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Flora and Fauna

BirdsFlora and FaunaShaking of the Trees PostShaking the Trees

Clyde Camp – Hunter, the Red Morph Screech Owl, returns [again].

Hunter, the Red Morph Screech Owl, returns [again].

Since the beginnning of October, I’ve powered up the two nestcams just to see if there’s been any. action. The side/kitchen box remains empty, but the front box has what appears to be a red-phase female (based on the size) snoozing away. The leaves indicate a squirrel has been there in the past and the color is off because it’s a gray overcast day outside. The photo shows that she’s hunkered down over the remains of a pretty large rat.

She spends a day or two in the front box and then is gone for a week or so. This cycle has repeated 3 times now since early October. Last time she was here, she gorged on three, maybe 4, largish rats that she hauled in over 3 days.

Curious George (below) arrives at about 20 seconds and settles in for the day. He’s verbally accosted by a couple of jays and a squirrel about midway through the video. George is the male of the last breeding season (spring, 2020) – a grey-phase Eastern Screech Owl. His mate then was a red-phase female named Hunter. Their breeding attempt was unsuccessful with two clutches of eggs, neither of which hatched. They are both visiting the box off and on again and probably staking their claim on it in late fall 2020.

You can read about, with photos and videos, that attempt (as well as the 2018/19 attempt by a different pair) at http://crcamp.com/owls

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ConnemaraFlora and FaunaNative GrassesPrairie RestorationShaking of the Trees PostShaking the Trees

Al Blaume – Beck’s Prairie @ Connemara Meadow

We rescue Little Bluestem here and transplant it in the Connemara Meadow. Beck’s is a native prairie remnant, never been plowed. I believe this grass was grazed by American Bison. In those days there would not have been any cedars, just knee high grass as far as you could see.

After the event at the Connemara we spread the? Deb should there be more text here, no more in doc provided.

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Clymer MeadowFlora and FaunaNative GrassesShaking of the Trees PostShaking the Trees

Tom Shackelford – Clymer Meadow

While certifying as a Master Naturalist in 2018 a field trip was offered to Clymer Meadow.  I enjoyed the experience and ended up volunteering at Erwin, The Heard and The Heritage farmstead.  I met knowledgeable and passionate individuals who were leading these restoration efforts and were willing to share their ideas on how to restore and preserve these natural areas.  I still volunteer at these but returned to Clymer to focus on this large remnant prairie restoration.  The road has been bumpy (literally and figuratively) but feel it is headed down the right path.  

Thank you to the Volunteers at all of our Chapter Projects!

Tom Shackelford

               CLYMER MEADOW

Clymer Meadow Preserve contains some of the largest and most diverse remnants of the Blackland Prairie; the Texas version of the tallgrass prairie that once stretched from south Texas to south-central Canada.   The preserve is portion of a larger conservation area (1400 acres) that includes land owned by The Nature Conservancy of Texas and other private owners.  Clymer Meadow serves as a center for study of the Blackland Prairie and has been the site of more than a dozen scientific investigations ranging in scope from inventories of prairie invertebrates to noxious weed control.  Universities, private research organizations, public and private primary and secondary schools have used the meadow as a teaching site. 

Two globally imperiled prairie plant communities are represented here: little bluestem-Indiangrass and gamagrass-switchgrass community series types. Other important grasses include big bluestem, meadow dropseed, sideoats grama (The State grass of Texas), and Canada wildrye. Wildflowers, such as rough-leaf rosinweed, purple Indian paintbrush, prairie clover and American basketflower are abundant.

One of the more unusual features of the preserve is a microtopography called “gilgai” by soil scientists.  You may have heard it called “hogwallows”.   Gilgai may be irregular shaped or round, shallow basins, often arranged in a honeycomb-like pattern on level, heavy clay soils.  They tend to retain water and this influences the composition of the plant communities.  Moisture-loving species such as eastern gamagrass and spikerush occupy the microlows, while drier-adapted species such as sideoats grama and little bluestem are common on microridges.

The Blackland prairie is made up of rich soils that have been converted to agricultural cultivation.  The result is that all that remains in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South and North Dakota and Manitoba, Canada is now between 1 and 4 percent of the original 19 million acres.  Dependent upon the study; there is no question that the tallgrass prairie is the most-endangered large ecosystem in North America.

Recently we had the largest group we have had there at one time.  Eight volunteers who accomplished a lot.  We were there from 10- 2.30.  We all brought snacks or lunch and had a break at 12ish.   We were outdoors the entire time and were either socially distancing or wearing face masks when that was not practical.  This group was comprised of the following: James King, Jay Wooldridge, Lissa King, Duane Mortensen, Janice James, Jean Suplick, Tasha Patterson, Tom Shackelford.

We broke into 2 groups and some did seed collection in the area near where the wildflower tour takes place.  This was done both by hand and also with a mechanical picker that is towed behind an ATV.  Others removed barbwire, fenceposts, brush.  A handful swapped tasks after the break at noon.  We cleared ¼ mile of fence line and also invasive trees sporadically growing in the fence line.  This opened up two remnant sections (previously burned) that will allow for cross pollination between the two areas.  

We are making a difference and the project is headed in the right direction.

Clymer is not open to the public.  This is a volunteer project of the Blackland Prairie Chapter and we have scheduled dates to volunteer there each month.  Master Naturalists may also contact Brandon Belcher to schedule additional volunteer opportunities.  This may entail remnant prairie restoration, removal of invasive species, seed collection, and other seasonal tasks.  You will need to sign a TNC waiver and bring a face mask, gloves, water, and keep in mind that restroom facilities are limited.   They do offer a Wildflower tour late spring each year.

Option 1 –    You may be asking – How do I get there?   It is a 32 mile / 45 minute drive from the Heard.  I usually drive 75 N – (exit 44) TX 121 N –  R on FM 545 E Melissa Rd – You will drive through Blue Ridge – turn L at 78 Bus N – turn R on FM 981 (if you drive past a cemetery you missed the turn) –  you will continue on 981 for 5+ miles – Continue straight at FM1562 for approximately 4 miles. There is frequently a black and white dog greeting traffic at the house just before the Nature Conservancy office, which is a tan farmhouse on your left.  It is just past the squiggly road sign on the right.

Option 2-    Drive to the Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve in the Flint Hills of eastern Kansas.  This preserve encompasses almost 11,000 acres and is the largest expanse of tallgrass prairie left in North America.  This tallgrass prairie covers over 17 square miles.  There are multiple spots where the view is 100% tall grass and wildflowers stretching to the horizon.   The grasses and wildflowers are the same or similar to those seen in Texas – except Porcupine grass (Stipa spartea).   This prairie is also managed by the Nature Conservancy.   It is the only site within the National Park Service dedicated to the rich natural history of the tallgrass prairie.  It is open to the public as a National Park Service site.   

Typical Tom Side Notes: Food for additional thought

1. Park Hill was completely burned – If you went there now; expect to see a lot of black.  Springtime should bring a spectacular wildflower display. 

2. I found a Cemetery on left side of road to Clymer.  It is about 7-8 miles east of Blue Ridge on FM981 and just before you enter Hunt county.  There is a barely visible arch over a gate that says “ Old Richard 1866-1966”.  I walked the front fence.  I looked it up later and found it listed as the location of a ghost town,  Richard, Texas.  There was a photo taken in 2007.   It was maintained then and it now looks like that might have been the last time the area had been maintained.  It is not large but completely overgrown with just the tops of grave markers visible.  I have driven by this numerous times and this was the 1st time I noticed it.  Probably not visible when brush and trees are green

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ATChapter MeetingsFlora and FaunaGeneralMammals

Rick Travis – “Texas Native Cats and the Role of Advocacy” – Monica Morrison

Monthly Chapter Meeting – “Zoom” Meeting

Monica Morrison – “Texas Native Cats and the Role of Advocacy”

Tuesday, November 10, 7pm

Texas is home to an amazing diversity of wildlife, including five species of wild cats, both past and present. But our cats are under threat, due to a variety of factors. This presentation will give an overview of our cats, describe the perils they face, and list steps to help them.

Monica launched Texas Native Cats in 2017 after realizing our wild Texas cats need recognition and help. Texas Native Cats is a Texas nonprofit corporation that consists of volunteers, master naturalists, and others interested in acquainting Texans with our cat species. The organization’s goal is to expand educational outreach to the major metropolitan areas of the state and, ultimately, to improve the lives of our native Texas felines. Prior to establishing Texas Native Cats, Monica volunteered for over 20 years with various organizations, including the Dallas Zoo, In-Sync Exotics, and organizations in South America that work to conserve wild cats. 

Click here for more information about Texas Native Cats.

ButterfliesFlora and FaunaGeneraliNaturalistInsectsPlantsShaking of the Trees Post

Lisa Travis – Fall Socially Distant BioBlitz for DFW Master Naturalist Chapters

September 6–12, 2020 

The first DFW Fall Socially Distant BioBlitz was a huge success! During these seven days, over 1100 people participated in the greater DFW 11-county area.  Many of these people were Master Naturalists, but many more were not. Between all of us, we made over 35,000 observations, of over 2700 species. What a great way to kick the end-of-summer doldrums!

The competition between Master Naturalist chapters was friendly, but enthusiastic. Elm Fork’s service area had the most observations, with over 10,000, but Cross Timbers Chapter and our own Blackland Prairie Chapter were not far behind, with over 8000 observations each. (Note that Elm Fork had THREE counties, while we only had two. Just saying….)  Overall, the Blackland Prairie Chapter made a terrific contribution. We had 45 members contribute over 7000 observations during that seven-day period. We observed 931 different species! To put that in proper perspective, over the comparable week in 2019, our members made only 379 observations. According to my calculations, we made around 19 times as many observations this year as last!!

We held ten small group outings during the BioBlitz, and all the participants enjoyed getting a chance to explore with fellow Master Naturalists. Twenty-five members attended at least one outing, with some hardy souls attending five, six, or seven! We kicked off the week with an outing to Hunt County, an area that has had very little iNaturalist activity. Manju Ruikar (Class of 2020) kindly invited the group out to explore her family’s Hunt county property. There were 384 observations made in Hunt county during the BioBlitz, so we still have lots of room for improvement out there. Still, compared to the 15 observations made last year during this time period, we’ve come a long way! We made other outings to places new and old, from the Heard Sanctuary and Erwin Park, to Parkhill Prairie and Breckenridge Park. On Friday, we had perfect weather for exploring the Woodfin property. (Thanks, Bill and Fran, for having us!) We saw more butterflies at the beautiful Stiff Chapel Cemetery than we’d seen all week!

In addition to the outings, many people worked hard collecting observations on their own. We had several people new to iNaturalist jump in with both feet! A big welcome to iNaturalist for Rochelle Delozier (iNat ID “delozier4”). She just joined iNaturalist in August and made over 500 observations during the BioBlitz! Wow! Matt Delozier (iNat ID “outdoormatt”) wasn’t too far behind her, and Brent Blackwell (iNat ID “backfire”,) while not entirely new to iNaturalist, caught the bug this year and did some serious ‘Blitzing, too!

Identifying observations made by others is one area in which our chapter has historically lagged. However, we’re well on our way to remedying that this year! We had more people than ever before making identifications during the BioBlitz. Twelve members each provided identifications for over 100 observations made by others, and several chapter members each made thousands of BioBlitz ID’s. This is such an important part of the outreach component of iNaturalist, so a big thanks to people who worked on identifications!

Kudos to Sam Kieschnick for organizing this project and inspiring so many of us! Check out the whole project and results on iNaturalist:  https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/fall-socially-distant-bioblitz-dfw-urban-ecosystem Sam will be presenting a webinar reviewing the results and relevancy of the 2020 BioBlitz, on Friday, September 25, at 7:00 PM.  Pre-registration required:  https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ssLSn7T6Qe6r_HfTAjyCtg

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BirdsShaking of the Trees PostShaking the Trees

John Garbutt – Mississippi Kites

After the birding doldrums of August, I longed for a change in the wind and the early signs of fall songbird migration. I ventured out on September 6th to Frisco Commons to see what I could find. I would find Baltimore Orioles, Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers, White-Eyed Vireos, and Great Crested Flycatchers. The latter three possibly having bred in the park or county.

 However, the highlight of the visit was what I saw first.  As I made my way from the parking lot toward the pond at first light, I noticed four raptor silhouettes in a distant tree. As I got nearer, I was able to see they were Mississippi Kites. They are a common site to see around the area during the summer but I had never seen four at this location.  As the path turned toward the pond, I saw another, an immature! Then another and another. By the time I counted them all, eleven Mississippi Kites were around the pond! Who needs songbirds when you have raptors?

All were engaged in their morning preening routine and awaiting the thermals. This afforded some intimate observations for over the next hour and subsequent visits. During this observation I wondered how many of them have been in the area all summer, and how many had been further north? A week previously, I counted over a dozen in Sherman on my failed Swallow-Tailed Kite expedition.

In the spring, a group of us saw our first kites of the year arrive over Bob Woodruff Park. Now I was seeing them group up to leave.

One of my favorite observations was watching an immature move about and awkwardly land on the smallest possible limb and struggle with its balance for a moment. This one also spent a fair amount of time observing me from above.

Another was when an adult made an opportunistic quick flight from its perch to grab a dragonfly flying above my head. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  The bug activity around the pond was a perfect spot for migration fuel.

Watching bird behavior is my favorite thing to do. I spent over an hour standing in the same area observing the kites preen their features. They must be kept in great shape for the journey ahead. The aforementioned immature joined two adults to preen in the same tree. My favorite gesture to capture is of them using their talons on their head feathers. It makes for a memeable photo.

The family that preens together, stays together.

On my return visits it came down to two remaining kites (or possibly two different ones) who were in the same trees each morning for the last three-day period. 

  I last recorded them on September 14th.  See you next year.

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Flora and FaunaGeneralPrairie RestorationRaptor CenterShaking of the Trees PostShaking the Trees

Dick Zartler & Lorelei Stierlen – Raptor Center Land Restoration

Dick and Lorelei guided about 9 tribe members through the prairie acres of the Raptor Center. They gave an overview of the needs for trail guides and of the exciting restoration and preservation efforts.

Photos compliments of Tasha Patterson, new class representative on the board. It was exciting to see Brockdale liatris among the prairie community members. And yes, that is Dick and Lorelei center stage.

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Flora and FaunaPlantsShaking of the Trees PostShaking the Trees

Sally Evans – Sharing the Biodiverse Backyard

September 12, 2020       

This week is a big biodiversity search in our DFW area but I have been unable to participate due to other circumstances.  So today I took a walk in my yard.  I discovered I had missed three moon blooms last evening as their blooms were now hanging listlessly on the vine.  BUT there is the promise of two more coming and very soon.  I will have to be watchful after the sunset.  As I looked at the blooms I became aware of a parade of ants going up and down a metal fence post.  Those going up were ‘empty-handed’ but those going down were carrying egg sacks to a new destination on the ground in the ground cover.  They had apparently taken those precious bundles to a high spot during the rains – which happens to be a hole in my fence.  As a I watched them I was aware of another movement as a very small green anole moved along the fence and then jumped into a bush for a morsel to eat.  This animal was less than an inch long but its tail was at least two inches long. 

All over the yard are patches of surprise lilies in a brilliant orange red color.  They suddenly pop up from the ground after that first fall rain – September 1 was the date this year – and they have continued coming up and blooming since them.  Some have started their decline by losing their vivid color.  I noted that in one area some were laying on the ground and something had stepped on them and broken them.  Who or what was exploring my garden when I wasn’t looking?  A tiny toad – about a half a penny size – moved away from my big feet.  He could only hop a few inches but he did so quickly and disappeared in the ground cover of leaves.

I walked around a corner and found another anole of a more adult size.  Part of its tail was green but the lower half was smaller and brown.  I would guess it had met with a predator and was able to escape with just the loss of part of its anatomy.  As I watched it climb up a wall of the green house a very small frog suddenly jumped high into the air and continued hopping towards a bush.  I had finally seen one of the Rio Grande frogs that I can hear so often at night.  Biodiversity journeys are often found at home.

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