Boneyard

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”.

Notes From a Day In Sabine Pass, TX

As I walked along the rustic boardwalk that snakes through the large stand of willows near Sea Rim State Park I realize at one moment I'm standing in the midst of hyacinth glider dragonflies feeding on a cloud of tiny gnats. They appear unwavered by my presence as they hover within inches of my face feeding ravenously on their prey. I stand motionless observing as their cellophane wings flick in the silence that surrounds me. Suddenly from above a large common green darner drops into the mix, much in the same fashion as a sharp-shinned hawk would dive into a flock of birds, snatching one of the hyacinths. I follow it until it comes to rest on a thin willow branch where it begins to meticulously take apart its prey bit by bit beginning head first. It consumes until their is nothing left but the silky wings that moments before were gliding on the wind. Continuing on the boardwalk I come upon pile after pile of fur-laden bobcat scat. I'm sure it is from the one I photograhed here back in 2005 (see my Dec. 10, 2005 blog entry) and it's nice knowing it still hangs out here. Trails jut out into the marsh from different areas off of the boardwalk denoting where it travels. I sat on one of the wooden benches provided here and blew on a predator call to see if I might pull it into view. I continued this on and off for about 30-45 minutes hoping it would show itself, but unfortunately it didn't. There is a good possibility though it had creeped up silently and was observing me without my knowledge. They can be quite elusive and blend in well with their surroundings.


Along Highway 87 I spot (by pure luck) a large banded sphinx caterpillar that is attempting a suicidal trip across the asphalt. It is the same length and as thick as my index finger. Very smooth in appearance and not "wooly" like the many woolybears I usually sees crossing this swath of highway. After photographing it I set it in the high grass along the highway's edge.
Not far from the caterpillar I find something else interesting on the road's edge- a blue crab. How the heck did it get here? All around I look for a source of water and is none to be found, and the beach is about a mile or so from the road. I reach down and tap it to find it is plenty alive as it rears its claws skyward. The only thing I can figure is that a heron or egret captured it somewhere else and dropped it while flying overhead. Rather than allow it to dry up and die I drive about a mile down the road where I found a shallow ditch filled with water and plunk it in helping it to live one more day.

What a Waste

I took a trip to Sabine Pass, TX on Sunday to pay a visit to Sabine Woods, a bird sanctuary owned and maintained by the Texas Ornithological Society. Migrants had begun showing up so I decided to go check it out. Didn't see much so I headed down Hwy 87 towards Sea Rim State Park to see what would cross my path. Not far from the sanctuary I found an eastern cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus piscivorus)in the middle of the road that had been run over. It was still alive when I approached it, but its insides were hanging out from its tail end.




Some people would want this beautiful animal dead just because it's a snake. These creatures have their place in the great scheme of things and have just as much right to live as we do. Sure it's poisonous and for a good reason- its fangs and poison are what allow it to survive. They serve as the mechanism that provides it food. I would never kill one of these unless it was its life or mine. Seeing this really saddens me. With my snake hook I moved it gently off the road into the grass. Its last bit of life was leaving it as I turned and headed back to my truck.......what a waste. If you would like to see other photos of this snake go here.