More than a Solitary Bee Nest

By James (Todd) McCann

Look at the photo for a moment. Think to yourself what it could mean; it’s just a post with a solitary bee nest.  This post has recently been the nest site for carpenter bees, while the nearby man-made solitary bee houses have been ignored by all but ants. Do you think the insects know something we don’t?

A gate and fence post are made of Ashe juniper. The three posts form a fence corner. The posts are about 2.5 inches in diameter and are 5 feet tall and maybe a foot and a half, buried. There is more to learn about this post. The bees are only a recent transit event in its life.

Take a minute to think of the people who lived in the area and how they made a living. Originally Cedar Choppers and Cotton Farmers were the primary inhabitants of the region.

Before the posts were cut and the fence ran, there could have been a small farm nearby with mom, dad, and one young boy and girl. Perhaps if this was in the first quarter of the 20^th century. In addition to what cotton they raised, they had a vegetable patch to grow some food and perhaps a little extra to sell and maybe a still to make moonshine.

The land began to wear out and became less productive over the years. About the time of the depression, most of the small farms were abandoned. I can only imagine how the farm family felt at having to abandon their home and move on.

The cedar choppers continued living in the area, cutting cedar, making charcoal, selling moonshine, and living off the land.  Let’s look at the nest post again. Think of what else has gone on in the area since the post was cut.  It is impossible to date when it was cut exactly but a good bet it was during the first half of the century or earlier. One clue as to how and when it was cut is at the top.  Axe cuts are angular, and if more than one usually form a “V”; saw cuts are flat and perpendicular to the sides. The posts show signs of having been burned at some time in the past. Maybe a wildfire, but most likely a recent controlled burn to help restore the land to its past glory.

Beginning in the 1940s ranching took over the region; posts were cut and fences run to control cattle. You can still see posts forming a fence line running north and west. Who knows who put it up? Let your mind run free, maybe like me, you can visualize a tall lanky Texas rancher and his family.

The location of a more recent house is unknown but there are a few signs of its existence. One sign is a rather large pen-like structure in the possible area of the farmhouse location. The posts are square-cut, smooth-cut by a saw in a more recent time, probably the 1950s or later. Axe-cutting cedar posts had almost totally ended by the 1960s. Deer, foxes, coyotes, and feral hogs travel through the pen. Abundant insect life can be found here as well.

Not too far on the southwest, there is a tin-roofed, cedar-log structure. If you are quiet, you may sneak up on numerous lizards sunning themselves on the logs. The structure is made of both ax-cut and saw-cut posts. The builder was practicing recycling before it had a name. In this case, it was not only smart land care but financial concern as well.

The ax-cut cedar posts are a testament to the cedar choppers that lived in the area in the first part of the 20^th century. Four-inch and larger cedar posts cut with two or three ax swings says it all.

Returning to the bee post not too far downhill is a shallow creek that flows continually unless there is a major drought. It is well visited by the local animal and insect life, and there is a bat house nearby. There are even a few small fish in the deep pools. When the water is low you can see the tracks of the variety of animals that visit:  skunks, foxes, coyotes, and raccoons, to name a few. There are also numerous bird tracks. The area is abundant in butterflies, pollinators, and dragonflies.

If you go south downstream via the trail, you will find a small shallow pool, and if you listen carefully you may hear some frogs. This area is frequented by birds bathing in the calm waters. There are a few nice rocks to sit on in the shade where you can just exist in nature. Even on a hot summer day, the shade is cool and frequently there is a breeze.  This is a perfect place to meditate and think of the land and its past, present, and future. It can’t get better than this!

Yes! This place actually exists: Doeskin Ranch, Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge.

I challenge you as a Master Naturalist to look past the science, and your own area of interest, as well as the now and see more than the plants and animals. Visualize the past in the region and become part of it then, now, and in the future.

A condensed version of a longer article. I intentionally refrained from plant and animal identification to keep the focus away from science. One book to look at is: Ken Roberts: The Cedar Choppers: Life on the Edge of Nothing; Texas A&M University Press, 2018.

Photos: Public Domain, US Fish and Wildlife Service: Photos by: Todd McCann/USFWS Volunteer
BIB: The above is a composite of many books and articles on the region and a little story-tellers’ imagination and wishes.