And Rainer Marie Rilke wrote: "Spring has returned. The earth is like a child that knows poems."</div> <bR> <div> My personal spring bloom is that of the agarito. This thorny shrub produces bright yellow flowers as early as February that not only offers a sweet aroma, but also serves as a magnet to butterflies and bees. The buzzing of bees as they gather nectar from the flowers can usually be heard from a considerable distance. And examination of the flowers will usually result in finding several early butterflies: gray hairstreak, American snout, red admiral, and even the spring-only species: Henry's elfin.</div> <bR> <div>        Indian paintbrush is sprouting up along our roadsides, and it will soon be the time for Texas's own bluebonnets. Then is when the whole countryside can be alive with visual memories. Anne Morrow Lindberg wrote: "Today I went out. It smelled, it felt, it sensed spring. I had the first time faith - not intellectual belief, but a sudden feeling of turning tide. Yes, there will be spring." But Dorothy Parker observed: "Every year, back spring comes, with nasty little birds yapping their fool heads off, and the ground all mucked up with arbutus."         </div> <bR> <div>      One of our birds "yapping" its fool head off is the northern cardinal. This "red bird" starts yapping even before sunup in spring, proclaiming to the world that it is spring and this is my territory and any invaders must be wary. Their song, like "what cheer-cheer-cheer," is loud, clear and rich. Henry Nehrling wrote: "The cardinal is one of the jewels of our bird fauna, being incomparable in the combination of proud bearing and gaudy coloring, and unexcelled in certain qualities of its song. Few birds impart their haunts with such life, beauty, and poetry as this brilliant songster."</div> <bR> <div>      But the cardinal is only one of several springtime songsters that are beginning to serenade our landscapes. Another favorite is the Carolina wren, another of our yardbirds that is active much of the year, but increases its verbosity in spring. Even the rather dull tufted titmice and northern mockingbird seem happier and more excited than they did a few weeks ago. And what about the red-shouldered hawks that cruise overhead in spring, calling and diving in courtship, impressing their mates and even us human beings willing to appreciate their ardor.</div> <bR> <div>      Purple martins are due at out martin houses any day; they already are being seen in the southern and coastal areas of Texas. We very soon will be enjoying their mellow songs and marvelous antics. Robert Lemon wrote: "Martin small talk is as varied as it is incessant. When a colon is in full activity around its apartment house, swooping, fluttering, constantly coming and going, the air is filled with an amazing mixture of chippurs, squeaks, whistles, and trills, all uttered with engaging heartiness."</div> <bR> <div>      "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1. "The beauty of our land is a natural resource. Its preservation is linked to the inner prosperity of the human spirit." Lyndon Baines Johnson   </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U>Book Review</U></B></div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Texas Gardening the Natural Way</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> February 25, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>        <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000000" FACE="Book Antiqua" >Texas Gardening the Natural Way is a huge book (81/2x11 in.) filled with useful information about almost every subject one needs to understand about gardening in Texas. This 396-page book includes 833 color photos. Written by the well known gardener Howard Garrett, often known as “the dirt doctor,” it is subtitled “The Complete Handbook.” It is advertised as the first complete, state-of-the art organic gardening handbook for Texas.  </FONT></div> <bR> <div>      Garrett's new book includes a variety of sections to help the user. These include How to plan, plant, and maintain beautiful landscapes without using chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides; gardening fundamentals: soil, landscape design, planting techniques, and maintenance practices; descriptions of native and adaptable varieties of garden and landscape plants; trees, including 134 species of evergreens, berry- and fruit-bearing, flowering, and fall colors; shrubs and specialty plants; ground covers and vines; annuals and perennials; lawn grasses; fruit, nuts and vegetables; common green manure crops; herbs; bugs; plant diseases; organic methods for repelling mice and other critters; organic management practices; etc. </div> <bR> <div> I immediately checked out a number of the more familiar plant species. Although the varieties of trees, shrubs, annuals and perennials included are impressive, some of the photos were not as good as their descriptions. Each narrative included the common and scientific plant names, general description, habit, culture, uses, problems, and notes. For instance, the redbud narrative mentions that it is “easy to grow in any soil, drought tolerant,” but susceptible to “borers, leaf rollers.” The notes for Chinese tallow states: “I used to mistakenly recommend this tree, but there are lots of better choices.” I fully agree!</div> <bR> <div> In shrubs, although Texas sage or cenizo, various sumacs, and viburnums are included, my favorite butterfly attractant - crucita or Eupatorium odoratum - is missing. And I found another excellent butterfly attractant shrub, butterfly bush or Buddleia, in the annuals and perennials. Most of the better known garden flowers were found in that section and in a later section called “herbs.” Red lantana was included in the annuals and perennial section. Garrett points out that lantana is an easy plant to grow, it likes “any well-drained soil,” but the “berries are poisonous.” He neglected to mention that the Texas native lantana is almost useless for attracting butterflies. The gold lantana, although not native, is considerable better. </div> <bR> <div> I was especially interested in ground cover plants, grouped with vines, and did find a couple favorites: frogfruit and the nonnative ajuga. Garrett included lots of vine species, including Carolina jasmine, coral vine, a couple honeysuckles, morning glory, passion flower, and trumpet vine. But he also included kudzu, a nonnative vine that can literally take over massive areas of landscape if introduced. He does state: “Spreads too aggressively; however, livestock will keep it under control.” Ranchers and farmers in Tennessee must spend considerable money to control this dangerous plant. Planting it in Texas should be outlawed.</div> <bR> <div> The pest management section contains some fascinating information, and topics range from aphids to wood rot. He divides each narrative into feeding habits, economic importance, natural control, and organic control. My attention immediately focused on chiggers. Garrett's natural control states: “Increased soil moisture. Some researchers say chiggers nave no natural enemies. That may be true, but the imported fire ants will certainly eliminate them.” Wow! I'm not sure which one I hate most. His organic control includes “Sulfur dust is a good repellent. So is lemon mint, also called horsemint. Take a hot, soapy bath to remove larvae. Stop the itching with baking soda, vinegar, aloe vera, or comfrey juice.”</div> <bR> <div> The appendices include additional information such as various formulas used for pest controls and an excellent list of “organic fertilizers and soil amendments.” And there also is a very useful index. </div> <bR> <div> Howard Garrett's “Texas Gardening the Natural Way” was published by the University of Texas Press (ISBN-0-292-70542-5), and it is available only in hardcover at $34.95. It is well worth the value to Texas gardeners.                </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Northern Harriers are Unique</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> February 22, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>       Earlier known as "marsh hawk," due to their use of marshy habitats during the nesting season, their current name fits them much better on their wintering grounds. Then they are more likely to be found over weedy fields and croplands during their residency in South Texas. Their method of hunting is very different from all other hawks. Instead of flying high above the ground or perching on a tree or pole and watching for prey, then diving on the subject, harriers slowly fly low to the ground. They essentially search their feeding areas, flying back-and-forth in a deliberate process. Once they discover a prey species, they suddenly drop onto their subject, often times doubling back. But what is truly unique about this species is its use of both visual and audio clues. Unlike other hunting hawks that hunt only by sight, harriers are also able to zero in on sounds, such as rodent squeaks. This hunting method has been described as a search-pause-pounce strategy. </div> <bR> <div>       The audio-location ability of northern harriers is performed by an amazing system of triangulation, similar to that used by owls. A close look at a northern harrier will reveal sound-reflecting disks, special facial characteristics that are missing from other hawks.  This feature has prompted some ornithologists to consider placing harriers into a new and special family or subfamily.</div> <bR> <div>      In addition to those unique features, studies of nesting harriers have revealed that 25 percent of nesting females, usually subadults, are involved with polygamy, several females mating with one male. And male harrier's courtship can be an amazing display of "sky dancing," tumbling, rolling, and looping to impress their ladies. However, once incubation begins, the male harrier rarely visits the nest. He does, however, provide his fair share of food for the female and nestlings. He transfers prey in flight to the female, who then sneaks back to the next after several false landings to confuse any watching predators. </div> <bR> <div>       Northern harriers are long-winged hawks that occur in South Texas only during migration and in winter. Adult males look considerably different from females and young birds. They are sexually dimorphic. Males possess contrasting black-and-white plumage, while females are buff-colored with striped underparts. Both are slender, possess a white rump that usually is obvious even at a distance, and have a long tail. Flight is distinct as they course low over the ground with a few but quick wingbeats, tilting constantly from side to side. At night they roost on the ground, usually in groups of other northern harriers, and sometimes with short-eared owls.</div> <bR> <div>       Our northern harrier is North America's only representative of 10 harriers found worldwide. All are of the genus "Circus," a Greek name referring to their circling flight.  The species name is "cyaneus," Latin for blue, referring to the adult male's slaty blue color. They all look very much alike and practice the same hunting technique. </div> <bR> <div>       Wintering northern harriers leave us in spring to return to their nesting grounds from the Texas Panhandle northward across the northern half of the U.S. Some are already beginning to move northward, and so as they pass through our area, they are worth watching. They are one of our most unique raptors. </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Skunk Activity is Early this Year</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> February 15, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>       Driving the county roads, I have noticed that road-killed skunks have suddenly increased, far beyond the numbers expected during most of the year. The reason is simple: male skunks are out and about seeking a mate, and may wander considerable distances while searching for a lady skunk. Like so many other critters, including humans, when skunks turn their attention to mating, they are more prone to ignore dangers that they might otherwise heed. </div> <bR> <div>       Skunks normally live a solitary existence, only pairing up during their spring breeding season, starting in February and lasting sometimes until late March. It is then when the males go courting. But once mating is complete, both sexes go their own way, although he continues to seek out additional girlfriends. Three to six young are born in May or June. The young are blind and helpless, they can walk and play in about a month, and are as large as adults in three months.</div> <div>  </div> <div>         The majority of the skunks found in South Texas are the striped skunks, easily identified by the white double-stripe down their black back. The also have a white spot on their nose. But they otherwise are all black. They can weigh up to 14 pounds, according to age and the amount of fat. Females are about 15 percent smaller than males. </div> <div>  </div> <div>       All skunks possess scent glands with an obnoxious odor that they can spray at an antagonist when disturbed. Although it may seem that the typical skunk odor is commonplace, they spray only as a last resort. Of course, road-kills smell whenever their scent glands are crushed. The glands, located near the base of the tail, are normally activated only after the animal warns the intruder first. It first will audibly strike the ground with its forefeet and even make short rushes at its enemy before actually using its potent spray. It finally will bring its rear around toward its enemy, with its tail erect, and then discharge fine yellow droplets through small ducts that open inside the anus. These glands are encased in muscles that can be voluntarily controlled by the animal when the situation demands it. The powerful scent may be detected miles away during favorable weather.</div> <div>  </div> <div>       Although skunks are usually considered bad neighbors, due to their odor and an occasional invasion of chicken coops, they normally are good friends of farmers and ranchers. Typical skunk food includes grasshoppers, grubs, beetles, snakes, frogs, rodents, crabs, and an occasional bird and egg. The skunk's few enemies consist of humans, large dogs, and great horned owls, the only nighttime predators large enough and aggressive enough to kill a skunk. Even the larger coyotes and foxes normally shy away from an encounter with a skunk. The skunk's powerful defense immunizes them effectively from most potential enemies.</div> <div>  </div> <div>       The two additional skunks found in South Texas include the smaller and less common Eastern spotted skunk and larger Eastern hog-nosed skunk. Spotted skunks possess numerous white markings and are far more secretive. The hog-nosed skunk has a longer snout and an all-white back and tail; it is more numerous in the south and only rarely reported in the Coastal Bend. </div> <bR> <div>        Skunks are mammals, giving birth to live young and possessing mammary glands. They belong to the family Mustilidae, as are badgers and weasels. Although some folks make pets of very young animals, and they often are loving pets that get along just fine, older skunks, unless they are descented, can pose a problem. It is best to leave wild animals in the wild.   </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Purple Martins are Due</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> February 8, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>       It is once again time to get the martin houses ready for their arrival. Some of the first males can arrive in South Texas the first week of February. And the females and the slower individuals may not be far behind.  So, if you have been postponing your preparations, get with it!</div> <bR> <div>      Although many of the purple martins that utilize sites throughout our part of Texas may not arrive until early March, males may already be scouting their ancestral home sites. Not finding a readied house can mean that they may shift their homing interests elsewhere. Preparing for their homecoming often requires little more than reinstalling an already clean house. But it may also mean cleaning out the spiderwebs and insects that may have laid claims since the rightful tenants vacated in midsummer of last year. If you have not taken last year's martin house out of the weather, you may have the additional chore of cleaning out nesting materials that were deposited there by invading competitors such as house sparrows and starlings.  </div> <bR> <div>       For those of you new to attracting martins, here are some easy rules to follow:</div> <div> * Houses must contain apartments with at least a 6x6-inch floor space and an entrance hole 1 3/4-inch in diameter and 1 inch above the floor.</div> <div> * Houses must be placed on poles 12 to 20 feet above the ground and should be 40 feet away from taller trees, poles, and other structures.</div> <div> * Poles must be free of vines and shrubs that might allow access to the house by predators.</div> <div> * Houses must be free of nesting materials and other debris that accumulated in the off-season. </div> <div>  </div> <div>       Purple martins often are rather finicky at the start but seem to put up with shorter poles and poorly maintained structures once the colony is established. Most birds are repeats, but the majority of the first-year birds (usually last year's youngsters) seek out new sites, usually in the generally area of their natal homesite. This means that a new martin house, especially if it is in the proximity of an active martin house, is likely to be used early on. Distance houses are not as likely to be selected. </div> <bR> <div>       An established purple martin colony is likely to return year after year so long as you maintain the house and environment. They will consume millions of flying insects during the short time they are with us. And they will also provide us with their marvelous songs from long before dawn to throughout the day and evening. But by mid- to late July they will leave our neighborhoods and begin their 5,000-mile southward journey to their wintering grounds in South America. </div> <bR> <div>       For those of you wanting to know more about these marvelous creatures, you might consider joining the Purple Martin Conservation Association at <FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#000099" FACE="Book Antiqua" ><A HREF="http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lang=EN&lah=ca6ddae108d9296b9c4a7dc6f1dca70f&lat=1094624897&hm___action=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2epurplemartin" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://65.54.246.250/cgi-bin/linkrd?_lan"><U>www.purplemartin</U></A></FONT>. org or by telephone: 814-734-4420. This organization has everything you may ever want to know about purple martins. You can check the martin's fairly status as they move northward into the United States and all across the Continent, martin events, links to other purple martin activities and programs, a forum for questions, and supplies. </div> <div>   </div> <div>        Purple martins are fascinating birds, and one of the few that is so highly dependent upon human beings. That places them into a rather unique relationship with us, and also one that offers a fascinating window into the natural world.  </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Barred Owls are Out and About</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> February 1, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>        A few morning ago I was awakened at about 3am by a barred owl calling right outside my bedroom window. It called several times, and then, as I lay there listening to their wonderful songs, I detected one or two additional wail-like sounds that I recognized as youngsters. A family of barred owls were visiting my yard, probably in search of prey species that might be attracted to the abundant seed that I feed the wild birds. They remained for about 12 to 15 minutes before moving off to another site within their territory.</div> <bR> <div>        Barred owl calls are wonderfully deep hooting notes, ending in oo-aw, with a downward pitch at the end. Their calls usually include eight notes, giving them the name of "eight-hooter" in some areas. Phonetically, their call sounds like "who cooks for you? Who cooks for you-all?"  Young barred owl may communicate with a wide range of sounds that can include waits and moans to cackles, hisses, and laughs. To me and lots of other nature-lovers, the calls of barred owls, especially when emanating from dank swamps and riparian habitats are truly memorable.</div> <div>  </div> <div>         I remember my first ever barred owl vocalizations in the Big Thicket of East Texas. At the time I was working for the National Park Service, and I was part of a team of folks sent to examine the Big Thicket area for possible National Park status. I was with a guide in a small boat, polling along one of the shallow streams, when he spotted a barred owl sitting in the trees high overhead. After showing us the owl, he began to call just like the owl. After only about three or four hoots, the owl responded. And I remember sitting there watching that singing owl; I literally had goose-bumps. It was one of those outdoors experiences that I will never forget. And that initial experience came back to me while laying there in bed the other morning listening to the owls in my yard. </div> <div>  </div> <div>        Barred owls are mid-sized owls, somewhat smaller than the great horned owl that is common in our fields and pastures, and larger than the Eastern screech-owl that resides in various woodlots in our area. The overall range of Barred owls extends from British Columbia east to Quebec and south to the Texas Gulf Coast. Their name is derived from the dark bars on their upper chest. It is a chunky owl with all-brown eyes, a rounded face that is outlined with a dark bar, no eye tufts like great horned owls, and a streaked breast. Their ear openings are offset to help in locating prey by triangulation. They are able to locate even faint sounds with amazing accuracy. They prey on a wide assortment of creatures, from rodents and other small mammals, to frogs and toads, snakes and lizards, and a variety of invertebrates. </div> <bR> <div>         Owls also possess specially adapted wing-feathers that are serrated rather than smooth; this adaptation disrupts the flow of air over the wings in flight, eliminating the vortex noise created by airflow over a smooth surface. Owls also have the ability to see amazingly well at night, even on the darkest night. Their eyes are dominated by rods, rather than cones, that are receptors and able to function in very dim light. </div> <bR> <div>         Owls are truly exception creations!  Here is an animal of the nighttime that hides out during the daylight hours, usually among the foliage of high trees growing over or near water areas. It is usually pure serendipity to find one during the daylight hours. But it is not so difficult to detect them at any time of day or night when there are calling. Their rhythmic, emphatically delivered "howWho-haWHOO!....howWHO-haWHOOAaahh" calls can hardly be ignored.        </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Animal Cliches Usually are only Cliches</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> January 25, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>        Ever wonder about the validity of some of the widespread clichés about animals? For instance, how about "blind as a bat," "eyes like a hawk," "eats like a bird," or "busy as a bee"? Although their origins may never be known, the vast majority of these phases are "crazy as a coot." </div> <bR> <div>      A few of the animal clichés, however, make some sense. For instance, bees are extremely busy little insects, constantly involved with their various assigned duties. Each type of individual has a different responsibility, all combined to benefit the whole. The queen bee lays eggs, producing more bees, while the varied workers, actually undeveloped females, gather nectar to make honey, build the wax combs in which the larvae are raised, and feed the queen and larvae. Other workers actually flap their wings, up to 11,000 times per minute, to cool down an overheated hive that may include up to 60,000 individuals, and also defend the hive against raiders and intruders. </div> <div>  </div> <div>       Another factual cliché is "eyes of a hawk." A red-tailed hawk, for instance, can see a rabbit from two miles away or a dime from 1,200 feet. The smallest object most humans can see at 1,200 feet in one the size of a grapefruit. And maybe big as a moose is also factual, as this member of the deer family is huge. Some of the Alaskan moose can weigh up to 1,800 pounds and stand more than 7.5 feet at the shoulder. And how about "hungry as a bear?" Especially in fall before hibernation, bears beef up on food to last through the winter months. An Alaskan grizzly can eat up to 90 pounds of fish in a single day, and a hungry polar bear that encounters a whale carcass can eat more than 100 pounds of meat and blubber in a day.</div> <bR> <div>        Most of our animal clichés are baseless. "Blind as a bat" is one that is most often accepted by unknowing folks. All bats have tiny eyes and can see, and some species, such as the flying foxes of Africa and Asia, have large eyes and see well enough to locate fruit in trees by sight even at night. Most bats augment their eyesight by echolocation, emitting high frequency sounds that bounce back from an object that can be as broad as a building or as tiny as a piano wire. </div> <div>  </div> <div>       As for the birds, anyone who "eats like a bird" would have a huge appetite, as most birds eat 25 to 50 percent of their body weight daily. Their high metabolism burns up calories faster than long-distance runners. Hummingbirds may be the metabolic champs, eating almost continuous during the daylight hours. They normally eat twice their body weight daily, the equivalent of a 150-pound man daily consuming 1,000 quarter-pound burgers. And is the cliché "wise as an owl" fact or fancy? Owls are not any wiser than most other predators. The cliché probably was derived from the owl's apparent calm demeanor and its ability to swivel its head to look in all direction.</div> <div>  </div> <div>     "Crazy as a coot" is another untruth, although anyone spending much time watching these aggressive waterbirds cannot help but wonder. They fight among themselves, even running across the water and on land in a demented way, and make all sorts of weird sounds, to both scare off a competitor and to warn their neighbors about intruders.</div> <div>  </div> <div>       How about the cliché "quite as a mouse?" Most mice are rather quiet, although nestlings constantly squeak for attention or food, much like human babies. And the grasshopper mouse of the Southwestern deserts, that weighs less than half an ounce, marks its territory by unleashing long, high-pitched squeals, just like tiny dogs.</div> <div>  </div> <div>      There undoubtedly are lots of other animal clichés around, most of which have little validity. On the other hand, with our society getting fatter and fatter, maybe more and more folks are "lazy as a sloth," a tropical mammal that rarely moves about very much, moving only about 125 feet per day, a real couch (tree) potato.          </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Gophers are Coming</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> January 18, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>        Although I have lived in the same house near Mission Valley for more than a dozen years, without once finding any evidence of gophers, this underground rodent has suddenly put in an appearance. At least I am starting to see evidence of its activities. Piles of freshly dug dirt are present in several nearby lawns. These piles are the result of a gopher leaving its underground tunnel to surface, pushing excavated soil out ahead. Then it promptly plugs up the hole for its own safety.</div> <bR> <div>         Gophers, more properly called pocket gophers, due to fur-lined cheek pouches for carrying food, not dirt, are fascinating mammals, even though they can be a real pain to anyone trying to keep a maintained yard. The cheek pouches are reversible, and open on the outside and inside the mouth. They live almost their entire life below ground, where they dig extensive tunnels. They are spectacular diggers, able to excavate a tunnel two to three hundred feet long in a single night. This digging machine is well designed with a heavy-set body with no appreciable neck, ears, or eyes. The eyes are minute and almost sightless. Their short legs are armed with strong, curved claws for digging, but when they encounter excessively hard ground, it is able to use its strong chisel-like front teeth. The large, yellowish incisor (gnawing) teeth are always exposed in front of the mouth opening.  </div> <div>  </div> <div>        The gopher is one of the few animals that can run backward as fast and as easily as it can move forward. Its short, fleshy tail, endowed with tactile organs, allows the gopher to feel its way around underground when it moves in reverse. A quick retreat serves it well when it needs to escape a fast-digging predator. Its above ground activity is mostly spent foraging for green vegetation, although the majority of its food - roots, tubers, and stems - is secured from below the surface.</div> <div>  </div> <div>        A gopher's underground quarters consists of a nest, a toilet room, and eight or nine storage rooms, all connected with a network of tunnels. The gopher's nest, maintained only by the female, is a round ball of finely shredded leaves and grass eight to nine inches through and located close to the storage rooms. Males court the females, often fight with rival males, sometimes to the death, but return to their own series of tunnels after mating. The toilet room is periodically closed off and a new one is dug. The storage rooms, usually packed with roots and tubers, are situated at an appropriate depth so that they remain dry yet deep enough so that surface temperatures do not unduly effect the food supply.  </div> <bR> <div>        Texas has six of the 18 North American pocket gophers. Two species (genus <I>Geomys</I>) occur in South Texas: Attwater's and Texas pocket-gophers. Attwater's pocket-gopher, located only in the Coastal Bend area, is one of the smallest, less than ten inches nose to tail. Texas pocket-gopher, resident in the Lower Rio Grande Valley and northward along the coast to Refugio and Goliad, is 15 inches in length. Both are pale brown in color with an even paler hairless tail.</div> <div>  </div> <div>        Pocket-gophers belong to a unique family of mammals, Geomyidae, closely related to squirrels and mice. But they often are confused with moles, a smaller and more primitive family of underground dwellers. A mole's presence can be detected by low ridges of dirt that they push up as they move just beneath the surface; they also push up smaller mounds.</div> <bR> <div>       Pocket-gophers are not the most welcome new yard mammal, but since Mother Nature has more influence than I do, the best thing is to appreciate them for their fascinating characteristics.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>The Odd and Quarrelsome American Coot</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> January 11, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>        This winter has been strange in a number of ways, but the almost complete absence of American coots is one of the most unexpected. Christmas bird counters found only a handful of these black duck-like birds this year. Normally, they are found in the hundreds or thousands during the winter months. They often gather together in huge numbers, like rafts, and counters can have a difficult time obtaining a good count. Their absence this year suggests that the bulk of the populations that usually overwinter in South Texas have remained to the north. That does not mean that they cannot suddenly arrive; a good cold snap to the north could very likely bring the tardy coots into our area.</div> <div>  </div> <div>       Many people know this bird as "mudhen," because of its apparent affinity for muddy areas. It is a plump all-black bird, about the size of a small duck, with a white bill and rump. The bill also includes a shield that runs onto the forehead between a pair of ruby-red eyes. Although some folks lump coots with ducks, it is not a duck at all, but a member of the rail family. It is more closely related to the moorhen, sora, and clapper rail than to a mallard or pintail. And although it is less secretive than other rails, spending considerable time in open water, it is a marsh bird with short, rounded wings and long legs with flattened (lobed) toes that act like paddles for swimming and allows it to walk on mud and water plants. </div> <div>  </div> <div>       Coots are one of the most adaptable of all water birds. They are able to feed on shore, grazing on grasses and small plants like an ungulate, and also able to feed on bottom plants such as underwater algae. Golf courses near ponds are often troubled with grazing coots. They feed on a wide variety of materials, from a huge assortment of plant pieces, to insects, worms, crayfish, and other invertebrates, as well as an occasional fish, frog or tadpole. </div> <bR> <div>       During their search for food, they often end up quarreling with neighbors. Like a little kid, they argue about almost any food supply, and their argument can reach such a heated battle that one can severely injure the other. They often fight with their feet that possess large and very sharp toes. During courtship, males will sometimes fight to the death.</div> <div>  </div> <div>       Coot behavior has interested a number of ornithologists who have classified their display behavior into an amazing variety of types, including patrolling, bowing, arching, nibbling, swanning, splattering, warning, and charging. And their vocal repertoire includes an even more amazing variety of clucks and grunts. There even are records of individuals diving below the surface to escape a particular aggressing foe or predator, grabbing unto bottom vegetation to keep it down, and remaining so long that they actually drown.</div> <div>  </div> <div>        Normally, coots can be found year-round in South Texas, but their numbers are relatively low during the spring and summer. Like their rail relatives, they construct floating nests of dead plant stems and grasses, anchored to vegetation. They also build adjacent floating platform for the males. They usually have two broods of 8 to 12 eggs, a second one even before the all the first chicks are fledged. Youngsters may leave the nest within four days but usually return overnight. During they daytime they often ride on the back of an adult. </div> <bR> <div>        Most folks consider the coot as little more than a pest, but when they are absent they are missed.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>Wrens are Vocal Even in Winter</B></div> <div> <B>Ro Wauer</B></div> <bR> <div> January 4, 2004</div> <div> The Victoria Advocate</div> <div> © 2004 Ro Wauer</div> <bR> <bR> <div>       Of all the songbirds that are present in South Texas in winter, none are as vocal as the wrens. This group of seven birds includes four that are with us year-round and three that are visitors only, arriving in September or October and heading back to their nesting grounds at least by May. All are skulkers, searching everywhere for insects; crawling about various structures, on tree bark, and all sorts of other closed and dark places. But more than any of our other songbirds, they seem the most content, singing all or partial songs each morning and at times later in the day, as well. </div> <div>  </div> <div>       The four full-time resident wrens include our well known and almost everyone's favorite, Carolina wren. It is the heavy-set, reddish bird with a white eyebrow and short tail. We know it best because it lives in our yard, building nests is a variety of sites, from flowerpots to laundry on the line. And its song is a penetrating and joyous, often repeated "tea-kettle." </div> <bR> <div>      Bewick's wrens (pronounced like the car, Buicks) are almost as numerous, but utilize a very different habitat, so they are less obvious. This long-tailed brownish-gray wren also has a white eyebrow, is about half the size of the Carolina wren, and lives in our oak woodlands. It almost never lives in towns, but does frequent wooded neighborhoods with oaks. Even in winter, Bewick's wrens sing a spirited and extremely complex and musical song, often from the higher foliage. Yet their search pattern include every place possible, both high and low. </div> <div>  </div> <div>      Marsh wrens are also year-round residents, but are almost never found away from wetland habitats, especially those with an extensive stand of cattails. This is one of the short-tailed wrens, usually brown to rusty colored and with a short white eyebrow. A careful look will also reveal white stripes on its back. It is extremely secretive, rarely coming into the open. But its non-musical songs, a rapid and rasping trill that sometimes goes on for extended periods, emanate from among the cattails.</div> <div>  </div> <div>      The largest of our full-time wrens is the cactus wren, a resident of the drier, cactus dominated landscapes in the southern portions of our area. This is the heavily streaked wren that builds football-sized, grass and twig nests among the protective spines of cholla cacti and other thorny plants. It, too, has a white eyebrow, rust-brown crown, and a heavily barred, black-and-white tail. And its song is a distinct "choo-choo-choo" that is rarely heard in winter, but will be repeated dozens of times in spring.</div> <div>  </div> <div>      The three wintertime-only wrens include house, sedge, and winter, in order of abundance. The one feature the three have in common is a very short tail. The smallest of the three is the reddish winter wren. Christmas bird counters may miss it some years, as it is one of the most secretive of the secretive wrens. It is little more than a tiny, plump reddish ball of feathers with a very short whitish eyebrow and a barred belly and flanks.</div> <div>  </div> <div>       The sedge wren is only slight larger, is pale in comparison, with a pale eyebrow and buffy underparts, and a streaked crown. This little wren spends its winter in sedge fields or moist grassy areas and is most often detected by a sharp "tick" note. Its song, though rarely uttered on its wintering grounds, is a rapid, chattering trill that often descends at the end. </div> <div>  </div> <div>       Finally, the most abundant of the wintering wrens is the little house wren. This is an extremely plain, long-tailed brownish bird, with much barring on the back and tail. It is the epitome of a wren, residing in weedy, cluttered fields, and actively searching high and low, in every conceivable nook and cranny possible, for insects. Watching a house wren during its hourly routine can tire even the most avid bird watcher. It will be in view one second and then disappear, only to resurface several feet away to search another hidden place with great deliberation. Then suddenly, without previous warning, it will sing a ditty that is rapid and bubbling, rising in pitch and then descending. And on a particular sunny morning, it may sing almost constantly for several minutes before it returns to its search pattern. </div> <bR> <div>        No other birds seem so happy as the wrens. Who's to ignore their curious antics and rich and joyous vocalizations?                                 </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> </td> </tr></table></body>