Courtship Feeding
by Ro Wauer

Cardinals and a few of my other yard birds are currently feeding one another. Much of that, of course, is an adult bird feeding one of its babies. Fledglings will follow their parents about for a considerable time, depending on how long the adults feel it is necessary. Some birds, like roadrunners, as soon as their youngsters can feed themselves, will lead their offspring away from their nesting territory and essentially loose them. Some humans need to do the same.

But there also is a lot of courtship feeding still underway. That is the behavior of one of the adults, usually the male, feeding his mate or his potential mate. In cases where the female takes the lead in courtship, such as with some sandpipers, the female will feed the male. This behavior is considered part of avian courtship, and it may start very early in the breeding season and may last for a few weeks after the last nestlings have fledged.

Early courtship feeding is a way for the dominant individual to attract a mate and develop a bond. This pair bonding, or the honeymoon period, may last for a considerable time, or at least until copulation occurs. Although courtship feeding is likely to continue, the individuals will also feed themselves. Ornithologists believe that courtship feeding not only forms a bond but also tends to maintain the health of the female and leads to greater nesting success. The number of eggs and clutch weight are partly determined by the female’s nutritional status. As Paul Ehrlich and colleagues wrote in “The Birder’s Handbook, feeding of the female “seems apparent that he is increasing his own reproductive success by keeping her fat and healthy.”

Males usually continue feeding the female through much of the nesting process or at least until the nestlings require both adults gathering food on a full time basis. Then the feeding behavior changes dramatically. As the nestlings grow and demand more and more food, feeding by the adults become all consuming. This is the time of year when more nutritional foods are necessary. For the majority of songbirds, such as cardinals, wrens and mockingbirds, insects and other small creatures become essential. Some studies suggest that songbirds must consume up to 80 percent of their weight on a daily basis. Adults with nestlings must therefore capture an amazing amount of food for themselves and young each and every day.

Once the young are fledged, in spite of the fact that they will continue to beg food from the parents, their diet begins to change from insects and other highly nutritional food to other things like seeds and fruit. Young cardinals for instance will very soon join their parents at seed feeders. And by late summer fruit usually becomes part of their daily diet. It is interesting that even some Neotropical flycatchers, species that nest in the United States and Canada where they specialize in insects, will switch to a diet dominated by fruit on their wintering grounds in the tropics.

The majority of songbirds that we find in our yards must feed constantly, especially when feeding young. During a normal day, however, most songbirds feed most heavily during the early morning hours, again during mid-morning, and then again in the late afternoon prior to going to roost for the night. Seed eaters that frequent seed feeders follow the same pattern, but they also are constantly on the lookout for insects and other more nutritious creatures. All birds are opportunists!

Our Mysterious White-tailed Visitor
by Ro Wauer

Betty saw it first, and she called me to the kitchen window from where we could see the tiny fawn that was lying in the shade of one of the backyard planters. It was almost impossible to believe that the mother white-tailed deer had left her fawn so very close to the house, about 40 feet from our kitchen window. We immediately grabbed our cameras and began to photograph our tiny visitor. At first it had its head turned away, tucked alongside its body, and the only sign of life was an occasional ear flick. Through binoculars we could see that it was dry; it apparently had been cared for by its mother.

About 30 minutes after our first discovery it raised its head and turned in our direction. More photos! It seemed to be gaining strength, moving about a little and even nibbling at its side. And in another 20 minutes or so it began to stand. It took another few minutes to stand fully upright; it looked like a little spotted body on amazingly long legs. It seemed to teeter a bit, and then take a few steps. It may have seen our movement inside the house because it slowly walked away around the side of the planter and out of sight.

We finally walked outside, trying to follow it and to position ourselves so that we could take some additional photos. We high hope that its mother would suddenly appear and guide it away from our yard and into the brushy area beyond. But instead, it walked only another 100 feet and again laid down in the shade of another planter box. It stayed there for another half-hour or so, even when I walked to within a few feet while watering. Eventually we again approached it to get some close-up photos. But that was more than it could put up with, for it suddenly jumped up and ran at full speed away and out of our yard toward the brushy area beyond.

The entire episode left us with numerous questions. Where was the mother during all of this? Why had she left her baby in our yard so near the house? And why had she not made some effort to return or coax it away?

We first found the fawn right after returning from our morning walk, at about 10am. Had we frightened the mother away when we left or returned to the house? We did not approach the fawn at all during the first period. We did watch to make sure some predator stayed away. The most likely predator would be a large dog that might wander into our backyard for a drink at one of the birdbaths. Yet we also understood that fawns do not have a scent to attract predators. And we understood that mother deer regularly leave their young in a safe place for considerable time. We wondered if she had a second fawn elsewhere, and was not concerned about the safety of our mysterious baby. Did she consider our yard safe?

I know that we will never fully understand what we experienced, but that is all part of Mother Nature’s mystic. We only wish the best for our little fawn. We hope that it found its mother and that she was able to feed and care for it, and that she will nurse it to a healthy youngster. Maybe we will see it again when it returns to enjoy one of our birdbaths.

Robber Flies Are Deadly Predators
by Ro Wauer

It’s been said that robber fly predation on other insects can be compared with peregrine falcon predation on birds. Both are dramatic predators that take a significant number of prey. Although dragonflies also take numerous insect prey, including other dragonflies, from what I have observed in recent weeks, robber flies are far more successful in catching prey. And a close-up look at one of our many robber flies is rather scary. I am surprised that one of the horror movies, so common today, has not been developed around a monster robber fly.

Although robber flies can vary considerably in size (some tropical species can be more than a foot in length) and bodies, they all possess extremely long spiny legs, bearded face, piercing mouthparts, large eyes, hollowed out area between the eyes, and a bristly humped thorax. Some are stout like bees while others are long and narrow with a very long abdomen. And the various species, of which there are about 1000 in North America, utilize a wide range of habitats, from our yards to the beach to desert scrub and even grasslands. They can be found perched on the ground, on branches and leaves, or on various structures.

Robber flies will eat almost any flying creatures they can catch. Some of their prey can be considerable larger than they are, and one’s daily diet may include everything from bees and wasps to grasshoppers, butterflies, beetles, and other flies. Most hunt from perches where they wait for passing prey, and some species actually establish a flight territory that they defend from other robber flies. They possess a mobile head that can move about in various directions. When seeing a passing prey, they will immediately give chase and catch it in mid-air. They may even fly ahead and intercept the prey from an angle. They will then fly to a shady perch, holding the prey in their long spiny legs, and consume their catch by sucking their prey dry with hypodermic-like mouthparts.

The robber fly life cycle is rather ordinary. The females lay eggs on or just beneath the soil surface. Upon hatching the larvae (tiny, slightly flattened worms) crawl about in the soil and feed on tiny arthropods. Some species may remain in the larval stage for a full year, but most at least stay as larvae through the winter months. By spring, the larvae feed on decaying vegetable matter and the larvae of other insects. And by late spring or summer they pupate and wriggle to the surface where the adults emerge.

Robber flies are members of the Order Diptera or flies, a huge group of insects that includes everything from mosquitoes, wasps and bees, to house flies. What separates robber flies from most of the other flies is their aggressing predatory behavior. During some periods of the year they seem to be especially common, and I have often wondered if their numbers actually control populations of some other flying species. During a recent visit to the Lower Rio Grande Valley, I found several robber flies that had captured butterflies. Although they often are difficult to photograph when perched, they seem to allow a much closer approach when feeding on prey. I realize that robber flies have every right to coexist with all the other native insects, but I must admit that I am bothered when I find one with a butterfly firmly gasped in its long spiny legs.

How Do Our Drought Conditions Affect Our Wildlife?
by Ro Wauer

Many of our wild animals have a very difficult time during drought conditions. Most are depended on available waterholes and/or birdbaths. Exceptions include a few lizards and small rodents. For those of us that provide plenty available water in our own yards, we cannot help notice the increased use of those artificial waterholes. But for wildlife species without access to such water, they may take one of several actions. Those species that are extremely mobile, such as some birds, they move out of the area altogether. Some other species may be able to move short distances to where they can find water. Our many rivers in Central Texas may act as sponges for those that are able to get that far.

Drought conditions can and often does lead to the death of some wildlife species. When water is not available, wildlife often goes into a sort of depression. Birds may react by being less aggressive on their territories, they may sing only part of the normal time, and they become less active in general. Those that do manage to nest often produce less than a normal clutch, and the fledglings, too, may be less healthy. Birds often are able to do pretty well during the nesting season if they are able to find adequate food to feeding the nestlings. The majority of their diet that time of year is insects that in turn are more often than not dependent upon vegetation. Severe drought conditions, of course, can greatly limit the available insects.

What about the mammals? They too must adapt to abnormal conditions. They may be less aggressive and spent the majority of their time finding food, oftentimes in locations where they might not utilize at other times. For instance, deer will spend more time grazing along roadsides where additional moisture from the roadways tends to support roadside grasses. And some of the mammals that normally are active only at night may need to spend more daylight hours in search for food. Drought conditions also produce other behavioral changes. Some species, such as some rodents, can go into a semi-hibernation mode.

Reptiles and amphibians also become less active in drought conditions. Many of these individuals seek shelter below ground and can aestivate for long periods of time. Like rodents, their metabolism can decline to a point that they are barely alive.

Butterflies are also greatly affected by arid condition. But unlike most mammals and birds, they are able to hibernate (known as diapause) and wait for a change in weather conditions. Although many butterfly species possess a life cycle of a year or less, they are able to diapause for several years. Some species diapause as larvae and can remain in that stage for five to seven years. And those individuals normally will require some significant change, such as heavy and constant rainy conditions, for them to move into the next stage in their life cycle.

Butterfly populations in South Texas are currently very low, when both species and numbers are far below normal. My garden, that will produce 25 to 35 species on a “normal” day in May, has recently only produced 10 to 20 species per day, and only a fraction of the normal numbers. And that number is as high as it is because of the constant watering of the many flowering plants that attract butterflies. Outside the watered garden, the fields and roadsides, even though recent sprinkles have finally produced an assortment of wildflowers, butterfly numbers have not adequately recovered. It will take considerable more moisture before butterfly populations return to normal.

Cottontails, Jackrabbits, and Hares
by Ro Wauer

A pair of cottontail was frolicking in my yard a few days ago. This was the first time we had seen cottontails in the yard for several months. Being at the lower end of the food chain for most of the predators that also frequent my yard, their presence was surprising but especially pleasing. When we first moved to our house in 1989, cottontails were commonplace. But within the last dozen years or so their numbers have seriously declined so that now it is a special treat when they do occur.

The cottontail that resides within the Golden Crescent area is the eastern cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus). Its range extends throughout all of Texas and the eastern half of North America and southward through most of eastern Mexico. Three additional Sylvilagus cottontails/rabbits occur in Texas. The swamp rabbit (Sylvilagus aquaticus) is found in swampy areas along the Gulf Coast and northward into the pineywoods. The desert cottontail (Sylvilagus auduboni) is found in the western half of Texas and much of the West, from Canada into central Mexico. And the Davis Mountains cottontail (Sylvilagus robustus) is found only in the mountainous areas of West Texas, from Big Bend’s Chisos Mountains north to the Davis and Guadalupe Mountains. Five other Sylvilagus cottontails occur in the United States. The mountain cottontail is found in the Intermountain West, the brush rabbit occurs only along the West Coast, the marsh rabbit is found in Florida and along the Eastern Seaboard from Virginia south, the Appalachian cottontail occurs only within the Appalachians, and the New England cottontail in found only in New England.

The other group of rabbit-like mammals is the jackrabbits and hares, all of the genus Lepus. But only one of these – the black-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus californicus) – occurs in Texas. This long-eared, long-legged rabbit can occur throughout the state, but prefers hot, dry scrublands rather that oak dominated woodland areas. Three other jackrabbits can be found in North America: the white-tailed jackrabbit (Lepus townsendii) occurs through the northern portion of North America, the white-sided jackrabbit (Lepus callotis) is found only in extreme southwestern New Mexico, and the antelope jackrabbit (Lepus alleni) is found only in south-central Arizona and southward into Mexico.

North America also has three hares, also in the genus Lepus. The best know of these is the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) of northern Canada and all of Alaska, the Arctic hare (Lepus arcticus) is found only in the far northern portions of North America, and the Alaskan hare (Lepus othus) is restricted to coastal Alaska. These three snow-adapted species are generally brown in summer and white in winter, and their ears are smaller than the jackrabbits.

There are about 80 species of lagomorphs (order of cottontails, jackrabbits and hares) throughout the world. Although these mammals may resemble rodents, they differ by their arrangement of their front (incisor) teeth, with a large tooth in front on each side and a small peglike tooth directly behind it. Lagomorphs are mainly diurnal and the food is almost entirely vegetable matter, such as grasses, forbs and bark, and none of the lagomorphs hibernate. They are a unique group of mammals. And the common lagomorph representative in the Golden Crescent is the eastern cottontail.

Dragonfly Days are Here Again
by Ro Wauer

Where in Texas is it possible to find 100 kinds of dragonflies? The answer is the Lower Rio Grande Valley, where dragonflies rate their very own festival. Like the many Texas festivals for birds and butterflies, dragonflies will be the subject of “Dragonfly Days,” scheduled May 21 to 24 this year. In fact, the 2009 festival marks the 10th year of this event, sponsored by the Valley Nature Center and Estero Llano Grande State Park in Weslaco. Last year’s two-day festival produced more than two dozen species of dragonflies and damselflies, including most of the expected species such as common green darner, four-spotted and holloween pennants, great pondhawk, thornbush dancer, and roseate skimmer. The festival also produced a few truly unusual or rare species, including the first U.S. records of Mexican scarlet-tail and bow-tailed glider and blue-spotted comet. Participants were more than satisfied with the results.

Dragonfly Days is designed for the novice, those of us first learning how to identify these flying gems, as well as the expert enthusiast. Field trips and illustrated seminars are scheduled to help the beginner learn the differences between dragonflies and damselflies, know the difference between a skimmer and glider, and also to understand how these colorful insects play a vital role in maintaining a healthy environment.

Daily field trips are scheduled to several of the best dragonfly-finding locations in the Valley, including Bentsen-Rio Grande and Estero Llano Grande State Parks, Anzalduas County Park, and Edinburg Wetlands. The Lower Rio Grande Valley is recognized as one of the most biologically diverse regions in the nation. Field trip leaders will include dragonfly experts John Abbot, Bob Behrstock, Greg Lasley, Josh Rose, and Martin Reid. Seminars include “Dragonflies 101” by Behrstock, “Chasing dragonflies in South Africa” by Lasley, “Dragonfly prey: a look at what odonates eat and what eats them” by Martin Reid, “Natural superlatives along the Rio Grande” by Ro Wauer, “An odonates guide to the Lower Rio Grande Valley” by Josh Rose, and “Texas dragonflies, past, present and future” by John Abbot at the Saturday evening banquet.

Pre-registration is required for all seminars, field trips, and the banquet. Pre-registration forms are available on line at info@valleynaturecenter.org, and additional information can also be obtained from the Valley Nature Center (956-969-2475). Packets for pre-registered participants can be picked up at the host hotel: Holiday Inn Express (956-973-2222) in Weslaco. Special accommodation prices for participants are available when using the code: DFD. All seminars will be held at the hotel and field trips will also leave from that location.

Field trip participants will have the special opportunities to enjoy not only dragonflies and damselflies, but whatever other wildlife and plant life encountered. Birds, reptiles, butterflies, and plants can also be identified and discussed along the way. Participants are asked to bring binoculars (close-focusing for butterflies), study shoes, and protection from the sun. Daytime temperatures in May usually range into the low 90s F.

The festival will allow participants to visit a number of the special wetland sites in the Valley, to see a full range of dragonflies and damselflies, and also will help us appreciate the truly unique features of these marvelous creatures.

THE MAYBORN LITERARY CONFERENCE

Gay Talese said of our conference, "I came to know an extraordinary gathering of writers, journalists, educators, students and readers devoted to the art and craft of literary nonfiction, a subject that has been my passion and my mission for a half century. I'm convinced that anyone who attends the Mayborn Conference will leave with a new level of insights, storytelling skills, and understanding of the aesthetic qualities and requirements of literary nonfiction. The Mayborn Conference is the gathering place in the country for serious nonfiction writers who want to deeply explore the craft and learn how its practiced at the highest levels. And that is why I'm encouraging every journalist and nonfiction writer I know to attend this summer's Mayborn Conference, and to submit their articles, essays and book-length manuscripts to the Conference Workshops."


UNT’s Mayborn Conference accepting entries for literary competition

Prizes include a book deal and $15,000 in cash.

DENTON (UNT), Texas – Since 2005, the University of North Texas’ Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference has awarded four book contracts to emerging authors. This summer could be your chance to get published.

The conference, which will feature NPR host Ira Glass and be held July 24–26 at the Hilton DFW Lakes Executive Conference Center in Grapevine, is accepting manuscripts, essays and articles for its literary competition. Additionally, the conference has teaming up with the Writer’s Garret, a prominent non-profit writing organization in Dallas, to help writers prepare their entries for the competition.

The conference and competition are sponsored by the Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism, which will become part of the university’s newly announced Frank W. and Sue Mayborn School of Journalism when it opens on Sept. 1. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board granted formal creation of the Mayborn School earlier this month upon recommendation from the UNT System Board of Regents.

Selected entries will get the opportunity to work one-on-one with industry professionals in conference workshops, which will be held July 24 (Friday) before the official start of the conference. These entries also will compete for $15,000 in cash prizes and the chance to be published.

“This conference presents an enormous opportunity for unknown writers to get recognized and published,” said George Getschow, the conference’s writer-in-residence. “There are established writers who have tried unsuccessfully for years to be published. This is a rare opportunity.”

Two copies of each entry should be mailed to the Mayborn Graduate School of Journalism at 1155 Union Circle, #311460, Denton, TX 76203, attention George Getschow. Entries also must be submitted electronically to maybornconferenceinfo@unt.edu. The deadline for submissions is June 1 (Monday).

Essays and articles should be no longer than 20 pages. A non-refundable entry fee applies. Twenty manuscripts and 50 essays will be selected for workshop participation. Contest winners will be selected from this group of 70 finalists. The winner of the manuscript competition will receive $3,000 and the option to enter a book publishing contract with the UNT Press. The top three entries in the categories of personal essays and mini-memoirs and reporting and research-based narratives that focus on people will receive $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000, respectively. The best articles and narratives and personal essays will be included in the 2010 edition of Ten Spurs, the conference’s literary journal. For more entry information visit http://www.themayborn.unt.edu/WritingComp.htm.

To register for the conference, visit www.TheMayborn.unt.edu. Conference fees are $295 for the general public. Student fees are $225. Educator fees are $270. Conference seating is limited. For more information, call 940-565-4564. The conference is open to the public with no requirement to submit competitive essays or a book manuscript proposal.

For more information about the Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference Competition, contact Jo Ann Ballantine, conference manager, at 940-565-4778.

Warmer Days Bring on Dragonflies and Damselflies
by Ro Wauer

Warmer springtime temperatures mean greater numbers of invertebrates, those cold-blooded creatures that require warm temperatures to become active. One group of invertebrates is the odonates, a fancy word for dragonflies and damselflies. These odonates are some of our most amazing insects. They remind me of hummingbirds, with their ability to hover and fly forward and backward. Unlike any other insects, they can move their wings independently. They can fly up to 60 mph and can lift up to fifteen times their own weight. What perhaps is most important for us humans is that their diet consists of mosquitoes, flies and other types of flying insects. They possess a voracious appetite. One dragonfly in captivity was fed 40 horseflies in two hours. They are capable of eating their own weight in food every half hour.

About 450 kinds of dragonflies and damselflies occur in North America, about 215 species are known in Texas, and more than 75 have been found within the Golden Crescent. And these dragonflies include such catchy names as petaltails, clubtails, darners, spiketails, cruisers, emeralds, and skimmers. Damselfly names include rubyspots, spreadwings, threadtails, forktails, and dancers.

Although some species of odonates can occur almost anywhere, wetland areas offer the best chance to see the largest variety. A large portion of their lives, from eggs to the larval stage (known as naiads) that undergo 17 molts, taking one to two months, occurs in an aquatic setting. The mature naiad eventually crawls out of the water, where it inflates its wings and the body hardens, and the adult takes wing. Away from the water the exoskeleton and wings continue to harden and the colors intensify. It is the adults, because of their fascinating behavior and appearance that received all of our attention.

Identifying dragonflies and damselflies is a mixed bag; some species are readily identified while others are difficult. Step one is be to recognize the difference between the two major groups. Dragonflies rest with their wings held out, horizontally or nearly so, while damselflies rest with their wings help together near the body. Also, the hind wings of dragonflies are wider at the base than the front wings, while those damselflies are similar in shape, both narrowed at the base. Male dragonflies possess three appendages at the end of the abdomen, while damselfly males possess four appendages.

Until recent years, odonate identification was difficult. But two recent well-illustrated books have made a huge difference: John Abbott’s “Dragonflies and Damselflies of Texas and the South-Central United States,” published by Princeton Univ. Press, and Sidney Dunkle’s “Dragonflies through Binoculars,” published by Oxford Univ. Press. So far, since Betty and I, along with son Brent and friends from Austin, installed my own small dragonfly pond two years ago, I have recorded a total of 21 species. Most common have been roseate skimmers, eastern pondhawks, and blue dashers. Common whitetails, band-winged dragonlets, red saddlebags, flame skimmers, variegated meadowhawks, and neon, Needham’s and widow skimmers have also been seen on numerous occasions.

It is very possible that dragonflies and damselflies will become the next great interest in natural history for the average nature lover. Birds have long been at the forefront, and the increasing interest in butterflies has emerged in more recent years. But all of a sudden many of my friends are getting turned on to dragonflies and damselflies. After all, with such neat names and their constant presence, is it any wonder?

Tufted Titmice are a most lively little bird
by Ro Wauer

Along with Carolina wrens and cardinals, the little tufted titmice are one of most vocal songsters. Their loud “peter peter peter” songs can be expected in every oak grove throughout our area. They also sing a harsh “day day day” song, and may even give scolding “tsee-eep” or “seja-wer” calls on occasions. Although their loud mouth behavior can equal that of the wrens and cardinals, their appearance is in direct contrast with that of the male cardinal. They lack any bright colors, but are a rather drab gray, although a closer view will reveal buff-colored flanks. And their erect crest, short bill, and large black eyes give them a bit more character. But what they may lack in appearance, their personality is rather special.

Tufted titmice are inquisitive birds, moving about the tree foliage as well as the trunks and branches, constantly foraging for food. At times they will cling to tree trunks like chickadees, probing bark crevices. At other times they may descend to the ground where they hop about hunting insects. Their flight, as described by Harry Oberholser in “The Birds Life of Texas,” is “bounding, quick, irregular, and accompanied often by spreading of the tail.” And they may be bold enough to come to water or a seed feeder even while you are standing nearby. They seem to love water, either drinking directly from a dripper or a birdbath. Bathing seems to occur irregularly.

Titmice and chickadees are members of the Family Paridae that includes only five species in Texas: tufted, black-crested and juniper titmice and Carolina and mountain chickadees. All are little active birds that utilize cavities for their nest sites, such as natural cavities, woodpecker holes and even nest boxes. Tufted titmice normally mate for life, they line their nest cavity with leaves, moss, snake skins and hair, and she will lay five to seven eggs. Last year’s young will sometimes help with nest-construction. But the female does most of the incubation, although he will feed her a good part of the time she is on the nest. Both parents feed the young that will fledge in about two weeks. The nestlings are fed all types of invertebrates from insects to spiders. The adults will also take seeds and in fall will utilize acorns that they break open with sharp thrushes of their bill.

In spite of mating for life, the adults will sometimes split up during the winter months, joining various bird parties. Birders will often zero in on the those bird parties in winter, that may include a dozen on more birds of various species, because of the loud calls of the titmice. Apparently, the multi-species parties, containing birds that utilize different behaviors while foraging, provide greater opportunities for discovering food, benefiting all members of the party. This behavior is true not just in North America, but southern titmice species play the same role in the tropics.

The range of tufted titmice includes all of eastern North America, south to about the San Antonio River. And black-crested titmice occur to the south and west to the Big Bend Country. These two species were earlier lumped together, but more recent studies have proven they are two different species. This is true even though they do hybridize where their territories overlap. So, our area in South Texas may produce both forms, the plain tufted titmice and the titmice with a black crest. Both possess similar vocalizations and behavior. Both are lively, personable birds.

Neotropical Migrants are Like Returning Friends
by Ro Wauer

Each spring my yard becomes a center for many of the northbound migrants, flying about the vegetation in search for insects and bathing in one of my birdbaths. There are times that a dozen or more of these tiny colorful warblers are present at once. But their activity pattern usually is greatest in mid-morning, like they spend the first hours of daylight feeding, and then they need to bath. And some of those individuals seem to thoroughly enjoy splashing about. Sometimes four or five individuals will crowd in together.

The most abundant warbler species this year and each of the last several years has been the Nashville warbler, with its bright yellow underside, brown back, and gray head with bright white eyeings. Next in abundance, perhaps, is the rather poorly marked orange-crowned warbler; all yellowish-brown except for an orange cap that is rarely obvious. Its orange cap shows best while bathing. One of the most contrasting warblers is the black-throated green warbler, with its black throat, yellow face and greenish ear patch, olive green back, and white wing bars. The black and white warblers that also enjoy a good bath are the black-and-white warbler. This white species, with a black throat and black streaks, has a distinct habit of walking up and down tree trunks. And the little warbler with a yellow throat and chest, with a reddish-black chest band, white belly, gray head with broken white eye rings, and an olive back is the northern parula.

Some of the other warblers seen in my yard this year have included the common yellowthroat, with its yellow underside and black mask; the much larger yellow-breasted chat, with its bright yellow underparts and dark brown back and head, except for its white spectacles; several yellow-rumped warbler; and two additional species that I do not see every year, but are rather special. Most exciting was the worm-eating warbler, a little bird with buffy underparts, brownish-olive back, and buff-colored head with bold dark stripes. It appeared at my birdbath for only a few minutes before it continued on its way toward its ancestral nesting grounds to the northeast.

I found two hooded warblers in a tall brushy area along the edge of my yard. They, along with several resident species, including cardinals, chickadees, titmice and mockingbirds, were agitated about something in or about that site. They all were scolding and raising the roof. Hearing the uproar, I slowly approached, trying to see what was going on. They all were facing the same way, as if there scolding a predator perched in the tangle of vegetation. They seemed to ignore my presence, suggesting they were far more concerned about what was present in the brush than in me. I never did see what they were fussing about, probably a snake, but during the activity I did get some super looks at a male hooded warbler.

It is difficult not to admire a male hooded warbler in breeding plumage. Its coal black hood is divided by its bright yellow face and forehead; its dark eye seems to punctuate that pattern. Its belly is also bright yellow, and its back and tail are olive-brown, and when excited like it was it spreads its tail so that the white edges are obvious.

Many of the northbound warblers are singing, at least partial songs. Their full songs may not occur until they have reached their breeding grounds and begin to defend a territory. Their presence in my yard and other sites along their migration route, give joy to all of us who appreciate each of these little episodes of our natural world.

The Owl's Escapade
By Ron Smith
McAllen Monitor

The 47-foot sloop, Escapade, was under way in heavy fog sixty miles off the Oregon coast bound for San Francisco. Below deck, co-owner Dr. Mark Upham heard a cry from one of his crew of friends,"There's a bird on board!"

When he saw the creature sitting on the deck, he noted two things: it was an owl, and it was heavily spotted. As a Michiganian, he was aware of species like Barred and Great-horned, but this was a very different bird. A brief thought, considering the location, was that it might be the rare Spotted Owl, but this one was only about nine and a half to ten inches with very long legs. A check of the bird book nailed the ID --- a Burrowing Owl!

The immediate question was, "How did it stray out to sea from its prairie home?" The farthest western range of the species is usually the dry side of the Cascades in Oregon and Washington and then on down into California. They do migrate, but not in the general direction of Hawaii or Fiji! Was fog the cause of such poor navigation?

The bird fascinated the crew. When approached or disturbed by some maneuver of the boat, it would fly up, flutter about, and circle the mast but always return to the deck, After a while, it allowed them to approach within inches but refused any food.

Mark is a retired ER doctor, but oddly enough, had treated no owls brought in by ambulance. The only choice they had to help the bird was to go on to San Francisco and hope that the sight of land would urge a flight toward safety. Coincidentally, on that day, Mark's wife, Karen, was at our home in northern Michigan for a dinner party, and so we were able to participate with great interest in the phone conversation.

The plan actually worked. Much later, after passing pods of Humpbacks and looking for Gray Whales, they sailed under the Golden Gate, and the owl lifted off, aiming for the hills, and one would hope, a drier, safer landing.

It is noteworthy that here in the Great Lakes region, sailboats, fishing craft, and freighters also have migrating species land aboard. Sometimes they are known to sit on the wheels or the captains' caps,, exhausted from their long journeys.

Burrowing Owls are interesting species, especially with their long legs, beautiful plumage and unique nesting habits, The notion that they share the same burrows as rattlers, Prairie Dogs and other creatures is a common myth; actually, they do use abandoned Prairie Dog holes, but they are quite capable of digging their own.

They live in a rather cooperative colony with the rodents and both benefit by each others' warning calls. The owls make one that sounds like a rattlesnake. This and the rodents' whistles warn of Golden Eagles, various hawks, Coyotes and other hunters. It is a mutually beneficial relationship.

Cowboys of the Old West used to call them "Howdy Birds" because of their habit of comically nodding their heads.

Here in the Valley we are very pleased when we find them. South Texas is actually a major wintering area for the owl, according to fairly recent work done by the Canadian Wildlife Service and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi..... The studies continue to improve their chances for survival in the Valley's threatened environment.

The owls smoothly adapt during their stay here by using our altered and disturbed habitats.. In all the conversion to agriculture and residential sprawl, there are still sites next to farm fields and other open spaces where the owls can use culverts as burrows. We have seen them in several places along dirt roads and highways nestled into the ditches. This can be hazardous for the birds wherever there is traffic.

One of the most peculiar nesting sites was a regular stop for birders wishing to check off the owls on their life lists, a golf course in the Florida Keys. They could always be found on Marathon at a certain hole of the Tres Sombreros course undisturbed by the strangely clad people carrying large bags and whacking around little white eggs.

You will delight in finding them here in the Valley, but it would be rare to see one land on your boat while cruising the Gulf. Have a doctor on board if you do.

Lords of the Dance
By Ron Smith
McAllen Monitor

The spring flock of sandpipers was spread across the South Padre Island beach in the rich evening light. There were perhaps a hundred or so, and if you were close, you would hear their soft sounds.

There were Westerns, Leasts and Semipalmateds, hungry and tired from their Yucatan hop, some scurrying along the edge of the waves looking for the little lives that they feed on and some snoozing peacefully with heads tucked into feathers.

But things are never very calm for long during migration. Abruptly, the entire flock exploded into the air, wheeled away, changing course again and again in perfect, swirling unison. The cause of their flight was a Peregrine Falcon, a lethal dark arrow hard on their tails.

The flock sped on an inline course to the north, and when no bird broke formation, the raptor veered right and flew back to his water tower perch. There would be more migrants and other chances.

A watcher might wonder how these sandpipers and other flocking birds make such en masse maneuvers without colliding. What bird takes the lead in making decisions about direction? How do they react so quickly?

It is well known that animals in a group are protected against attack because they can present a strong and united front. If one is ill or slowed by age, it will fall away from the rest and meet its fate. That's what predators like the Peregrine, the wolf or the lion wait for. Raptors are less likely to plunge into a swarming mass of bodies because of possible injury. A falcon, for example, is like a finely constructed craft..damage to a wing or leg could mean eventual starvation.

Other reasons for flocking include the availability of many eyes to watch for danger and also the usefulness of the familiar V-formation of geese in conserving energy.

To explain the coordinated flights, some imaginative people have posited electromagnetism or thought transference! (X-files music here) However, there have indeed been scientific studies of this phenomenon. One by Wayne Potts appeared in "Nature" magazine in 1984. (The Straight Dope.com) Several theories arose from the work. He used high speed film and observed frame by frame some interesting facts.

For example, there is no one "Commander Bird." Any individual can make the decision to turn in any direction, and the movement radiates through the entire group in a wave. It is not always the same bird. The best and safest move is toward the main body because birds which turn away are at risk of being separated from safety of the flock and caught by the pursuer.

The reaction of individuals to these changes can be as fast as 15 milliseconds! Potts turned to show business terms for his theory, naming it the Chorus Line Effect. For example, the Rockettes are aware of a leg kick beginning well down the line and react instinctively at the right moment.

It is very easy for an individual bird to create this wave just by flying into the group.
This then is how they avoid bashing into one another as they veer back and forth at such high speed. Individuals become aware of any random movement with such an amazing reaction time.

You can also see a similar phenomenon at the Monterey Bay Aquarium in California. Through glass displays, you watch large schools of silvery fish bank and swirl as if they had one mind in charge.

I prefer to go beyond the science and just delight in the pure beauty of this dance of flight. You can enjoy it even watching a flock of blackbirds coming in to roost at the malls or hospitals in McAllen! A northern experience could be observing hundreds of Snow Buntings as they rise over a winter cornfield like wind-driven flakes, fan out and then settle again to feed. On a Christmas Count in Ann Arbor, Michigan, my wife and I were once thrilled when more than a thousand of them fanned out over the Huron River.

Better yet, go to the island in the spring and watch the masters, the small shorebirds called "peeps." They are the true lords of the avian dance.

The Prankster Song Dog
By Ron Smith
McAllen Monitor

Many mythologies feature a trickster, a hero, god, goddess or spirit who creates mischief and breaks society's rules. At times, the prank is malicious, but it can also result in turning a bad situation into a positive one.

Prometheus was one such figure when he stole fire from the Greek gods. There is also Loki of the Norse myths, Puck in England, and on a less celestial plane, Jack Sparrow of "Pirates of the Carribean."

The Navajo have one: Ma'ii or Coyotl. Like all the others, this trickster can be foolish, wise or both, breaking the rules and disobeying the gods.

According to the legend, the Milky Way was created by Coyote's mischief. He was annoyed because the Holy People were placing the stars in the heavens contrary to his notions, so he put a red star in the southern sky, One Who Roams, his symbol. Then he threw high his whole bag of stars , strewing them across the heavens, and that, my children, became the Milky Way!

If you know the real animal, the cunning Canis latrans, or "barking dog," you know that it is everywhere from Alaska to Panama. Called the Prairie Wolf or poetically, the Song Dog of the Dawn, its wavering wail and yipping bark are unmistakable. We once heard it in the twilight while visiting the eerie and rugged Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the North Dakota Badlands, an appropriate setting for such a thrilling and primitive call. I appreciate it best in our Michigan woods. We used to hear them in Pharr until the housing developments boomed.

Beause of its widespread population and forays, the Coyote has been the target of man for centuries. Since 1891 alone, a half million have been trapped (their fur can be beautiful), poisoned or shot at a cost of $30 million. Sheepmen and cattlemen have taken many to protect their lambs and calves. And the result? The population has increased to the point where they are now living in cities and towns, traveling the parks and streets at night hunting for rodents and other goodies.

They are beneficial in this regard, but they sometimes lose the fear of humans enough to prey on small pets, and some children have been bitten while playing in yards. Coyote jumping ability makes building most fences useless, although areas like Santa Fe, New Mexico still build them.

Many of these crimes are perpetrated by Coydogs, a hybrid of the Coyote and the domestic canine. Coyotes may even interbreed with wolves.. This adds to their size...they can usually only reach 40 pounds, about half a wolf or less.

Our very nature-savvy friends in Austin, Gene and Gary Roberts, wonder about the stories of Coyote predation on pets. They once had a tom cat that would drive coyotes away from the barn to protect his very own supply of rodents! That's rather like David and Goliath.

They also knew of a pair living in a patch of woods near the house. In the dark of night, they would put out food scraps for them so that the neighbors did not know and wonder about people who actually feed Coyotes....hmmmmm.

Proof that this mammal interbreeds with domestic dogs came when the male was killed on the highway and the female mated with a Labrador Retriever! She gave birth to black puppies. It makes you wonder if they had the same knack for swimming and retrieving ducks.

Coyotes can react with humans on other levels as well. Shelley Collier of McAllen relates this story: A friend who owned a ranch would jog every day. One morning he noticed a Coyote running with him on a parallel path some yards away. Interesting, he thought. The next day the animal appeared again and from then on, the aerobic continued for quite a while. What would explain this? Was the animal keeping track of the human's behavior and perhaps protecting young or its territory.

The prankster song dog is indeed a hardy, fascinating and wily creature. It is no wonder it belongs in the pantheon of Native American beliefs and is also such a part of our nation's folklore.

The Tale of the Anole
By Ron Smith
McAllen Monitor

It was a pleasant Valley day at the pool, and the little girl on Spring Break was happy to be away from Michigan's chill. Here there were palm trees, very different birds and flowers to enjoy...and also other creatures..

When a little green one climbed the wrought iron fence in front of her, Lindsey was delighted because she loves all the little live things. "Can I catch it?" she asked her mother. With parental approval, she climbed out of the pool under the gaze of the 55-and-over crowd and ran toward the creature with her three-year-old sister at her heels. She picked it up by the tail, but it detached and the rest of the creature scurried away. Now even more delighted with this phenomenon, she ran back to her mother with the remnant. As she showed it to her, it wriggled! Mother was not amused, and Lindsey obeyed her command to throw it in the bushes.

The little lizard was an Anole, which rhymes with cannoli, although some pronounce it AN-ol It is sometimes inaccurately called the American Chameleon. Though not really a member of that genus, (You know, the one with the gun turret eyes and the long sticky club of a tongue) it too can change color against its background or when ill or stressed. A happy, well-adjusted Green Anole is...green. The outer skin layer is transparent, and the color change is regulated by layers of pigment which determine how much red and yellow or blue go into the palette.

If temperatures are over 70 degrees, the Anole tends to remain bright green. When males are in combat, something unique occurs. The winner stays green, but the loser goes brown. No green with envy here.

These lizards are usually only about seven inches in length, although they can grow to 10 inches in certain areas. There are about 36 species in Florida, and our species may have been introduced to the South Texas area many years ago They can survive north of us all the way to Tennessee.

Anoles live in bushes below fifteen feet, along rock walls and near houses. You may have often seen them on walls or window trim inflating their pinkish throat fans and bobbing their heads to either attract mates or challenge other males for territory. The sun shining through that dewlap is rather striking. No wonder females and rivals are impressed.

Yes, people do keep them as pets, but care should be taken during handling because they are somewhat delicate. Even when biting you they can damage their teeth! They require proper temperatures, so heating pads in the cold weather are necessary. They like an environment of sterile peat moss, ivy or orchids. It is prudent not to put males together. We once discovered why when watching a pair aggressively attack each other...not a pretty sight. Also, proper food is needed such as spiders, moths, cockroaches and grubs.

The "miracle" Lindsey observed is called autotomy. It is an effective escape mechanism when a disgruntled predator grasps it by the tail. Anoles can grow new ones, but they are seldom as long or the same color as the old ones.

It is interesting that there is even a Marvel Comics creature called Anole. He has green skin, possesses sticky feet for traveling over challenging surfaces and can become almost invisible by changing color!

Butterfly Development is Nothing Short of a Miracle
by Ro Wauer

Monarchs have been passing through the Victoria area for several weeks now. Some mornings a dozen or so lift off as soon as the sun hits them, they may cruise about the yard for a time, nectar on a few flowers, and then continue their northward journeys. By afternoon, some of those individuals spend a little more time, sampling the flower nectar, and some of the females find a milkweed plant (foodplant) on which she lays eggs. It reminds me once again of the miracle of butterfly metamorphosis.

Butterfly development from egg to larva, caterpillar to pupa, or chrysalis to adult butterfly is truly remarkable. Butterfly life history is one of nature’s most amazing happenings. And as the spring and summer months descend upon us, that miracle is all around, for all of us to see and appreciate.

All butterflies have a life cycle that is called complete metamorphosis because it includes four stages. Butterfly eggs are tiny things that can be round, spherical, or bun-shaped and may come singly, in small clutches, or in huge masses of up to 50 eggs that are attached by a gluey substance. The eggs are laid on a plant that the hatched caterpillar can utilize as a food source. The eggs can be laid on top or beneath a leaf, on a twig, or even at the base of grass, depending on the butterfly species.

Hatching can take anywhere from a few days to a full year, again depending upon the species. For instance, falcate orangetip butterflies fly only from March into May, during which time they lay eggs and live as larvae; the remainder of the year they occur only as chrysalides. However, most butterflies we see during the year pass through the four stages in only a few weeks, and so we see fresh specimens constantly during the warmer days of the year.

Butterfly larvae, or caterpillars, are true eating machines that spend the majority of their existence consuming plant materials; the exception is the harvester butterfly larvae that feeds on aphids. The body of a caterpillar is divided into the three parts: head with a pair of simple eyes, mouth, and large jaw (mandible); thorax, with three segments containing three pairs of legs for moving about; and abdomen, with ten segments containing five pairs of prolegs, built like suckers to aid in clinging to various materials. The jaws not only can tear plants apart but also assist in transporting food to the mouth. This eating machine’s entire purpose is to convert plant or animal tissue into butterfly tissue.

Like all arthropods, the butterfly caterpillar grows by shedding its skin periodically, whenever the new exoskeleton develops and hardens underneath. Once the new exoskeleton is formed, the caterpillar breathes in extra air and splits the old outer skin down the middle, and simply crawls out of its old skin. This process is called molting.

Finally, when the caterpillar reaches its maximum size, it finds a safe location and spins a form of silken mat, often with a silken thread or girdle as a safety belt. It then hangs upside down and spins a silken sheet, not a cocoon (only moths spin a cocoon), on a leaf or other object. This time, when shedding its old skin, it changes into a chrysalis, an immobile stage in which it undergoes a massive reorganization. This transformation takes a week to several months, depending on the species and the time of year, and includes both internal and external organs.

Its emergence as an adult butterfly is one of Mother Nature’s most incredible feats, going from caterpillar to butterfly, complete with small wings and an oversized body. On emergence, it quickly pumps fluid into the wings from the body that then shrinks to its normal size. The adult has also developed a proboscis (a long coiled suction tube for feeding) and six true legs. Emergence usually occurs in the early morning when humidity is high, temperatures are relatively low, and predators are less active. The first flight usually occurs in the afternoon.

Adult butterflies must have food and water to continue their life process, so they feed on nectar and pollen from various flowers and often also obtain water and nutrients from various sources such as rotting fruit, carrion, dung, and wet soil.

Butterfly courtship involves a rather complex behavior, involving recognition of the opposite sex by wing pattern and pheromones. Pairs often go sailing high in the air in courtship flights. Mating can continue for several hours, but then the female must find suitable plant species on which to lay her eggs. Once she lays her eggs, the process of transformation from egg to adult butterfly begins over again.

Its Mexican Buckeye Time
by Ro Wauer

Everything has its season, and now is the time that our local Mexican buckeyes are blooming. Although the buckeye tree is not all that impressive, the flowers that appear before the leaves emerge, are a gorgeous pink to purple. They look almost orchid-like. And although they are only an inch across, they produce a very pleasant fragrance.

Apparently bees, butterflies and various other insects also appreciate flowering buckeyes, as the buzzing of bees can usually be heard even from some distance away. On a couple of occasions I have watched a number of birds hovering nearby, undoubtedly preying on insects that are there for the nectar. In a sense, buckeyes flower at the same time as the spring migration, so it only makes sense that our northbound birds take advantage of a tree full of available prey.

Watching a series of flowering buckeye trees, I have been able to record a total of 15 butterfly species also taking advantage of the sweet flower nectar. Some of the most consistent species have been the pipevine swallowtail, gulf fritillary, and common buckeye. All three of these butterflies can occur in our area year-round. Pipevines are often abundant and it is not unusual to find a dozen or so nectaring on buckeye flowers. Gulf fritillaries seem less interested, but one can always find a few. And the common buckeyes seem to be more common at buckeye flowering time than usual. Maybe their name originated from their use of flowering buckeye trees.

Some of the other expected nectaring butterflies at the buckeye blooms include giant swallowtails, southern dogface, cloudless and large orange sulphurs, great purple and gray hairstreaks, red admirals, question marks, monarchs, queens, funereal duskywings, and the much smaller fiery skippers.

Our local Mexican buckeyes bloom in March and early April, and then the flowers fade and are replaced by bright green, 3 to 7 inch long leaves. By late summer fruit are obvious. These are 3–lobed capsules, 1 to 2 inches wide, and usually are cinnamon brown and woody. Inside the capsules are very hard, shiny black to brown seeds. These seeds are poisonous to most folks, although there are accounts of seeds being eaten with little effects. Native Americans utilized Mexican buckeye seeds in a number of ways. Southwestern Indians used the very hard seeds in necklaces as well as a hallucinogen.

It is a little sad to think that the buckeye flowering season is so short, and that most of the same species of wildlife will move elsewhere at the end of the blooms. But by then the trees will contain an abundance of leaves and some of our native birds will take advantage of the site for nesting. Cardinals, mourning doves, white-eyed vireos, and a few other species will then take their turns.

Scissor-tailed Flycatchers Are Arriving in South Texas
by Ro Wauer

Of all the Neotropical migrants that pass through South Texas, the lovely scissor-tailed flycatcher is probably the most welcome of all. Few birds have the appeal of this charismatic songbird. Not only is it one of our most beautiful birds, but it seems to prefer a relationship with humans, nesting on utility poles and in trees often surprisingly close to our various structures. Its amazing courtship flights and continuous singing tend to give it an additional appeal. It therefore is often called the “Texas bird of paradise.” And its arrival in South Texas is a sure sign that the new season has begun.

The long-tailed, brighter males arrive first with the shorter-tailed females appearing a few days later. By then the males have already established territories and are chasing competitors away from preferred sites, often the same sites utilized the previous season When the females arrive, the males take on a very different persona, performing some wonderful courtship flights, ascending to more than 100 feet before sailing back, often with outstanding acrobatics. These dramatic flights include up and down flying, much zigzagging, and even reverse somersaults, usually at great speeds and with tails flowing and fluttering and wings out to display their salmon-colored armpits and underwing linings. All the while he is performing, he will be giving cackling-snapping calls. The female will usually join in the fun. Scissor-tails also give a unique dawn song on their breeding grounds that include a series of loud stuttering “pup” sounds that conclude with an emphatic “perlep” or “peroo.”

Like all flycatchers, the scissor-tail’s diet is principally insects, at least during the nesting season. Although most insects are captured in flight, scissor-tails will also take insects on the ground, perhaps more often than most flycatchers. Grasshoppers are a favorite food source. On their wintering grounds in southern Mexico and Central America they will also consume berries.

Although paired scissor-tails are generally loners, as soon as the youngsters are fledged, they will usually join other family groups. In some cases these flocks can include up to 200 individuals. And unlike most other members of the flycatcher family, which usually are quiet after nesting, scissor-tails continue calling until they leave for their wintering grounds in September or October, as well as throughout their migration and in winter. These often congregate at choice sites. And 100 or more scissor-tails can create quite a racket.

Most Texans think of this bird as their state bird instead of the mockingbird, which is the official state bird. That undoubtedly is because of the charisma of this long-tailed songbird, and also perhaps because the mockingbird is so commonplace. While mockingbirds are full-time residents throughout most of the state, leaving only the far northern portions of the state in winter, scissor-tails normally are present only from March through October. But during that period they can be found in all but far West Texas, where they occur only occasionally.

By November the vast majority of the summer resident and migrants passing through the state from Oklahoma, Kansas, and southeastern New Mexico have gone south. Recent records, however, suggest that a few birds remain in South Texas all winter. The rest migrate south of the border where they occur in huge flocks, flycatching over open grasslands, pastures, and fields. But by March they are with us again. Few songbirds are as welcome and admired as out lovely scissor-tailed flycatcher.

Mourning Doves are Common and Widespread
by Ro Wauer

Almost everyone knows the mourning dove. It is one of our most abundant birds, residing in the countryside as well as in our towns and cities. It can be found in every county in Texas. Although mourning doves are readily spooked when approached, they seem to have a strange affinity for humans. Part of that behavior is related to their attraction to seed feeders that we humans place out for songbirds, but they also are known to move from their preferred habitats in the countryside into towns during hunting seasons.

Mourning doves are easily recognized by their plumage color and shape. They are gray-brown color with a scattering of dark spots on the wings and with a pale breast and belly. They possess a small head and reasonably thin neck, and have a long, tapered tail with white edges. And they also have a distinct flight that is strong and swift and produces a noticeable whistling sound. And taking flight or landing they usually will lift their tail up and back down.

During the nesting season, according to Kent Rylander’s “The Behavior of Texas Birds,” “males will often glide over their mates in a spiral pattern, and he also will strut before her with spread feathers while nodding his head. The pair frequently preens each other.” Nests usually are place in the fork of a horizontal tree limb, but they also nest directly on the ground or on various structures such as houses or barns. The courting male will lead his mate “to several sites before choosing the one she prefers, where she builds a flimsy platform of sticks.” There she will lay three or four eggs that are incubated by both sexes. Upon egg-hatching “both parents feed crop milk to the nestlings.” Fledging occurs in about two weeks, and then the family will join other families to form rather large flocks. Those flocks will usually stay together until the next breeding season.

Although mourning doves are far and away our most abundant dove, six additional doves or pigeons (members of the same family) occur in our region. Two are much smaller: Inca doves possess a scaly plumage and long tail, and usually are present around our homes. Common ground-doves lack the scaly plumage and have a short, rounded tail. They prefer open wild areas and only occasionally spend much time in our yards and at feeders. Four species are larger than the mourning dove. White-winged doves, with obvious white wing-patches, often spend considerable time at out feeders. Eurasian collared-doves have only recently invaded Texas; they possess overall gray-brown plumage with a black collar. White-tipped doves, found only in the southern portion of our area, possess grayish-brown plumage with a pale forehead, and white tips on their tail. Finally, rock doves or domestic pigeons can occur almost anywhere and possess a huge variety of plumage colors and patterns.

This time of year is when all of our doves are in their breeding mode, when they begin to defend a nesting territory and spend considerable time, especially in the mornings, singing. And their song/calls are very distinct. Mourning doves, true to their name, give a sad, mournful call, like “who-ah, whoo-whoo-who” with a sharply rising, inflected second syllable. White-wings sing a song that can be interpreted as “who-cooks-for-you.” Eurasian collared-doves sing a similar song but one that sound like an owl, or “who-whoo-whoo.” White-tips sing a higher-pitched, drawn out “oo-wooooo.” Inca doves give a repetitive, hollow “whirl-pool” call. And ground-doves sing a low, repetitious “woo-oo, woo-oo, woo-oo, woo-oo,” with a rising inflection at the end of each syllable. And our rock doves/pigeons sing little more than a muffled “coo-crooo.” My favorite is the mournful songs of our common mourning doves.

Ground Skinks Are Out and About
by Ro Wauer

As our spring weather warms up, a number of wildflowers appear, and our resident birds begin to sing more enthusiastically. But there is yet another sure sign of spring: the appearance of our little ground skinks. They have been in semi-hibernation since late fall, appearing only occasionally on warm days. But now they are active and one of our most abundant reptiles, in spite of being hardly noticed. One reason for this is their secretive behavior, moving about amid leaf litter, only occasionally spending much time in the open. And their generally brown coloration provides them with excellent camouflage. Unless one is actively searching for one of these little skinks, they usually go undetected except if one happens to sees movement among the litter.

Adult ground skinks (scientifically known as Scinella lateralis) are 3 to 5.5 inches in length, are rather plump with a long thin tail, very short legs, gold-brown to blackish-brown back, pale belly, and a close look will reveal a dark stripe along each side. Ground skinks are widespread across the southeastern quarter of the United States. In Texas they occur west through the Hill Country and southward almost to the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Eight other skinks, all of the genus Eumeces, also are found in Texas: southern prairie, five-lined, broadhead, northern many-lined, Great Plains, southern coal, short-lined, and four-lined.

All skinks are smooth and shiny in appearance, and they normally are active and swift and difficult to capture. Although they are considered to be lizards, they belong to a separate family, Scinidae. The majority of skinks are terrestrial, although a few live in trees. Our ground skink very rarely is found anywhere other than on the ground among leaf litter. They can climb, however, but rarely do. Most observations are of lone individuals moving through the liter, snake-like, foraging for small invertebrates that are rapidly consumed. They serve as prey for many larger predators; their numbers offer a ready but difficult food base for a wide variety of species.

Several clutches are often produced each season. Females lay one to seven tiny eggs in the humus, in rotting wood, or under rocks. Unlike other skinks, ground skinks do not protect their nest. Newly hatched babies are less than two inches in length. But almost immediately they are out and about, foraging for even smaller food.

For anyone who does not spend time in the outdoors, you may not be aware of these little creatures. But once one begins to pay attention, you will find them commonplace, whether in open fields, woodlands, and even in yards. Get acquainted with our only skink.

Purple vs. House Finches
by Ro Wauer

A February 10 article in the Victoria Advocate, titled “Birds Shifting North,” with a subtitle “Global warming cited for changes in migration routes,” contained a couple issues that need to be clarified. Firstly, the National Audubon Society study that was mentioned did not suggest that birds are changing their migration routes, but only that several species are beginning to spend their winter months further north than they had in earlier years. Secondly, and totally different, I could not help but wonder how many folks, after seeing the photo of a purple finch, might misidentify our local house finches. Although purple finches do rarely winter in South Texas, the closely related house finch is far more numerous.

The article pointed out that global warming was the cause of many birds shifting their wintering grounds further north. The authors pointed out that the average January temperature in the U.S. has increased from 27 degrees in 1966 to 34 degrees in 2005. The northward shift is indeed a fact, and I suspect that many of our wintering birds that we did not see a few years ago but are now found regularly are the result on climate change. According to the article, the poster bird for this shift is the purple finch that now “winters more than 400 miles farther north than it used to.”

The central reason for this nature note is to discuss the differences between the two finches, so that purple finches will not be reported for what are actually house finches. The two species are not that different, so they could be confused. The females, in particular, are very similar, as both possess streaked underparts. However, the head pattern of female purple finches possesses a broad line through the eye edged with broad whitish bands. Female house finches lack the bicolor head pattern and they are not as bulky as their cousins. Males also have similarities, in that they both possess reddish heads and streaked backs. The head, throat, and back colors of adult male purple finches is more a burgundy-red, while the head and throat of house finches is more a true red color. Plus, male house finches possess a streaked belly and flanks; that of the purple finch is spotty.

There also is a third finch, the Cassin’s finch, that has a number of similarities, but it is found only in the West. In Texas, Cassin’s finches are found only in winter and only in the mountainous areas of the Trans-Pecos. While wintering purple finches are now rare in South Texas, house finches, a species that has a western affinity, has increased in our area in recent years. And they also are increasing in the eastern United States. While it was a rarity when we lived in Washington, D.C. during the 1980s, it is now commonplace there.

All three of these finches are closely related, classified in the same genus, Carpodacus. And they belong in the family Fringillidae that includes goldfinches, siskins, crossbills, and redpolls. The majority of these are of northern affinity. The only two of that breed in South Texas are the house finch (its scientific name is Carpodacus mexicana) and the lesser goldfinch (Carduelis psaltria) that is only an occasional visitor to Victoria County but more common to the south and southwest.

Clay-colored Robin is a Rare Visitor
by Ro Wauer

What a surprise to find a clay-colored robin in our yard! It was among a hundred or so American robins that we found drinking from our birdbaths. The American robins had arrived in a huge flock, like that had during the last several weeks. This flock was accompanied by a couple blue jays and four green jays, also like what we had observed in recent weeks. But also included in this flock for the first time was a clay-colored robin. In fact, the clay-colored robin was a brand new bird, representing our yard bird number 182.

Clay-colored robins are quite different from their American robin cousins. They lack the robin-red breast and the white eye-rings of American robins. They are olive-brown color above and tawny-buff (clay-color) below, with a yellow bill and finely streaked white throat. They are the same general size as the American robin.

This clay-colored robin is not the first ever for Victoria County, but it is considered an extremely rare visitor. It is even rare in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, although it is now considered a full-time resident there, and it has been found nesting in Hidalgo and Webb Counties. It actually is a Mexican bird that barely reaches the United States. So the few sightings north of the Valley truly are exceptional. According to Mark Lockwood and Brush Freeman’s “Handbook of Texas Birds” (2004), single records exist “from Huntsville, Walker County, Lake Jackson, Brazoria County, and Victoria.”

South of the border, clay-colored robins can be fairly common at choice locations as far south as Central America. They can occur in a variety of habitats, ranging from semiarid areas, riversides, broadleaf forests to about 8,000 feet elevations, plantations, and even in urban areas. In the Lower Rio Grande Valley, they seem to prefer well-wooded locations along the river. Clay-coloreds are rarely found in open areas, seldom found foraging on lawns like their cousins. They prefer “secluded thickets, where it quietly gathers earthworms, slugs, caterpillars, an occasional lizard, and other animal food; also wild figs, bananas, and other fruit,” according to Harry Oberholser’s “The Bird Life of Texas.”

Is the clay-colored robin one of the birds that seems to be affected by climate change? The answer is a probably yes. According to Timothy Brush, author of “Nesting Birds of a Tropical Frontier – The Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas,” the species was first recorded in Texas in 1940. The earliest nests were recorded in 1986 and 1988 at Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park. It is now a year-round but rare resident in the Valley, from Laredo to Brownsville. And more northern sightings are on the increase. They are welcome in my yard any time!

Signs of Spring Are Everywhere
by Ro Wauer

In spite of our very dry winter, signs of spring are all around us. Although the spring wildflower bloom has hardly begun, a few early flowering trees and shrubs have begun. Already my agarito shrubs have starting to produce bright yellow flowers, and yellow-flowering huisache trees have been detected in a number of areas. The early spring wildflowers I have so far detected include ten-petal anemone, false garlic, milk vetch, and yellow wood sorrel. Can paintbrushes, puccoons and bluebonnets be far behind?

There are also are early signs of spring from the birds. Perhaps the earliest bird songs to brighten the days are those of the cardinals, but the Carolina wrens express their pleasure as well, singing louder and more spirited than they had during the winter months. Then, Carolina chickadees and tufted titmice add their songs to the springtime chorus. In open wooded areas, Bewick’s wren songs have become more energetic. The soft, melodic songs of eastern bluebirds can be heard about open fields. And the resident red-shouldered hawks begin their courtship, flying overhead and emitting loud calls, all to impress their mates.

A few purple martins have already been detected, although it probably will be another few weeks before our breeding birds return. Their lovely, melodic chirping will soon be heard from an hour before sunup to throughout the daylight hours. To many folks the martins serve as their most important spring herald. And the many additional neotropical songbirds, such as cliff swallows, yellow-billed cuckoos, and painted buntings will return as the days progress.

At about the same time, a number of our regular wintering birds begin moving out, heading for their ancestral breeding grounds to the north. Skeins of geese, especially snows and white-fronts, form long lines as they pass overhead. The sandhill cranes will also be on the move, leaving the feeding fields during March and April, while the larger whooping cranes will begin their departure in April.

Shorebirds also are beginning to move northward. The earliest migrants are likely to include American golden-plovers and upland sandpipers. Some of their cousins, such as black-bellied plovers, dowitchers, and various sandpipers, that have resided on local mudflats and shorelines, move out even earlier. Many of these marvelous birds breed far to the north on the Arctic tundra.

Perhaps the paramount indicator of spring for many of us is the return of the ruby-throated hummingbirds. Although a few of these tiny birds have remained with us all winter long, keeping company with our resident buff-bellied hummingbird, many more ruby-throats will return by March. They will remain through the summer months, and leave for their wintering grounds in late fall, just before our colder weather sets in.

Springtime is an exciting time of year for everyone who enjoys the natural world around us.

Woodcock is One Strange Bird
by Ro Wauer

There are many oddities about our American woodcock! Firstly, it is classified in the bird world as a shorebird, but it never spends time along the shore like other shorebirds such as sandpipers, curlews and godwits. Woodcocks prefer brushy or grassy areas, at least during the winter months that they spend in South Texas. Secondly, woodcocks are weird looking with their very plump body and long, heavy bill. And thirdly, woodcock behavior is so very different than most other birds.

Last week I received a call from Marlin Frederick who informed me that he had a woodcock hanging out behind his house. He told me that this woodcock stayed much of its time in the open, only flying into a brushy area when disturbed. He invited me over to see for myself. So sure enough, when I reached his home he was able to show me this plump, long-billed, well-marked bird sitting on the lawn some distance from woody habitat that I would have expected it to have chosen for its daytime resting site. I was able to see very well and obtain a number of photos, something that would normally be unusual to say the least. My several earlier sightings have been of birds sitting in brushy cover so that unobstructed photos would be next to impossible.

I was able to see all the features of Marlin’s woodcock: a large, plump body, long heavy bill, fascinating head pattern, large brown eyes, and distinct plumage that include a rusty, non-barred belly, barred crown, and streaked brown and black back with a series of gray blotches. It stayed perfectly still, allowing me to get within 15 feet or so, before it finally flew with a distinct twittering sound into the brush.

Another reason I was surprised that Marlin’s woodcock was “out in the open” is that this shorebird normally is nocturnal in its behavior, feeding at night and hiding in the daytime. The reason for it’s larger than normal eyes. They feed primarily on earthworms by probing and they may even foot-stamp at times to help locate prey. They daily eat more than their weight in earthworms, although if necessary they will also feed on various other soil invertebrates. Their bill contains sensitive nerves, in which the sense of touch is highly developed; it can detect the movement of worms in the soil and capture them by probing. Their keen ears may also help them locate prey.

It is too bad that woodcocks do not nest in South Texas, although they do so throughout much of the eastern half of the state. One of the earliest of birds to leave their wintering grounds and begin courtship on their breeding grounds, woodcock courtship flights are a thing to behold. They will fly upward in increasing spirals to 200 to 300 feet, uttering musical twittering notes, and then circling, zigzagging downward, still singing, to alight on its starting point. There it may walk about stiff-legged with tail erect and spread and with its bill pointed downward, resting on its chest. Then it may produce loud, rasping and emphatic zeeip notes. Then it is time for a repeat flight.

Nesting occurs in swampy or moist areas along the edge of brushy sites. Pairs may both sit on the nest, usually facing in the opposite direction, to protect their eggs or nestlings, especially during cold weather. Two broods are the norm. Incubation lasts about three weeks, and the young are precocial, able to leave the nest within a few days. While feeding nestlings, it is not unusual that several adults utilize the same feeding grounds. Unusual for such a solitary bird.

Where might one see one of these fascinating birds? Although Marlin’s woodcock’s is spending its daylight hours in the open, they are more often found by walking through wooded areas. Thicker patches of woods are better than the more open areas; finding a roosting woodcock is not easy. But finding and observing a woodcock at any time is well worth the effort.

An Urgent New Years Request
by Ro Wauer

As the new year closes in, I have considered a number of requests that I might make to my readers. These have included everything from personal savings to saving the planet. And in spite of our economic situation that extends far beyond our own household, city, state and country, my most urgent concern is the preservation of our natural environment. Most naturalist type folks agree that we are losing much of our natural environment because of habitat loss that includes the majority of the plants and animals that live there. Those losses mostly are the result of poorly planned developments, excessive use of biocides, and the careless introduction of exotic species.

An amazing number of folks respond to that concern by asking “What’s all the fuss? So we lose a few wild animals or even a few species?” Well, first and foremost, human beings are part of nature, no matter how well we insulate ourselves. We live in a world in which everything, at least in some subtle way, is interconnected to everything else. Like the strands of a giant web, a weakened or broken strand will continue to decline in strength and usability. Mankind is part of the matrix, not apart from it. Our long-tern existence depends upon a healthy, viable environment. “Whatever you do to the least of my brothers, you do unto me.”

Our most threatened natural resources include our freshwater streams, ponds and lakes; bays and estuaries; prairies; and our forests. Tropical forests are at greatest risk because they contain the highest diversity of plants and animals known to mankind, many of which have not even been identified, and some of those may eventually be the solution to the prevention of the common cold and cancer. But it is projected that we will lose between five and fifteen percent of the world’s species by 2020, approximately 50 to 120 species per day. It has been estimated that three-fourths of the world’s bird species are declining in population or threatened with extinction. About 1,000 bird species (more than 11 percent) are at risk of extinction, while about 70 percent or 6,300 species are in decline. For instance, duck populations in the prairie pothole regions of the central United States and southern Canada have dropped more than 30 percent since 1955.

Frogs and salamanders are even more susceptible to pollution, and they too are declining worldwide. These amphibians, as well as many of our declining Neotropical migrant birds, are like the proverbial canary in the mine. Their declines are a warning that something is dreadfully wrong. But like the accelerating rate of cancer in the human population, we allow lobbyists and advertisers to blind us about the real causes. And America’s Endangered Species Act is so under attack that its value for protecting the myriad of declining species, including those that are part of our most important warning system, is likely to come under the influence of those who care more about the value of the dollar than they do about their own children’s health and survival. If present trends continue, we can expect an annual rate of loss as high as 50,000 species by the year 2020.

The fundamental need as we enter a new year with a new Administration in Washington is to speak out in support of our natural resources. We must not let the recent decay of our environmental laws and regulations continue. It is time we as a carrying people speak out in support of our native plants and animals.

It was Theodore Roosevelt who wrote: “The conservation of our natural resources and their proper use constitute the fundamental problem which underlies almost every other problem of our national life.” And William Hornaday wrote: “The wild things of this earth are not ours to do with as we please. They have been given to us in trust, and we must account for them to the generations which will come after us and audit our accounts.” And finally: “Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees…” Revelations 7:3.

Green Jays Are Back
by Ro Wauer

Green jays are back in our area of South Texas once again. But this year they are present at numerous locations, some of which they have never before been recorded. For instance at least nine individuals in three flocks were found on the Guadalupe Delta Christmas Bird Count (CBC) on Thursday, an area where they had never before been recorded. This was even though dozens of observers have combed the area as part of the annual CBC on each of the last six years. Betty and I found at least nine individuals in three separate flocks on Thursday. And closer to home, we have had at least five individuals in our yard near Mission Valley since November 7. Plus, neighbors have reported additional birds in the Mission Valley area during that same period.

The question that arises is why should these birds suddenly appear in our area? And why did they in 2006 depart after a few weeks and not reappear for two years? Three years ago on the Victoria CBC, counters first recorded a small flock off Lower Mission Valley Road. And a few days later seven individuals, maybe the same flock, appear at our Mission Oaks yard, and another small flock appeared near Mission Valley. All of these remained for about three weeks, and but then departed. Who knows what will happen to the Mission Valley birds this year.

It is not unusual for birds to wander after nesting, some for great distances. Even buff-bellied hummingbirds, one of our resident hummers that are not known to nest north of our area, can usually be found further north even into Louisiana in fall. These birds normally retreat southward by winter. This is likely to occur for our green jays, but their December-January appearance in the Golden Crescent is not part of a normal post-nesting dispersal.

One reason for some bird’s northward movement may relate to changes in essential habitat that could be related to either climate change or destruction of their habitat. It is pretty well accepted that some of the more mobile species, including many birds, can gradually move into acceptable habitats and leave habitats that are no longer acceptable behind. And that behavior of some species moving into new areas may, in a sense, be the testing of new areas. Locating new acceptable habitats eventually may prove useful if it becomes necessary to expand their range.

All of these ideas are possible for green jays. They certainly play a part in the movement of many species, especially birds and mammals. However, even less mobile species possess the ability to shift into better habitats when necessary. If their initial habitat does not meet all their needs they will either move or perish. Our current flocks of green jays are likely to return to wherever they came from by February, but they eventually may become full-time residents in our area. If so, they are more than welcome.