Journals of an Amateur Naturalist

'Difficult' winter ahead for endangered whooping cranes

2012-01-24T18:11:00.003-06:00

'Difficult' winter ahead for endangered whooping cranes

Cedar Waxwings

2012-01-18T14:45:00.000-06:00

Up in the woods I heard a group of cedar waxwings singing in the top of a turkey oak. Ever wonder why they're called "waxwings"? Check out this interesting article on the Minnesota Birdnerd's blog that explains why.

Book: Field Notes on Science & Nature

2012-01-10T19:04:00.000-06:00

For those of you that keep notes while you're in the field this book is for you. I for one love to look through old notebooks of my own to relive exciting observations from the past. Also your very own field notebooks could be very valuable to others in the future.

This description is from Amazon's website:

"Pioneering a new niche in the study of plants and animals in their native habitat, Field Notes on Science and Nature allows readers to peer over the shoulders and into the notebooks of a dozen eminent field workers, to study firsthand their observational methods, materials, and fleeting impressions."

"Covering disciplines as diverse as ornithology, entomology, ecology, paleontology, anthropology, botany, and animal behavior, Field Notes offers specific examples that professional naturalists can emulate to fine-tune their own field methods, along with practical advice that amateur naturalists and students can use to document their adventures."

This is must read book if you're a chronicler of your own nature experiences.

Gambusia Trail II

2011-12-28T07:00:00.004-06:00

On December 11th I drove back to Sabine Pass to finish up with the Gambusia trail and decided to stop off at Sabine Woods first to see what was going on there. When I first arrived it was rather quiet, but that ended soon. Before long I was seeing sparrows (white-crowned, white-throated) along with blue-gray gnatcatchers, red-bellied woodpeckers, mockingbirds, cardinals, Carolina chickadees, eastern phoebes, a hermit thrush, gray catbirds, and American goldfinches.

Along one trail I came across some whitewash on the ground below the branches of an oak tree. This sign usually designates the roosting site of an owl. This was confirmed seconds later when I discovered an owl pellet about a foot from the splatter. I looked up into the tree hoping to find the one responsible, but no luck. Then again they are pretty deft at concealing themselves in the thick upperstory of trees, so I very well may have unknowingly looked right at it.

A little while later I stumbled upon a dead hispid cotton rat. Couldn't find any visible wounds on it. These rats along with the rabbits that frequent this area are the main prey of bobcats, coyotes, owls, snakes and hawks found here.

Had the rat fallen from the talons of a hawk or an owl? Note the pads on the bottom of one of its rear feet. This is good to know when trying to identify tracks.

Years ago someone mounted an owl box on the trunk of a tree on the edge of one of the trails that had eventually become consumed by honeybees. I published a entry on this box a while back showing the comb in its early stages and then how later the house became literally engulfed by it. Hurricane Ike then came through and knocked it from its mount to the ground, shattering it. Returning to this spot I find that a new box had been installed and upon closer inspection through my binoculars I could see a honeycomb inside. It will only be a matter of time before it too will be consumed.

On the way to Sea Rim (and Gambusia Trail) I found a dead killdeer on side of the road that probably had been struck by a passing auto. It was hit so hard one of its wings was knocked loose. I’m surprised I don’t see more of these birds dead along this highway. They prefer the edges I’m sure due to the presence of loose gravel, which is the type of substrate they prefer for nest building, which is no more than a “scrape”. The gravel is a blend of colors that match up quite well with the spotting on their eggs, providing excellent camouflage. I came upon one of these nest sites years ago on this very road and was privileged to witness the distraction behavior performed by the adult that it displays when a predator comes near its eggs or young. It will extend one of its wings mocking an injury to distract the predator to itself and away from its nest. The prior post I speak of is located here.

I finished up the Gambusia Trail loop, not seeing much more than the last trip I made here recently. I came across what I thought was a live fiddler crab, but it was no longer with us.

I also found another long trail of coyote tracks, which I followed until it ended at an area of thick grass near the dunes.I brought along some PerfectCast for this very reason so I could cast a coyote track for my grand-daughter. I normally use plaster of Paris for casting tracks, but this time I used PerfectCast, and I must say it came out much better than the latter. I ordered it from a company called Acorn Naturalists, which by the way has an extraordinary catalog that contains all of the trappings of the naturalist’s trade. While waiting for the cast to dry I sat on the boardwalk and had lunch. The breeze off of the gulf that day was pretty vigorous. I pulled out my smart phone and checked the local meteorological station maintained by the NOAA that is set up right down the road near the ranger’s station. It showed the temp to be 51 and the wind coming from the ENE at 13 knots (15 mph). This calculated the wind chill to be around 46 degrees but the warmth of old Sol made it comfortable, and I didn't complain, especially after the scorching summer we experienced. The only thing that came my way was a northern harrier gliding low, as usual, over the desiccated marsh. Ever so often it would dip really low to the ground and I suspect it does this in order to flush out any prey that might be hiding in the knee-high grass. Best bet is to stay vewy, vewy still (to quote Mr. Fudd). I was recently rummaging through Helen Cruickshank’s book “ Thoreau on Birds”, which by the way, if you do not have a copy of this book, you must get one. It is filled with nothing but interesting bird observations made by the “hermit of Concord”. He must have really liked this hawk in particular, because in his notes he stated “The sight of the marsh hawk in Concord is worth more to me than the entry of the allies into Paris.” Its flight is described well in this passage:

[April 8, 1856] “The marsh hawks flew their usual irregular low tacking, wheeling, and circling flight, leisurely flapping and beating, now rising, now falling, in conformity with the contour of the ground."

He sometimes referred to the harrier as a “frog hawk”.

[April 23, 1855] “See a frog hawk beating the bushes regularly.”

[May 2, 1858] “If I were to be a frog hawk for a month I should soon know some things about the frogs. How patiently they skim the meadows, occasionally alighting, and fluttering as if it were difficult ever to stand on the ground. I have seen more of them than usual since I too have been looking for frogs.”

[April 19, 1858] “He skims steadily along exactly over the edge of the water, on the meadow side, not more than three or four feet from the ground and winding with the shore, looking for frogs, for in such as tortuous line do the frogs sit. They probably know about what time to expect his visits, being regularly decimated.”

After about 45 minutes I pried the cast from the sand and dusted it off revealing a satisfactory representation of the coyote track. Even the claw marks showed up nicely. Grand-daughter is going to like this.

While I was loading my gear into my truck I heard a harrier calling from the ground not far from where I was parked. Was it the one I had spotted moments earlier? I grabbed my camera and slowly walked towards the sound and spotted the bird on the ground about 15 feet from where I stood. At first I thought that it had captured something because, ever so often it would look down at the ground it front of it. I watched, photographed and captured video for about five minutes before it flew. I walked over and searched the area where it had stood, but didn't find anything. Had it tried to capture something, but missed? I was close enough to see its facial disk and owl like head. The video below shows both of these characteristics very well. When it looks straight on at the camera is does appear to be “owlish”.

Geckos

2011-12-20T21:40:00.011-06:00

While tearing apart an old deck in my backyard I caught a pair of nice sized Mediterranean geckos.

Luckily I was able to catch both of them without the loss of either’s tail, which is good for the gecko, seeing that the loss of its tail, which is a survival mechanism, costs precious energy to regrow.

Afterwards I released them in our firewood pile. I have written a couple of other entries on these cool lizards. Check them out here and here.

Book: Fire Season

2011-12-11T16:47:00.001-06:00

I remember visiting a couple of fire towers several years back while attending two separate Earthwatch expeditions. One in Idaho and the other in North Carolina. The one in Idaho wasn’t what you would call a “tower”, was set up on a rocky outcrop atop a small peak, facing an open range of mountains and hills. It kind of reminded me of the lookout that Jack Kerouac spent 63 days in on Desolation Peak as a fire lookout.

The North Carolina tower was an actual “tower” presenting a lofty, incredible view of a stunning panorama. I’ve often wondered what it would be like to nestle oneself in one of these for months on end, gazing over the most beautiful of sights in solitude watching for smoke with plenty of time to ruminate.

If you have ever wondering about what it’s like to be a fire lookout in the middle of a pristine forest, as I have, then I have come across a book that answers that question for you-eloquently. Fire Season, by Philip Conners, part memoir, part history, part this, part that, will take you into this world and leave you wishing you were there. As Conners says “…. every day spent in a lookout is a day not subtracted from the sum of one’s life.” This is definitely a must read.

Gambusia Trail

2011-11-29T21:00:00.005-06:00

A couple weeks ago I took a ride up to Sabine Pass to see what was going on in them there parts. I figured I would explore along Highway 87, stop off at Sabine Woods where a long-eared owl had been spotted, and then finish off with a trip to Sea Rim State Park.

As I was travelling down Highway 87 I spotted several red-tailed hawks flying over a field so I decided to pull over to the shoulder and watch for a while. There was a tree near the side of the road that was full of red-winged blackbirds, and ever so often they would drop to the ground below the tree to feed. One of the red-tails eventually landed in top of a tree that was about 50-60 yards away and began to watch the red-wings with intent. Even though their main prey is rodents, they’ve been known to “stoop” falconlike and attack other birds. (1) I sat there for about 30 minutes hoping that the hawk would eventually bust into the cluster of blackbirds on the ground, but it didn't so I moved on. Also in the area was a juvenile Northern harrier, (aka marsh hawk) which is a winter resident here, and was gliding low over the field. Bent gives a good description of its flight- “a lazy, loafing, desultory flight it seems, but really it is full of purpose, as it quarters low over the ground in a systemic search for its prey.” If you zoom in you’ll notice the “facial disk” on its“owl-like” head.

Impaled on the top row of wire of a barbed wire fence that borders this field was a lubber-type of grasshopper.

No doubt this was the work of a loggerhead shrike*. These insects are toxic to most birds, except for the shrike as I noted here. I went further down the fence and discovered another skewered item, this time a small frog. Not sure of its identity, because of its desiccated condition. Its posture had a gruesome appearance giving the image of an agonizing death.

Still further down was one more victim, either a large cricket or grasshopper that with a large ovipositor.

As I approached Sabine Woods I decided to venture on to Sea Rim and hit this spot on the way back. As I drove along the highway it was obvious how the drought and the brutish heat that we have suffered from this year had hit the marsh areas hard. All of these regions that normally are loaded with ducks of all types were bone dry and barren. I can't remember the last time I saw this environment in such a sad state. Once I arrived at Sea Rim State Park I noticed that the marsh areas surrounding the Gambusia Nature Trail there had suffered the same fate as the other marsh areas.

Named after the gambusia or mosquito fish, the Gambusia Nature Trail has a long boardwalk that negotiates this area allowing one to walk through the marsh to explore.

Normally this area would be flooded and teaming with life- alligators, mink, nutria, raccoons, opossum, skunks, river otters and muskrat are just some of the animals that make this area home. Not to mention the many ducks, shorebirds, marsh birds, crabs, fish, reptiles and amphibians that live here. Coyotes and bobcats* are also found in this area, so to see this is such a state is literally devastating.

I entered the park, paid my entry fee ($3.00) at the self-pay station and found a parking spot. I no sooner exited my truck when a park ranger pulled up behind me. He was just checking to make sure I had purchased an entry permit. We talked for several minutes about the dry conditions and then he let me go telling me to enjoy, that is, what there was left to enjoy. Well in my mind, even though the area was not in a “normal state”, not once did I think that there was nothing there at all to see.

On the contrary, I was thinking about how I now had access to roam in areas where normally there would be water. As I stepped upon the boardwalk I was presented right off the bat with a surprise- a pellet.

Not sure what bird coughed this jewel up, but is was a nice one. All of the items in this particular pellet (fur, bones), is what the gizzard in the bird was unable to break down. Pellets come from a number of different birds- herons, owls, hawks, terns, gulls, crows, grebes, flycatchers, shrikes, eagles, swallows to name a few. I think though it’s either from a hawk or an owl. I’m leaning more towards an owl, because it resembles the many owl pellets I have found below known owl roosts. From photos I’ve compared it to (3), it appears to possibly be a pellet from a barn owl, which are found in this area. It was 11/16" in width and 1 1/2" in length, which falls in the range of reported measurements by Elbroch, et al (3). What puzzles me though is the fact that there’s no perch. Most times pellets are associated with a bird’s nesting or roosting area and there’s no tree nearby and the walkway has no railing so did the bird land on the walkway itself and expel the pellet? Was it flying over when it expelled it and it happened to land here? I have seen gulls and kingfishers regurgitating pellets “on the wing” so I guess it’s possible for an owl. According to Elbroch, et al. (3) the stomach acid in owls is much weaker than that found in hawks. What this means is that when dissected if I find mostly whole bones, then the pellet is probably from an owl, whereas if it was from a hawk all that would be left of the bones would be fragments due to them being broken down by the stronger stomach acid. I picked it up and place it inside a Ziploc bag so that later my grand-daughter and I could dismantle it and check the condition of the bones within. I will report later on what we found.

I glassed the area ahead of me to see if anything was on the move. All that crossed my view was a small flock of sparrows and another northern harrier flying low over the marsh. The stiff winds coming off of the gulf aided at keeping the mosquitoes at bay, which was a blessing, because normally they would be viscious.

On the ground all along the edges of the boardwalk were the holes of fiddler crabs, which even though there is no water present are still active. The only live ones that I saw were just inside the quarter-sized entry hole and would immediately disappear into their tunnels upon seeing me. I jumped off of the boardwalk and began walking where once was not possible.

Scattered everywhere were the sun-bleached shells, claws, etc. of blue crabs that had once thrived here.

There were so many it gave the appearance of a bone yard. Some were still whole and intact, while other had been ravaged by predators that took advantage during this drought to feast on the stranded, exposed crabs. Seems I was not the only one that was taking advantage the dryness that surrounded me. I collected some of the more pristine ones to use as yet another educational tool for my grand-daughter.

As I walked I discovered a trail of tracks left by one of the local coyotes. I followed the trail which eventually led to one of the many areas of clustered reed that is found here. It would not surprise me at all if these canines, along with bobcats and other mammals were taking advantage of these spots for prey and to use as a hideaway for resting. Because when you think about it now that there is no water I’m sure that all makes a models of rodents that inhabit the surrounding fields are also trekking through here attracted to these reed beds, which in turn attracts predators.

I found one track that was large measuring about 3 ½ inches in length (from tip of claws to edge of rear pad) and about 2 ½ inches in width. Quite impressive.

I began to notice that the day was coming to a close and wished I had gotten here earlier so that I could explore even further. Hopefully in the coming weeks I will be able to return and take up where this post leaves off.

*(see my posts about bobcats in this area here, here, here, and here.)

*(see my other posts about the loggerhead shrike here, and here.)

References:

(1) Terres, John K. 1991. The Audubon Society Encyclopedia of North American Birds. New Jersey.: Wing Books.

(2) Wheeler, Brian K. & Clark, William S. 2003. A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors. New Jersey. Princeton University Press.

(3) Elbroch, Mark with Marks, Eleanor 2001. Bird Tracks & Sign. Pennsylvania.: Stackpole Books.

JS112011

American Museum of Natural History Bird Collection

2011-11-22T18:49:00.005-06:00

Check out this cool short video of the bird collection that is kept in the American Museum of Natural History called "Inside the Collections: Ornithology". It gives a brief, but really good explanation of the hows and why of this massive compilation.

Random Notebook Scribblings 7

2011-11-12T18:19:00.000-06:00

~ April 27, 2006-Sabine Pass, TX, HWY 87: about a quarter mile from Sabine Woods I found a live loggerhead shrike in the middle of the road. It must've been struck by a car as it flew low to the ground across the highway. It appeared to be stunned and didn't resist when I picked it up. I tried to get hold of a rehabber by phone, but was unsuccessful, so I placed it beneath some shrubbery hoping it would be ok.

~ "I spent a day by the river It was quiet and the wind stood still I spent some time with nature To remind me of all that's real."
Creed "Faceless Man"

~ July 1, 2006- Camp- Something travelled across the hayfield last night and left its mark in the sand at the camp's entrance. The tracks headed west down CR4850 towards the Pitcher Plant Trail. No claw marks seen (bobcat?). Measured 2 1/4" L X 1 11/16" W in soft sand. Tracks eventually veered off into the thicket.

~ July 2, 2006- Camp- Along a trail that runs parallel to the barbed wire fence along the west side of Mr. Adam's hayfield I found the remnants of a plucked bird. Collected feathers for possible ID. The feathers were on the ground scattered at the base of an oak tree leading me to the conclusion that it was either a hawk or an owl that had plucked and eaten the bird from the branches.

~ July 12, 2006- Camp. Not far from the camera site I found some bobcat and skunk tracks in a muddied area of the trail. Also found a few armadillo tracks on the trail. It should be noted that skunk tracks do not splay- the toes are partially fused (Elbroch p. 191).

~ April 24, 2006- Sabine Pass, TX- Sabine Woods. Deer flies are horrible today. I think DEET attracts them. Don't have a moments peace to observe anything but them. I would rather battle a horde of hungry mosquitoes than a single deer fly.....

~ "A pine needle fell. The eagle saw it. The deer heard it. The bear smelled it." American Indian saying.

2011-11-02T19:49:00.012-05:00

This is a cool video taken by Clay Taylor and Cliff Shakelford of a young Green Heron snatching up a dragonfly.

White-nose Syndrome in Bats

2011-10-27T17:31:00.009-05:00

If you have been reading about this disease that has been decimating bats in the U.S. (killing more than a million), they have finally identified the organsim, which hopefully will lead to treatment. Read more about it here.

Back to the Beach

2011-10-26T17:28:00.001-05:00

Most folks feel that time at the beach is spent only during the summer months. Not us. Anytime at the beach, even during the fall and winter months is welcome. Beachcombing seems to be also better during these off season months. Has something to do with the change in tides and such.

We spent the past weekend there, which even though it's the end of October the temps got close to 80. Typical Southeast Texas climate. I was able to walk the surf for several hours and it was a ton better than our last trip in July. The shelled areas were perfect for trapping shark's teeth as well as sea glass.

By the end of the afternoon I hand a good handfull of seas glass of various colors. Mostly brown was found, which is the predominant color. It mostly comes from beer bottles. I also found some light green glass (coca cola bottles), darker green (7-Up, sprite, and wine bottles), a few cobalt blue (Vick's, milk of magnesia bottles), and a single piece of purple (perfume bottle?). I also found several pieces of petrified bone and a piece of a crab's claw. What was really exciting though was the 16 shark's teeth that I found.

JS102611

Scorpion Surprise

2011-10-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

While cleaning out the cabinets at our camp my wife came across something- a live striped bark scorpion. There it sat in the corner of a baking pan revealing the double row of stripes that run down the center of its back that contribute to its name. It was small, measuring only 1 3/4 inches with its tail extended. When discovered it crawled wildly across the pan with pinchers agape while brandishing its stinger-tipped tail upwards in a threatening manner. Most folks think of scorpions as insects, but actually they’re related to spiders- the family Arachnida. Count the legs- they have eight, insects have six. I think of all the times I got up in the middle of the night, when scorpions are active, and walked barefooted into the kitchen for a drink. Its sting is said to be extremely painful, but fatalities are rare, mostly being due to anaphylactic shock than from the venom itself. Even though it is the most frequently encountered scorpion in the U.S., question is…..how did it get inside? And better yet, where is the hole at which it entered, and even more importantly, as my wife stated, is it the only one? If it is a female had she given birth while inside the house? They can have as many as 50 in a brood. Eek! They’re known to crawl into clothing that has been laid on the floor only to sting the wearer when those clothes were put back on. They’re also known to crawl into shoes. After reading all of this I’m sure in the future I’ll be keeping my clothes off of the floor and checking my shoes before putting them on.

I took it out and placed it into a jar until I could get to it for photos. Later I checked on it and found that it had died. Rather than let such a beautiful creature go to waste, and to be able to show it to my grand-daughter, I placed it into a small vial of alcohol.

JS101611

Random Notebook Scribblings 6

2011-10-04T14:11:00.017-05:00

~ October 1, 2011. I learned something interesting recently about bears (grizzlies and black) in Yellowstone- they eat up to 40,000 moths per day. Army cutworm moths migrate from the Great Plains to summer in the Rocky Mountains. At night hundreds of thousands of these moths feed on flower nectar and during the day they hide in the talus fields amongst the rocks in the upper elevations of the mountains. Bears dig them up here and feed on them, which serve as, believe it or not, a fat source much needed by them during hibernation. It is said that a single moth can provide "as much as half a calorie", meaning 40,000 moths can equal to 20,000 extra calories a day for them.

~ July 1, 2006- Camp. As the smoke from my cigar drifts from my view I see a male ruby-throated hummingbird hovering inches from the tail light on the backside of my truck. Ever so lightly it taps the red fixture with the end of its willowy beak, as if it contained nectar. It either had mistaken the red color of the plastic for a flower or a feeder. Once it realized it had been hoodwinked it zipped away and disappeared into the distance.

~ March 6, 2006- Sabine Pass, TX- Sabine Woods. A glass lizard came scurrying across the trail right in front of me. These "legless" lizards are mistaken by many as snakes. What seperates them is that it has ear openings and eyelids, both of which are not found on snakes. I tried grabbing it, but was unsuccessful probably because I was afraid of activating its survival mechanism of shedding its tail like most lizards do.

~ "Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. We abuse land because we reguard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." Aldo Leopold

~ March 6, 2006-Sabine Pass, TX HWY 87. Found a two foot long live cottonmouth in the middle of highway 87 in Sabine Pass. It had been run over on its hind end where its entrails were revealed. I took photos of it and then moved it to a grassy area off the side of the road where it could expire in peace. What a waste- what really saddens me is the fact that someone probably went out of their way to run over it. All animals, no matter if their venomous or dangerous play a part in the scheme of things.

~ March 12, 2006-Camp. Do butterflies defend food sources? I watched as a pipevine swallowtail chased off a zebra swallowtail each time it approached the flowers of a dogwood it was feeding on.

~ March 23, 2006- Big Thicket- Turkey Creek Trail. Little Wood Satyr (Megisto cymela)- adults rarely feed at all; when they do it is usually tree sap; do not frequent flowers as other butterflies do.

~ April 24, 2006- Sabine Pass, TX- Sabine Woods. Watched a yellow-billed cuckoo snatch small green caterpillars from the leaves of a willow. It would tilt its head from side to side looking up at the limbs above from where it was perched. When a caterpillar was spotted it would shoot straight up, snatch it, and then return to its perch.

Beach Notebook

2011-09-12T08:00:00.011-05:00

The following is a notebook I kept during a family week at the beach this past July.

“There are two ways to beachcomb, and both appeal to me. One is to scan the horizon, gazing over the breakers or down the misty shore until indistinct shapes reveal themselves for what they are. The other is to stroll head down, searching for treasures buried in the sun-bleached sand. I never know which impulse- to scan or to search- will sway me until I wander down to the edge of the sea.”

Richard Bode- from his book “Beachcombing at Miramar”

Crystal Beach, TX Bolivar Peninsula

July 20, 2011 Wednesday

We’ve been here for several days now and the first two days were pretty much consumed by rain. That’s about right. We’ve been going through a drought for the past two months and the week we decide to spend at the beach is when it decided to end. Oh well, the forecast for the rest of the week looks pretty good with a small chance of showers only occurring in the afternoon. I was able to take a ride out onto the beach to check out the surf and it wasn’t like what I had hoped. If you’ve read some of my past “beach” posts you’ll know how I love searching for shark’s teeth. I’ll spend an entire afternoon scouring the shelled areas of the surf looking for these treasures. Over the years I have found several hundred teeth from many different types of sharks. People walk past me wondering what it is I’m looking for, most just pass me by, but some ask what it is I seek. When I explain to them I’m looking for shark’s teeth, some, but not all, look glumly and reply “You do know you can buy shark’s teeth all day long at the local souvenir shops”. I usually give them an awkward gaze and respond “yes sure I do, but where’s the fun in that?” As they walk off with a puzzled look on their face I think how taking the time to find these on your own gives it a different, special meaning. A meaning that makes one feel as if this tiny piece of life was placed there by the surging waves just for me to find. I guess some folks are just plain lazy and don’t know how to have fun.

Later in the afternoon my grand-daughter and I did a little beachcombing. As we were working along the “swash” zone- the area where the waves sweep onto shore, we spotted some coquina clams (Donax variabilis) that had gotten washed ashore. I called her over and told her to watch them closely. Seconds later they began digging their way into the wet sand until they disappeared. She was so excited to see this so I showed her how to find them. I pointed out the tiny holes in the sand and told her to dig there. Sure enough she found one. We began digging until she had a bunch in the bottom of her little blue bucket.

We then walked over to the swash area and began poking them into the sand one by one and then waited patiently until they all began to dig in. She had so much fun, and at the same time learned something new.

July 21, 2011 Thursday

7:30 a.m.- went out on the beach to check the tide- conditions still unfavorable for finding shark’s teeth. The reason these “shelled” areas I spoke of are so significant is that these tiny shards act as “catchers” that grab the teeth as they’re washed ashore. I’ll have to check the local tide tables to see when the next low tide is which would make things much better.

I did come across the sign of a ghost crab (Ocypode quadrata), aka sand crab. It digs a small ½ ” hole in the sand that leads to a deep burrow that ends at a chamber where they remain during the hottest part of the day. They also use these chambers during the winter months. They walk on the tips of their legs which allows them to travel rapidly across the sand. It gets its oxygen from the air through gills which must stay moist with sea water in order to work properly. I watched for quite some time before it came to the surface and revealed itself. Its markings, which it can change at will, blend so well with the surf they’re easily overlooked. Note the tiny claw marks in the sand.

July 22, 2011 Friday

8:00 a.m.- went back out on the beach to find the same lousy surf conditions. Did pick up lots of colorful trash though.

3:00 p.m.- beach combed for an hour……nada, except for a few pieces of sea glass and a small fragment of fossilized bone.

Also found a few more speckled crab (Arenaeus cribrarius) carapaces bringing the grand total to (11). These young crabs were probably washed ashore and then dismantled and eaten by shorebirds.

I also came across a (now extinct) pull ring tab from an early beer can. These tabs were introduced in the early 1960’s and went on to become an “environmental nightmare”. People would pull them off the can and toss them to the ground. These things were found everywhere. Wildlife began consuming them and dying until 1975 when the “stay-on-tab”, which is still used today, was developed.

July 23, 2011 Saturday

11:30 a.m.- after close to a whole week of combing the beach it appears that this trip will end up being a dud as far as finding shark’s teeth goes. I was fortunate though to find a sea bean in a mass of seaweed that was washed ashore.

All in all the surf has been unusually uncooperative which is strange indeed. In the past I have never encountered a time when there wasn’t at least a couple days of surf swathed in shells that had trapped the treasures that I seek. On average I leave with at least 20-30 teeth in my pocket and a pound or so of sea glass. Not so this time, but I do leave with something more important. Memories of time spent with my family, especially my grand-daughter.
JS072011

Wasp Wars

2011-08-30T03:50:00.000-05:00

This summer has been a continuous battle with red wasps (Polistes carolina). There are several spots on the eaves of the camp house that permit them entrance to very nice covered areas to build their nest. They say they're not aggressive unless you tamper with there nest, but I beg to differ. They come after me without provocation. Maybe they’re attracted to the bright colored t-shirts I’m fond of or maybe they just don’t like me coming anywhere near their nest. A pail* of these rusty-colored insects are usually hanging out at the nest’s entrance at the ready for any trespasser that comes near.

And when a threat is identified they release an alarm pheromone that alerts others of the colony causing aggressive behavior towards any intruder. By the way, it is the infertile females that help in the building and defending of the nest. The males or drones only mate and are stingerless. Normally if it were anywhere else I would probably allow them to thrive, but they’re in a high risk area and there’s a chance of my grand-daughter being stung and the threat of anaphylactic shock. So far I haven’t been stung, but I have been tapped on the head several times when I’ve invaded their comfort zone. Had I not been wearing a hat they probably would’ve become tangled in my hair and stings would’ve surely followed. A gauntlet had been thrown down on the ground before me and I was forced to do something. I did what I could, but without being able to get to the nest and saturate it with spray I'm peeing in the proverbial wind.

I retrieved the dead with a pair of tweezers, because even though they’re no longer with us their stinger is still active and can deliver a sting for up to an hour after death. I’ll have to wait until this fall, when they're less of a threat to seal up every crack and crevice that allows them access to the eaves and hope for a wasp-free summer next year.

(*pail- a company of wasps)

New Issue of Chaetura

2011-08-23T19:41:00.005-05:00

The new issue of "Chaetura", the newsletter of the North American Chimney Swift Nest Site Research Project is available for those that are interested. Go here. A really good organization and newsletter if you're interested in chimney swifts.

Green Rain

2011-08-18T05:00:00.000-05:00

I was walking across our vacant lot that's next to our house and noticed something falling from the sky and landing at my feet.

I looked down to see small shredded pieces of green plant material. Looking up into the sweet gum tree I was standing under I see a gray squirrel on a limb hard at work gnawing on one of the tree's seed pods. These pods contain the seeds of the sweet gum tree which squirrels enjoy eating.

These seeds must be pretty tasty to squirrels, because I tried to cut open one of the green pods to reveal them and it was way too much work.

I found a couple of the "aged" seed pods and shook loose some of the seeds and they don't appear to worth all of the labor that it takes to get out of the green ones. But then I'm not a squirrel.

Spider Wasp

2011-08-10T07:00:00.003-05:00

Several of these spider wasps (Anoplius semicinctus) were dancing around on the hood of my truck on a hot summer afternoon. They spent quite a while there and I'm not sure why. Was it their reflection that attracted them? Click here and here to see a cool videos about spider wasps.

Male Widow

2011-08-04T07:00:00.002-05:00

Creeping along on the outside wall of the house near the water faucet was a male black widow. I've found many females around here that I've written about before, (1), (2), but never a male. To tell you the truth I had no idea at the time what a male looked like. The female version though is pretty obvious with her large bulbous abdomen, long spindly legs and trademark red hourglass

The name “black widow” was derived from the idea that the female eats the male soon after they copulate. I’m finding out though that this is not always true. The female is unpredictable when it comes to “sexual cannibalism” of the male. Sometimes she eats him before copulating, sometimes after- because she's hungry. Most times though he leaves unharmed, and that's because most males mate with well-fed females more than ones that haven't eaten in a while, but how do they know the difference? Has something to do with the male sensing chemical and architectural cues in the female’s web that tells him if the she is ravenous or not. (3) All in all, I guess it just depends on what kinda mood she’s in.

Bluebird Blues

2011-07-25T19:22:00.020-05:00

While sitting on the front porch I watched as a male and female bluebird landed on and entered the bluebird box I erected 4 years ago. This year will be the second year in a row that they did not nest in this box. I've seen them land on and enter it during those two years, only to find nothing more than a few strands of pine straw inside. Something had spooked them into abandoning this box as a nest site. Since I'm up here sporadically I'm unable to monitor the box like I do my purple martins at home. But the fact that they nested in 2007, 2008, and 2009 means those years must've been successful. Usually when something stresses them they will abandon the site and look for better digs. So what spooked them? There could be several causes:

Nest site competitors: such as Wrens, Chickadees, English Sparrows, etc. could've entered the nest and tossed the nestlings to the ground, causing abandonment, but then if that had happened I would've found the competitor's nest in the box.

Infanticide: happens with bluebirds (as well as with other bird species) so maybe another bluebird tossed the nestlings because of a territorial dispute, which inevitably led to the abandonment of the box. This usually occurs during breeding season when hormone levels are high.

Fire ant invasion: these ants are found scattered throughout our property, but if they were to blame I would’ve found the skeletal remains of nestlings inside. Plus I make sure to destroy any nests, especially those that are near the box.

Predators: (snakes, raccoons, squirrels, feral cats, etc.) raid the nestbox then usually the bluebirds will abandon it as a nesting site for obvious reasons. I have a predator guard on this box, and see no sign of a predator invasion, so I feel that it was not a predator that caused this behavior.

Parasites: When parasites (mites, blowflies, lice) become intense it will not only cause nest site abandonment, but will also force the adults to abandon young, or the young themselves to jump from the nest. So far I’ve never come across this when I’ve done nest checks.

Paper wasps: I did find paper wasps (Polistes) trying to build a nest several times inside. I did remove these nests and applied soap afterwards to the ceiling to hopefully prevent a repeat of this. Until I checked again recently and found a small paper nest that had been placed on one of the inside walls of the box. I guess since the wasp couldn’t get the pedicel (link) of the nest to stick they then went to the wall which I hadn’t soaped. So I removed it and then “soaped” the ceiling again and all of the inner walls.

After going over all of this through my mind, I have come to the conclusion that the wasps were the culprits. So I think I will try moving the box to a different location (moving it will make them think it’s a different box) and see if that helps. I will also have to make sure that I keep the inside of the box good and soaped to prevent this from happening again. Hopefully this will make a difference.

Good Books

2011-07-10T15:06:00.006-05:00

Good books to Check out:

~ Avian Architecture: How Birds Design, Engineer, and Build Peter Goodfellow

~ Hawks at a Distance: Identification of Migrant Raptors Jerry Liguori

~ American Buffalo: In Search for a Lost Icon Stephen Rinella

~ Kaufman Field Guide to Advanced Birding Kenn Kaufman

~ Field Notes on Science and Nature Kenn Kaufman

~ Demon Fish: Travels Through the Hidden World of Sharks

~ Snake Hunting Guide II- Methods, Tools, and Techniques for Finding Snakes Will Bird

~ Snakebit: Confessions of a Herpetologist Leslie Anthony

~ The Crossley ID Guide: Eastern Birds Richard Crossley

~ Fire Season: Field Notes From a Wilderness Lookout Philip Conners

~ Damselflies of Texas: A Field Guide John C. Abbott

~ Ray Mears Vanishing World: A Life of Bushcraft Ray Mears

Barn Sawllow Nest

2011-06-25T05:00:00.002-05:00

An overcast, very windy weekend at the beach didn’t provide much in the way of excitement, but a barn swallow nest located on a pvc drain pipe beneath the cabin added a bit of amusement to our time there. I didn’t see or hear any nestlings so I’m assuming that the female was huddled over unhatched eggs. Too bad I didn’t have access to a ladder, which would’ve offered a chance for photos.

In the beginning these swallows did actually build their nests in barns, and also in caves, and on overhanging cliffs and even small trees until the increase in other human structures caused a shift in their nesting sites- under porches, beneath bridges, on buildings, in culverts, and as you see, on top of man-made plumbing.

Looking closely at the makeup of the nest you will notice that it is made up of numerous balls of mud. Each one of those mud balls were painstakingly collected, rolled, and inserted by the adults. A bit of grass was added ever so often to enhance the overall strength of the structure. The inside of the adobe nest is usually lined with feathers (usually shed or lost feathers from other birds), grasses, and even algae, providing a soft spot for the eggs to rest. Nests are repaired and reused in subsequent years. There was one instance I found that scavenged monofilament line was used in nest construction which unfortunetly led to the strangulation death of a hatching year barn swallow. (1) Further research found a similar strangulation account involving the use of horse hair. (2) There was also in the literature a report of a barn swallow nest found to contain no mud at all. (3)

Cultural history says that mariners would get a swallow tattoo as a symbol of safe return and as a indicator of sailing experience. “The tradition was that a mariner had a tattoo of this fellow wanderer after sailing 5,000 nautical miles. A second swallow would be added after 10,000 nautical miles at sea.” (4)It was once believed by farmers that if you damaged a swallow nest that it may lead to “cows giving bloody milk, or no milk at all, or to hens ceasing to lay”.(5)

*Photo of reed perched barn swallow courtesy of Jim Stevenson.

Demon Fish

2011-06-10T07:00:00.005-05:00

I've never really been much of a fisherman or have ever had much of an interest in any fishing related shows, but I'm totally hooked (pardon the pun)on Animal Planet's River Monsters. Not only is the star of the show, Jeremy Wade, an interesting fellow, he takes you places you'll probably never fish and catches fish that you probably never knew existed. And not ordinary fish at that. The video below comes from the episode "Demon Fish".

Cool Shrike Videos

2011-05-31T19:00:00.001-05:00

I came across these really cool videos of shrikes, which I've written about before. Check them out:
The Flight of the Shrike and The Blackstart

Loggerhead Shrike Impaled Small Snake on Barbed Wire Northern Shrike

Loggerhead Shrike Loggerhead Shrike Eating Kangaroo Rat Impaled on Yucca Leaf

Unintentional Suicide

2011-05-23T19:34:00.068-05:00

I was driving down Highway 87 when I spotted a turtle squatting in the middle of the road. I check the rear-view to make sure the coast is clear and then pull over on the side of the road. (NOTE: If you decide to rescue a turtle there are a couple things to take into consideration. One, make sure you keep your hands and other body parts away from the business end and second, make sure you keep the other business end pointed away from you or you'll get drenched by a stream of turtle urine that's vigorous enough to knock the paint off a cadillac.) Remember the song “Dead Skunk in the Middle of the Road”?? It could be classified as the “roadkill anthem”. I can’t say that I would run out in the middle of the road to save a skunk from the jaws of death, but I would, and I do, perform this necessary task (to me anyway) for a turtle…..and even a snake as they try and commit unintentional suicide. Heck, I even let others know about my intentions via a bumper sticker......

And I have done this countless times. Most times it’s a red-eared slider, but I have rescued box turtles and crotchety old snappers a time or two.

I even guided a large cottonmouth to the road’s edge. Lots of my friends thought I was especially nuts to do this. They thought I should’ve ran over it. Guess their thinking is a little different from mine.

Hey, they’re just trying to get to the other side of the road and I’m more apt to stop and help rather than do what most would do and splatter them on the highway. I’ve seen people literally go out of their way to convert a crossing animal, especially a snake, into road pizza.

I’ve had people say “it’s just a turtle” as if it won't make a difference. As I plunk the slider into the water-filled ditch it reminds me of the “Starfish Story” written by naturalist Loren Eiseley years ago, and I think.....it made a difference for that one.

2011 Purple Martin Notes 4

2011-05-12T06:23:00.000-05:00

As I walked under the first gourd rack I looked up to see a SY (second year) male looking down at me. I then looked at the ground below the gourds to see more pipped eggs. Checking on the ground below your martin housing can reveal all sorts of goings on. Today I find bad goings on.

Early in the day I had observed a male and female English sparrow entering one of the gourds where before contained a purple martin nest with two eggs, which were missing and could be included in the destroyed eggs I found on the ground. English sparrows will pip eggs as they usurp the nest of other birds. I decided to set up a gourd insert trap in that particular gourd to see if I could catch one of them, particularly the male. You see capturing and killing the female will not stop this mayhem, because the male will only find another mate. Kill the male and the female will abandon the nest and it’s over. Now I know many of you reading this (whom probably are not purple martin landlords) may object, but you must understand that this invasive, non-native species (along with the European starling) are very destructive to not only purple martins, but many other native songbirds in this country. And to allow them access to your purple martin housing will only cause your martin’s lives to become a living hell. In a nutshell- unless you control these pests you have no business putting up martin housing, because you’re doing more harm than good. Unfortunately I was unable to catch it…… today anyway.

There was some good news though….I found a total of eleven new little nestlings. In one gourd I found four young and one unhatched egg that had been pushed near the entrance. This egg was either infertile or addled. It is amazing how the adult female can tell if an egg is “no good”.

I’ve been told by folks at PMCA that they theorize that they do it by feel. This is not the first time I’ve seen this. Several years back I took an egg that had been pushed from the nest and marked it with a pencil. I then placed the egg back in the clutch with the others. Five days later when I performed the next nest check I found that the marked egg had once again been pushed out. Amazing….

NOTE: NEVER REMOVE UNHATCHED EGGS FROM A PURPLE MARTIN NEST UNTIL THE END OF BREEDING SEASON, UNLESS THEY ARE OBVIOUSLY ROTTEN, BROKEN, OR LEAKING.

Other suggested reading:

House Sparrow Revenge

House Sparrows and Starlings Are Super Competitors

Why Landlords Should Conduct Weekly Nest Checks

Don't Throw the Eggs Out!

Ivory-billed Woodpecker Post

2011-05-10T18:42:00.009-05:00

After posting yesterday about the possible ivory-billed woodpecker sighting I was told by an ornithologist friend of mine that the information is questionable. He told me to go to this blog that explains why. Sorry if I got anyone's hopes up......

Ivory-Billed Woodpecker Sighted and Recorded

2011-05-09T21:03:00.010-05:00

ScienceDaily (2011-04-29) -- Scientists working independently in three states have now published articles that report multiple sightings of and various forms of evidence for this elusive species, which is extremely difficult to observe and photograph due to its rarity, wariness, and tendency to roam over wide areas in remote swamp habitat. During two encounters with an Ivory-billed Woodpecker, one researcher heard high-pitched calls that seem to match the description of an alarm call that was reported by James Tanner in the 1930s but was never recorded. ... read full article

Here are links to video taken: 1, 2, 3, 4 (note "peent" call), 5, 6, 7 Some of the video takes a while to load.

Here are links to audio files: 1, 2

Here are readme files for above audio and video: Readme

Sora

2011-05-03T17:14:00.000-05:00

Back in February, once again, my wife's keen eyesight picked up on something. She pointed it out and asked "What is that on the roof?" Looked like a large leaf to me. So I glassed it and to my utter surprise- it was a sora (Porzana carolina). I have seen many types of birds in my own yard- blue jays, cardinals, mockingbirds, the various warblers and sparrows, grackles, starlings, finches, waxwings, etc., etc. etc., but never did I think I would see this marsh bird in our yard much less on the roof of our porch.

These birds are winter residents here and migrate north to their breeding grounds. The only thing I can figure is that this one was migrating in that northerly direction and took a pit stop on our roof to rest. It seemed to be in a daze while I photographed it, but after several minutes it stood up, alert as ever and flew away.

Lookin' For Hoodpeckers

2011-04-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

There's nothing more wonderful than when your grandchild begins to show an interest in what you're interested in. Ever since she was old enough to understand I began to introduce my little sweetheart to the outside. So many kids these days choose to be stuck indoors watching tv and playing video games. As writer Bill Heavey said in a recent issue of Field and Stream magazine "Too many kids are becoming indoorsman". I decided from the start that she will grow to know the natural world around her. She will learn the names of birds, and bugs, and snakes- everything that crawls, slithers, swims, and flies. I will also teach her to love and respect nature and how it is important to our survival. So when she took my binoculars and looked up into a tree I knew that the seed I had planted was beginning to take effect. I asked "Whatcha lookin' for Eisley?" and she replied "I'm lookin' for a hoodpecker paw paw". Even though she got the pronunciation wrong it still brought a smile to my face. That's my girl.....

Suggested reading:

"Last Child in the Woods" by Richard Louv

"Sharing Nature With Children" by Joseph Cornell

Purple Martin Notes 3

2011-04-26T20:00:00.001-05:00

It has been eight days since my last nest check, which is a little late. I normally do this every five days, the rule of thumb being every 5-7 days.

Before I got started I found an egg on the ground that had a gaping hole in it. Tiny black "sugar" ants had discovered it and were feeding on the contents. It's a good possibility it was an English sparrow or European starling that possibly "pipped" this egg. But then again, it could also have been another purple martin that's responsible. Sometimes the urge to mate becomes so intense in unmated SY (second year) males they will destroy a nest of eggs and even kill young in order to get the parents of those eggs/young into thinking reproductive failure has occured and consequently dissolving the "relationship". This in turn frees up the female for the unmated SY male to then possibly have a partner. This behavior is termed "infanticide". I wrote an article about my experience with this for the PMCA several years back. This behavior is seen in other species of birds also.

The check yielded a total of 45 eggs not counting the single egg I found in a vacant gourd. This is odd to find an egg where there isn't even a nest for it. Why did this happen? Was the egg infertile and moved to this empty gourd by one of the parents? Normally they would either push an infertile or addled egg out of the nest bowl or completely out of the nest to the ground. This is what I like about being a landlord- lots of interesting behaviors and questions to be pondered.

Purple Martin Notes 2

2011-04-19T19:31:00.023-05:00

Yesterday I found the first purple martin eggs of the season nestled in a nest’s bowl. So far I've got nests in 22 of my 32 Supergourds and hopefully each will be filled with eggs in the days to come. I'll know more in about four more days when I check them again. One of the local cooper’s hawks has been busy. I watched the other day as a male grackle mobbed it while it flew away with a nestling in its clutches. Hope they steers clear of my colony…

Bill Deformities

2011-04-16T04:00:00.002-05:00

Something odd is occurring in the state of Alaska. Twenty-eight species of birds, migratory as well as resident species, have been seen with bill abnormalities and, as of yet, no one knows the cause. Of the twenty-eight species involved, black-capped chickadees have shown the highest incidence followed by the Northwestern crow, red-breasted nuthatch, black-billed magpie, Steller’s jay, and downy woodpecker respectively. Photos of other birds with bill abnormalities: American kestrel, common raven, white pelican, northern flicker, rough-legged hawk, red-tailed hawk, red-winged blackbird, Clark's nutcracker. To read detailed accounts about this go here: (1), (2)

Journal articles involving bill deformities: 1) Abnormally Long Bill in Young Curve-Billed Thrasher 2) Passerines With Deformed Bills 3) Bill Deformity in a Blue Jay 4) Bill Deformity in Catbird 5) Bill Deformities in the Robin, Black-throated Blue Warbler and Willet 6) Incidence of crossed bills in Inca Doves 7) Odd Performance of a Flicker with a Malformed Bill Photo courtesy of USGS.

Purple Martin Notes

2011-04-09T04:00:00.000-05:00

Here we go again.... My purple martins have begun nest building and while doing nest checks I came across this dead ASY (adult second year) female. Intra-specific fighting among females pretty much occurs at the beginning of every season when females battle it out for their chosen nest site. I've written two blog posts about this before here. So far fourteen gourds out of thirty-two have nests in them. Hopefully this season will be a profitable one, but then there's hurricane season looming in the background.

Feather Identification

2011-03-26T07:00:00.000-05:00

Ever comes across a feather on the trail or even in your yard and wondered what bird it came from? Well there is a website published by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service's Forensic Laboratory called "The Feather Atlas" that helps to identify any flight feathers of the wing and tail found on birds. I just came across this recently, actually by accident, and was totally excited when I found it. Follow the steps on the website using its search tools and it will lead you in the right direction to identifying your find. Using it I was able to classify the above as a wing feather of a red-shouldered hawk. Just remember though that the Federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act prohibits anyone, unless you have a special scientific salvage permit, from possessing feathers from any bird native to this country. So it's best to take photographs of the feathers you find for identification and leave the actual feather where it lays.

Camp Workday

2011-03-14T04:00:00.006-05:00

I spent the last day and a half up at our camp, mostly working, but even during those times of all work and no play I still keep my eyes and ears open. The outside of the camp house needed cleaning so I was about to start on that when I saw a small eastern fence lizard creeping out from under the house.

I've written about these before and as you may recall they are incredibly fast and hard to catch. I remembered having a small aquarium net inside, so I retrieved it and it worked perfectly. It was a male, identified by the beautiful blue markings on its throat and belly.

After photographing it I went to release it on a small wood pile out front and noticed a larger one basking in the sun, so I grabbed the net and was lucky again. This one was three times as big as the first and a bit more aggressive as it tried to bite me several times.

Notice the tail of the larger lizard. You can see where it had broken off (defensive measure or "tail autotomy") and grown back. Each time I grab any lizard I'm very careful not to involve the tail in the capture so as not to cause its loss. Losing the tail can spare its life from predators, but it is costly. Protein and fat which is needed for energy now has to be diverted into growing a new one.

Carpenter bees were very active as they were buzzing around me as I worked, I'm sure looking for a nice spot for to tunnel. A male (expressed by the white patch on its face- females lack this) landed on the electrical panel allowing me to get some nice shots.

I checked my bluebird box that has been up since 2007 and unfortunately they have not yet begun building a nest. Last season was the first time since I put this box up that they did not nest in it. Still haven't figured out why.....wasps?? I checked my neighbor's box on the way home and found that he had a nest and one egg. Good for him. Hopefully there's still a chance for my nestbox this year.

There were lots of butterflies flitting by throughout the day- mostly swallowtails-zebra, tiger, black, spicebush, and an occasional monarch. Birds seen and/or heard- tufted titmouse, Carolina chickadee, northern cardinal, red-bellied woodpecker, mourning dove, chipping sparrows, blackburnian warbler.

In full bloom, among other things, was the yellow jessamine vine. It seemed that everywhere I looked this vine was present. This woody, trailing vine is poisonous to humans (contains alkaloids). In fact if honeybees from nearby hives use this plant solely for nectar gathering, the honey produced could be toxic.

Though poisonous to humans it is though harmlessly browsed by deer and its nectar also fed upon by ruby-throated hummingbirds, spicebush swallowtail butterflies, and other insects as seen inside the flower.

Though work was the agenda for the day there's always time to observe what's around you.

Southern House Spider

2011-03-01T07:40:00.002-06:00

I found this large spider strolling across the floor in the lab where I work and scooped it up into a cup to find that it was a female southern house spider (Kukulcanka hibernalis) also known as a "crevice weaver". First described in the mid 1800's by the French American arachnologist Nicholas Marcellus Hentz, it does have a menacing look to it, but will not bite unless its trapped.

Some people mistaken the male for the brown recluse (Loxosceles reclusa) because of shape and color and due to the prominent groove down its thorax, which in combination with the dark area of the head behind its eyes, suggests the presence of a "fiddle" as found on the recluse. One difference between the two is eye arrangement. The recluse has three sets of two eyes that are in an "arc" arrangement, whereas the house spider has eight eyes grouped together. Also, the recluse got its name because it's "reclusive" meaning you usually do not see one scurrying across the floor. Because most of the people I work with are arachnophobes and would've squashed it in a instant, I decided to take it home and release it so it could live its life.

Nature's Healing

2011-02-23T08:00:00.002-06:00

Spending time with nature can surely heal the soul during times of stress and anxiety. Recently my wife’s cousin emailed her telling of the stress that she had been going through taking care of her elderly parents and the way my wife responded to her brought tears to my eyes and I felt that I had to share this with everyone. When they were young they spent lots of time at their grandmother’s home in the country. A time filled with happiness that my wife tells her to go back to……

“Hang in there! When you get home go sit where it is quiet and think about us when we were kids at MoMo’s house in the country. We would run so carefree in those fields. We just went where the wind took us. No stress, no worry. Just us and nature at our feet waiting for us to explore and conquer. Go there and remember. I promise, you will feel the weight of the world lift off of your shoulders and it will be replaced with the abundance of joy that filled our lives then. I went back there many a time---and to tell you the truth it was very hard to come back to reality. But I knew in my heart that it would always be there for when I needed to go back. Back to the happiness that we always found there at MoMo’s house in the country. I love you.”

John Burroughs once said- “I go to nature to be soothed and healed, and to have my senses put in order”. It seems my wife and Mr. Burroughs think alike…..

Screech Owl

2011-02-08T19:22:00.001-06:00

We received a phone call from our neighbor Rey and all he said was for me to come to his backyard immediately and to bring my camera. When we got there we found perched on a hose rack was a beautiful screech owl with “red phase” plummage. We were all baffled how it seemed fearless as it was only about three foot off of the ground and right in front of us. It was totally aware of our presence as it would follow me as I walked in front of it. Its closeness and obvious fearlessness tempted me to reach out and touch it, but I decided not to because I wanted it to hang around as long as possible, so we could all take in the beauty of this bird.

These owls, smallest of the “horned" owls, are mostly nocturnal and come in two color phases- red and gray (the most common) and either color can be male or female. Both red and gray phase can pair up having young of both colors. These cryptic colors blend in well with their surroundings, meaning you usually hear them before you see them. Screech owls breed late winter into early spring and have clutches averaging 3-5 eggs that take approximately 26 days to hatch. Young are seen to by both male and female parent and fledge around 31 days. They do not construct their own nests, but will utilize naturally occurring or abandoned woodpecker cavities, unused mailboxes, holes in utility poles. Conner reported a screech owl that had displaced a pair of pileated woodpeckers from their recently excavated cavity.

Seeing that natural tree cavities are scarce in suburban areas they will take advantage of bird boxes and have also made use of boxes intended for wood ducks. They will not only use all of these to nest in, but will also use them to roost after nesting season has passed.

Screech owls are opportunistic predators meaning they will eat whatever food is available. And other birds are high on the menu. Birds including warblers, sparrows, blue jays, downy woodpeckers, the young of chickens, catbirds, cardinals, goldfinches, buntings, thrashers, flickers, robins, inca doves, blue jays, common grackles, northern mockingbirds, etc., etc., etc. Speaking of sparrows, there was an article in an issue of the Journal of Field Ornithology that talked of a screech owl that was going after sparrows (white-throated and song) that had been mist netted for banding. Even a roughed-grouse, a bird much larger than this owl was reported as prey. My neighbor also discovered a headless warbler, that was later identified by an acquaintance of mine as an orange-crowned warbler , nearby on the steps of his deck about four feet from where the owl was perched. It is my belief that the decapitated warbler was captured by the owl, because they've been known to de-head prey.

Insects are also on the menu including beetles (May and June), fireflies, moths, centipedes, roaches, most anything that comes crawling along. They not only catch them on the wing “flycatcher” style with beak or claw, but will also pursue them hopping on the ground. Fish are not a common food but I did find a couple instances in the literature- one involving a goldfish. The observer watched the owl descend from a hanging pot to a semi-circular fish pond that was in his backyard containing goldfish. He watched as is fluttered on the water’s surface and then fly away with the fish in its talons. Another instance occurred back in 1889 where the recorder found a dead screech owl inside a fish trap that had been set in a spring. He concluded that the owl had dropped onto the water after a fish and ended up somehow in the trap where it drowned. And a final article spoke of fish remains found in the gut of a dead screech owl. Other noted prey: Crayfish, earthworms, mice, bats, rats, voles, snakes, frogs, newts, spiders, scorpions, squirrels, shrews, salamanders. Caching is done by these owls and is believed to be executed when food supply is sporadic or unpredictable. Sometimes this is done during breeding season, but not exclusively. This is also seen in shrikes , snowy owls, prairie falcons, kestrels, to name a few. Screech owls will usually cache their prey either in the nest, along with nestlings, or somewhere nearby (i.e. on rafters). Cope and Barber in 1978 reported that numerous one-day old dead chicks were found cached on a shelf inside an enclosure by a screech owl where chickens were being housed, some decapitated. Was the decapitated warbler headed for storage?

My wife not only found a fresh owl pellet on the ground (note the tooth protruding) but also noticed another owl (gray phase) right above us on a branch.

We began to look around and found several other older pellets that contained the bones of a rodent.

There was also whitewash all over the roof of a doghouse that was under the tree. After about twenty minutes of giving us its permission to ogle over it, it flew up and landed on a branch of a nearby hackberry tree.

My neighbor is of Mexican heritage and said that his grandmother once told him that owls were harbingers of bad luck and death. Though I'm not superstitious I'll go with the superstition of my wife's cajun heritage who believed that owls were old people who have left this world and should be respected.

Feral Visitor

2011-01-20T08:00:00.001-06:00

I had just opened the front door to get a bit of fresh country air when a large male feral cat came strolling by. He was doing what a cat does- stalking patiently, eyes ever so attentive to the ground in front of him hoping to find something to snack on. So I decided to sit back and watch. There are lots of pine voles in this area as evident by the many sandy mounds scattered over our 11.75 acres of property.

Three crows flying overhead spotted the feline and swooped down landing in a nearby oak tree, and then did what crows do best- mob. They began to squawk loudly diving upon the cat forcing him to take cover in our barn and stayed inside until the crows lost interest and flew away. He then began to slowly stalk the hayfield where it borders the forest.

Through my binoculars I watched as the big fellow would stop, sit and scan the area in front of him and then after several minutes move on. Eventually he ended up at the far end of the hayfield near my neighbor's house. By the way he began to tense up I knew he had spotted something. He then jumped into the air and came down hard, and as he turned his head I could tell he had something in his maw. He then slowly trotted towards the woods to eat its catch in privacy. I immediately grabbed my camera and ran towards the area where the cat had entered the thick brush hoping to get a glimpse of what it had captured. When I arrived I began looking for tracks, but was not successful since the ground where it had walked was covered with leaves and pine straw. I searched a while longer and then decided to go back and exam the scene of the crime hoping to find some type of "sign" that might indicate what it had captured.

It wasn't long before everything was explained. I found a fresh vole mound and not far from it was a large vole-sized hole. The rodent must've been peering from this hole when the cat spotted it and then pounced.

Bluebird Blanket

2011-01-11T05:30:00.000-06:00

I awoke around 4 a.m. to hear drizzling rain tapping on the roof of our camp house. A cold front came through early Sunday morning dropping temps to around 40 degrees. Along with 20 mph winds from the ENE it gave the outside air a bit of a bite when I walked out onto the front porch. Later that morning I saw a bluebird perched atop the nestbox I put up for them several years ago. I'm sure they've been roosting inside it, because bluebirds are known to bunch up together in boxes to keep warm during cold nights. I opened it up to find only a small bit of pine straw on the floor, which doesn't look like it would provide much in the way of a comfortable place to sleep in the cold.

I had saved a small ziploc bag of dryer lint for an instance such as this so I fluffed it up and placed it inside. This should make for a nice, cozy blanket for them to sleep upon, which I'm sure they will apprecaiate.

Camera Trappin'

2011-01-04T18:38:00.023-06:00

Today I received my Sony DSC-P32 Cybershot that I recently won on ebay. It was purchased to use in a trail cam I will be building using a kit from Snapshot Sniper. Trail cams with actual digital cameras in them take much better photos than the ones you buy at your local "hunting" store. This weekend I hope to be out in the inards of the Big Thicket to scout for a spot to set it up. It has been awhile since I've set up a camera in the woods and my renewed interest was spurred by none other than the Camera Trap Codger. Any photos captured will be published in future entires. Stay posted!

Front Porch Ramblings

2010-12-15T21:00:00.003-06:00

While out on the front porch of our camp enjoying a nice cigar (Acid Maduro, if anyone is interested), a red-headed woodpecker came my way landing in the ash tree that resides out front. It's probably one of the pair that hang around here. Red-heads are less likely to peck for insects as with other woodpeckers and instead, most times, prefers to flycatch for them much like bluebirds do from a perch. This is a striking bird and has acquired many other names do to its colors: patriotic bird, shirt-tail bird, jelly coat, flag bird, tri-colored woodpecker.

They're omnivorous meaning their diet varies greatly consisting of fruits, vegetables, seeds, acorns, insects, to even the eggs and young of other birds. It is also a caches food, hiding insects, sometimes live, and seeds under bark, in cracks, and even under the shingles of roofs for winter use. This woodpecker was once vilified due to its supposed damage to fruit crops and the eggs and young of other birds. Audubon didn't talk to kindly of this woodpecker as evident in a quote from Cleveland Bent's Life Histories of North American Woodpeckers:

"I would not recommend to anyone to trust their fruit to the red-heads; for they not only feed on all kinds as they ripen, but destroy an immense quantity besides. No sooner are the cherries seen to redden, than these birds attack them." He goes on to say "They have another habit, which is that of sucking the eggs of small birds."

Others are quoted as saying:

"....I consider it a veritable butcher among our nuthatches and chickadees, driving every one away from its nesting sites, and woe to the bird that this villian can reach".

"A redhead, seeing a young lark sparrow flutter in the grass, attacked it and might have killed it, had I not intervened. He struck the young bird at one of his lores and had brought blood. I have also seen this woodpecker attack a young bluebird, on the ground, just after it had left the nest".

"His victim was too much mutilated to identify positively, but looked like a half-grown bluebird, whose head had been crushed in, the brain abstracted, and the entire rump and entrails torn out."

Crawling nearby was a red wasp that appeared to have gotten in a scuffle with something more aggressive than itself. Its wings were tattered in a way that it would no longer be able to fly.

Speaking of wasps I noticed under one of the awnings a paper nest with a small wasp on it. Odd I thought, since this is late in the year for this to be happening. A closer look revealed that the wasp was in fact dead, but yet still perched upon its paper creation.

Earlier I had checked my neighbor's bluebird house and found that something had been chipping away along the edges of the entrance hole. Usually squirrels will do this to enlarge the entrance hole of a birdhouse to facilitate an easier entry, but since I have a predator guard on it I kinda doubt it was responsible. But then again we all know how ingenious squirrels can be. One other possibility is that it could be a woodpecker.

Resident Buckeyes (Junonia coenia) are active as they usually are this time of year. They overwinter here in Texas, making it kinda weird to go outside when its 40 degrees and see butterflies flitting around. The large eyespots on each wing supposedly serve to "startle" or distract anything that might want to eat it. Its beautiful frontage was featured on the U.S. 24-cent postage stamp.

We recently had a barbed-wire fence put up along one side of our property. So far I haven't seen any use of the barbs by the few shrikes I've seen in this area. Give 'em time. But what I did find was a tuft of deer fur that had apparently been left behind as it jumped the fence.

Not far from that on the lower rung of wire I found another bit of hair that was snagged from something that had crawled under it. It was not coarse and mostly gray in color. There was one strand that had a dark band at its center band. This coloration makes me think of a raccoon.

Remnants

2010-11-26T05:37:00.002-06:00

What you're looking at is the bloodied remnants of a dove. Moments before I took this photo I had walked upon an incredible occurrence- one that happens rarely to anyone. I had just returned home from the grocery store and was walking to check the mailbox when I noticed, right before me in my own front yard, a Cooper's hawk resting aggressively upon a lifeless white-winged dove. Naturally I immediately froze where I stood not believing my good fortune. The hawk, not wanting to forsake its lunch, just stood and glared at me, acknowledged my presence, and then went right back to plucking feathers from the stagnant bird. I’ve observed these hawks crash numerous times into the local oaks where vast flocks of these meaty “pigeons” roost. Squirrels are also on the menu as I remember once watching as a Cooper’s swooped down from nowhere and snatched one from the limb of a sweet gum right before my eyes. Most people are oblivious to such happenings, which to me, is a shame. All you have to do is pay attention. Believe it or not I was able to slowly back away while it continued feeding to slip into the house and retrieve my camera. I walked out of the front door to see it still busy, when everything went downhill. For some odd reason our postman decided to deliver our mail earlier than usual which brought about the barking and howls of every neighborhood canine in earshot. That provided the necessary incentive for the feathered predator to grab his meal and finish it elsewhere undisturbed. I stood with mouth agape as it lifted the dove in its talons and disappeared in the distance leaving behind this tuft of feathers as the only evidence- without me getting a single photo to make this entry complete.

Witnessing the raw nature of an “animal kill” such as this, may seem gruesome to some, but in my mind it portrays the predator’s skill at finding, observing, and studying its prey, and knowing the precise moment to make its move for the capture, takedown, and kill, all of which is necessary in order for it to survive for one more day. To the naturalist, experiences such as this are indeed rare and indeed cherished. Even without a photo…….

Furry Fury

2010-11-08T18:49:00.055-06:00

This furry teardrop-shaped object is the caterpillar of the southern flannel moth. It is said to be (for what it's worth) the "best" known stinging caterpillar in Texas and also one of the most venomous in the U.S. In fact, Texas ranks highest in envenomations.

This particular pelage of brislty hair has a hidden feature. Note how it has a ridge that runs down the center of its back. Beneath this ridge are rows of spines, similar to porcupine quills, that are hollow and each connected to a sac of venom. When rubbed against its sting causes a burning sensation- close to that of the tip of a lit cigarette.

I say this because I speak from experience. When I was a young lad one of these decided that it wanted to crawl on the arm of a lawn chair that was in our front yard. Well then I decided that I wanted to sit in said lawn chair. Needless to say I was unaware of the fuzzy visitor and put my arm right on top of it. And believe me it wasn't there long. It will select a branch in an oak or other deciduous tree or shrub soon, encase itself in a cocoon for the winter and emerge next spring as a harmless fluffy moth.

Reference:

Envenomation by the asp caterpillar

Sabine Pass Trip

2010-10-30T19:02:00.130-05:00

This past Monday (October 25) I decided to head over to Sabine Woods (formerly known as Grim’s Woods and owned by the Texas Ornithological Society), one of my favorite haunts, hoping to catch some of the last remnants of fall migration. As I approach the city limits of Sabine Pass I still catch glimpses of the carnage left by hurricane Ike. It’s hard to believe it’s been two years since it collided with our shores. When I arrive, I'm greeted by a stiff southerly breeze hurtling in off of the gulf, which I’m thankful for since it helps keep the hungry mosquitoes at bay, and allows my concentration to stay focused on the other wildlife.

I checked the website (on my Android) of a local meteorological station maintained by the National Data Buoy Center and it shows the wind direction coming in from the SSW at 16 knots, with gusts of 21 knots.

I check the log located under the covered area near the entrance to see what birdlife has been seen and find 14 species of warbler listed along with many other birds.

The main trail had at one time consisted of a wooden boardwalk, but hurricane Ike did away with that. Thanks to local volunteers whom have maintained the trails, birders still have a way to get around. I decide to head over to a particular area where a water drip is located.

I sit on the bench and watch as a number of warblers- Nashville, black-throated green, common yellowthroat, yellow-breasted chat bathe and drink from the ground bath that lies under the copper drip tube. Other birds such as a red-eyed vireo, blue jay, catbird, and a blue-gray gnatcatcher also visit. I also watched as a female ruby-throated hummingbird flew up to the tip of the tubing to get a drink on the wing. After about 45 minutes I decided to do a little exploring along the various trails that traverse these woods. Gulf fritillary, monarch, and sulfur butterfly species were present.

I came upon the bird box that I had written about back in March 2008 that had been consumed by honey bees. It had fallen from the tree it was mounted on and now lay on the ground. One of its walls had come off revealing the inside of the box that once housed a massive hive. A nearby hackberry tree was covered with old sap wells left behind by yellow-bellied sapsuckers that are winter residents here. Some of the wells had sap oozing from them which is also an attractant to butterflies and other insects as well as hummingbirds.

I came across a pair of lifeless, tattered monarch wings lying on the ground near the base of the hackberry tree. Most of the thorax and abdomen were gone leaving only enough tissue to bind the wings. Monarchs are in the middle of their migration towards Mexico as I write this, and the SSW wind I spoke of earlier is not conducive to their journey, but a cool front will be coming through from the north by the end of the week, which should help send them, along with the migrating birds, on their way. I look closely at the wings and notice that they belonged to a male, due to the presence of a distinct spot, known as the andoconium, found on each of the hind wings, which are responsible for emitting pheromones.

There’s a particular area of oaks in these woods that has a thick upper story known to be a good area for roosting owls. I’ve accidently spooked a few barn owls in the past from their daytime roost. On the ground lots of whitewash can be seen denoting an area where one had roosted, and after a few minutes of searching I came across an owl pellet lying in the ground litter. Note the portion of skull with tooth protruding on the left side.

Turk’s cap (Malvaviscus arboreus), aka- Drummond Wax-mallow, Texas Mallow, Mexican Apple, Red Mallow, May Apple, Wild Turk’s Cap, Bleeding Heart, is a native perennial shrub of Texas and is a favorite of hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees for the nectar it provides. Birds and other fruit-eating animals feed on the small red marble-shaped fruit that are mealy and have an apple-like taste to them. Livestock occasionally browses its leaves. The flower petals and fruit, I’ve read, also make a good tea.

A bobcat had left its presence in the sandy trail. I spotted one back in 2005 here that was strectched out on the walkway near the entrance.

I was able to get a nice photo as seen below, before it slowly rose from the ground and trotted off into the dense cover.

Not far from this track on the edge of the trail I find sign of another mammal that walks these grounds. At the base of a young pecan tree on one side is a swipe of dried mud. This rub was left by a feral hog right after it wallowed in the mud.

These swine pests are not native to this country and it is believed were introduced here way back in the late 1600's by Spanish explorers as domesticated livestock. They eventually became free-ranging and feral which led to their eventual control over Texas lands. Hogs rub to remove excess mud or just to scratch an itch caused by parasites such as fleas and ticks. They'll rub on whatever's available- trees, fence posts, utility poles, and rocks. Looking down at my feet I find the sign of yet another mammal.........a golfer ;-)

My journey home is finished of nicely by the sighting of a total of 14 scissor-tailed flycathers, doing what they do best- flycatching from power lines.

Gator Country

2010-10-15T16:05:00.001-05:00

One of my granddaughter's favorite haunts is Gator Country. She could go here everyday and not get tired of it. Gator Country is a wildlife adventure park and restaurant that includes a alligator rescue and rehab program. They even have their own television program on CMT called "Gator 911"

We had lunch while waiting for the educational program to begin, where they talk about the history of Gator Country along with exhibiting live animals such as juvenile alligators, crocodiles, and snakes.

During the program they presented a juvenile alligator and crocodile along with a boa constrictor. My granddaughter had to touch the boa, but stayed back a little when she saw the opened mouth of a juvenile crocodile.

The main reason she has been here so many times though is because of "Big Al". This alligator is the largest one in captivity in the state of Texas and second in the U.S. From stem to stern this reptile measures an easy 13 feet and weighs near a half a ton. It appears every bit as monstrous as he emerges from his pond and approaches the handlers.

I was a little uncomfortable about how close they were getting to Big Al, cause if he had a hankerin' he could easily charge and there's nothing they could do about it.

At one point one of the handlers sets a rock on the tip of his nose while his toothed maw is agape. He then snaps his jaws shut. I have a video of Big Al doing this, but Blogger is having some sort of problem with uploading video, so as soon as that is fixed I'll post it in this entry and then let everyone know.

Interesting Reading

2010-10-04T20:00:00.003-05:00

Researchers crack cuckoo egg mystery

ScienceDaily (2010-09-22) -- Researchers have discovered that cuckoo eggs are internally incubated by the female bird for up to 24 hours before birth, solving for the first time the mystery as to how a cuckoo chick is able to hatch in advance of a host's eggs and brutally evict them. ... > read full article

How Birds Spot The Cuckoo In The Nest

ScienceDaily (2008-07-21) -- It's not always easy spotting the cuckoo in the nest. But if you don't, you pay a high price raising someone else's chick. How hosts distinguish impostor eggs from their own has long puzzled scientists. The problem remained largely unsolved while looking at it through our own eyes. It was only when people started thinking from the birds' perspective that they began to understand how hosts recognise a cuckoo egg in the nest. ... > read full article

Tiny, new, pea-sized frog is old world's smallest

ScienceDaily (2010-08-25) -- The smallest frog in the Old World (Asia, Africa and Europe) and one of the world's tiniest was discovered inside and around pitcher plants in the heath forests of the Southeast Asian island of Borneo. The pea-sized amphibian is a species of microhylid, which, as the name suggests, is composed of miniature frogs under 15 millimeters. ... > read full article

Fragmented forests result in more snakes, fewer birds

ScienceDaily (2010-05-04) -- Monitoring both prey and predator, researchers learned that rat snakes accounted for a high percentage of cases of nest predation. Because snakes spend so much more time on the edges of the forest, that's where bird nests should be most vulnerable, but the opposite was true. They go into the forest to feed, then return to the edges. This knowledge of habitat preferences of rat snakes is starting to explain why forest fragmentation usually results in increased nest predation for forest birds. ... > read full article

Nestbox Surprise

2010-09-26T04:10:00.016-05:00

On the outside of my bluebird box I noticed a paper wasp (aka umbrella wasps)that appeared to be gathering wood to be used as nest building material. Wasps of this species are very aggressive when approached whether on their nest or not. As I walked towards the house I got its undivided attention immediately as it glared at me. I eventually spooked it off and opened the side panel of the box to reveal a nice sized nest dangling from the center of the ceiling- and it was loaded.

Bluebirds have to deal with several types of nest site competitors such as- English sparrows, tree swallows, wrens, but one competitor, the paper wasp, known as a “non-avian” competitor can become a problem not only for the bluebirds, but also for the landlord.

Checking for wasp nests is one of the duties of a bluebird landlord, because the presence of these can prevent bluebirds from using that particular box and even lead to nest abandonment for obvious reasons. One way to keep them from building inside your house is to rub a bar of ivory soap on the wood (inside and outside- i.e. eaves) which prevents the stem or “pedicel” of the wasp nest from sticking. Vaseline applied with a paint brush has also been used as a preventive measure. Some have resorted to stapling insecticide strips inside housing, but having these chemicals near the birds is really not a good thing. I had applied soap in the past, but it eventually degrades, so after removing the "competitors" I re-soaped.

Mermaid's Purse

2010-09-10T07:00:00.001-05:00

While beachcombing on Bolivar Peninsula with my granddaughter, we came across an interesting find- an object kinda creepy in appearance. There in the sand entangled in some sargassum seaweed were, what is known in beachcomber parlance, as “mermaid’s purses”. Actually they were the egg cases (chondrichthyes) of a species of skate. Skates, closely related to sharks and rays, release their fertilized eggs inside these tough, leathery-like vessels which protects them from predators.

The embryo forms inside this case feeding on the included yolk as it develops. Horns and tendrils on each end of the case allow it to be anchored to seaweed, sand, and rocks. The horns, I’m sure, are responsible for its other name- “devil’s purse”.

The case is formed inside the female’s body. “Respiratory canals” located at the base of the horns allow oxygen saturated seawater to flow through the interior of the egg case supplying the embryo. It takes about 12 weeks for the skate to hatch as it breaks free from the seam between the horns . At first I thought she would be afraid of it due to its strange appearance, but instead she wouldn’t put it down.

Sources:

1) Skates

2) Skate development

Outdoor Expo

2010-08-23T15:31:00.002-05:00

Several weekends ago we went to an “outdoor expo” that’s held each year and is made up of companies and regular folk that sell their outdoor wares- from boats to knives, to camping supplies, to deer stands. But what my 2 ½ year old grand-daughter, was there for was to see the “nakes”.

Each year there is a group of guys who bring along a pile of western diamondback rattlesnakes and even a spectacled cobra in order to make the expo a bit more entertaining. When I told her about this she wanted nothing more than to see them.

There was a four foot wooden wall with plexiglass “windows” that surrounded the area where the snakes were. Kids were able to walk up and look through these windows to get an up close look at the diamondbacks that were scattered about the floor.

I know she is still very young and does not understand everything I say, but I still preach to her not to be afraid of nature, but to always respect it, especially when it comes to an animal that can be deadly.

I worry as she observes the snake handlers as they walk around nonchalantly amongst all of this venom as if they’re nothing more than garter snakes. At times not paying attention where they step. And then another who walks over to the spectacled cobra that is standing at attention on a small table and kisses it on the back of its head.

I don’t want her to get the wrong idea so I try and explain to her in the simplest of language that these particular snakes are the ones you do not touch. She nodded her head as if she understood while mesmerized as one of the handlers picks up and forces a rattlesnake’s maw wide open with a snake hook revealing its deadly hypodermic fangs.

Potter's Wasp

2010-08-10T15:53:00.000-05:00

Attached to the lanky branch of a plumbago (Ceratostigma plumbaginoides) that inhabits our yard are three marble-sized mud “vases” or “pots”, as they’re sometimes called. The architect of these tiny works of art is the female potter’s wasp, specifically Eumenes fraternus. It has a jet-black body with ivory-colored markings located on the abdomen and thorax. They are also known as mason wasps and provide natural control of caterpillars and beetles larvae that can be detrimental to the plants in your garden. These “solitary” wasps feed on plant nectar and can sting, but are not as aggressive as paper wasps, which will vigorously defend their nest.
In Frank E. Lutz’s “Fieldbook of Insects”, published in 1918, he states that “This is an extensive family (of wasps) and, from an economic standpoint, of great importance to our farmers and fruit-growers, very few of whom know anything at all of the great benefit they are deriving every year from these brightly marked wasps. Their prey on destructive Lepidopterous and Coleopterous larvae, of which they must destroy many thousands every year."

The female constructs the nest by collecting a drop of water and then mixes it with dirt to form a ball. Her saliva is also added to the mix which is believed to add strength to the mixture. Each mud vase or “brood cell” is provisioned with captured and paralyzed caterpillars that are still alive, but in a “zombie-like” state. A single egg is then laid in the narrow-necked jar of mud alongside the prey and then mama wasp seals it up. As the bee larvae inside develops it feeds on the provisioned caterpillar (or caterpillars) until it further develops to the stage where it then wraps itself in a silky cocoon that eventually hardens. Once a fully developed wasp, it eats it way out of its cocoon and mud incubator as seen by the exit hole in the photo.

Snowy Egret with Possible Tumor

2010-07-18T08:00:00.001-05:00

It’s being reported that a snowy egret (Egretta thula) has been seen with what appears to be a softball sized tumor on the joint of one of its legs over at Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. One report said that “it seemed to be very reluctant (or unable) to fly”. This is very unfortunate because if it is in fact unable to fly that makes it easy pickings for a predator.

I tried to find information on this in some of the major ornithological journals, and only came across an article that talked of a great egret in Japan that had a tumor on the carpal joint of one of its wings. Seems tumors such as this are quite rare.

David Phalen, the Director of the Wildlife Health and Conservation Centre, University of Sydney had several ideas to its identity: “This is a very interesting and unusual lesion. It could be a number of things, but there are two or three that a most likely. The most likely is that this is a type of slow growing cancer that is only locally invasive. An example of this type of cancer would be a fibrosarcoma. Another similar disease is called a xantoma which is a cancer like growth but is filled with inflammatory cells containing cholesterol. These often develop after an injury. Poxviruses can cause cancer-like lesions and while this would be unlikely it is possible. My last idea is that this is a reaction to something like fishing line that might be wrapped around the foot."

Interesting stuff….

*Photos courtesy of Janet Rathjen*

Mysterious Orb

2010-07-01T08:00:00.002-05:00

When I'm outdoors I always keep my eyes open for potential blog material. I work on being as observant as possible exploring every sound, every object at my feet, in the trees, in the water and in the air. Being this way has paid off time after time, leading me to discovering some particular feature of the vast thing we call nature.

Several days ago I was buttoning up our camp, preparing to leave when my eye caught an object on the ground. I think it was actually the color of the object that got my attention. It was a little bit smaller than a marble and was the color of patina. I picked it up and noticed that it was covered with tiny holes, as if something had chewed on it.

It looked really familiar to me and moments later I knew what I held in my hand- the egg sac of a wolf spider. Not long ago I had posted a blog entry about a wolf spider I had come across that was carrying one of these. Some spiders attach them to their web, but wolf spiders, which do not spin webs, carry their eggs sacs with them. The female lays hundreds of eggs, encases them in a round silk case, and then attaches it to her spinnerets . She will then carry it until, somehow, she knows they are ready to exit the silken incubating orb. Maybe she feels them moving inside.......

She will then chew holes in the egg sac allowing her offspring to escape. Once the spiderlings exit they immediately climb upon their mother's back where they will stay until their first molt.

A Coachwhip Goes to School

2010-06-18T14:35:00.000-05:00

I received a text message several weeks ago with a picture attached of a large coiled snake. Seconds later my phone rang and it was my wife who’s a teacher saying the picture was of a snake that was at the school where she works. This is the second time I’ve gone there for a nature related incident. If you recall from a previous post, I went there to retrieve a dead Cooper’s hawk that had crashed into one of the school’s windows.

When I arrived there was my wife with several other teachers and students observing the snake, which turned out to be an eastern coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum flagellum), coiled up behind a large wooden pallet that was leaning up against the building. I've written several blog entries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) related to this specific snake in the past.

I reached with my snake hook and began pulling the snake towards me, which immediately generated an aggressive response. The old saying that a snake can hit a target with its strike up to a distance of half its body length was confirmed today as it came within inches of hitting me in the face.

I’ve caught several of these snakes in the Big Thicket and none of them exhibited the aggressiveness that they are well known for, but here’s one that has survived thus far in a residential area that displayed every one of the intimidating behaviors I’ve read about. The serpent repeatedly struck at me letting me know that it wanted to be left alone, but I knew if I didn’t capture and relocate it, it would surely be introduced to the fine edge of a shovel.

After trying several times to pull it towards me it decided to dart rapidly in the opposite direction out from behind the pallet. When this happened everyone watching scattered, except that is, for my wife- instead she ran towards it. You have to know my wife. She has Cajun blood coursing through her veins and is not afraid of much. Not even a four foot long pissed-off coachwhip. The other teachers stood in disbelief as she cornered it preventing its escape until I got there. I then forced it into a large plastic container and slapped the lid on it. The next day I drove up to our place in the woods and released it where it will have a much better chance of surviving.

Mediterranean Gecko

2010-06-03T07:00:00.009-05:00

While cleaning off our potting table in the backyard I captured a Mediterranean gecko that was concealed in a small mound of dried leaves. These lizards are an introduced species and made its way to this country by stowing away on ships transporting goods. It is not considered invasive and this is due to the fact that they have not in any way threatened any of our native animals. It is also considered to be one of the most successful species of gecko due to its spread over much of the world. It is the only lizard that emits vocalizations consisting of squeaks, clicks, and barks during territorial battles and when accosted. They have a break-away tail like most other lizards that helps in its escape from predators.

They’re very adept at climbing due to their unusual toe pads, have no eyelids and are the only gecko found in the U.S. that has elliptical pupils. Being nocturnal they can be found near porch lights, which attract insects. They can also be found inside homes, in wood piles, in cracks and crevices, etc. Note how the skin on their backs is covered with wart-like tuberacles.

Catching this lizard was wonderful, but the really cool part was when I turned it over. The skin on their belly is semi-translucent and enables you to somewhat see its internals. Look closely at the photo and you’ll notice two large white eggs that she is probably about ready to lay. The eggs, once laid are soft and soon harden. Females lay 1-2 eggs, the hatching young receive no parental care, and juveniles can be identified by the more pronounced banding on their tails. After photographing her I released her in our fire wood pile.

Purple Martin Colony Notes 2010

2010-05-21T18:51:00.001-05:00

May, 10 2010

On or around the first of May I was outdoors and began hearing the mobbing calls of several species of birds. Looking towards my martin colony I spotted two Cooper’s hawks flying overhead, one with a bird in its talons. These are probably the same two hawks that have frequented this residential area for many years. Several male grackles, a blue jay and three purple martins banded together to mob the hawks, eventually driving them away. All this happened so quickly I was unable to identify the unfortunate bird that had been captured. It very well could’ve been a purple martin since it occurred over my colony. Moments before the incident I recall hearing their song overhead. It’s sad and not something a purple martin landlord wants to witness, but I guess everything’s gotta eat. I remember years ago watching a hawk snatch a European starling on the wing, and what an incredible sight that was. European starlings and English sparrows are not native to this country and both are vicious nest site competitors of purple martins as well as other songbirds. In my opinion (and I’m certain most martin landlords will agree) they can eat all of the European starlings and English sparrows they want. I normally do a nest check every 5-7 days, but I was busy and allowed 7 extra days to go by before checking again. On April 27th I had only 4 eggs and today I had a total of 81 eggs counted in 21 gourds. This confirms that so far I have 21 pair of purple martins, which is about average for my site. There are seven other gourds though that have nests in them, but no eggs, and I hope at least some of these will have eggs the next time I check.

A friend of mine recently established his own martin colony after several years of disappointment. It got to the point that he was about to give up, but I encouraged him to keep trying. It eventually paid off and he now has an established colony consisting of two pair. The only thing is he’s reluctant to manage it. He’s afraid that if he so much as talks near his housing they will leave and never return. This, of course, is totally untrue.

One of the main responsibilities is the conducting of weekly nest checks in order to prevent this. Purple martins will abandon a nest or entire colony if the wrong situations occur. These are listed the PMCA’s (Purple Martin Conservation Association) article entitled “Twelve Reasons Why People Lose Their Purple Martins”.

May 18, 2010

Today’s nest check presented not only an increase in egg numbers (94 eggs), but also 9 brand new nestlings.

I always tap on the pole that supports my gourd racks before I lower them just to let any incubating adults inside know that I’m present. No sense in surprising them. They’ll exit the gourds and along with the adults that were perched on the racks will fly to a nearby sweet gum tree or to a perch that I provide where they watch and wait for me to finish my landlord duties.

Today one lone female decided that she wasn’t going to leave her eggs. She eventually left the gourd, which enabled me to count her five glistening eggs.

By the way, the reason the egg’s shell begins to “shine” is due to the rotation of the eggs by the adults as they’re incubated so that they are warmed evenly. The eggs rub against the nesting material (leaves, pine straw, and small twigs) as they’re turned polishing them.

Texas Coral Snake

2010-05-06T22:00:00.002-05:00

Last summer I came across a road-killed Texas coral snake (Micrurus fulvius tenere) about 1 mile from our camp. I knew of their presence in the area, but the chances of seeing one were pretty slim since they’re a secretive lot preferring to burrow underground and under swathes of pine straw. In fact there have been reports of coral snakes being plowed up by farmers in their fields. (1) This reptile belongs in the family Elipidae along with mambas, cobras, and kraits which should get anyone’s attention.

It doesn’t have the large triangular head, retractable fangs, elliptical pupils, heat sensing pits, or the aggressive temperament of the pit vipers (Crotalinae). It actually appears innocuous in its harlequin-like colors, in such a way that you want to pick it up to admire its beauty. These colors though are meant as a stern warning to stay away. With this is mind, other snakes such as the mountain kingsnake, scarlet kingsnake, milk snake, and scarlet snake, mimic the coral snake not in exact band order, but with bands consisting of similar colors that confuse would be predators aiding in their own survival. Sayings (mnemonics) are abound using catchy rhymes to help the uneducated differentiate between coral snakes and the nonpoisonous mimics. “Red and yellow kill a fellow”, “Red and black, friend of Jack”, and “Red on black, venom lack” are a few examples. Though meek in appearance the coral snake’s venom should be taken very seriously. Most people think of the diamondback rattlesnake as being the most potent of the four poisonous snakes found in this country, but few know of its venom’s strength……. it’s four times as potent as that of the diamondback. It can’t inject the large volumes of venom like the pit vipers, but being more potent means it takes less. Once it latches on it begins to writhe like a dog gone mad, chewing with the small fixed fangs in its upper jaw in order to inject its neurotoxic venom. After the bite is complete, unlike the pit vipers hemotaoxic venom, there’s no immediate pain, massive swelling, or tissue destruction, but soon to follow are its systemic effects, which could lead to serious consequences- respiratory failure and death. Just because it’s pretty, doesn’t mean it’s nice.

Footnotes:

1) There are species of coral snakes in other countries that do not possess the red, yellow and black bands, the bands are in a different order, or don’t have bands at all. Check them out: Aquatic coral snake, South American coral snake, Langsdorff's coral snake, Cattinga coral snake, Pygmy coral snake, Variable coral snake, Brazilian coral snake, Desert coral snake, Regal coral snake, Southern coral snake, Amazonian coral snake.

2) Diet consists of lizards, ground skinks, small snakes (ex. rough earth, ring-necked, ground, red-bellied).

3) Other common names- American cobra, candy-stick, thunder-and-lightning snake, viper, coral adder.

4) Oviparous- meaning it is an egg layer.

5) It will use its tail as a distraction to predators by flattening it and waving it back and forth “like a menacing head”. This is all while its true head is protected beneath its coils.

6) Coral snake bite symptoms.

7) To read about someone's experience after being bitten by a coral snake: Part I and Part II.

8) One must be very cautious around poisonous snakes – even recently killed ones. Though dead it doesn’t mean it can’t still bite- yep you heard right. The “strike and bite reflex” of a snake that's been recently killed can still remain active for awhile following death. Even if it’s a detached head you could still be bitten. (2)

References:

(1) Handbook of Snakes of the United States and Canada Vol. II. A.H. Wright and A. A. Wright. © 1994 Cornell University. Pp. 890-899.

(2) http://gorp.away.com/gorp/health/snakefaq.htm

(3) http://www.topix.com/forum/religion/pagan-wiccan/TK0M31J82882J0MFO

(4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coral_snake

Kids and Nature

2010-04-22T18:07:00.033-05:00

"Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life."

John Muir

A neighbor of mine was working his flower garden when he called to me from across the street. As he walked over I could see that he had a small snake curled up on one of his gardening tools. He's not to fond of snakes and was unaware as to the "status" of the reptile- if it was poisonous or not. As he approached I knew exactly what it was - a DeKay's Brown snake. I've written about this reptile before. It just so happens that my grand-daughter was visiting so I took this perfect opportunity to introduce her to Mr. (or Miss) DeKay's.

She's only two years old and still not sure about a lot of stuff particularly creepy crawly things, but I want her to grow up learning and knowing that nature is not all bad and scary. That nature is beautiful, inspiring, and something to be cherished. There are so many parents that fail to introduce their kids to nature and in my opinion that is a travesty. If we do not teach our kids and grandkids about the natural world today who will be its stewards tomorrow?

Notebook Jottings 5

2010-04-14T07:00:00.006-05:00

"Study nature, not books." ~ Louis Agassiz

While mowing grass I watched as one of my purple martin (Progne subis) gourds fell to the ground like an apple falling from a tree. The martins have showed back up at my site and good thing the nesting phase had not begun. If it had I would have a bunch of scrambled eggs in that gourd. I looked up at the rack and noticed that the wire that it was hanging from had broken.

It had worn out from the gourd swinging in the wind. I then decided to change out all of the wires so this same thing doesn't happen when they begin laying.

Out of the corner of my eye I spotted something black hopping across my front yard. It was a spicebush butterfly (Papilio troilus) that appeared to have just crawled from the confines of its chrysalis with its wings still not quite dry. I helped it out by placing it under a nearby bush so a hungry bird wouldn't spot it out in the open.

My son was lifting up a block of cement that rests in our yard and I noticed a squirming bundle beneath it. Come to find out we discovered the love nest of a couple of rough earth snakes (Virginia striatula). I'm always finding these when I work out in the yard having to relocate them to keep them away from the strings of my weedeater. They're harmless and love earthworms and spiders. Great to have in your flower garden.

Squirrels like eating mushrooms they come across when foraging. I found this one sitting on top of a bird feeder I have attached to an oak tree that local gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) use frequently. They will cache mushrooms, sometimes hanging them in the crook of a branch in order to dry them out. Squirrels are known to even eat mushrooms that are poisonous to humans, such as the amanita (Amanita muscaria). Some believe that due to their short digestive tract the poisons are not in their systems long enough to do harm.

Good Reads

2010-04-02T12:16:00.000-05:00

Check out these good books for summer reading:

1) "Wild Moments: Adventures with Animals of the North" by Michael Engelhard
2) “The Jaguar's Shadow: Searching for a Mythic Cat" by Richard Mahler
3) "The Hidden Life of Deer: Lessons from the Natural World" by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
4) "Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer" by Richard Wiese
5) "The Better to Eat You With: Fear in the Animal World" by Joel Berger
6) "Fireflies, Honey, and Silk" by Gilbert Waldbauer
7) “Notebooks from New Guinea: Field Notes of a Tropical Biologist" by V. Novotny and D. Short
8) “The Red Hourglass: Lives of the Predators" by Gordon Grice
9) "Handbook of Nature Study" by Anna Botsford Comstock
10) "Poseidon's Steed: The Story of Seahorses, from Myth to Reality" by Helen Scales
11) "Solitude: Seeking Wisdom in Extremes: A Year Alone in the Patagonia Wilderness" by F. Robert Kull
12) "The Wild Marsh: Four Seasons at Home in Montana" by Rick Bass

Boneyard

2010-03-17T07:00:00.007-05:00

A small 3-stall boathouse at the Marshland Unit of Sea Rim State Park has served as a nesting site for cliff swallows since 1989. During the spring and summer months I would often stop by to watch literal clouds of these and three other swallow species- barn, cave, and tree feed over the nearby fields. Unfortunately all that remains of the this spot, following Hurricane Ike, is a mere skeleton of the previous structure. As I walked around the remnants of a neighboring attached structure I spotted an owl pellet on the ground. Owls along with other birds (hawks, shrikes, herons, swallows, jays, flycatchers, etc.) cough up oblong shaped capsules containing parts of the animals they eat that their bodies can’t digest, mostly fur, bones and feathers.

I came to the assumption that the pellets belonged to an owl, due to their size and contents, and also because of the presence of whitewash (owl feces) indicating they’ve been roosting here. Hawks usually tear their prey into bite size pieces as they eat resulting in a pellet that may not contain large identifiable parts.

Owls on the other hand swallow their prey whole resulting in a pellet containing the complete skeleton and fur of its meal. I also came across another site nearby where a number of pellets over time had broken down leaving behind a small “boneyard” consisting of jaw, leg, skull and other bones.

This area was more exposed to the elements allowing the pellets to get wet which in turn dissolved the mucus that held them together. Fur was then washed away leaving behind a swell of bones.

Miles of open savannah surrounding this marshland coastal ecosystem provide perfect habitat for mice and voles. I think that owls hunting these fields at night are using this structure to feed and in turn, expelling pellets from prior meals on the ground below their perches. Where are these owls roosting during the day I wondered? I came to the conclusion that the closest place would be Sabine Woods which is about 3 miles down the road from here where I’ve seen both barn and great-horned owls. I’m considering setting up a camera trap at this location, which may provide some interesting photographs and prove if owls are responsible for this “boneyard”.

Capturing Notes in the Field

2010-03-03T05:07:00.005-06:00

"Let the collector's motto be 'Trust nothing to memory'; for the memory becomes a fickle guardian when one interesting object is succeeded by another still more interesting."

Charles Darwin

Taking notes in the field has been a passion of mine for a long time. I have stacks of pocket-sized notebooks full of observations made over the years and I'm in the process of re-writing these notes in a neater format along with photos that are related to each entry. Some folks use word processing programs and type their recordings, but I prefer mine to be handwritten. I do this because I feel something is lost when you type them up. Handwritten notes have character and personality. Each stroke of the pen or pencil contains a part of the person that made the observation.

At one time I used 4”x 6” lined spiral notebooks, but now prefer Moleskine notebooks, specifically the 3 ½” x 5 ½” unlined reporter’s version which has acid-free paper. My pen of choice is the Sharpie pens that don’t bleed through, are water resistant and acid free, specifically the Sharpie Ultra Fine Point and the Sharpie Ultra Fine Point Retractable. But sometimes I’ll use a good old fashioned #2 pencil.

Record birds, insects and other animals you see. Behavioral observations, sensory observations (colors, smells, sounds), weather data, date, locality. Include drawings, gps co-ordinates, personal musings. Record everything no matter how insignificant it seems, because later, I promise, you'll be glad you did. The same goes with photographs. With today's digital cameras you can take pictures of everything and later cull what's not needed.

The really cool thing about this is when my 2-year old granddaughter learns to read she can pull out paw paw’s notebooks and enjoy reading about the many things he observed while in the wild.

Notebook Jottings 4

2010-02-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

"I spent a day by the river,
It was quiet and the wind stood still.
I spent some time with nature,
To remind me of all that's real...."

Creed - Faceless Man

An oblog cotton-like swadle lays on the forest floor containing the pupae of the forest tent caterpillar. I have found masses of these particular caterpillars on the sides of trees in the Big Thicket. Due to their voracious appetites they can literally strip an entire tree of its foliage.

There is though a particular fly that helps keep these pests in check. The friendly fly (Sarcophaga aldrichi). During the spring this fly goes in search of tent caterpillar cocoons such as this. Once one is located it plunks a live maggot on it which then eats it way into the interior. It then feeds on the tent caterpillar pupae inside and then exits to the ground where it pupates and later develops into an adult fly.

While walking the trail that borders our property I came across a glass jar that was partially buried in the moist soil. Like a small greenhouse it has allowed lichen to take up residence inside giving the jar’s interior a carpeted appearance. A perfect place for a toad to hole up in.

The empty hull of a hickory nut left by a red squirrel. Like a buzz saw they chew a groove around the entire nut causing it to come apart exposing the meat within. Another red squirrel sign- a pine cone midden- a cone shredded like paper to get at the seeds hidden beneath each cone scale.

Barbed wire makes a perfect "trap" for capturing hairs from wildlife such as deer, bear, hogs, foxes, etc. Anything rubbing against the steel thorns leaves behind a piece of itself. Barbed wire is currently used by scientists to capture hair for DNA analysis and population studies.

At the trailhead of the Pitcher Plant Trail in the Turkey Creek portion of the Big Thicket I walked up to the kiosk to sign in on the visitor register. When I do this I also read what observations are posted by others that have visited. Looking down the sheet the words "black bears" gets my immediate attention. These bears have been working their way back (they were previously hunted out in the 1940's) into east Texas from Lousiana, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. As a matter of fact back in 2002 there was a verified track found in Lumberton, TX, which is not far from here. Having these animals back in our area would be very exciting. My excitement though turned to disappointment when I read what else was seen by the observer: "2 teradactalys (sic) and loch ness monster".

Ivory-billed Woodpecker Supposedly Photographed

2010-01-29T07:30:00.001-06:00

Well it looks like somebody else thinks they saw an ivory-billed woodpecker, and the witness claims to have photos to back it up. Word is that he is talking with his lawyers in order to make sure he gets the credit for the discovery before he shows the photos to anyone. I hope this discovery turns out to be true, but something tells me this is going to go the same way as the story about the guys who claimed to have a Bigfoot body in their freezer. As one person said “extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof.”

You can read the press release HERE.

Other sites with this story: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)

Butcher Bird

2010-01-19T05:00:00.005-06:00

"Saw a shrike pecking to pieces a small bird, apparently a snowbird. At length he took him up in his bill, almost half as big as himself, and flew slowly off with his prey dangling from his beak. I find that I had not associated such actions with my idea of birds. It was not birdlike."

Henry David Thoreau Dec. 24 1850

I came across my first shrike larder about ten years ago as I walked a long a span of barbed wire that bordered a sprawling cow pasture. To tell you the truth at the time I had no idea what I had come across. I began thinking I had discovered the morbid collection of some weird cult.

A bird of mostly open country this passerine raptor at first glimpse resembles a miniature mockingbird with the bill of a hawk. It’s our only predatory songbird, is diurnal, very aggressive and bold for its miniature stature. It does most of its hunting from elevated perches, most times along power lines making use of its phenomenal vision to spot the tiniest of prey. I’ve seen them dive from 40-50 foot perches to the ground to seize something as miniscule as a cricket. Their feet are powerful for grabbing prey, but lack the large flesh piercing talons of raptors (e.g. hawks, eagles, etc). The tip of its upper bill is hooked and has a feature near the tip known as a “tomial tooth”. It's this tooth the shrike uses to dispatch large prey (birds, small mammals, etc.) by biting through the vertebra of the neck, severing the spinal column. Prey selection is mostly insects, small mice, reptiles and amphibians, but it also will take small birds on the wing. Sometimes birds twice their size. I once spotted one in an oak tree with a magnolia warbler in its talons. What’s really interesting about these birds is their caching behavior, which involves the gruesome task of impaling prey, which by the way paved the way to its nickname “butcher bird”.

They have been reported using several types of impaling substrate such as:

Honey locust thorns
Barbed wire
Blackbrush thorns
Agave plant spines
Hawthorn
Yucca
Saguaro spines
Hercules' club thorns
Sharp tree stems
Will also sometimes wedge prey in narrow branch forks

So why do they perform this ghastly act? Here's a list of possible uses of a cache or "larder":

1) Food hoarding for times of prey shortage or increased food demand (e.g. during nesting season to supplement prey brought to nestlings), during periods of stress and/or inclement weather. (1), (2), (3).

2) Impalement used to aid in food manipulation (food tearing) due to lack of talon strength. (2)

3) Large larders could impress females, which may offer some indication of the male's hunting prowess and ability to supply food. It was found there was a higher reproductive success in males with larger larders. (2), (3)

4) Used as a method of marking territory ownership and boundaries. (2), (3)

5) Chemically defended prey (e.g. monarch butterflies, lubber grasshoppers, eastern narrow-mouthed frog.) are impaled enabling toxins to degrade and allowing these to be used as food sources. (2), (3), (4), (5) .

6) Used to feed female to conserve energy during brooding. (6)

Several years back I surveyed a number of birders asking of their experiences with larder finds and observations of shrikes taking prey. Here's what I got:

Birds seen captured or impaled:

Carolina chickadee, English sparrow, Field sparrow, Northern Cardinal, Cedar waxwing, Bewick’s wren, Chimney swift, Cassin’s vireo, Ruby-crowned kinglet, Pine siskin, Chipping sparrow, American goldfinch, Painted bunting, Grey gnatcatcher, Black-capped chickadee, Yellow-rumped warbler, Ruby-throated hummingbird, Eastern phoebe, Chestnut-sided warbler, Indigo bunting, Downy woodpecker, Summer tanager, Wilson’s warbler (see photo impaled on yucca- courtesy of Brush Freeman), Tennessee warbler, House finch, Mourning dove, Red-eyed vireo, Savannah sparrow, Cerulean warbler, Broad-tailed hummingbird, Goldfinch, Bluebird, Eastern meadowlark, Mockingbird, Vermillion flycatcher, Red-bellied woodpecker, Hairy woodpeckers, American robin, Prothonotary warbler, Dark-eyed junco, European starling, White-crowned sparrow, Henslow sparrow, Inca dove, Common redpoll, Barn swallow, Virginia rail, Dunlin (northern shrike), Grasshopper sparrow, Harris’ sparrow, Zebra finch (pet store escapee), Lincoln’s sparrow, Pyrrhuloxia, Slate-colored junco, Gambel’s quail (juvenile).

Insects found impaled:

Grasshoppers, Crickets, Moths, Caterpillars, Cattle ticks (witness saw shrike removing them from a cow and then impaling them on barbed wire) (8) , Cicadas, Bees, Wasps, Beetles.

Other items found impaled:

Field mice, bats(see photo courtesy Of David Sarkozi), Northern leopard frog, crawfish, turtles, spiders, 13-lined ground squirrel (Toronto, Ontario), Lizards, Skinks, Green anoles.

Other interesting tidbits of shrike lore:

~ I had someone tell me they had seen one on the Texas coast near a wooded area where migrating passerines stopped to eat and rest following their long trip across the Gulf of Mexico. It was hypothesized that it was taking advantage of and attacking tired migrating birds.

~ They’ve also been known to impale inedible items such as fecal sacs, paper wasp nests, wool, eggshells, and snail shells. (3). They have been seen impaling twine on a barbed wire fence aiding them in breaking it into smaller pieces for nest construction. (3)

~ It is also known as French mockingbird by some.

~ A birdbander reported seeing a shrike attack a banded bird following its release. (7)

~ A group of shrikes is known as a "watch" of shrikes.

~ Chippewa Indians called this bird "big cannibal bird".

~ "Audubon (1842) quotes the Rev. John Bachman as saying: "I have seen one [shrike] occupy himself for hours in sticking up [on thorns]....a number of small fishes that the fishermen had thrown on the shore....." (8)

~ "Carrion is sometimes eaten. Prof. F.E.L. Beal while at Ames, Iowa, in January, 1880, saw a butcherbird fly over the brown frozen prairie to a carcass of a cow, where it lit on one of the ribs and greedily tore off shreds of the flesh." (8)

Early Purple Martin Return

2010-01-08T13:30:00.002-06:00

I received an email from an acquaintance of a post on the TEXBIRDS listserv about the early arrival of a purple martin on January 3rd in Eagle Lake, TX. I forwarded this post to a couple of people associated with the PMCA (Purple Martin Conservation Association) and was told of another sighting reported on Dec. 31st in Houston, TX. This would not be a good thing since we're about to get slammed with some weather that is cooler than normal for our area. It is believed though that these birds are anomalies and not indicitive of "the" return of the majority of these birds.

Woodpecker vs. Snake

2009-12-23T18:00:00.002-06:00

I'm constantly getting barraged by nature-related emails (which I appreciate!) from friends and others whom are aware of my interests. Recently someone sent me an extraordinary video supposedly taken in South America of a battle between a yellow-bellied puffing snake (Pseustes sulphureus) and a crimson-crested woodpecker (Campephilus melanoleucos). The snake, known for eating birds and their eggs, had apparently raided the nest of the woodpecker. The woodpecker is seen attacking the snake in the cavity, when finally the snake has enough and come charging from the hole. A very interesting video, though it ends before we find out how the melee ended.

Notebook Jottings 3

2009-12-12T12:00:00.001-06:00

June 4, 2005

I've seen a lot of odd things while walking the trails in the Big Thicket, but what are the chances of a stray pine needle piercing a leaf? Of course this is impossible, but how did it occur? Could it be some sort of trail marker? Or could somebody just be messin' with me........

November 5, 2009

At first sight it would appear that I've taken a photo of a cozy house of a hobbit, but actually it is a fungus called a spiny puffball. The small hole is where it releases its spores into the air.

November 15, 2009

While replacing my water shutoff valve to the camp house I unearthed a little surprise- an east Texas toad. It must've burrowed into the soft sandy ground that surrounded the valve. Luckily I didn't introduce it to the edge of my shovel.

Hello Kitty

2009-12-01T12:00:00.006-06:00

Wow.......what else is there to say. A powerful photo captured by a hunter's game camera, which is, I'm sure, not what the hunter expected. This opportunistic feline either just happened upon this deer when it was at the feeder, or through past observations began to put two and two together and made a connection between that "big box" and food. The same way a bird connects with a birdfeeder, or a bear with a trash can. Cougars are ambush hunters and usually attack from the rear going for the throat. Once this is attained its powerful jaws hang on until the deer suffocates. In the beginning this photo was consider by many as a fake, but if you look at one of the other photos taken you'll see the drag marks in the sand. Will the big cat come back for more? It would be wise not to, because the next time it could find itself in the hunter's sights......gun sights that is.

While doing a little mining on the net I came across an extraordinary video of a cougar taking a white-tail deer. Be forewarned their is a bit of "colorful" language by the videographers.

Check out these cougar guides:

Puma ID Guide

Puma Field Guide

Tongue Monster

2009-11-22T08:30:00.008-06:00

The article in the October 2009 issue of the BBC’s Wildlife magazine was entitled "Tongue Tied", the photo was insane, and the description of this parasitic beast was bizarre. Cymothoa exigua or in layman's terms "tongue-eating louse" belongs on the pages of a Star Wars bestiary guide.

An isopod, and not a louse, it has an odd way of making its living. The way of the tongue-eating louse goes like this- in its early stages of life as a "manca" (a tiny version of an adult) it swims along until it comes upon a suitable fish, in this instance a weaver fish. Entering the fish's gills it works its way to the tongue, where it uses syringe-like mouthparts to begin feeding off of the artery that supplies the tongue. As it does so it robs the tongue of nutrients causing it to atrophy into no more than a nub. Are you ready for this- it latches onto this nub and literally becomes the tongue of the fish. The fish uses it as it would its normal tongue to manipulate food entering its mouth, which is convenient for the little isopod as it shares in the feast.

Photo source: http://www.discoveryon.info/2009/09/rare-tongue-eating-parasite-found.html

Other photos: 1, 2, 3, 4

Arachnophobia

2009-11-11T15:00:00.007-06:00

To someone who is not fond of spiders, this harmless, bulbous female orb weaver is pretty freaky looking. She decided to take up residence inside a playhouse that my grandkids frequent and this didn't go over well with everyone. To me it was pretty cool especially since Halloween was just around the corner, but needless to say my opinion didn't put smiles on any faces. So before she became what would resemble a Jackson Pollack painting I scooped up the little lady and relocated her away from the play area.

I'm never concerned about spiders unless of course it's poisonous (black widow, recluse) and even then I'm more than likely to transfer it off into the woods where they can do what they do. That's just the way I am and as I've said before- some folks think that's just strange....

Feathered Collision

2009-11-04T07:50:00.003-06:00

Soccer balls slamming against the windows of the cafeteria at the elementary school where my wife teaches is pretty much an every day occurence. To their surprise the bang they heard the other day didn't originate from an errant ball.

According to David Malakoff in an article in the March 2004 issue of Audubon, "window strikes kill between 100 million and 1 billion birds in North America each year......" One theory states that this happens because birds see their reflections in the glass and think they're seeing another bird and being territorial tries to attack it.

While everyone else in the cafeteria refused to approach the injured juvenile Cooper's hawk my wife (the "cajun") was the first and only one to go to its aid. It's injuries must've been severe because by the time I arrived it had expired.

Rather than allow this beautiful creature to go to waste, I was able to find an ornithologist from a local university through acquaintences of mine to legally take it for study.

One other tidbit of information should be noted. Several custodians that were present kept commenting on the fact that even though the bird had just died there were already flies being attracted to its carcass. At first I disreguarded this due to the “tunnel vision” I was exhibiting over my excitement of seeing a hawk so close up.

Eventually I began to look at the flies and noticed that they were rather odd looking. Unlike the usual house, blue or green bottle fly they had a flat looking appearance. I captured two in a vial and later found these to be louse flies. These ectoparasites feed on the blood of pigeons and doves, which are prey items of hawks. When feeding on these birds the flies jump onto the hawks and began feeding on them. Their flat profile along with specialized claws allow them to scurry easily through the plumage of birds.

Crack Kills

2009-10-24T08:00:00.001-05:00

This picture is being passed around via email and I do not know who took it, but it is an extraordinary picture. Moose have to avoid hunters, predators, worry about food supply, and disease and as we see here, the condition of the terrain that they live in.

What are the chances of this happening? Apparently the moose had been distracted in some way and didn’t see this large crack in the ground. Once it became trapped there was no way it was going to be able to escape. This followed by starvation and predators having their way.

Not a very pleasant way to go….

Sabine Pass Trip

2009-10-17T16:00:00.003-05:00

With fall migration going on I decided to take a trip to Sabine Pass a week ago to check for migrants at Sabine Woods. Before I arrived I came across a dead river otter alongside highway 87 about 1-2 miles from town. This is the second road-killed otter I've discovered along this highway.

About 1 mile from Sabine Woods I found a freshly killed 3 1/2 foot long cottonmouth along the road's edge. Seems lately all of the snakes I come across are dead. We've had a really sweltering summer and when it's like this snakes usually find a nice shady place to hide and stay cool during the day and do all of their hunting at night. As soon as fall arrives and begins to drop daily temperatures they'll become more active to try and get as much to eat before winter. This means I'll probably come across a lot more road-killed snakes because of this. Hopefully though I'll also come across a few live ones as well.

Arriving at Sabine Woods I doused myself with mosquito repellent and put on a long sleeved shirt. If you're from my neck of the woods you're aware of our mosquito dilemma. As I approached the edge of the woods it was as if I crossed an invisible boundary that set off an alarm. The six-legged blood suckers were on me like stink on a monkey. I was hit from every angle possible and every piece of exposed flesh was covered even if it did taste of deet. I can usually handle mosquitoes, but this was insane to the point that had I opened my mouth and inhaled deeply I would've surely choked. So much for birding this area today. I decided to head down highway 87 towards Willow Pond Nature Trail even though there's not much left of this patch of willow trees.

Hurricane Rita began its downfall and then the salty storm surge of Hurricane Ike finished it off. What was once a beautiful, serene local with a petite wisp of willows is now no more than a graveyard of wooden skeletons. During spring and fall migration these trees served as rest and feeding areas for migrants that had traveled the lengthy expanse of the Gulf of Mexico on their way to their breeding areas. Now it is no more. The boardwalk that once snaked its way through the trees was washed away leaving a sandy floor. As I walked through the area I found that the resident bobcat was still frequenting this spot. There in the soft sand were tracks that appeared pretty fresh. I made its acquaintence several times in the past, once in the winter of 2005 and then again in the spring of 2008.

Willey Bandits

2009-10-08T08:00:00.000-05:00

They've been called many things: ring-tailed bandits, night raiders, long-tailed bear. They're known to Mohican Inidans as sha-wee (graspers) and the Dakota-Sioux as weekah tegalega (magic one with painted face). Raccoons can be compared to your average neighborhood feral cat- curious, stealthy, and inquisitive little varmints and when food is involved they’ll do whatever it takes to get to it. And being omnivorous means they'll pretty much consume anything. They 're even aware of the feast that can be pilfered from a deer feeder. When a buddy of mine was checking his game camera he found that the on/off switch was in the “off” position. At first he thought that maybe he forgot to turn it on, but when we checked the sd card we found pictures……and the last one revealed the culprit. The incredible dexterity they have with their little hand-like paws enable them to open jars, latches, turn doorknobs, and turn off game cameras….

Pileated vs. Flicker

2009-09-26T07:30:00.002-05:00

While sitting on the front porch enjoying the hot afternoon I began hearing the drumming of a woodpecker. It was close and echoed loudly through the wooded area that borders our property. Hollow snags are used by woodpeckers to drum allowing each repeated thud to resonate long distances. Drumming is performed for several reasons- to attract mates, to communicate with mates, and as a way of claiming territory. (Check out this really cool blog for sound recording of various woodpeckers drumming.) This area runs rampade with various types of woodpeckers (i.e. red-bellied, downy, hairy, pileated, flickers, red-headed, and sapsuckers) so drumming is a common sound. But the drumming I was hearing was really loud and the sound was trailing off at the end. I glassed the area where I thought the din was coming from and noted several old pine snags about 30-40 yards into the woods. Scanning each snag from top to bottom I eventually spotted the source of the drumming- a pileated woodpecker. This woodpecker is the largest found in the U.S. next to the supposed extinct ivorybill woodpecker. They are found all over this area and are very interesting to observe.

The pileated was perched near an entrance hole to a nest cavity that had been excavated on this particular snag. To possibly find the nest of this bird so close to camp was very exciting to say the least. Upon taking a closer look though I noticed that the entrance hole was not typical of a pileated woodpecker. Normally they excavate a hole that is oblong or rectangular in shape and this particular hole was round. Then again I can recall seeing photos of pileated cavity entrances that were round.

After a few minutes of observing I spotted the true owner of this cavity- a northern flicker. It was peering from the entrance watching the larger woodpecker as it drummed nearby. Was the pileated trying to claim this site by this drumming? They’re known to take over red-cocked woodpecker cavities, so why not a flicker cavity?

What happened next was something I had never seen. The flicker, after putting up with the seemingly endless drumming, decided to leave its cavity, which would prove a mistake, because seconds later the pileated entered it. When an invading bird does this it’s usually not a good thing. Straight away the pileated’s head appeared at the entrance with one of the flicker’s eggs in its bill. Jumping from the cavity it disappeared into the thickly wooded area with the egg in tow. I watched for quite awhile longer and only saw the flicker return.

There are several questions to consider:

1)Was the flicker using a hole previously owned by the invading pileated woodpecker? Flickers excavate their own cavities in dead trees and sometimes take advantage of previously used cavities.
2)Was the removal of the egg a territorial behavior?
3)Would the pileated be back to remove the rest of the eggs?
4)Would the flicker abandon its nest site now that it had been invaded?

I’ve check Bent’s Life Histories, SORA, and several other sources for any info on this type of behavior in pileateds and have so far found zilch. The only woodpecker I did find that exhibits this behavior is the red-headed woodpecker. If anyone has any information on this type of behavior in pileateds please let me know.

Abnormal Antlers

2009-09-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

Do you notice anything peculiar about this white-tailed deer? Obviously the antler on the deer’s left side is abnormal or “stunted” in comparison to one on the right. Now look closely at the right hind quarter where you’ll notice a “lump” that appears to be some sort of injury. Well believe it or not the two are interrelated. It has been found that there is a cause and effect relationship between leg injuries and abnormal/stunted antler growth. Many hunters have reported seeing this phenomenon in the field for years. And get this- from what I’ve read the only time abnormal/stunted antler growth occurs “contra-lateral” (opposite side) to the injury is when the injury is to a rear leg as with the deer in the photograph. We’re not finished- If the injury occurs on one of the front legs the antler is abnormal/stunted on the same side as the injury. There have been studies done on this weird phenomenon and to this day it’s still not understood why this happens.

Ringtail Cat

2009-09-03T06:00:00.003-05:00

I knew of their existence in Texas, but never thought I would actually ever see one. Well actually I didn’t see it "in person". A buddy of mine had a camera trap set up near one of his deer feeders and captured a sweet photo of one that happened by. They had been getting lots of photos of raccoons here, so when I first saw this picture I was only focused on the tail thinking it was a raccoon until I noticed the difference in body type. That’s when my jaw dropped.
Primarily a nocturnal animal, ringtails (Bassariscus astusus) are not actually cats, but in fact are related to raccoons. They are though like cats in the way they groom themselves and by way of being very curious creatures. Some say they resemble a cross between a fox and a raccoon due to its fox-like face and it elongated raccoon-like body and tail. The scientific name, Bassariscus astusus, when broken down basically means “cunning little fox”. They inhabit rocky, semi-arid regions and are very adept at climbing and negotiating tree limbs, crevices, rocks, and tight ledges. They are able to rotate their hind feet 180 degrees furthering their agile abilities. They are also very secretive and rarely seen during the daylight hours when they’re usually asleep in their dens. Dens are located usually in hollow trees, stumps or logs, caves and between or under rocks. They are mainly carnivorous consuming rodents, rabbits, squirrels, small birds, toads, frogs, snakes, lizards, insects (grasshoppers, crickets), spiders, scorpions, and centipedes, but will also eat various fruits (hackberries, mistletoe, persimmons), prickly pear cactus, juniper berries, and the nectar of the agave plant. Mating occurs between February and June producing litters of 1-5 young born in May or June. Predators include great-horned owls, coyotes, bobcats, foxes, and even their cousin the raccoon. Farmers have also been known to kill them because of the damage they may cause to orchards and poultry. Vocalizations include squeaks, barks, screams, whimpers, and snarls.

Other interesting facts:

~ Known as “cacomistles” which is a term coined by Nahuatl (Aztec) Indians, which means “half mountain lion”.

~ They’re also known as “miner’s cats”, because years ago miners would use them to rid their quarters of disease carrying rodents.

~ Ringtails are the official state mammal of Arizona

~ Their claws are retractable and rarely show in their tracks. They have five toes on each foot.

~ They wrap their furry tails around themselves during the winter months to stay warm.

~ Ringtails are said to make good pets.

Check these out:

Ringtail skull

Ringtail tracks

Ringtail scat

Texas Birding Hotspots Map

2009-08-23T07:00:00.002-05:00

I was reading a post on the TEXBIRDS listserv and came across a post by Gary Hodne who put together a series of maps using Google Maps showing birding hotspots in Texas. The maps, in 12 different regions, not only mark the hotspots but also allow you to get directions to them from where ever you are. He will soon be importing all of this data into Google Earth. If you're planning on doing any birding in Texas you need to check out the links below.

eBird Hotspots Upper TX Coast

eBird Hotspots Central TX Coast

eBird Hotspots Rio Grande Valley

eBird Hotspots South Texas

eBird Hotspots East TX / Pineywoods

eBird Hotspots South Central Texas

eBird Hotspots North Central Texas

eBird Hotspots Edwards Plateau

eBird Hotspots Travis Co.

eBird Hotspots Rolling Plains

eBird Hotspots Panhandle / Llano Estacado

eBird Hotspots West TX/ Trans-Pecos

Kopi Luwak Coffee

2009-08-18T07:03:00.006-05:00

I thought all of you coffee lovers out there would be interested in this. Have you ever heard of Kopi Luwak coffee? Also known as civet coffee, it happens to be the most expensive coffee in the world selling anywhere from $100 to $600 a pound. The reason it is so expensive is because it lacks the bitterness that most coffees have. But that's not the kicker. On islands near the Philippines there is an animal known as an Asian Palm Civet, known by the locals as "luwaks". One of the things these cat-like animals eat is coffee berries. When the red coffee berries are digested in the animal's gut everything is broken down except the coffee seed or bean that's inside the berry. Also during the digestive process enzymes in the stomach of the civet help breakdown proteins that give coffee its bitter taste. Now here's the good part. When the civet defecates the undigested beans in the animal's scat are then collected by locals, washed and roasted and then ground into coffee. Yep- read it again...that's exactly what I said. Yum.....

Interesting Nature-Related Stories

2009-08-12T07:00:00.001-05:00

Check out these interesting stories:

“Swallow Flies Through Two-Inch Gap at Thirty-Five Miles an Hour”

“Experts: Bat Fungus Causing Wildlife Threat”

“Bizarre Bald Bird Discovered in Asia”

“Bizarre Walking Bat Has Ancient Heritage”

“Water Snake Startles Fish So They Flee Into its Jaws”

“Squirrels Use Old Snake Skins to Mask Their Scent From Predators”

Lubber Grasshopper

2009-08-05T06:30:00.003-05:00

Recently a friend of mine came across this beautiful eastern lubber grasshopper (Romalea microptera) measuring about 2 ½” in length. These robust, flightless grasshoppers are considered pests known to cause damage to citrus and vegetable crops and ornamental plants. Its bright colors warn predators that it is toxic and in fact they’re so toxic there have been reports of birds dying and opossums hurling chunks after eating one these things.

Shrikes though are a little smarter and have learned how to make these beefy food items palatable. Like with most food captured they impale it on an object such as a thorn, pointed branch or even a barb on a barbed wire fence. They then allow the lubber to “age”. This aging is believed to somehow lessen the potency of its toxicity allowing the shrike to eat it. And even then this smart bird only eats the head and tail leaving the thorax region where most of the toxicity is supposedly located.