East Texas Piney Woods

Social Behavior of Trees - communities of the forest

2012-01-06T18:13:00.000-08:00

Apparently, more accurate and deeper knowledge is leading us towards an understanding of how trees interact among themselves and unite for the benefit of the whole.A rudimentary social behavior has been observed recently in studies of forest trees. Using their roots systems, a forest "community" has a natural way of survival by exploiting fungi to communicate among themselves. Where there is need, but in a healthy network, nutrients are shared among trees. So the microcosm of a tree stand, or the ecosystem of an area has trees playing certain roles. This video show the results of recent studies where a "mother tree" shares resources to younger ones in the area, irrespective of species. This concept is extremely interesting and can explain some of the strange things that can happen in a forest ecosystem. This is new knowledge, something to watch in the future, as we try to protect our ecosystems. Planting a couple of trees in the front yard of newly built homes just doesn't do the trees justice. Our planting habits tend to be like a zoo for trees. "There's a good spot. It will look good there." We need to change to consider the social behavior benefits of trees in a forest ecology network.

We are about to embark on another cycle of planting trees.I will keep this in mind as I plan my reforestation. Just think, assuming this is correct which I truly believe, we have destroyed the forest and expect our trees to survive a drought when their social infrastructure has been destroyed. The Woodlands Texas needs to better understand the relationships among our trees to be able to comprehend what it means to humans to live in the forest and to maintain a healthy tall canopy and a diverse ecology below it. Our motive is visual but our tactics need to be focused on their health.

The Mother Tree of the Forest , Prof. Suzanne Simard talks about Mother trees
Video by: Dan McKinney; Producer: Julia Dordel, 2011

Wildfire North of Jefferson and Marshall Texas

2011-09-07T16:56:00.000-07:00

If you are familiar with the deep Texas forests, chances are you have been among the pines of this farming community north of Jefferson. Yesterday when these photos were taken, the fire appeared to be headed directly for Jefferson, but overnight it apparently veered off. At the time of this writing, the fire had consumed more than 30000 acres and is continuing on its trek to destroy everything in its path.

Wildfire next to I59 in the woods

Volunteer Fire Departments are very busy

As in other areas of Texas, the residents here have been facing wildfires during this awful drought and heat this summer. Tropical Storm Lee added to the frustration and fear among the people here, as it brought strong dry wind from the north to exacerbate this summer's problems. Firefighting resources are scarce as almost every firefighter and truck is deployed to a fire. The age of some of the trucks appear to be some 50 years old or more. You see tractors and people moving about and guarding homes, ready to use their equipment to save homes and lives, but not anxious to expend their precious resources to save trees or actually fight the fire.

Traffic passes by as flames shoot up within a few feet of the pavement

Smoke and more smoke billow into the wind, especially when the fires consumes non-forest material, like a house. A distinct dark change in color from a grey will occur. Utility companies turn off electricity in the path of the wildfire to prevent additional issues. I was under a power line taking some photos when a resident warned me of the line and said that I needed to remove myself from under the line, because the fire was threatening to bring the line down. I moved, because you never can depend on the power being shut off.

Power lines above the fire

The fire develops from the dry grass in this area and then the dry limbs and pine straw catch fire under the trees. On the trees and bushes themselves, you find dry, dead pine leaves which burst into flames and will at times even reach the tops of the trees. I saw several trees on fire where the straw brought the flame to a dead limb, which in turn, became fuel for an even hotter fire.

Flames are noted on some of these trees - click to enlarge

Families were everywhere, watching the fire and hoping they would not have to leave their homes. One young girl of about 13 was watering the grass in front of their house on the other side of the highway to prevent easy kindled fire and thereby risk the loss of her home. Just a few yards away, the home was in danger if the fire would jump the highway. A fire will jump the highway and as one resident said, the winds of a fire are not predictable, because it generates its own wind. A fire can move faster than a human can run in some cases and it lifts embers into the air to fall in a location, normally downwind. That is why we often have multiple fires in an area and why a fire often crosses a fire line intended to box it in and force it to die. In the fire itself, if a wooden object above the flames reaches 572 degrees, it will flash without touching the flame. Keeping the fire cool and the air below this temperature is sometimes very challenging. Most of what I was observing did not reach critical temperatures needed for spontaneous combustion.

Helicopter helping by dropping water to cool the fire

There were no winged craft to drop chemicals on this fire, but one helicopter was deployed to drop water on the fire. There were dozens of firetrucks deployed on the fire, along with volunteers and law officers directing traffic.

Smoke can make a forest totally obscure and blinding

Visibility is greatly reduced in a fire zone. As the sun set, I could see less and less of the highway. The smell of the smoke was difficult to manage. I coughed and had a terrible headache after I finally arrived at my home in The Woodlands that night. I could smell smoke there also, from local fires in Montgomery County.

Marshall was miles removed from the threat but not the smoke

Marshall seemed under siege by the smoke, although people moved about as normal. They were downwind and somewhat threatened by the movement of the wildfire but no direct danger unless the fire crossed highways and moved in direction. I saw many local people congregate at businesses nearby, wondering if they would be directly involved. I could tell from hand gestures that the fire was the main topic of discussion.

The silver lining - beautiful landscape from smoke as a light filter

Smoke covered the countryside and settled in valleys among the East Texas hills. It was a totally clear day - no clouds at all and no rain for sure! We were on the backside of the Tropical Depression that was moving to the east coast.

A structure still burns after the grass fire in the wake of the wildfire

There were cattle in the fields just 1/2 mile downwind when I arrived. The were gone from the field when I left, as the fire continued its trek towards their farm. I assumed the cattle had been evacuated or at least moved to a nearby safer place.

I asked an attendant at a nearby gasoline station what she would do if the fire made it to her place of work. She said "run!", meaning of course that she was going to make sure she would be safe!

Related Links and articles:
+ How Stuff Works - Wildfires
+ Wildfire in Dyer Mill, Texas
+ Forest under Stress
+ Jefferson Fire - KTBS.com
+ Texas Forest Fire Activity (map)
+ "More Texas Wildfires" by The Atlantic

Ponds under stress

2011-08-13T12:47:00.000-07:00

Bald Cypress near pond

Among the several ecosystems in The Woodlands Texas having to endure the extreme drought of 2011 is the pond. Some of our ponds have Cypress trees like these along the banks. Others have various other types of trees. The Cypress is made to withstand a drought. Although its roots are shallow, it has a built-in defense to hibernate in the summer. This summer is no exception, but it was much earlier and for a longer duration. These trees I personally planted several years ago. They are benefactors of artificial grass watering, as well as nearby water. However, the pond has retreated several feet this summer and caused a stress that these trees had not known before.

Struggling Bald Cypress further from shoreline

Residents and outside visitors who frequent this pond remark about the low water level. They also note the trees are barely making it this year. In fact, the Parks Dept destroyed at least 8 small trees in the bulrushes, apparently thinking the trees were already dead, when they mowed down the bulrushes. I was glad to see this conspicuous one (which I planted first) still remaining. We all are praying for rain.

Mowed bulrushes and pond ecosystem on left behind homes

This area has long been the home of many turtles, frogs, a water bird estuary, a fish fry estuary, and a butterfly feeding haven. It is a very natural habitat that has taken about 15 years to slowly develop, with the help of the Parks Dept and neighboring residents. If it is not mowed again, it will come back alive once more. Plants are already sprouting along the bank and some of the reedy plants are coming back up by their roots. Normally, the bulrushes provide a sanctuary for almost every living thing in the pond. The bass lay in wait to prey on water creatures along the bank, their offspring feed and hide in the reeds, perch fry hide in it, and a multitude of creatures lay their eggs in it. The dead reeds generally protect the root systems of the live plants until the hot sun gives way to more temperate growing conditions in the Fall. Fortunately, we have an automatic watering system to compensate for the removal of the natural habitat, but that will do little for the fish, frogs, water birds and turtles. Some of our ponds are threatened by oxygen kills (lack thereof). This pond has a large surface for exchanging gases. Algae will take over in some years, so The Woodlands must control the algae. Now as the water recedes from the banks, the threat of algae becomes more intense. Without rain, our ponds suffer from lawn chemicals in water runoffs to the sewer system from irrgating the lawns. Then we have a more concentrated effect of fertilizers and insecticides accompanying lawn water moving down the storm sewers which exit into the ponds' ecosystem. When we have our normal rainfall, the pond overflows, exiting through a back creekbed and thereby dilutes these pollutants.

Our parks with and without ponds are all under some stress. These four pine trees in this park near the pond have been recently killed by beetles, which have leveraged the weakness of the drought-stricken trees to feed and multiply.

It is not over! The worse could yet come. We have one advantage though, even if it does not rain for another month. The daylight hours are shortening little by little, relieving the sun's intense drying effect. But 102 degrees is still too much for the ecosystem!

Forest Under Stress

2011-08-12T20:23:00.000-07:00

Typical roadway in The Woodlands with "dead" trees in August 2011

Remember 2009-2010? Our forestss came under attack by beetles. Specifically, the pine trees were stressed by drought, making them vulnerable to beetles. We lost many trees, large and small in The Woodlands Texas, as did the whole of southeast Texas.

Pine casualty of 2010 - remains standing

Today we are in the worse drought we have ever experienced on record. It is super hot, with the temperature breaking the century mark daily, and we have had very little relief from rainfall. This situation has become more harshly evident in our forests in recent days as the drought becomes more prolonged.

Forest floor in George Mitchell Preserve covered in falling leaves

Conditions and results have been evident by wilting, leaf browning, leaf falling and a notable decrease in wildlife occupants since May. There were no birds singing in this area at mid-day and not one butterfly observation today. The pines are generally faring OK, but the hardwoods are really taking it on the chin, perhaps as a knockout blow!

Southern Red Oak in green belt appearing completely dead, easily identified

In one part of the green belt I investigated, nearly 1/2 of the hardwoods appeared dead. Are they? Maybe they are hibernating by premature sap withdrawal, essentially making Fall in July and August. I checked species and believe almost all of them are actually dead. It is difficult to believe they would survive one more month of high temperatures and drought. I could ascertain two different ways the leaves died - (1) wilting and then curling up, like being scorched with a blow torch, (2) Browning like in the fall, with the shape of the leaf retained.

Curling of leaves reveals the withering effect on this partly green Elm

It just depends on the species and the amount of water remaining in the soil. Everyone notices and most think that they understand, but the reality is not always obvious. It is hidden deep in the forest. After I gave this a bit of thought, I started seeking more understanding of the competitiveness of the various species in survival under these conditions. It looked like Darwin's theory of the survival of the fittest was taking place right before me. In some places, one species would be surviving. In others, it would not.

Mixed pines and hardwoods in dense underbrush

It is thought that the hardwoods generally win out in the forest over the conifers, but now the hardwoods appear to be not be able to compete in very severe droughts. The population density of the forest was about the same, size of the trees were large and mature, and the exposure to the western sun was about the same. There are many variables that need to be compared to understand the dynamics within the forest. That includes the age of the tree, the soil, exposure to disease, the surrounding underbrush and the share of canopy. All of these variables are unknown to me,although I could have gathered some of it. What is known is that all of the trees share soil proximity, similar companion brush, and similar floor cover. Most of the trees have trunks at varying angles to the ground further complicating the movement of water up from the root systems. There was no evidence of disease as evidenced by the bark being fully in tact on all specimens I noted. Fungal diseases of Oaks, such as the Red Oak, could be different in each individual. The ground was not flat, so the small variations in altitude could affect water runoff and thereby availability of water, but I tried to correlate that with the dead trees and came up empty. I could find no one thing in common that could cause higher mortality.

No dead trees at Lake Bedias nor in most locations in the preserve

In the lowlands near the creek, all the trees are doing much better than in the highlands just a mile or so away. The moist deep sands of the George Mitchell Preserve is significantly mitigating the effects of the drought. Although the drought is beginning to show its ugly head in parts of the forest, most of it remains alive. Wilt? yes! Die? mostly not, unless this extreme weather continues for another month or so.

American Beauty hanging on with fruit

The understory is faring much better than the canopy trees, but there is significant wilt to most of the plants, nearing death in some cases. I am amazed how well some of our plants endure this hardship. Yaupon is the toughest of all. Of all native plants, I revere this tree for its hardiness in recent winter and now summer environment extremes. American Beauty plant has managed to produce berries this year, although not heartily as it usually does.

Palms normally living in coastal and forest wetlands are suffering

It is my belief that there is going to be substantial loss but let's cross our fingers and hope that we do not lose a high percentage of the hardwoods in our green belts. These trees are responsible for hiding our homes from the street and vice-a-versa, plus they help to absorb some of the street noise. These majestic trees are decades old and help provide us with the feeling of The Woodlands forests. After all, The Woodlands is absolutely nothing without its forests and inhabitants.

Wildfire in Dyer Mill, Texas

2011-07-31T21:00:00.000-07:00

Just a few feet between wildfire and no fire at all

A trip deep into the forest and into typical ranch country of Grimes County just north of Montgomery County yielded this little story of a big drought, the 2011 disaster in the little community of Dyer Mill Texas. Driving along County Road 302, also known as Dyer Mill Road, one passes through some tall pine and oak country, what I call the "country forest". It was fairly dense but not as it is here in South Montgomery County. Yes, there are many trees, but the under-story is groomed and just not as dense - but very dry and highly combustible. Most of the land is divided into small ranches and ranchettes, many of them with homes on them. Timber is contiguous from ranch to ranch, where timber was planted in rows to harvest someday. There are livestock being raised and hunting leases in this area.

"No Trespassing"

It seemed as if nothing ever occurred here as I first turned onto CR 302. Was there really a fire here? I questioned. maybe I am lost. Suddenly my truck, cameras and I reached what appeared to be a town. As I rode into this less sparsely populated area, I found on my right a burned forest and on my left some green grass and homes, with people moving slowly about on this very steamy Saturday afternoon. Obviously firefighters had been here, busy confining the fire to the east and keeping it on the right side of the road. Now a video began playing in my head. I could hear voices, commotion, frantic movements to save these homes, which were evacuated at the time. In a couple of places, I noticed some burned areas in the forest, where no homes exist. The fire was here alright, and it jumped the fire lines on this road in these several places, but never next to the road. I could hear firefighters alarmed as they saw a new fire started in the woods nearby. They had to extinguish it before it raged further to the west. "Hold that line!", as a helicopter might have coincidentally flown overhead. Embers had been pushed up into the air, in the smoke and transported by the fire-induced wind into the forest. Response teams managed to confine the fires in town, but in places it almost got out of hand on the left (western) side. The line was to be held on the road while teams extinguished the jumps.

Some places were eerie with the feel of death & destruction

1800 families were told to evacuate this area, from the town folks to the country folks. 32 homes were destroyed and some of the residents said they could have saved their homes. Likely they could have in some locations but the evacuation was mandatory, because there would be no search and rescue teams. Firefighters had more than they could handle to fight the blaze and keep safe themselves. As it turned out, there were no casualties. It is my understanding that some livestock was lost, but on the most part, everyone managed to evacuate and almost everyone moved their livestock out of harm's way.

Intersection of CR302/CR304

I found two public businesses in town - a feed store and a general store. I do not know where people get their gasoline. I saw a few deer feeders in the forest, small service businesses and residents in the community. There was one particular ranchette home that is simply what I call "McDonalds farm" because of the diverse livestock and country atmosphere.

Typical scene in the forest on a ranch - some green tops, charred ground, dead trees

Although I had little contact with residents, I did talk to one lady who didn't want to talk about the fire but would talk about the people and area. There's been too many news reporters here, I quickly realized. She would imply just that.

Hello ma'am. "I'm just passing through to look at the fire damage andtake photos of the area", I said to the lady. "Do you know where I can find some ice cream in this little ole town?" She replied, "Sir, this is no ... town. The nearest town is Navasota. And yes hun, there is a general store down the road. You can find some ice cream there." "Boy it is so hot out here, I remarked. "Hun, do you know how much rain we have had?" "None?" Nope, nothing.", she answered.

"Hun, I wouldn't do that if I were you." Taken by surprise, I replied, "Do what?" "Oh, goout there asking questions and stuff. This place is jittery. We havehad some break-ins here, and people have their guns. I can tell you, I do and I am not afraid to use it!" I went on, "I get your gist. I am a native Texan and certainly understand that. I would not even approach a home here. I am just talking to anyone on the major public roads like yourself who I think might be sorta friendly. I love the forest, and so I am here to understand what happened here and picture it." "Well, just be careful. People will use those guns!" Ma'am, I certainly will. Thank you for talking with me. It's been a pleasure. I have to run now. Have a good weekend" "Hun, be careful."

So I did go down the road, got me an ice cream bar and then continued with my exploration of the area, but a bit more tense than before I talked to that lady. I was watching everyone in their cars cautiously and was fairly prepared if someone was to be aggressive with me.

CR302/CR304

In the communitylocated at intersection of CR302/304, there are quite a few homes on small acreage and a fewpaved street neighborhoods. This is truly back-country, very quiet and laid back. I thought. I found the general storethere caters burgers and has a few necessities to purchase. Other than that,there is a feed store across the street. This community is fairly remote and sits deep in the woods. They know fire! They have to!

Fence burned in places, home totally destroyed

Another view of where destroyed home has been cleared

Could not hold a line on CR302. Notice freshly bulldozed line.

Tracks of heavy equipment produce sounds of the struggle in my head

An uncanny solitude now engulfs the remains

Soot and destruction at base of trees

Charred bark of pine evident when light strikes at angle

Beauty of remaining forest is like Fall in the north

But all of them are not careful, like one person said. "All we need to do is to get those knuckleheads who BBQ outside on their grills to stop. They don't seem to understand that fire causes fire! There was another wildfire near here just two weeks ago!" I could see obvious frustration. The drought has taken its toll here. People are selling much of their livestock, and some are even selling their property. It just costs too much to feed the livestock and find water for them in this year's harsh climate. Who is going to wait out the forest to get back to what it was? We are talking 20 years at least. The forest disaster coupled with continuing extreme drought is really pushing the nerves of the folk here. I saw some people starting to clear the charred brush out. It is a messy job. You should have seen me coming out of there with all the black soot on my legs and clothes! Yet I was told that business is just fine.

"What we need sir, is rain!" Amen, I'll drink to that !!! Good luck folks and good luck forest.

+ Google Map of area. Basically the fire was in the forest area north of the noted location.
+ Related news article from KBTX, Bryan/College Station

Red-eared Turtle - common resident of ponds

2011-05-15T20:47:00.000-07:00

Red Ear Slider hiding as it migrates in search of another pond. Note the red marking.

Common among Southeast Texas forests are small bodies of water known as "ponds". Inhabiting these ponds are the Red Ear Slider turtles. Typically there are plenty of plants and food for these amusing creatures to flourish. Like other reptiles, they require the sun, which warms and dries them. Their common name comes from their shyness and ability to "slide" off of rocks and tree limbs. Their anatomy includes papillae which function as gills to allow them to remain underwater for long periods of time, and a shell, which covers their vital parts to protect them from enemies such as a snake. Unique to the turtle is its ability to live for an extended time. Its vital organs do not deteriorate like other creatures over time. Longevity of the human body is being studied relative to this phenomena. A turtle can be eaten but beware of salmonella, which it is known to carry. Their eggs can also be eaten, but it is made from a different protein than that of a bird. Note that it is generally not a good idea to eat something taken from a pond located in a human residential neighborhood.

Red Ear Sliders ready to slide off of the floating wood

This particular turtle has been a resident of our forests for ages. Trachemys scripta elegans) is the most likely species to be seen in this part of the country and has been long long before man inhabited this continent. Eggs are laid in the soft sandy dirt of low-lying ponds and hatch without parental care. In fact, adults will eat their own young. Sliders will eat about anything from plants and animals to worms and fish. They will gorge themselves on fish waste (remains after cleaning for human consumption). Freshly hatched babies are popular as pets because they can be easily handled by a human without any consequences. I would not stick my finger however in its mouth. It can bite, if provoked, but it is not inclined to be defensive with its mouth. Its defense to withdraw its head into its shell. This strategy has worked some 215 million years to protect it from harm.

This Red Ear was in the street migrating from one pond to another

You might notice that the reptile is not seen much in cold weather. It goes to the bottom of the pond and waits it out, like a bear retiring for the winter into a cave. It is affected also by drought. In a pond, there is usually a balance of numbers. It's population in a pond is founded on volume of water, which affects the ability of the pond to sustain life in general. The food chain dwindles with the reduction of water volume. Therefore, the turtle migrates from one pond to another to seek that balance instinctively. At the time of this article, I personally am experiencing an unusual frequency of sightings off the pond in abnormal places. Turtles can also migrate in order to find a mate or in search for an appropriate place to lay eggs. This year, the water's edge has retreated about six feet or more in the pond near my home, causing the normal vegetated shore to dry up and crust, removing the nesting habitat that normally exists. I expect to see attrition of our Red Ears during the current drought. There is nowhere to migrate to either lay eggs or to redistribute the current population.

In search of the Pawpaw Butterfly - a strange beauty

2011-05-01T17:23:00.000-07:00

Zebra Swallowtail (Eurytides marcellus) drinking from dung after a short rain

To start the month of May, I joined a group of Butterfly enthusiasts to search for specific species and in general to count butterfly species in one of the great national forests of East Texas, The Big Thicket National Preserve near Beaumont, Texas, a short day trip from the Houston area. When you see the Zebra Swallowtail, (Eurytides marcellus), you have no doubt whatsoever what you have seen. It is one of the easiest butterflies to identify. But seeing and watching are two different things with this species. With its size, it easily escapes your presence instantly with the speed of a race car and the aloof attributes of a Turkey. Often all one gets is a rather short glimpse of this species unless it is feeding. On this day we were lucky. We happened on a male feeding on dung after a rain. Yes, in order to mate effectively, the male feeds on urine, dung residue and rotten fruit to enable it to impregnate the eggs.

PawPaw plant

Pawpaw fruit

Eggs are laid on its host, the interesting Pawpaw plant, abundant in the woodlands of the south. In a butterfly count, we expect to see the Pawpaw Butterfly, but not observe it. This day we watched it for 10 minutes as it feasted on its sperm food, then it returned again and again. It posed for the camera.

A member of the Kite family - note the tail

This large butterfly inhabits only places where species of the Pawpaw plants exist. The larvae gets important nutrients from the plant that is found throughout its life cycle other than the egg. It is believed the survival of the fittest theory plays a role in this, because the chemical nature of the plant provides a "birdicide". It wards off attacks by birds, thereby enabling it to survive in the forest.

References:
+ Wikipedia

Surprise encounter with the worm of a Spicebush Butterfly

2011-04-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar stage

I have to say, I do not normally go out of my way looking for worms. However, in search of the butterfly, one becomes interested in all their stages of growth. A worm is a worm, right? Just something that chews leaves and destroys plants! Nope... on all counts. The caterpillar stage of the Spicebush Swallowtail Butterfly is an amazing creature, to some even a pet. This worm looks like it came out of a cartoon book. Its large eyes and mouth give it a snake-like appearance, one that Disney probably picked up on. Today, in a butterfly count, our team had the surprise pleasure of meeting few of them. It was a time of mutual respect. I could tell from the expression of one of these caterpillars.

Butterflies beyond but among us - the two Crescents

2011-04-23T04:39:00.000-07:00

Pearl Crescent

Strolling through the park, I have learned to look close to see what is normally beyond my view, but right under my nose. This was the case on a nice Spring day this month in The Woodlands, in the East Texas forest. Nature abounds here because it is the most valued part of the community to many. What is here is what makes this The Woodlands. So on this particular stroll, I noticed two butterflies fluttering from place to place on the ground. I was on a butterfly hunt, just to see what I could find and this marvelous little specimen, a Pearl Crescent, ended up in my viewfinder, as I crawled on the ground. Notice the blades of grass. Yes, St Augustine grass blades were just as big as it was!

Phaon Crescent

His companion, a Phaon Crescent, was a bit more raggedy. But in this particular photograph, I wanted to point out the food source that was attracting the two of them to this one spot. This is nature at its best, the mixed diversity of plant and insect. You see, the mowers of this grass had no idea they were mowing over these butterflies the day after this photo was taken. I went afterwards to see if these amazing creatures were still there. No, they were not and neither were the little flowers. Man is so destructive, because he sees and values the macro ecology rather than its diversity. These White Clover (Trifolium repens) are wildflowers, the same as Bluebonnets or other macro ecology valuables we see in the newspapers or magazines. Micro-ecology reveals super beauty and useful specimens of biology. Yes, we need the grass cut in our parks. No, we need not destroy nature. Notice how small the flowers are in the white clover. Small cut blades of grass are 4-5 times its size. The nectar must be sweet, because there were beautiful nectar flowers 50 times the size of these within 10 feet of this location.

Thanks to one of our local butterfly experts, David Henderson, for his contributions on identifying these species.

Searching for the beautiful Falcate Orangetip Butterfly

2011-02-28T11:06:00.000-08:00

What? Butterflies in February? Yes, in Southeast Texas and especially right here in The Woodlands area, we have a species that exists in flight only in late February and March. By April, the newly hatched caterpillars will transform into a Chrysalis and wait until next February to fly.

Falcate Orangetip

A small butterfly but very obvious in the forest as it moves from one flowering Spring Cress plant to another, this species can easily be found wherever there is Spring Cress.

This is the exquisitely colored male. The female is almost totally white with the dots on the wings. Photographing this butterfly is not easy. It is very skittish and is frightened off by small movements. It does not like to land near humans but when eating, it can be less observing.

The plant is very small and so is the butterfly. This is what it requires to photograph this beauty.

Spring Cress (Cardamine bulbosa) is an interesting flowering plant. It is one of the first wild flowers in the Spring to expose its blooms to the forest. As a butterfly plant, it hosts the eggs of the Falcate on its flower stems instead of the leaves. It's tiny eggs are orange and also intricate. Where is the egg? You will need to click on this photo to see how small it is. Hatching will occur any day now. After hatching, all the flowers will be stripped off by the caterpillar. Even though this plant will produce by seed, it survives the butterfly by replicating at the roots. No leaves are touched by the little caterpillars.

Our search took us to Sam Houston National Forest this day. Finding the bug was not easy. I made five sightings myself. This was not the only butterfly in the forest however.

Pearl Crescnt

A surprise was the spotting of the Pearl Butterfly. This one had a damaged wing but he was able to get around just the same.

Henry's Elfin

This butterfly (Henry's Elfin) was expected at this time of the year but difficult to spot, landed high in the branches of the trees and on this cloudy day was very difficult to photograph. Fortunately one of our group managed to find the right spot and had the equipment plus skill to take this photograph.

My thanks to Don Dubois and Hugh Wedgeworth, fellow members of B.E.S.T., for allowing me to share their photos with you.

Let me introduce you to Phenology

2011-01-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

In The Woodlands Texas, this happens to be an important topic. Many of us highly value the nature that surrounds us. Phenology is the study of Mother Nature, sort of. It is focussed on cause and effect of natural processes, specifically the timing of those processes to plants and animals, including humans. An example is how weather delays or speeds up bird migration. I will address that separately in the weather commentary but will just mention it here. Another example is the dependence of certain bird migrations on certain plants. Outright survival for much of nature's wildlife is very dependent on the timing of annual events and location of those events. Global warming must include the consideration of phenology and vice-versa. Water, warmth, sun rays, and daylight play a role in phenology. Man's behavior also plays a significant role.

Although the organized global study of phenology is recent and just getting into high gear, observation data has been collected for decades and even thousands of ears to study some aspects of it. "For the past 1200 years, observations of the timing of peak cherry blossoms in Japan have been recorded." ⁵ The internet has enabled this specialized subject matter to be taken up in ways never before even envisioned. Personally, I started taking note of a new wave of knowledge in this field in my writings last year. The Cedar Waxwing comes through here in the Spring, getting drunk on the berries of the Yaupon tree. In a month or two, we will see these birds making their annual trek up north again. It hasn't been like this for ever. The name of this bird comes from a past migration path and feeding habits. They are called "Cedar" for a reason. They used to feed off of a species of Cedar trees in their migration, but with the demise of their food in the food chain, they had to find an alternative. The berry of the Yaupon is much higher in sugar content and stays on the branches over the winter, offering a berry to them relatively high in alcohol content. The berries are highly available and dense on the native Yaupon trees in the Spring in East Texas. So the beautiful Cedar Waxwing passes through here for their survival. Therefore their lives have changed partially due to man who has destroyed part of its primary migratory food chain. On the other hand, man has planted fruits and trees rich in fruit content to take the place of the cedar berries. These fruits are now fond in the cities and rural areas, facilitating existence outside of the forest. Actually if there are records to support it, I believe we have likely been a part of their migration path for centuries or longer. They may be coming through in greater numbers now than in the past due to the changes mentioned above but are just eating the fruits that are available as always. This article is not about the Cedar Waxwing though, it is focussed on the science of the timing of Mother Nature. ³

My own interest in this topic has taken me to participate in a project to electronically capture historical bird migration records which document sightings and the timing of those sightings. This information will be used to correlate ecological events, weather patterns and the timing of birds in their migration over the period of history where there are records. Today, we have observers and data recorders to collect more information in real time into a database. This is expected to enhance our knowledge and give us direction of trends. Perhaps the butterfly observations and counts taken each year could be integrated with this effort as well. There are many more birders than butterfly observers however.

Although there are disagreements whether we are in a man-made global warming trend, it is easily apparent that we are in a natural global warming trend. How that will play out over the next century and beyond is not easily predicted, so we have the opportunity to utilize phenology as an additional tool for future generations, to enable predictions at least for short terms. These efforts may serve as an additional means to save our planet down the road.

The National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) is funded to serve us in this way. It "monitors the influence of climate on the phenology of plants, animals, and landscapes".¹ The organization looks for data such as when a plant leafs out, or begins to bloom or other such milestone events during the year. A specialized organization/project called North American Bird Phenology Program (NPP) specializes in bird migrations. It is with this group that the bird observations are being cataloged electronically. Six million observations from just before World War II and earlier into the 19th century are being digitized in this project. "This program was started in 1881 by Wells W. Cooke, who wanted to broaden knowledge and understanding of (bird) migration. ²

So why am I writing about this in a local blog? We are part of nature here. That is our fundamental backbone of value. Why is it that we live in the woods anyway? That is the reason I came and the reason many others came to this community. We are in the path of bird migrations. That is part of our heritage and our ecological responsibility to sustain. That is one reason I am so partial to the Yaupon tree (bush). It is a contributor to phenology and an important part of our ecology. Therefore, I am a member of USA-NPN and NPP. I encourage others also to participate in one or more of these programs. You can rest assured that I will publish more articles in the future on this subject.

Related links
¹National Phenology Network website
² North American Bird Phenology Program website
³ Cedar Waxwing just passing through Southeast Texas (Commentary)
⁴ Yaupon - One necessary component of the understory (Commentary)
⁵ Project Budburst website

Eagles in the sky for year 2011

2011-01-13T11:56:00.000-08:00

In The Woodlands, Texas, near Houston, we have the American Bald Eagle in our community. There is other natural wildlife as well. All of it is on the decline as the community continues to be built out. An Eagle needs space. We have had space for them over the years, and that is the reason they are here. That space is filled with large Pine trees and dense undergrowth. In the summer the birds migrate to the north, but by the time it gets really cold up north, they are back here to nest in December. The Woodlands development Company owns the current nesting grounds of the pair that I observe each year. It appears to me that their nesting ground will disappear within the next three years. Their previous nesting location here was dislocated by the construction of of apartments, condos and homes. The birds built a nest close-by when the previous site was threatened by that construction and human activity increased there about 5 years ago. They prefer to use the same nest year after year. It saves them time and energy, besides proving to be safe from prior years' use. Today they inhabit an area of about 10 acres which should be preserved for their use. The chance of that happening is extremely low. It is high value land. As our pine forests decline and is displaced by concrete and brick,one of our precious residents will lose their habitat. Will they move to Spring Creek? Will they move to the 242/1488 area near-by? They have are options, but prefer and perhaps even demand the dense forest and the undergrowth near the lake where there is plenty of food. There, the parents teach the birds to catch small animals like rodents, squirrels, snakes, rabbits, and other small animals. There, they teach their young to fish.

The preservation of their habitation is an opportunity for an organization and/or the developer. With pride, the residents of The Woodlands speak about our community - we have the Bald Eagle right here among us! Wouldn't it be great if we had something for our nearly useless boats on the waterway to observe from the boats, like an Eagle's habitat? We have an opportunity, but we can't see a vision by the development company to develop based on the natural ecology. The Woodlands is unique but it is becoming less so as the developer continues to displace its strengths and values with the developers' own vision of what those strengths and values should be.This is typical of development everywhere. There remains hope for these birds, as slim as it may be. Savvy business people know that you should leverage the strengths you have and build on it, not try to make it something else.

The Woodlands maintains its parks for people, generally not for birds and animals (although it could be changing as I am working with others on a project to place Bluebird houses in the parks). People are not compatible with these large shy birds of prey. The Eagles are not birds which tolerate "tourists" who infringe on their hunting territory. To provide a safe place for their eaglets, they require a family atmosphere away from human threat. They need their space and a natural environment to fly, hunt and care for their little ones. We residents do get the thrill of seeing and hearing these birds in the Spring and early Summer. This year I hope to do some observations with a spotting scope. Meanwhile, I wanted to share this year's photographs with my readers. These photos were taken here in The Woodlands in December 2010 with careful consideration and respect for the birds' privacy before their eggs hatched.

If you want to read past years' articles on this mating pair of Eagles, please refer to the links provided below.

Other Commentary articles

1. Great News for Eagle Fans - Woodlands Texas (2009)

2. A Magnificant Eagle downed by man's neglect to care (2010)

3. Family life of a Bald Eagle (2010)

4. The Baby Eagle - wild and free from the start (2010)

5. Is an Eagle Dangerous? (2010)

6. Call of the Wild eagle (2010)

7. And the Woodlands Eagles fully fledge (2009)

8. And the Eagles prepare for Flying Lessons (2009)

9. Eaglets in The Woodlands (2009)

Tagging Monarch Butterfiles

2010-10-26T11:00:00.000-07:00

Update 03/01/2011: so far there has not been any feedback on the location of these butterflies. Sometimes, information does not become available for as long as two years after tagging. I will follow up with an update if any information becomes available.

In my most recent butterfly count in Montgomery County Texas, our count team had the privilege of tagging 14 Monarch butterflies before their migration to Mexico. This year, there is a shortage of these insects due to cold conditions in Mexico last winter. It is a special year for tracking these beautiful creatures.

First we had to find and catch them. This attempt was successful. The Monarch was in flight about to land on this wall of flowers where it was captured.

Then a tag purchased from the NABA was carefully placed on the outside of the wing in a specific place. Each of us had the chance to tag a butterfly. I successfully tagged one. You have to be very careful not to harm the insect.

Tagged Monarch

The tag is uniquely numbered, so it is cataloged with the location, sex, and other pertinent information to enable an accurate record of its migration and/or ultimate destination if and when someone spots the tag and records the butterfly whereabouts. You can see the tag more clearly if you click on the photo.

Then the butterfly is put into a white mesh container which would eventually be opened to release the insects back into their habitat.

Don DuBois

Our group leader, Don DuBois, organized this activity. He is a big local butterfly enthusiast.

On completion of the task, the tagged butterflies were released. We had two casualties of the 14 captured butterflies in the process. Well, actually one was given a splint in the hope it could make its journey, but the other will probably remain local and not survive the winter.

Monarch preparing to resume normal life

A few just hung around for a while, not particularly anxious to fly off, but eventually got their wings and disappeared. Now we hope to hear the outcome and see if any are actually spotted in Mexico.

Link to the North American Butterfly Association (NABA)
Link to the local chapter of NABA: Butterfly Enthusiasts of Southeast Texas - B.E.S.T.

Identfying Butterflies in Montgomery County Texas

2010-10-25T10:54:00.000-07:00

Each year, there are a number of butterfly counts sanctioned by the NABA (North American Butterfly Association) in Southeast Texas. This article is provided to help the novice identify common species in Southeast Texas. Identifying butterfly species is fulfilling but not exceptionally difficult.; in one outing, you may see the same species many times. It helps if you have some experience, but as a novice, you can identify species in these counts, even though you actually know little. Believe me, there must be an expert in the group to be able to count them efficiently and accurately, but every person available to assist in the process is appreciated. I know! I went cold turkey out in the field last year and found I could be a big help. I am a member of the local chapter of BEST, the local chapter of NABA, which organizes such activities in the Houston area. These counts are normally based only on observation; catching these insects in a net is normally undesirable and unnecessary. Those who have sharp eyes for subtle differences can see a butterfly at a distance and identify it as a specific species or subspecies. I am simply amazed at how they do it, but there are some rules of the road. Those who know their butterflies very well, know what species to expect in what ecology. So if we are observing these insects in an open field, a species is more likely to be seen than another that might like the shade of forest. Another way is to understand species of host plants and know what butterflies are attracted to which species. So it helps to know what species of plants are normally found in a particular location and conditions.

All photos in this article were taken on this one butterfly count in Montgomery County, Texas, just northwest of The Woodlands. Well-planted butterfly gardens will have abundance of the insects but other natural areas this year were much less abundant than last year. I am noting some late comers though on the open pond close to my home.

On this particular day, our group would also be catching Monarchs and tagging them. So we set out with nets and a cage to hold them. Our primary mission was to find how many species we could identify and in what abundance at benchmark locations. Our secondary mission was to capture Monarchs, then tag and release them for their subsequent journey to Mexico, where their discovery is recorded.

For all of North America, there were only 50 counts conducted in the Fall of 2009. Several of those were conducted right here by BEST. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to participate in these events. This one was in our backyard, literally. A count covers an area having a diameter of 15 miles. Our area was north of FM 1488 and west of FM 2978.

I will give you some photos of common butterflies that were identified on this count. First a little background. There are six families of butterflies.

Swallowtails - generally large with distinctive prongs on their wings as "tails", e.g. Black Swallowtail
Brush-footed - generally has two pairs of legs. e.g., Monarch
Whites and Sulfurs - soft distinct colors with colored markings, six legs, often seen "floating in the air". e.g., Orange Sulfur Butterfly
Gossamer-winged Butterflies - medium to small butterflies which tend to shine in the sun and have colorful patterns on their wings. e.g., Gray Hairstreak Butterfly
Metalmark Butterflies - not often if ever seen here. They are a tropical variety and beautifully colored.
Skippers - quite different from other butterflies, there are many species. They are short and stubby looking and move quickly about when they feed, "skipping" from flower to flower. e.g.,Fiery Skipper

Gray Hairstreak

This Gray Hairstreak is abundant and widespread throughout this continent. You are likely to find it in the sun amidst a home garden such as this one.

Gray Hairstreak

This Gray Hairstreak was spotted in another location , appearing a bit different in different light.

Southern Cloudywing Skipper

The Southern Cloudywing Skipper uses the same plant for a host as the Gray Hairstreak, Bush Clover.

Fiery Skipper male

The Fiery Skipper was the most common butterfly in all in our counts. Gardens were simply swarming with them. Several varieties of grasses serve as hosts, especially Bermuda.

Moth

I have added this because what may appear as a butterfly, can easily turn into being a moth. There is a distinct difference between the two. The wing structure is totally different so they fly differently.

Common Buckeye

The Buckeye is quite common all over the United States. I saw a few of these this trip but in Trinity County, saw many. They love the sun will utilize several types of plants as hosts.

Duskywing Butterfly

This butterfly looks very plain when its wings are folded back but when spread out, it comes alive in brown colors.

White Stripe Long-tailed Skipper

A readily identifiable skipper that has a tail on its wings similar to the Swallowtails.

White Striped Long-tailed Skipper

Northern Broken Dash

Note the small white marks on the wings. It is best to have a pair of binoculars when identifying butterflies. No one could identify this except one person in our group. We had an expert of the skipper family with us on this outing.

Clouded Skipper

This photo provides better markings of the Clouded Skipper and a view of the wing structure of the skipper family.

Orange Sulfur

The Orange and Little Sulfurs are similar. One typically sees the Little Sulfur on the ground but the Orange Sulfur stays on the plants.

Little Sulfur

Cloudless Sulfur


Great Purple Hairstreak

Not so common is the Great Purple Hairstreak, but we found several in one backyard that we visited.

Gulf Fritillary female

This butterfly is often called the Passion Flower Butterfly, because its host is the Passion Vine. There is a native species of the plant, but you will often find another variety sold at nurseries. The native species lays close to the ground. Their leaves are very similar, but their flowers and climbing characteristics are different.

Gulf Fritillary male

One of the amazing features of the Gulf Frit is its underwing. It is elaborate and shiny, resembling a masterpiece creation of the orient, such as with inlaid oyster shell.

Tawny Emperor

Another beautiful creature but less brilliant than some of the others. As you might guess by looking at it, it prefers the woody areas, especially on the edge of the forest where it blends into its habitat quite safely. It feeds more on sap and fruits, rarely on flower nectar. Its host is the Hackberry Tree.

Queen

I know; it looks like a Monarch. Well, although related, the Queen is smaller, darker and very beautiful.

American Snout

One of the woody butterflies. This one normally blends in with its habitat by perching on tree limbs. I caught this one on a leaf, so that it could be seen clearly. It is a little blurred but you get the idea of this unusual butterfly. They migrate in mass in the fall, similar to the Monarch. Their host plant is the Hackberry tree.

Common Checkered Skipper

Moderately common here. Prefers sunny warm habitats. Host is Shepherd's Needles among flowering plants.

Monarch

This may be the one butterfly that almost everyone knows and can readily identify, except they get it mixed up with the Queen and other relatives. The Milkweed plant is its host. There is a fear that this butterfly will be extinct in 30 years due to illegal logging in Mexico and the dwindling habitats north of Mexico. Our reality is that the population will decline but not be quite as threatened as some conservationists believe.

Butterfly Count Team left to right: SteveAbbey & Z Anglin, Carol & Ken Fraser (Back row), Randy Scott, Pat Lee, FarrarStockton, Ednelza Henderson, Diane Cabiness, Hugh Wedgeworth, Diane Milano.

Results of the count
Total species: 52
Total individuals: 842
Counts

Pipevine Swallowtail	13	Red-spotted Purple
Polydamas Swallowtail		Viceroy	1
Black Swallowtail	1	Goatweed Leafwing	1
Giant Swallowtail	5	Hackberry Emperor	7
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail	4	Tawny Emperor	15
Spicebush Swallowtail	2	Northern Pearly-eye
Palamedes Swallowtail	8	Southern Pearly-eye
Cabbage White		Creole Pearly-eye
Checkered White		Gemmed Satyr
Great Southern White		Carolina Satyr	1
Falcate Orangetip		Little Wood-Satyr
Orange Sulphur	3	Monarch	34
Southern Dogface	1	Queen	9
Clouded Sulphur		Silver-spotted Skipper
Cloudless Sulphur	70	White-striped Longtail	12
Orange-barred Sulphur		Long-tailed Skipper	1
Large Orange Sulphur	1	Southern Cloudywing	1
Little Yellow	18	Northern Cloudywing	3
Sleepy Orange	10	Confused Cloudywing
Dainty Sulphur	3	Glassy-winged Skipper
Great Purple Hairstreak	2	Juvenal's Duskywing
Soapberry Hairstreak		Horace's Duskywing	3
Banded Hairstreak		Funereal Duskywing	1
Striped Hairstreak		Wild Indigo Duskywing
Northern' Oak Hairstreak		Common Checkered-Skipper	18
Henry's Elfin		Tropical Checkered-Skipper	6
Eastern Pine Elfin		Laviana White-Skipper
Olive' Juniper Hairstreak		Turk's-cap White-Skipper
White M Hairstreak		Swarthy Skipper	1
Gray Hairstreak	16	Julia's Skipper
Red-banded Hairstreak	3	Neamathla Skipper
Dusky-blue Groundstreak		Clouded Skipper	37
Ceraunus Blue	3	Least Skipper
Reakirt's Blue		Southern Skipperling	2
Eastern Tailed-Blue		Fiery Skipper	249
Spring' Spring Azure		Whirlabout	5
Summer' Spring Azure	1	Southern Broken-Dash	3
American Snout	2	Northern Broken-Dash	1
Gulf Fritillary	60	Little Glassywing	5
Zebra Heliconian		Sachem	4
Variegated Fritillary		Yehl Skipper
Silvery Checkerspot		Broad-winged Skipper
Texan Crescent		Dun Skipper	21
Phaon Crescent	5	Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper
Pearl Crescent	1	Common Roadside-Skipper
Question Mark		Celia's Roadside-Skipper
Eastern Comma		Eufala Skipper	11
Mourning Cloak		Twin-spot Skipper
American Lady	10	Brazilian Skipper
Painted Lady	3	Ocola Skipper	15
Red Admiral
CommonBuckeye	130

Online Resources
1. Identifying Bugs - I like this site but it needs some more depth
2. B.E.S.T. - Houston Butterfly chapter of NABA
3. North American Butterfly Association

Related Commentary Articles:
1. Tagging of the Monarch
2. Trinity River National Wildlife Park (2009 butterfly count)

Red-Tailed Hawk : an amazing inhabitant of our forests

2010-10-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

Its a B-52! No, it's a huge bird! The shadow of a large winged creature in the evening made this neighborhood in The Woodlands Texas, in the East Texas forest system, stand up and pay attention. The bird swooped down to about eight feet off the ground, so I ducked. What in the world was going on? Our neighborhood had been attacked by this squirrel hunter? It came in for a landing, but the question is, was it looking for a squirrel or the pet rabbit across the street? Maybe my little Toy Terrier?

In flight to reach the position he seeks in a tree

So majestic, so swift, so powerful! This bird of prey is a natural inhabitant of our forest. He chases a Grey Squirrel up a a tree by going to a limb below the squirrel. The squirrel escapes by going up the tree, seeking refuge from this feared enemy. That is exactly what this bird wants the squirrel to do. On a large Pine Tree, the squirrel moves up and so does the hawk. This happens repeatedly until the squirrel has no place to go. Then this hunter goes in for a swift capture in his talons.

About 60-70 feet high overlooking his domain

The Red-Tailed Hawk is a beautiful bird and a welcome resident of the forest. He is welcome here as well, on a residential street of The Woodlands. Yes, he casts a large shadow with his 3.5-4.5 foot wingspan. Just think! His wings stretch out the height of a human. He lives for 20+ years, so he is our neighbor and friend for much of our life if we stay here.

Mated Red-Tailed Hawk adults

On this day, we saw no prey being taken, but there were suddenly two birds i the tree. I have reason to believe they have been nesting nearby in a tall Pine. I particularly like their hunting ability of rats and mice. We need them as well as Coyotes and Owls to control the tree rat population here. They will also feed on rabbits and any small creature. They are not likely to be hunting cats or dogs. If you see one close to you, you are quite lucky. One landed on our fence once. The photo turned out poor so I never show it. I am very thankful on this day for this observation of such a beautiful creature. I wish I could have given you better photos, but this will have to do for now.

Summer - time to catch a giant fish!

2010-06-12T08:00:00.000-07:00

David lives in Glenloch Farms near The Woodlands, Texas. On this Saturday, his dad brought him out to do a little summertime fishing. Sure it is hot, but the fish are in the water, and the water has not yet reached the temperatures to push them to the cooler depths. I heard David yelling in excitement. "Dad, this fish is huge!". His pole was bent over and he was struggling to keep the fish on his hook. His dad brought the net and held the rod while David reaped the fruit of his labor. Now this was a prize and I just happened to be there to photograph the event. Thanks to these visitors to The Woodlands, I am able to show what is happening today on our ponds. Congratulations on a nice catch!

Pondsin The Woodlands, like the other ponds in Southeast Texas, usuallycontain Large Mouth Bass and Blue Gill perch among other varieties.Sometimes, there will be catfish and crappie also. The food chain istypically mosquito larvae, bugs, mosquito fish, worms, perch, and bass.Crayfish and frogs also play a role in the food chain, especially forbass.

Like fishermen usually do,this boy gladly followed the rules of the park system and returned this fish to its home, hopefully to spawn next spring or even be caught a few times more. Fish get smarter after being caught, more wise in what to eat and what not to eat.

Down on the pond - the jewels of the forest

2010-06-11T15:00:00.000-07:00

Have you ever given any thought to being a dragonfly watcher? Here in The Woodlands, like almost anywhere there is water, summer is dragonfly time! People talk readily about the popular outings of bird watchers, but you don't hear too much about Butterfly or Dragonfly watching. Dragonflies are interesting creatures. If you have the imagination of a child like I sometimes do, you know that this creature can be seen in a mysterious light. Check my story for children on the topic. It's not for children, it is for us too. We need to let our minds be open. Adults really do not need children to unlock their brains. I can definitely say however that children have been a key ingredient in my life to allow to see what I have lost over time, the ability to see the truth and beyond in nature.

Damselflies are usually less seen. Look at the wings placement that gives it the unique characteristic, readily identifying it. I looked for one today and found it quickly, but staying more in the background and away from the shore.

Have you ever imagined why the Dragonfly is just sitting there overlooking the water? Have you watched what they do with territorial struggles? Do you know why they are near ponds? Clue - it's summertime. These jeweled creatures hunt mosquitoes. In metamorphosis, they start their lives hatching from eggs on plants above the water and are first creatures of the water. During this stage, they eat mosquito larvae. Also they are a natural food source for baby fish. After the metamorphic change, they become creatures of the air, with jeweled wings that move independently. A Dragonfly can move what seems to be faster than a bullet, certainly faster than the human eye can detect. The Damselfly is a close cousin but cannot fly as well.

If a male mates a female in another males territory, the dominant male can remove the sperm of the intruder to ensure his offspring is only his offspring. He also usually plays a role in making sure the female deposits her (his offspring) eggs in his territory.

There are a number of varieties and colors on our ponds. Take time to observe them and seek them out. Taking your children out on a Dragonfly hunt is a great deal of fun. Listen to them and their questions. Read the article at this link and read this story that I wrote a couple of years ago. Then put your own story together. Be imaginative. That is what your children will do. Enjoy the moment. I guess I am just a child at heart, aren't you?

Big Brown Bat - our neighborhood night flyer

2010-03-07T13:46:00.000-08:00

I ran across a Big Brown Bat on the street last night, right at dusk. It had apparently escaped the talons of an owl, punctured in the chest by a talon. It soon died on the street after trying valiantly to recover and fly off. I feared it could have rabies, like many residents tend to do, so I ran home and got my camera and some gloves and something to carry the animal. On my return to the site, it had already died, looking more like a glob of mud on the ground than a mammal. I did retrieve the bat, placed it in a bag and took it home.

After calling agencies to find out the appropriate action I should take, it became apparent that no one of authority was concerned about rabies nor was there any advice except to bury the creature. Rabies is not as prevalent in bats as we might think. That is what makes the news, but the risk is not so much a reality. So after calling, I took a few photos and buried the creature.

The Big Brown Bat does not have prominent visible teeth like some bats. It is a very common bat species. It can number 1000 in one forest group. Here, there is no telling where its family might be, only that it should be very close-by, considering the time of day that I found it. I know of one home in this neighborhood that has a bat house attached to it. Maybe that was its habitat.

Our forests are amazing. They contain a large diversity of animals and plants.

A Magnificant Eagle downed by man's neglect to care

2010-03-05T20:54:00.000-08:00

This story by Annette King Tucker touched me deeply. I hope it reaches you in the same manner as I. The next time I am trying to rid my home of tree rats, I will be more cautious! Will you?

What an honor it was on Saturday November 7th to be called upon by State authorities to care for one of our Nation's greatest treasures. This majestic bird was not only impressive to look at, but his presence actually seemed to change the climate in our wildlife clinic. It became "sacred ground" for awhile, and I could not have been more humbled to have been handed such a trust. I have never touched an Eagle, and here I was examining his massive body, running my fingers along his wing bones checking for breaks, opening the impressive beak looking for evidence of problems. I was shaking. The pressure to save his life was tangible, and the responsibility was overwhelming.

After finding no physical injuries, I clearly felt this eagle was fighting an internal battle. His breathing was slightly labored and he was somewhat thin, but in relatively good flesh. The thought of a poisoning came to mind, and struck a familiar chord of fear in me. Animals who ingest other animals dying from rodent poison fall victim to the same fate, but a far slower death would come. It would be too late to save this eagle if that were the case. From the tattered state of his tail, he had been on the ground for a few days at least. I had hope that I was wrong and this was a lung infection and nothing more.

"Spirit" as we called him, began to recover immediately. Although he was rejecting food, we continued to treat him for an infection and for a crop that had clearly shut down and had become rancid. We gave him some medication, and the listless bird turned around for us overnight. The treatments were working, and he began standing strong with his wings tucked away properly. He began to drink water on his own and was vocalizing from time to time. We gave him privacy and avoided handling him except for necessary cage changing. He was extremely cooperative with me for all of his treatments. I kept him confined so that I could medicate him quickly and avoid undue stress. He was an ideal patient, until yesterday.

Although he had passed all inspections for progress yesterday morning, by afternoon something had gone horribly wrong. Spirit was suddenly gasping for breath, and he was distressed. We didn't hesitate. We immediately took him to our veterinarian, Doctor Lesleigh Cash of Hooves Paws and Claws in Claremore.

Life support was given to no avail. His decline was sudden and unstoppable as his body began to shut down. Spirit had been showing the tell tale signs of rodent poisoning and was treated for such, but his progress had given us hope for a miracle. This condition is always fatal for wildlife as we do not get them until the toxins are well absorbed and the animals are unable to avoid being captured. People who use poison for rodents do not realize that they do not die immediately. They are likely to wander aimlessly for hours, becoming easy prey to hungry wildlife and domestic pets. I have cared for dozens of poisoned wild animals in my 14 years as a wildlife care specialist. I've saved none of them.

Last night I brought our beautiful bird back to my wildlife clinic, his empty cage standing before me, his lifeless body in my arms. Ceremoniously, I wrapped him in an American flag and lay my head on him with tremendous pain and regret. I thanked him for allowing me the hope of his recovery, and for fighting with us, as hard as we did, even though recovery was impossible. I apologized to him for the tragedy of his death, and the cruel contribution from my own species to his suffering. What an incredible animal! What Spirit! He will be picked up by a Federal wildlife agent soon and handed over to a Native American eagle feather program who will use his feathers with great respect and honor.

We at Wild Heart Ranch dedicate our lives to improve the lives of thousands of our original Americans, the wildlife with whom we share space. We feel this is part of our responsibility as the dominate species, to assist those creatures who are helpless against the infringement of people into their lives, and without care when tragedy finds them. We ask that out of respect for those who have no voice, that the use of poisons be rethought when dealing with rodents. There are other ways to cope that create no other victims. I would have rather never touched an American Eagle, than to have had one die in my arms yesterday. This could have been avoided, and I feel it is our duty to change our ways to avoid such a needless and devastating loss.

We thought of our soldiers away from home in the bold and revered Spirit of an eagle that for a few brief days, touched the honored few who shared space with him. God speed. We are forever changed. We wish we could have released him to honor you all.

As I look for ways to expand our facility to provide more suitable and substantial means to care for these animals, I will take with me each day the motivation I felt to save just one; the eagle that didn't fly. He represents all of them to me, as well as all of us. It is time for change, and it is time to do more for others and to be better Americans, even if it just means opting for mouse traps instead of bait.

A few photos were taken at the few times we handled Spirit. They are now my treasures. I wanted to share his majesty and his story. I couldn't allow him to go without leaving something behind for us to learn.

God Bless.
Annette King Tucker Wild Heart Ranch Wildlife Rescue
www.wildheartranch.org

If you find a fawn ...

2010-03-05T20:30:00.000-08:00

The grass is turning green, the flowers are starting to bloom and inthe Montgomery County area, babies are being born to wild creatures.

Friends of Texas Wildlife is a non-profit organization that rehabilitatesorphaned and injured wildlife. It is often called upon to help what appears tobe an orphaned fawn when, in actuality, it’s not orphaned at all. Fawns areoften left alone for several hours while the mother is looking for food. Hereare some tips to help you recognize if a fawn needs help. If a fawn is obviouslyill, lying on its side, kicking, crying or is covered with fire ants, pick it upand place it in a box or animal carrier. A light cloth placed over the animal'shead will sometimes calm it. Keep it away from pets and all human activity.Petting the fawn, talking to it or holding it does not comfort it. This is awild animal. Human voices, odor and touch only add to the stress and will causeadditional harm. DO NOT FEED THE FAWN ANYTHING. Call Friends of TexasWildlife at once for help.

If an uninjured fawn is seen, leave it alone and leave the area. The fawnwould not be there if the doe were not nearby. You will not see her mother. She willreturn for the fawn only when there are no humans near. If you have removedthe fawn from its resting spot, TAKE IT BACK AT ONCE and walk away. The doe will be searching for her fawn andwill accept it even with human scent on it.

In general, it is not a good idea to make a wild animal your pet. Not only is it not fair to theanimal, it is against the law. According to Chapter 63, Section 63.002 of theParks and Wildlife Code, no person can possess a live game animal (deer are game animals) for anypurpose not authorized by their code. The first offense for illegal possessionof a live deer is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 pluscourt costs. There are similar laws for possession of other animals such asraccoons.

The picture you see was taken in someone’s yard in the Lake Windcrestsubdivision off of FM 1488. Apparently, someone thought this fawn was abandonedand decided to make it their pet. After it was collared and leased, it escapedand was seen running throughout the subdivision. Its chances of survival in such incidents areextremely slim unless captured and turned over to a permitted wildliferehabilitator.

If you have questions about what to do if you find an animal in your area oreven in your attic, call FRIENDS OF TEXAS WILDLIFE at 281-259-0039 or check theirwebsite at www.friendsoftexaswildlife.org.

Myneighbor once found such a fawn here in The Woodlands. He brought theanimal for all to see in the cul-de-sac. It was found in a green areaon the other side of his fence. It did not move when his dog keptbarking at it. So my neighbor reached over the fence and [picked it up.It came alive and fought back. It was only obeying its mother to staythere until she returned. I asked him to return it, as advised byFriends of Texas Wildlife. We never knew the final disposition of thecreature, but I suspect its mother returned to fetch it.

The Baby Eagle - wild and free from the start

2010-02-19T13:10:00.000-08:00

An Eaglet is wild from the start. Think a second about its life. It hatched in January, about the coldest time of the year in this nesting territory. It is a carnivorous creature from day one. At the start, the parents kill the creature it brings to the nest, but after a while, doesn't bother anymore. An eaglet tears the meat with its sharp beak and claws, then gulps it down.

Although I do not have a photo of that process, I have witnessed it. The meat is tossed in the nest and the eaglets feed off of it for a fairly long period of time, if its food is of any significant size. For example, it could be eating possum, rat, fish, cat, rabbit or dog for dinner. The parent can pick up and carry a 10 pound animal to the nest.

This baby bird is about 4 weeks old in my estimate. It is very interested in what is found outside of the nest, inquiring on everything that is happening in the forest. He is aware that I am near; his parents have warned him. The glow in his eyes seem to indicate his desire already to leave the nest and fly free. Freedom rings in the Eagle. His posture is exactly that of a grown bird - one of astuteness, overseer, ruler of the forest, serious and highly perceptive, with far reaching eyesight.

I think it is worth an extra click to see the full size photo.

Cedar Waxwing just passing through Southeast Texas

2010-02-16T20:42:00.000-08:00

Birds are in a hurry, but old man winter is not cooperating. It is migration time again, and we still have two more weeks of winter. The Yaupon do not wait however. Their berries are ripe, perfect for the Cedar Waxwings and Robins to eat. However, the squirrels were the early bird this year. With the drought last year, the berries were more important this year than normal to the squirrels. They have been eating them like crazy! Nevertheless, there are enough berries to go around. The arrival of the masses of this species is exact every year, about Valentines Day.

Amazing enough their arrival is always coincident with the first blooming and little noticed elm tree. Using photographic equipment, we are able to see the two wonders of nature singing in concert this year for spring time! It is not quite time to nest but time to bloom! Waxwings have the itch, you might say but they take their time getting back home. They dilly dattle around on their way up north, in no hurry, partaking as they go. No food? Move on! Eventually they will reach their nesting sites, but they move as slow as Spring moves, but start very early.

These birds are very social and chat or fuss at each other while feeding. They are accompanied by a hoard of Robins. And no, I have not seen the Robins after worms. Robins do search for berries on the ground under the Yaupons, trying to eat the crumbs left behind. I have plenty of worms in my backyard, but have yet to see one Robin in the spot where I raise the worms.

Eating berries in a tree is not an easy job, even if your body is made for it. The berries are in the most awful difficult places to reach, like on the very end of a branch. A squirrel will just cut the end of the branch off, but the birds must pluck each berry from the branches.

If you are persistent and play the game right, you are rewarded with the fruit of your labor.

Now for the unusual habits of this bird. Yes, they are very active and they eat fruit, especially well known for their affinity to the berries of cedar and thus their name, they often are tipsy and a maybe little drunk to boot! After all, fruit ferments when the temperature warms up. Right now, the berries are rich in sugar and on warm days, expect them to contain fermented alcohol as well.The birds may fly into windows and do other "silly" unexpected things as a result of this phenomena.

These birds are fun to watch. Take some binoculars and watch them closely. These masked silky lively colored birds are out to have a good time in the forests of The Woodlands right now. They will soon be gone. Not cold lovers, they have been hesitant to move on north. These guys seem to be keeping warm today, all fluffed up in the north wind and looking toward the horizon for what is coming next. Bad news - arctic air will arrive again in just a few days.

Although some will migrate as far south as Costa Rica, most go no further than South Texas for the winter. That way they are closer to returning back to their summer home and can take the first flight home. To heck with the old saying about the Robin! Last one's home is a rotten egg! Thanks for the berries Woodlands! See ya at happy hour again next year! Meanwhile, on to the next bar down the road.

Family life of a Bald Eagle

2010-02-09T06:57:00.000-08:00

Observing a family over the past couple of years in the forest of East Texas, I have grown emotionally attached. I think many people see their responsibility for the diversity of life on our planet. As a co-resident of our planet, a human and an Eagle share instincts developed through natural survival evolution through the ages. In the Bible, we are told that man has the responsibility to care care for what God provided upon this planet. We are placed here to make sure his work is kept in tact. It is a huge responsibility that we carry on our shoulders.

Take this Eagle family for an example of the human / creatureconnection. The Eagle will tolerate human presence but its family lifeis, after all, what is most important to him. Both male and femaleshare the responsibility of the nest. This youngster is being caredfor by one of its parents. After bringing a small animal to the nest,the parent leaves the animal with the children in the nest. One ofthe eaglets can be seen here in the nest. The parent has done the work,provided food for the baby and now is enjoying the wind and warmth ofthe sun, cleaning itself while being close to the eaglets in the nest.

Sometimes, a parent must just watch out for predators such as a vulture, owl or a tree climbing coon. Life is dedicated to raising the eaglets. Typically, we find two eaglets in each nest and the eagles will raise only one family each year. They arrive in late December and prefer to use an existing nest. It takes a lot of effort and time to build a new one from scratch. I have seen three nests for this couple over the years I have lived here. I am assuming the same birds are nesting at this spot but no one knows the age of the birds.

Duties as a sentry also requires flight over the neighborhood to see what may be on the ground and to observe any threats in the distance. Reconnaissance flights are also needed to find close and easily caught food. A parent is always close. Maybe we don't see them all the time, but they will fly at very high altitude to find food. They see us and we have no idea they are there. "Eagle eyes" are well known to be highly developed for long distance precise vision. Their hearing senses are also excellent. Each time I have walked through the forest near a nest, they appear after I hear some calls. (See the Call of the Eagle).

So how attached are they to their young? This is one of the amazing features of the bird to me. After caring for them day and night in the nest, they then teach them to fly, catch their food and then raise families. This is accomplished over about two years. The eaglets will migrate with their parents to the north during the summer and learn the places and means to make the journey. Up north, they continue to learn how to fish and catch animals with the help of their parents. This is one of the few birds that migrates south for the winter to nest, so when December comes, they fly back with their parents, another lesson in making and surviving a journey back to their nesting habitat.

As a sentry, the bird does not care what direction it faces. He can see in all directions from one perch position. He can turn his head more than 180 degrees and has peripheral vision to boot!

I have seen one of last year's eaglets, not full grown adults but not yet with full color, near the nest. Staying close to mama and daddy, it is content to fish and hunt with them until time to migrate back north. Then it will likely fly alone or with his sibling as this family will be caring for the two new eaglets needing their full attention all the way back north. They may find nesting locations near here but not likely very close because one of the criteria is to have plenty of range for hunting, not too near other families. However, our area certainly has its possibilities, with the new Lake Paloma and tree stands on Spring Creek. A second family started nesting here last year. I do not have any information on that nest this year.

The Bald eagle is a tremendous example of a responsible parent to us, working hard to ensure the best outcome and life for their youngsters. The Bald Eagle is truly a survivor and has been coming back strong in recent decades as a genuine and respected resident of many communities like ours.

In Central Texas, near Austin, there is a nesting couple that can be seen from the highway through binoculars. It is far enough away to not be bothered by visitors, but clearly visible. If anyone wants to know where that nest is, I can provide the information. Visiting that nest will not impair the family life of those birds. Photography is feasible there with a long or strong zoom lens.

Is an Eagle dangerous?

2010-02-08T13:24:00.000-08:00

With three Bald Eagles in my vicinity one day last week, and with one suddenly bearing down on me in the forest, I asked myself a simple question. Should I be here around their babies alone, without a witness or anyone to warn me of danger? So I came back to the computer to learn that there are a few recorded incidents, but mostly with children. The sharp talons of an Eagle are capable of inflicting damage but an adult human is more able to incapacitate an Eagle than a small child. It is highly unlikely that an Eagle would attack any human. Very few incidents have been recorded. Although the bird is huge, it does not weigh much. There are many incidents with an Eagle attacking small pets and they can carry rather heavy objects, a 15 pound dog, for example.

Seeing one flying directly towards you can give a person a strong rush! One is put into a state of awe while at the same time, sensing power and danger just moments away. The bird is super fast in the air and is incredibly skilled in its flight, dodging tree branches and flying in relatively small spaces, as affords the typical forest.

The bird leaves its position on a branch with little warning and no sound. Literally a moment, just a blink, it has totally disappeared right before your eyes. I never feel actually threatened, but can be a little uncomfortable when I know the Eagle is looking directly at me and assessing every move. So for my purpose here, I have to say that an Eagle is not dangerous. It knows man can hurt him and it prefers to stay out of the way. However, I would never ever threaten one of their babies!

Call of the Wild Eagle

2010-02-06T12:59:00.000-08:00

The Woodlands Texas' Bald Eagles have returned again. We again have eaglets in the nest(s) and will continue this annual pattern as along as we have enough forest here to sustain them. Eagles require feeding areas and protection for their nest.

One of the majestic qualities of these extraordinary birds is their call. Try the chirping sound below, because that is the most prevalent sound in the forest when they are nesting. It echoes among the trees which can generate an eerie sensation.

One also hears the sound of the call. I believe from my own experience that the call (below) is the warning of a possible threat. That is what I was greeted with this morning as I initially approached the nest site. First as I neared the nest, two eagles greeted me. I had been nearing the "call" for several minutes. Then suddenly I saw a yearling, one from last year's nest. That was a treat all by itself. What I was not expecting was that the yearling was flying with one of its parents, which followed it. Then the parent turned around to fly back over me, then "she" put on her brakes with her wings, a spectacular sight, and completely metamorphosed herself from a jet into a helicopter. I stood in awe! She was suspended in the air looking me over. I thought - they have me outnumbered and preparing to attack! I guess I passed the test though, because they disappeared over the horizon quickly and every once in a while, she returned, sometimes to check on me and other times paid no attention to me at all. Once I did see both parents in flight concurrently.

Sound 3 (repetitive chirp) is another call I hear frequently when in the forest. I get the feeling it is a signal announcing arrival. These recordings are provided by www.soundboard.com Your virus software might examine the site and warn of a potential virus at that website, but that is OK since the viruses are not in these files. I have verified that with two virus detection products.

Mountain Lions - in Montgomery County?

2010-01-25T17:48:00.000-08:00

I am a Cougar fan (UofH that is). Therefore I have had an interest in this animal as a UofH alumni for years. Cougars are known to be a dominant carnivore on our continent. I have never heard of anyone spotting an actual Cougar in our parts lately, but that does not mean they are not here. A few years ago one was sighted in Sam Houston National Forest in our county. Another was reported neat the national forest some 20 years ago. The animal is reclusive and tends to be nocturnal, consistent with its primary prey, the deer.

In fact, this cat which weighs between 70 and 150 pounds has been sighted and confirmed as a resident of this county sometime in the past. Could we see one in The Woodlands? Anything is possible, but I seriously doubt we will ever see one here. The reclusive Mountain Lion is not a huge threat to humans and coexist among humans from the tip of South America to the more northern reaches of our continent. Almost every county in Texas has a confirmed sighting of at least one, including ours. Where deer live, the Cougar is also a candidate to live there. The Cougar is the top of the food chain, with the Coyote sharing that fame secondary. Due to its size, the Cougar is the most feared adversary of the Texas deer.

Similar to the Coyote, this animal is beginning to learn how to hunt and avoid man as open land becomes more scarce. Ranchette-type subdivisions of 10-20 acres can expect to see this animal at times. There is an excellent field guide produced by the Texas Parks and Wildlife on this animal if you get the time to read a full explanation of its habits, threat, how to react if you are confronted by one, footprints and life style.

A Field Guide to Texas Mountain Lions

The Cougar is considered a dangerous animal if raised in enclosures and kept as domestic animals. There are county laws related to this. Those laws do not apply to free animals in the wild. All "kept" wild animals must be registered with the county. Therefore, if you see or know of the presence of a Cougar, the animal could be the registered property of someone else. The proper thing to do is to report the sighting to the Sheriff's office or animal control.

Montgomery County Wild and Dangerous Animal Regulations

References
1. Texas Parks and Wildlife website - Nuisance Animals : Mountain Lions
2. Montgomery County Wild and Dangerous Animal Regulations

Waller Cemetery - Grimes County

2009-12-21T07:13:00.000-08:00

There are many interesting day trips from The Woodlands Texas and nearby areas. Here is a history buff's opportunity to visit a cemetery in Grimes County, just across the county line from Montgomery.

I was out enjoying the forest and saw a sign to Waller Cemetery. Although visiting a cemetery is not the norm for me, I do enjoy enacting scenes of history in my mind. Do you? Here is a deep forest revelation unveiling evidence of local soldiers who died in the civil war and slavery. Both are part of our history in this area.

John Waller, after whom this cemetery was named, was the founder and first mayor of the city of Austin. He is buried in this cemetery, re-interred in 1926 to rejoin his children. He adopted the declaration of Texas Independence and served in the war of independence, where he was injured.¹ The county of Waller is named after him. This is a really neat place to visit and opens a lot of history deep in the heart of Texas, in our own backyard.

To get there, one must take narrow forest dirt roads and even cross a small creek by automobile on board planks. It is remote but easily accessible in dry weather.

This is one of several very old gravestones, reminding us of the life difficulties. Martha Long lived a full life of that era. She is cataloged with the other interred Texans in this cemetery.²

The cemetery is small but rich with history. I found it worthwhile to visit in my exploration of this part of Montgomery County and nearby locations. Also interred here are two African American Texans who were buried outside of the cemetery because of racial segregation.

References
¹ Edwin Waller, Texas State Cemetery
² Waller Cemetery - catalog

The urban sprawl era of Montgomery County

2009-12-13T07:00:00.000-08:00

Montgomery County is changing day by day, via planners, via developers, via population. We have been walking through a few related topics in previous articles noted below.^{1 2 3} Now we take it from a different but related perspective - conservation alongside regional urbanization. A local consultant, Burditt Land and Place Consultanting in Conroe, specializes in resource management, treescaping and urban planning. Integration is their central theme. They have a design process that yields "definable and buildable" plans, molded from client goals. My discussion with a couple of representatives of this company brings to reality much of the future of this area that I have been contemplating over the past few weeks. Pictured on the left, left to right are John Ross, CA,CF , Senior Resource Specialist and Charles Burditt, President. Inspired by these two gentlemen, I am sure you will appreciate what I am about to say. It is intended to begin to help open visionary eyes, where our children and grandchildren may live in the future. I constantly ask myself, "will they have the quality of life that we have, enough to enjoy natural resources and living as we do today?"

Resource management includes preservation and management of our trees and wildlife, in addition to our water and soil. On staff of Burditt are architects, landscape architects, planners, park and recreational professionals, engineers and conservation specialists. This company has completed planning projects for The Woodlands, Conroe, Magnolia, and Seabrook among others. Today, I met a long time resident of the area, who explained the past to me, why we are where we are in urbanization and resource management. We are in a boom - the "urban spread" era of our county! "Just think, in the 1980s Montgomery County had the largest timber volume of any east Texas county!" Today, the volume of wood is not only difficult to quantify, but just not in the same ball park as then. This came about from a change in tax assessment law. One should know that the influence of tax laws has affected timberlands throughout history. For example, under the Ottoman Empire, tax evaders would hide in the forest from tax collectors. Today, if you travel from Amman, Jordan to Israel, through the barren hills, you will see the outcome of that forest. The government of that empire levied a payment for each tree cut down, so that the tax evaders would not have safe haven from the government. Therefore, greed was leveraged to destroy the forest. Government can negatively or positively affect the conservation of our natural resources.

In the case here of Montgomery County, along with other counties, the assessment tax was changed to a productivity tax in the 1980's. As a direct result, overnight it became too expensive to grow and harvest timber. Long term timber investments had to be sold for other purposes. George Mitchell was one who already had a plan for his timberland. He also could not sustain timber operations with the high cost of land taxes. This tax assessment strategy was a sudden change for the long term investment process of timber production. Cattlemen got the tax advantage in the use of land. The difference in land use taxes caused the large holding companies to sell off their assets - Friendswood, Mitchell, Foster, and Champion were large holders of timberland. Real estate companies bought large amounts and sold them in smaller 100 acre or so parcels. Then the timberlands began to be used for other purposes, eventually causing today's urban sprawl.Timber remains an important resource to manage in this and adjoining counties. Even Harris County has some significant forest remaining. There is in fact a 40+ acre timber farm in northwest Harris County. In Montgomery and Grimes, there are still some significant pine stands originally planted for timber production. There are locations near Montgomery, one timber farm in the city limits of Conroe, some near Willis and some in the bottom lands of southeast Montgomery county. Today, diversity of tree species is emphasized wherever tree resources are managed. Hardwoods are often included in any stands of trees whether it be for visual purposes or for wildlife management. Certain species like the Burr Oak or Cedar Elm provide deer and other wildlife with better resources than do pines. The old timberland production process is giving way to this new vision of tree diversity and carefully planned forests or parks to provide livable forests to inhabitants of the county, as urban sprawl takes its course.

I see my grandchildren living in the forests of Montgomery County, don't you? I see them on bicycles preparing for races on the bike ways, walking along the pedestrian ways to service providers and market. I also see shuttles carrying people past stands of trees and scenic ways. I see quiet neighborhoods but fairly densely populated, even in the far reaches of the county. I see water conservation using strategies for natural recharging of underground reservoirs and very accessible parks and green belts using the diversity of tall trees, some dense as we see in forests, others standing alone, as the planted hardwoods begin to mature. There will be remnants of the great east Texas forest, but it will not be the same. Even you and I do not see the true native forests here in The Woodlands. We are amidst the timber lands intended for logging, not exactly the native forest. Over time, the forest has been evolving, but we have few long leaf pines in it. Most of them are along the creek beds.

John Ross was quick to note that ranching has not been a factor on the forest productivity in the past few decades. Clearly the escalating arrival of people in our urban sprawl has affected the timber lands, but perhaps not as much as we might think. Now we face many opportunities to manage potential and in-place forest resources. What decline in tree population we have noticed can be mitigated somewhat with the planting of seedlings. The more we do, the better it will be for our childrens' families (and ourselves). Hopefully, the forest will be here, although in a different form in the future for the community. Charles Burditt noted some of their projects are now integrating pedestrian ways to achieve higher standards of living quality for livability. I will be following up with an article on a very interesting project his company has planned out. I can't wait to explore that for my readers.

Crazy Ants - a new imported pest

2009-11-12T15:22:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about these new ants? They are likely to be a worse menace than Fire Ants. This South American species was imported in the port of Houston a fairly short while ago, something like 7 years ago. It has made its way to Montgomery County and probably exist very near The Woodlands by now. Like all ants, the Raspberry Crazy Ant is very social. Unlike the Fire Ant, these ants swarm and like to get into dark areas. They are in fact a menace to Fire Ants. They may eventually even displace the Fire Ant. Crazy ants run about like they are crazy and thereby their nickname. So again we have another invasive creature not meant to be here. It could affect our plants, animals and upset the balance of nature.

When someone hears they might rid them of the Fire Ant, the old saying comes to mind. "Watch out what you ask for"! One colony can have multiple queens and number in the millions. Imagine being blanketed by ants. They move swiftly. Fortunately, they do not have stingers. However, they can bite and it hurts. The ant is potentially a threat to agriculture although there is not much information yet to substantiate the fear of this ant in agriculture. The ants can cause damage to electrical systems, especially when they occupy a major power box such as an electrical switch. They are known to short out electrical systems in computer systems and traffic signals.

Visit Texas A&M's site on this subject for more information.

Tree Rat Nesting Season in The Woodlands

2009-10-12T16:34:00.000-07:00

Each year in this neck of the woods, our forest rats search for a place to nest. They like to come to the homes where it is nice and cozy during the winter. If they can get in, they will nest under boards or in some quiet place in the attic. We often respond by calling our favorite pest control company. Some of us try to solve the problem ourselves. What to do?

Unfortunately many of their natural enemies are removed and relocated elsewhere. The Coyote is our best friend for controlling the rat. Owls are also a good predator but we do not have many anymore - lack of trees and space. Since rats are night creatures, their enemies are typically out hunting when the rat is out foraging - night time!

Every year, I am confronted with some sort of rat issue. Last year, they managed to get in the garage, so I had to deal with them there. They had a litter and I had to capture as many as possible. What I did not get, I ended up poisoning. That irradiated them well. They made a mess before I could get them out. To prevent them from returning, I replaced the bottom seal of both garage doors. Yes, all it takes is a very small opening and they can squeeze through it. About two years earlier, they had found a way to get into the attic through a small opening on an eve of the house. I found that by going up into the attic, turning off all artificial lights and finding where the light was entering the attic. I filled the space with a can of spray Styrofoam and painted it. That worked well. Now we have no light entering the attic.

Last night we heard some gnawing again. This was the second night during the past week that we were awaken by some creature. I went outside and could find nothing of course. So I decided it was probably a rat. The weather and time of year are both perfect for them to be trying to get inside. I know we have Opossum outside regularly but believe this time, the problem is that rats are trying to find a way into the house or possibly are already inside. So I bought a new type of trap and baited two of them - one outside and one inside. The outside one is portable, wired to whatever is available. I screwed down the inside trap because I do not want one to grag the trap into a wall cavity.

We have found that we can endure a dying rat in the wall, but it is not the most pleasant thing in the world. No perfume or air deodorant helps. It just stinks for about two weeks. Ventilation is the best tool - a fan in the area with one of those heated deodorant systems. Just don't invite guests! The alternative is to cut out the wall and remove it, if you can find exactly where it is. There will be flies in the house also, so there is a possible health issue in leaving the animal to decay naturally.

Chances are you have seen one of these animals at night or in your yard, especially if you have bird feeders or feed your dogs outside. I have seen them in the trees but very seldom see them crossing the street at night. The less timid Opossum is more likely to be in the street than the rat.

A Tree Rat in the East Texas forest will forage around for almost anything to eat, especially grain, insects and fruit. The forest has an abundance of food in the summer. In the winter, especially when much of the ground is covered in water, a rat will search on higher ground or in plants. Nearby wild rats tend to come out of the creek bottoms and go up where homes are built because it is dryer and its food tends to do the same. Closely following the food chain would be the Rat Snake and the Coyote among others. Today, the rat is finding itself at the top of the food chain, much to our demise. We kill or remove the Coyote. Many humans despise all snakes, so the snake is on the decline as well. If we feed the birds, we feed the rat as well. If we feed the squirrels, we are feeding the rats as well. Their olfactory senses are keen. They can smell the presence of other rats, many types of chemicals and can even smell individuals of their own kind like a dog. The can even sense change by their smelling senses. The results in rats returning to the same place they were born and socializing enough to bring in other individuals to their abode. So having scat about the house provides a means to communicate among individuals.

So we conclude with some advice on removing them from the premises. I do not advocate a catch and release strategy. The next best thing is to physically kill them with a good trap. Don't use the old type of rat trap. There are newer kinds that produce more of a quick kill rather than allowing the animal to suffer for a long time. After seeing what the animals go through with poisons, I do not recommend a slow death using that strategy either. Rats are very smart. They rarely get into things they cannot get out of. A poor trap will allow a rat to be trapped with its tail or a leg. The rat will bite off a leg to free itself. They also learn by observation. When they see another rat trapped or killed by a device, they will avoid it. Two types of traps are recommended - the electrical (expensive) trap serves the best purpose. Second choice is called the Snapper. It is a strong heavy plastic trap that can be attached to wood by a screw. It's food cup can be removed to clean or put load the bait. My portable unit is tied down with a string of wire. My permanent trap is screwed into the attic floor. Let's see how fast I can remove these creatures this year!

Good luck with yours.

Nature at its best - beautiful native plant host to a beautiful native butterfly

2009-10-06T19:38:00.000-07:00

This Purple Passion Flower (Passiflora Incornata) is very special to me. I planted these vines years ago in The Woodlands Texas, as a native flower, just for their beauty. Early in my married life, my wife and I planted some at our home south of Houston. The vine grows about anywhere it can attach and reach out to the sun. It thrived there also. Neighbors have come by the house here and asked, "where did you buy that flower?". My response - "I bought four plants at a nursery that no longer exists." I do recommend them in the yard and have no idea where you can buy one today. The vines will grow high into the trees and must be managed to enable the trees to get their sunlight. They are naturally part of the forest and thrive here. They will live through the winter and freely propagate by seed. This flower was hanging about six feet off the ground, hanging from a tree.

There is a huge bonus in having this plant in your backyard. It is very specialized, attracting the Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis Vanillae) butterfly. Seeing the underside of this creature in the sun is truly spectacular. This one poses for the camera about 10 feet off the ground.

You might see them in a different pose however.This one is two feet off the ground enjoying the nectar of a Red Salvia. I have the salvia placed in two places in the back yard. I have noticed that these butterflies also enjoy the Hummingbird bush (Hamelia).

Then again, the Gulf Fritillary seems to enjoy about every blooming plant out there.

Basically, if you plant for Hummingbirds, you have the food for the butterflies. I have six species of butterflies in the backyard this year. This one is dominating in numbers right now because I have the secret weapon - its favorite host plant, the Passion Vine.

Although happy with my own landscaping some 10 years ago, I have started transplanting more salvia to improve the feeding areas for hummingbirds and butterflies.

Knowing more about the best approach for an excellent butterfly garden, I want to expand a few beds and add such plants as Joe Pye Weed or a Pipevine. One needs both hosts and feeders available to have a mixed population in the backyard.

Drought and interesting find - Truffles in East Texas?

2009-10-02T06:49:00.000-07:00

At first this baffled me. I was out in my lawn in The Woodlands Texas and noticed a spot where the grass was not growing. Not enough water? I asked. The location is rather high relative to the rest of the yard, so the question was pertinent considering the severe drought we had this year. So in one of the driest places in my yard, I discovered this mass growing under the ground, with just a piece peeking above the ground, like a tree root , preventing the grass from taking hold there. As you may already know, I subscribe to the practice of mulching my grass as I mow it, so there is plenty of dead material in the yard for mushrooms or fungi to munch on. Since I have been paying attention to mushrooms this year, I readily noticed this is indeed of the Fungi group of living organisms. One sniff and I said - this is a mushroom growing underground! I wished someone would have photographed my face on that discovery!

So do mushrooms grow underground? Well, fungi do and this one appears to be a truffle. At least it is a tuber (like in potato). This is of the mushroom family and produces spores. When I posted this photo in Facebook for some of my friends to review, one response was that I needed to go out and rent a pig. That was clever. Boars are known to have a chemical in their saliva which attracts a female in mating season. That chemical is prevalent in these tubers and there are related stories to the truffle. There is the "Festival of the Truffle and Wild Boar" in Italy where the relationship is honored as people go search for truffles.¹

So is this one of the very costly edible truffles that we import from Europe? In that we had such a dry year, I have been told it possibly is! That makes this little thing worth at least $200 in the market. Still my family said jokingly (I think) - "you are dead meat if you try to eat this thing. If it doesn't kill you, we will for trying." So it sits on the kitchen table, waiting for me to throw it out or try it. It sure smells good! The large piece is one tuber. There were two babies attached to it, thus the other pieces.

As it turns out, this type of fungus probably evolved in drier climates where mushrooms were not so successful in the evolution of organisms. By keeping its spores underground and multiplying in that fashion, it is more successful in propagating than its brother, the mushroom. So when you are digging in the earth or notice something at the surface of the ground like this, you now know what it might be. There are many varieties of tubers and some are native to Texas.

This is a companion article with more detail that I found interesting when I researched this topic - "Truffle Primer" by Britt A. Bunyard.

¹American Chronicle,White Truffles in the Monferrato of northwest Italy

Wasps in Southeast Texas

2009-09-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

We find two common wasps in The Woodlands and other locations in the Southeast USA. Many of us who have lived here for decades have been stung at least one time by one of these species. We know them as the Red or Paper Wasp and the Southern Yellow jacket. The two species are quite different but both will sting when their nest is threatened. The insect is beneficial to the garden and has a positive role in the environment. It eats insects and particularly tough on caterpillars. One will typically find the Red Wasp near water. The Yellow Jacket is found about everywhere.

Popularly known as the Red Wasp and also Paper Wasp. This nest was attached under the eave of a house in The Woodlands Texas.

Yellow Jacket nest found on a plant in the forest, near the shore of a lake in The Woodlands Texas. As you will note, the nest of a yellow jacket is similar to one of a Red Wasp. There is one notable difference. The Red Wasp covers the tube to protect its offspring, where the Yellow Jacket does not. Also, the yellow jacket nest can grow to be a huge nest where the paper Wasp will not.

Some people have an allergic reaction to the stings of these insects. They can die from one sting, so if you know someone who is allergic and they get stung, hopefully, he has medicine to combat the reaction. If not, he needs to be taken to the hospital as soon as feasible. If not allergic, the person will have a few small whelps which will go away soon. The stings are very painful, so when a child is stung, the wounds should be treated. Pain can persist for hours.

Nests can be removed from a dwelling by high pressure spray, of course at a sufficient distance to not get stung. The removal will likely require more than one application, but they will relocate with a little persistence.

Resources
1. Texas A&amp.M Agrilife Extension - Southern Yellow jacket
2. Texas A&M Agrilife Extension - Paper Wasp

Anole - some people call them lizards

2009-09-09T14:49:00.000-07:00

"A little Anole is just a lizard, right?", someone asks in the tour group of Woodlands residents at Mercer Botanical gardens. Well, a lizard is generic for a number of creatures. We prefer to use the generic familiar names. This one is an Anole. This term comes from the scientific genus name "anolis". Yes, this is what people generally refer to as a "lizard" and some are even called "chameleons", which is incorrect because they do not have the facility to actually change colors. Instead, the process is comprised of using three layers of pigmentation in the Green Anole. It is a matter of turning "on" or "off" a layer. Many of them can change apparent coloration using this method and adapt to their surroundings. This one does so also, on a minor scale. It is not as adaptive as the Green Anole which can change from full brown to a full green.

Among these flowers, there is plenty to eat. His long tongue can reach out a couple of inches to grab its prey, usually an insect such as a butterfly or grasshopper. This species in an invasive one, generally spreading from south Florida where it first appeared, and displacing the Green Anole through the "survival of the fittest" competitive concept. It his called the Brown Anole and does not change apparent colors as dramatically or completely as the Green Anole does. It as been in the USA for about 120 years.

The part under its chin is called a dewlap. It is colorful and expands as a courtship tool. Anoles lay one egg every couple of months. There are hundreds of varieties all over the warm world. They thrive in warm climates.

The Pokeberry Plant - a weed to some, food to others

2009-09-03T19:11:00.000-07:00

Although it's mature (black) berries are not very attractive for enhancing the beauty of a garden, the Pokeberry (also known as Pokeweed) in Southeast Texas produces an ornamental red berry and red stem that is quite functional, attracting some important birds in to the garden. It's leaves are ornamental to some degree, especially if you like the look of thick large leafed vegetation or reddish stems. It grows quickly and can reach heights of up to 10 feet. Bluebirds, Cardinals, and Mockingbirds will enjoy this berry. Availability during migrating season also helps it to play a role in attracting birds to the back yard in the late summer or early fall.

The plant's leaves are food to humans, but it is very debatable whether they are harmful or not. To prepare "Poke Salad", one picks the leaves and stems when in the early spring, when the leaves are tender and developing. They have to be boiled and the water thrown away. Some say the leaves taste like Broccoli and other say Collard Greens.² In the East Texas forests, this low cost food source has been around for centuries. The Indians used it for medicine but I apparently not for food. The roots have really bad toxins. Gradually those toxins make it into the leaves of the plant. The berries are poisonous to humans. One university professor states "Do not eat this plant. It is poisonous." ¹ There are actual recipes³ for using the leaves. I am conservative on this. Why eat a poisonous food if you have so many other choices? If I were in dire need, I know I can use this plant as food. Otherwise, it a no no for me and my family!

References:
¹ Don't Eat Poke Salad
² Preparing Poke Salad in 1939 in Marshall Texas
³History and recipe for Poke Salad

American Beautyberry - perfect native plant for The Woodlands

2009-09-02T09:55:00.000-07:00

This is a plant recommended for your garden. It is a small natural East Texas Forest understory bush that produces colorful berries for birds. It's leaf is savored by deer. ¹ You will see it on about any casual walk along the paths of The Woodlands or in the forest, especially near water. This photo was taken at Mercer Arboretum. The plant is tolerant to drought, but will thrive in moist soils. It blooms and produces berries all summer into the fall. Its berries can be used for food as well, but it is not recommended for anything but jelly. The flowers are ornamental and add beauty to the gardens as much as the berries do. Native Americans used this plant for medicinal purposes including malarial diseases, fevers, dysentery, and colic. ² One of the nice qualities of this plant is that it is also considered a wildflower, propagating by seed as well as cuttings. It is not too tolerant of extreme cold however.

References:
¹ Texas Parks and Wildlife
² Easy Wildflowers

Broad Banded Water Snake

2009-09-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

The Broad Banded Water Snake is one of seven nonpoisonous water snakes found in Texas. ¹It is readily identifiable as this one (sorry for the poor quality. Will try to replace the photo later with a better one) was at Mercer Arboretum, near The Woodlands Texas. They live in trees, on the ground and in the water, searching for food. When small, they eat small fish by roaming the water with their mouth open. As they get larger, they move on to frogs and small shore creatures. This snake is harmless except it will bite like all snakes. In its mouth it excretes an anticoagulant, so a bite can take a few minutes to stop bleeding. It is not a poisonous venom. This species is sometimes considered to be a pet growing up to about 3 feet. It can be handled with care. However, it belongs to the wild and should stay there. It matures in three years and produces live babies. One will often find a banded snake within 50 feet from the shore of a lake, river or creek, or swimming in the water. Remember though that all snakes can and will swim. Not all snakes climb. Rarely does a poisonous snake climb into trees. The Banded Water Snake will oftentimes be found in limbs of trees overhanging a body of water.

References:
¹Watersnakes

Courtship of a pair of Giant Swallowtail Butterflies

2009-08-30T06:00:00.000-07:00

This fairytale is my own of the Southeast Texas forest. One of our prize sightings here in The Woodlands and nearby parks and forests is the Swallowtail. This particular species, the Giant Swallowtail or Papilio cresphontes, is very prevalent at this time of the year in our area, that is, if we are not spraying for mosquitoes. This story is based on an actual courtship in Mercer's Arboretum on Cypress Creek. The photographs are from an observservation on a morning in late August. These butterflies have quite a strong courtship that lasts for hours. I recommend viewing the large version photographs by clicking on each one. Hope you enjoy this in the context of a child's fairy tale...

Once upon a time, there was a lovely señorita butterfly called Bella. She was named that by her father who knew that some day she would be the most beautiful and grand butterfly in the park. When she grew up, she indeed was very beautiful. Her colors were outstanding. All the boys watched her when she flew through the forest. She would sail past trees with lightening speed to find the right flower which would give her the sweetest nectar to drink. Each time she drank her nectar, she would think, my food is just as sweet as I am, that is what my mom says. So I must act my part to be sweet as well as beautiful.
Also about the same time as she was born, there was this guy butterfly called Handsome. He learned to dance in the air and do all sorts of acrobatics in the air from his dad. He admired his dad and wanted to grow up to be just like him. Yes, he did just that. Now he is a grand butterfly, admired throughout the park for his ability to fly and for his bright colors. He knows which flowers makes him safe and which flowers make him more handsome. You can see in these photos that he is not much different than Bella.

Both Handsome and Bella have two sets of wings and use them like two arms. They can do amazing things with their wings. They can push the back wing down so that they do cartwheels or flips in the air. Handsome does especially good with that maneuver.

One day they met in the park and instantly liked each other. In this picture, they are meeting each other. "Hey, my name is Handsome. I've seen you around here. What's up?" Bella responds, "Nothing much. I've seen you too. What's up with you?" Then Handsome did a mid-air flip in joy, because Bella seemed to like him too! When Handsome and Bella got to know each other better, Bella liked how many things Handsome knew about safety of foods and eating correctly. She also admired his skills in flying, especially his ability to do somersaults. Handsome liked Bella's gracious style. She glides though the air like a princess. She can change direction with ease. So Handsome thought to himself. "Bella would make a great wife and mother for my children." She would be the person for him all his life. How can he get her to say yes to marriage? - he thought. She will like him if he just is himself and dedicates his energy to her and takes good care of her. Little did he know that Bella was asking the same question. She said, "how can I get Handsome really interested in me? I want to get to know him. I think he would be a great father for my children." Handsome said, "Hey Bella, you want to hang out?" Bella said, "well maybe."

So Bella flew like a jet in the sky and soared to show handsome that she was pleased that he asked. That surprised Handsome. He could not keep up! She came back. "Why are you so slow?", she asked.

Handsome had the right answer. He said, "I do acrobats best. You soar so beautifully. I know why your mom called you "Bella". Watch this. I bet you can't do this as good as I can! So Bella watched with great admiration as Handsome turned flips in the air with the skill of a great butterfly!

So they hung out together and got to know each other very very well. They learned about each others family, what kind of flowers each other liked the best, what they would like for the other to do for them, and many other things.

After a while, they both decided that they had made the right choice and were ready to have a family.

They played together and enjoyed being with each other.

It was time to have baby butterflies. And soon that would happen. They would have little caterpillars. When the caterpillars left the house, they out be out in the world on their own.

Then they got married and had children. Bella laid eggs under a leaf and built a house for the eggs.

And they lived happily together forever after in the great East Texas forest system.

Mushrooms in the backyard

2009-08-20T14:51:00.000-07:00

A mushroom in The Woodlands apparently can be one of a wide variety of species. With the arrival of the mushroom growing season (August), I am seeing several varieties and decided to "discover" some of them. With 10000 species in North America, you can imagine how high a mountain this is to climb. To tell you the absolute truth, I got a macho notion to prepare for survival in the wilderness. I may never get out of this deep hole! Humbled beyond what I thought was possible, I now would still like to identify my first mushroom species. Who knows if any of these can be eaten? I learned to be observant when I found a "simple guide" to mushrooms got me no where. Yes, I observed what they said to observe and could not zero in on a species. Then I went back to the books and researched some more. Now I find there are 22 things I have to find out to be able to identify one¹, and that may not be enough, maybe just enough to get me in the ballpark! I am lowering my expectations rapidly.

After announcing to one of my life long friends that I had a way to identify mushrooms and see if they can be eaten, he wrote back this: "I tell you what, if you will not eat that mushroom, I will take back my claim that I caught one more fish than you when we went to catch perch 50 years ago. Remember? I caught 62 and you 61?" Well, I remember that outing and maybe I can claim that I won that contest now, but somehow, that is so not filling! Wish I had that offer 50 years ago. So I let him keep his claim (it was not valid but what the heck, he told it to a million people). I tossed the specimen away and just photographed it. It had no smell and looked great. I wanted to do the taste test but chickened out. My family and my friend convinced me I was on a dumb mission.

So here are several specimens. I am really amazed how beautiful and diverse these things are. They are not a plant nor an animal.
They are a fungus, in a totally separate organism kingdom that indicates a separate evolution or creation branch of life. I revert back to just appreciating their differences and their beauty.

Tomorrow or the next day, I think I will go find a field guide and see what I can do to classify these. Until then here are a few photos taken in my yard this month and in a neighbor's yard.
One thing for sure, I am not going to eat a wild mushroom anytime soon and would tell any wannabe woodsmen, don't do it without an expert who is very comfortable living off of the land.

¹ Kuo, M. (2007, January). Key to major groups of mushrooms. Retrieved from the MushroomExpert.Com Web site: http://www.mushroomexpert.com/major_groups.html

Native Grape Vines in The Woodlands, Texas

2009-08-13T10:14:00.000-07:00

The Woodlands has an abundance of Muscadine (Mustang) grapes. If you are a Texan, you might call them the Texas Black Grape. I guess we have to name them different just because we like to call things by their color. It’s easier that way; everyone knows what you are talking about. It is not Muscatine, a European grape. The Texas Black Mustang Grape is a species that goes way back in Southeast Texas history with Native Americans. It is native to our area, because it thrives in the sun and humidity. I think everyone here appreciates that any plant that thrives in this climate should certainly at least be considered native, but this one is indeed very native, as native as Native Americans! These are found not only in Southeast Texas, but in Central Texas as well, where it is very dry, where you will find it principally in places having a lot of humidity in the mornings, such as near a riverbank. Here it thrives everywhere you put it. It especially likes to grow under the protection of a tree. That fact turns out to be a problem for us.

So the Texas Black is well known to native Texans and appreciated for its jelly primarily. Some even like it converted into a wine. In the old days, folks definitely made wine with it. If you were going to have any wine, you had to use this grape! It is not very sweet as the grapes used to make wines, but with enough sugar, one can get it there. I looked around in the Internet and found a recipe for Muscadine Wine¹.

Some personal experiences with this grape took me to places I tell children not to go. Don’t smoke it! Yes, in Boy Scouts, we smoked Muscadine Grape vine, because the stems are very porous. Smoking will burn your lungs! So don’t do it! Not a good experiment for a child or for an adult. In Boy Scout Camp one year, I climbed up in a vine. Then I picked some stems just the right size and cut them for the whole gang. We were emulating cigarettes with them. When a vine reaches maturity, it will grow 3-4 feet in one year and the vine structure thickens over the years, where a child can climb into its branches.

Texas Black makes good jelly. It is best not to use the thick skin. It is bitter and just too chewy. A fine grape jelly requires that you cook, mash and filter them. I have found a jelly recipe², but do not recall how I made my Black Jelly in the past, but I do know that it tasted very good. This recipe looks like it should do the job.

Texas Black makes a good raisin. Dried by the sun, it is chewy and full of healthy nutrients. Native Americans used raisins in the winter and as a light food in other times to carry on hunting trips.

Today, we know about the effects of certain chemicals on our digestive system and on health. This grape has antioxidants and resveratrol, purported to lower one’s risk to cancer. It also has high fiber content.

Here are some hints to identify the vine. It is very easy, especially in July and August when the berries ripen. The ground will always have the black grapes scattered and rotting and often squashed by human feet. This is not something you want to step in with your shoes and enter your home, especially if you have carpet! I am not going to suggest ways to get it out of carpet except to replace it.

Unfortunately for The Woodlands, this plant does so well, it threatens some of our trees. It gets plenty of sunshine along our pathways but has the shade of the trees while propagating. It can use the trees as a trellis. Therefore, it eventually overcomes a tree and deprives it of light.

Resources
¹Winemaking
²Jellymaking

Forest Natural Noise Pollution - the Cicada

2009-08-12T08:42:00.000-07:00

If you live just about anywhere in Texas, you know what we have here in The Woodlands. Cicadas abound in the summertime along the Gulf Coast and into the forests. I had not noticed them so much here until last year when they seemed to be everywhere, especially on the pond near my home.

Go outside in June-August and get bombarded with sounds of insects, typically more intense in the evening. The sounds are originating from trees. Sighting a Cicada which is an insect louder than a cricket, is not easy unless you know where to look. You can follow the sound and if you look hard enough, you will see one crawling on a tree limb. When you see one, you will recognize it by its translucent wings.
One evening recently, I heard a whop on the window after dark. What was that!? I went to the patio and saw a Cicada on the ground under the window. Another one was close by on a plant. A third was also nearby. I said to myself – photo opportunity! My wife and daughter even showed interest.

My family is no stranger to a Cicada. My second eldest and his brother used to go hunting these insects and come back with trophies. There are many in Southeast Texas. It is a fun outing with the kids to capture some. I believe they are all of the same species here. They will not bite or harm a human in any way. Their wings and their song distinguish them from all other insects. Depending on the species, the song can differ. I provide a link to the species we have here singing. Go outdoors in the evening and listen. You too will hear and appreciate the song of the Cicada!

A jeweler I ran across makes earrings and other jewelry out of the wings of a Cicada. This practice is fascinating. She waits until they die and then takes the wings and embeds them in clear colored material to form beautiful pieces of jewelry. Check it out here. Let me know if you get one of these. I have not seen one personally yet, but want to see one.

Video of a Cicada singing its song :

A huge day spider - commonly seen in The Woodlands and elsewhere

2009-08-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here in The Woodlands, I have seen this spider of the family Araneae several times before. It is the Black & Yellow Argiope, or Argiope aurantia. It is very big and scary to many people. Go to swampy areas in Southest Texas and you might find these in abundance. These were found on plants next to a pond in a Woodlands park. This large one is the female. Although like most species of the family, its bite is venomous but not dangerous to a human. It eats small insects captured in its web.

The small one is the male.

Red Spider of the night

2009-08-08T16:14:00.000-07:00

In The Woodlands as in other parts of Southeast Texas, we have a multitude of spider species. By a brightly lit full moon, I observed this bright reddish orange spider that on close examination, was not really red at all. I would like to identify it but have not succeeded yet. As quickly as this little lady spun her web, she laid eggs and posed for a while this evening. The next morning it was all gone.
I went out early to see how the web did and there was nothing, so I have to assume the little guys hatched and left. The web could have existed for a couple of days or been destroyed overnight. It was watering night, but no water goes as high as the eggs were laid.

My kids call them Bambis

2009-08-08T10:16:00.000-07:00

In The Woodlands, my children call a Texas White Tailed Deer "Bambi". "Look, Bambi's". They are not little children; they are teenagers. But it tells us the special place deer have in our society and hearts. Walt Disney made sure of that! This morning, I went to photograph a park. On the way, one doe ran across Lake Woodlands Drive. It was not so early, so I was not expecting that at 7:30AM! That woke me up. The doe disappeared quickly into the forest.

After photographing a park, I started home. On crossing the Bear Branch Creek bridge on Research Forest Drive, I spotted a beautiful buck down on the creek along with several does. Since I had the camera on this outing, with all the necessary gear, I decided to park and walk back to the creek. On doing so, as soon as I could see the area below the bridge the buck also spotted me. He ran; I hit the shutter button. Then he paused for a second, as if to satisfy a curiosity. "What was that noise?" I clicked again. He ran again. So you have the story behind these two photographs. I rarely have my cameras with me on these occasions, but this time yes!
When I used to take my daughter to the Woodlands High School, we would see deer grazing, usually on foggy mornings. Last night, we had a full moon early. I suspect that the deer wanted to feed late in the morning because it turned dark fairly early as well. Notice the ribs showing on this beautiful creature. The drought has been tough on their lives, but there is plenty of grass. Water may not be so abundant however. I noticed a few weeks ago that water was indeed much less abundant than in the past when I was on the creek. My brother, a hunter, tells me that a rack like this indicates a healthy deer. Perhaps there is a lack of protein due to the green grass it is eating. Bambi is alive and well here in The Woodlands.

Meet the Queen (of the backyard)

2009-08-05T11:13:00.001-07:00

This may be a little bird, but it is a terror when it comes to another Hummingbird or other birds who threaten its habitat. I call her "Queen of Sheba" or "Queen" for short. If we are watching TV in the den, sometimes we see this little lady in the window, like a helicopter watching some drama on the freeway. She is soaking up what she sees. There is no telling what is going on in her pea-size mind. She is curious what is happening inside the house. If I have my camera at the window, she will investigate what it is. If the scenery around the place changes, such as putting the BBQ pit near the feeder, she wants to know what it is. She will also investigate when she has no feeder outside to look inside to see if she can spot her feeder. I sometimes wonder if she knows that we are the providers of the free meals. It really does appear that she knows. Each person in the family has at one time or another said something to the effect, "I don't believe that bird is at the window! Why?". Hummingbirds have some sort of intelligence that other birds do not normally exhibit. ¹They are also exceptionally territorial and inquisitive.
One evening Miss Queen was off on an outing. Actually, I think she was tending to her brood. In came Mr Wannabe. He took over the territory. In the side yard, he swooped down to the feeder, took a good long drink and went back up to a twig twig to perch and guard his new territory. Sure I said. I gotta see this! He returned to the feeder several times. In 30 minutes, here came Miss Queen. He took off without a challenge. She is a very tough cookie!
I often will spend a few minutes observing behavior when I see one close to the house. We have three, but only one has dubs on the territory - Miss Queen! A male will visit a feeder on the side of the house. I call him Miss Wannabe (sorry buddy). Another female shows up there also. Depending on what Miss Queen is doing at the time, the other two get run out of Dodge. They are not welcome if detected. She just sits on a perch sometimes and watches for them, then like a speeding bullet, there are flashes of light as the unwelcome guests are on the run.

But this goes further. Ask the sparrow. He will tell you she is "h..." on wings! How would you feel is this little thing was aiming her sharp and long mouth at you and flying what seemed to be the speed of light! How much damage can that mouth cause? People have found the bird with its bill stuck in wood! I see a lance being used as a weapon. Well, the poor sparrow which is some 10 times larger then the Hummingbird kept being hit with the bill. It was not comfortable and you see its just finally giving up and saying, "you can have it". What a nuisance in a yard full of birds! Miss Queen owns that section of the yard completely. No one is welcome there but her.

Thank you Miss Queen of Sheba and Mr Wannabe. You create hours of backyard entertainment and you are much smarter than I would have ever thought! I wonder what is in that little head of yours.

References

¹Might Smart for a Pea Brain

Barn and Cliff Swallows

2009-07-23T05:47:00.000-07:00

Have you been startled by birds as you walked beside a bridge in Texas? Sometimes it seems like bats coming out of a cave when you approach these little birds nesting under a bridge. Each year, we have Barn Swallows right here in The Woodlands, under the bridge over Lake Woodlands on lake Woodlands Dr. We also have Cliff Swallows under the Kuykendahl bridge over Bear Creek (at the reservoir dam). These are Barn Swallows.
I have observed and photographed them the last two years, so I am going to share a few photographs. They are not easy to photograph and I did a rather poor job, but here they are anyway. You have to follow them in your lens at the same speed they are moving and that is a big challenge when the creature seems to move at the speed of light! They rarely give you a chance to think about what you are doing. Cliff Swallows and Barn Swallows will share a bridge and nest about April or May. I have seen them when fishing and on a photograph session one day late this Spring. Both species are also easy to spot in some areas along SH 290 on the way to Austin, but I believe what I saw there were mostly Cliff Swallows. I saw a large group of them flying near a pond. Both species like to be near water, typically flying and catching bugs over the water. Another reason they nest near the water is that they use mud to build their nests.

This intricate mud nest at the bridge on Lake Woodlands was too high for me to see the chicks inside. The parents were flying in and out quickly. Bridges are ideal for nesting purposes because of the rain and heat protection they provide.

Fire Flickers in the forest

2009-07-22T21:54:00.001-07:00

In the forest of The Woodlands, on any given night when there is rain, one may see the fire in the sky flickering through the tall pines. The fiery bolts dance about in the wind high above our heads, somehow connected to the natural setting about us.

As we turn on our hearing senses, we become aware of the frogs singing out for rain. Meanwhile, we contemplate when we will ever see the rain again. This has been a hot dry summer. An evening with the threat of rain is appreciated.

A show like this in the evening makes rain concerns all go away. Roll of thunder, flickering fire lights, wisps of wind and the singing of frogs.

What more can one ask for on a summer night in the forest?

Red-Cockaded Woodpecker at Jesse Jones State Forest

2009-06-17T17:16:00.000-07:00

Do you know we have a true living forest next to The Woodlands, Texas? There are 43 counties containing parts of the East Texas forest system. The significance of this conservation next to us is quite important. When entering the forest, you will recognize a vast difference between going into the managed logging forests such as The Woodlands and this managed forest.You generally won't find the same along Spring Creek either, because much of it was part of the logging forests, or fires have been prevented and there are no clearings. In the logging forests, the short needle pines were planted in place of the native Long Leaf pines. Those pines are faster growing and produce more wood, giving investors a higher return on their investments. We do find the Long Leaf Pine in some places, but the predominate species in our area now is the Loblolly Pine.

The Long Leaf Pine is more susceptible to disease than its brother the Loblolly. Jesse Jones National Forest is populated with the Long Leaf. The forest is "fire maintained". That is, the density of the forest is controlled with planned clearings to enable the sun to reach the ground, a necessary condition to maintain the natural native ecology. Various species of creatures depend on the natural ecology and native plants which thrive within the boundaries of this forest. It is believed that there were many frequent fires in the forests which continuously reconstructed the ecology that is now maintained through a forest management process within Jesse Jones.

One such creature is the Red-Cockaded Woodpecker (RCW). It is one of eight native species of woodpeckers in our East Texas forests. It shares its habitat with the Red-Headed Woodpecker and other woodpeckers we see right here in The Woodlands. It is unlikely but possible to see the RCW in The Woodlands, since Jesse Jones Forest is so close. The bird is found on private lands and in some areas along Spring Creek. However, there are no places for the bird to nest here. Each year, there is a formal national bird count conducted in December to watch and mitigate extinction. It's range in Texas was the entire East Texas forest system. Today, only 13 counties report significant sightings of nests; 15 counties no longer have the birds at all. This woodpecker is found and protected in several southeastern states. Some 6500 birds survive the wild today.

This woodpecker species is on the endangered list. In past centuries, it inhabited all the East Texas forest. Then, forest consisted primarily of Long Leaf pines, with an understory of grass on the forest floor. There were not many hardwoods in the forest, primarily due to frequent fires. RCW (Red-Cockaded Woodpecker) requires a mature pine tree with a disease that comes in that maturity. It does not nest near a hardwood. The disease is "red heart disease, a fungal infection that causes the core of the tree to rot. In Longleaf pines, trees do not begin to suffer from red-heart fungus until their age averages 80 - 120 years old. Once a suitable, mature tree is found, it generally takes an RCW 1-3 years to construct a cavity. Generally these birds will excavate groups of cavity trees in an area (called a cluster)."¹ The disease softens the core, enabling the bird to carve out a cavity for its nest.

This photograph was taken of a nesting tree in Jesse JOnes Forest right after a family of the birds fledged from the nest in 2009. This Longleaf at this location is found among several of one cluster in the park. Note the holes about 30 - 35 feet high on the tree. Only one of the holes was the nest of a family this season. All of the baby birds have left the nests but will be building new ones for next year. Sap produced by the tree is released by the excavation of the cavity and said to be a natural barrier to the birds' enemies. If a hardwood is nearby, there is danger of a Rat Snake climbing up into the nest, discouraging parents from raising a family in the tree.

So we see a little bird with a specific ecological need, being protected in Jesse Jones Forest, right next door. Hopefully I will acquire a photo of this shy little bird in the near future and expand on this subject.

References

¹ The Long Leaf Alliance, "A Family of Red-Cockaded Woodpeckers Makes a Home in a Mature Longleaf Pine Tree",

Tennessee Birds - common species

2009-05-08T14:42:00.000-07:00

While investigating the forest, I focused a while on the birds. This is a time consuming task, to photograph birds that is. Most of the birds viewed there were the same species as here in The Woodlands, with a few slight twists. The bird above is the Cedar Waxwing. It is migratory and was in the trees in an apparent migration north. They were stripping the trees of seed pods. It was a feeding frenzy!

This little guy is a Kinglet but not sure of exact identity.

This colorful little fellow is a Rufus-sided Towhee.

Another colorful bird I saw plenty of but got few photos, was this Red Breasted Nuthatch above. It was nesting near the cabin. in the BBQ pit. Notice the food it brought to feed its babies.

Here was one of the brightest Cardinals one can ever find. You can see that it was nesting time. Already the birds here in The Woodlands are looking a bit shabby from raising their young.
We have seen this bird time after time in the piney forest. They are also common in Tennessee - the Carolina Wren. This was found near the cabin, feeding in the front yard.
This is a nest of three nuthatch chicks (one flew out). They other two flew out when the flash went off but returned to the nest the next morning.

Tennessee Forest has character and wildlife

2009-05-08T08:29:00.002-07:00

I know, this is not supposed to be here in this blog. I confess, I love more forests than that found here in southeast Texas, so this is placed here to remind us of the many sites we can go to appreciate nature in these United States. I got an opportunity to experience my second early spring of the year. Early Spring was long gone in southeast Texas in late April. Here, the land was in full bloom.

Like most forests, one can find some incredible character in the Tennessee forests. Although there is limited and diminishing space containing natural virgin forest, we find many small connected tracts of land sustaining wildlife and ancient timber. Wildlife, as we know it in America, requires considerable space to thrive. Deer, antelope, turkey, and many other creatures will naturally move about seeking mates, food and water, in different seasons of the year. They can't be constrained to a small farm space. I was fortunate recently to stay a couple of nights on a 40 acre private tract near the Kentucky border, connected to other private tracts where the wildlife is highly valued. My observations were from the eyes of a lover of forests, wildlife and trees.
Unlike our pine forests in Texas, this is definitely hardwood country. It has a smattering of oaks, hickory and many other species to form a canopy. Underneath that canopy is a diverse life of trees and bushes, some of which we are familiar with here, such as the Flowering Dogwood. The dominant Dogwood is the white bloomer, but the pink is also found among its canopy trees.
A casual visit to this land is just not enough time to soak it in. Each time I ventured out to photograph, I would see something totally new. From a photographer's view, what you see has everything to do with the light - angle, intensity, color. Early morning is dramatically different than late evening and mid-day with the sun shining, presents the forest "in a totally different light". At times, I ran across varied bird species that I wanted to photograph but could not, because they usually were too shy and elusive to capture with any quality.

This waxwing was one of hundreds feeding on fresh spring seeds in this tree.

Configurations of trees in the forest make interesting scenes. This one caught my eye as I was looking for birds. This place was full of birds, but my eyes met up with the tangled limbs and fauna on the trees and the ground.

To get to these little farms, one often must find the small lanes through the countryside. However, be warned. Everyone participates in informal neighborhood watches. Land owners all have guns and are willing to use them on trespassers.

Deer are plentiful and often large, much larger than our little ones. These were grazing behind the cabin and I photographed them through a window of the cabin.

Turkey are also plentiful. This was during hunting season and we were watching four hens and a gobbler on the slope of this hill.

The Black Vulture in The Woodlands Texas, soars with the Eagles

2009-04-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

Over the past few months, I have observed these creatures hanging around the forest. Our Eagles consider them a threat while chicks and Eaglets are in the nest. So there is always one Eagle standing guard, chasing the vultures away from the nest at this vulnerable stage. Both the Bald Eagle and the Black Vulture will soar high above ground, looking for food. It is difficult for a human to ascertain which is which when they are so high. In fact, I can attest to this today. After viewing the young Eagles flying above the high pines of the forest, I left the area and went on to photograph other things, after all, it is spring, and there are no many stories being told in nature every day. This one, however, was not on my list.

As I got out my bazooka lens, I noticed two birds high in the sky. I said to myself, how convenient for them to come to me this time. Wrong! This is the same species of vulture that I have photographed in Colombia. In central Texas, we normally see the much uglier Turkey Vulture, with its red face and fully white wing feathers. The Black Vulture has only the wing tips in white and the face is dark or black.

And the Woodlands Eagles Fully Fledge

2009-04-02T17:23:00.000-07:00

They have left the nest! Still nearby, but now enjoying their new-found freedom over the forest. Today, I came up on one perched on a tree limb fairly low to the ground. He was a little rustled by the strong winds, gripping the limb tightly with his talons. His sibling was flying over part of the forest nearby while he seemed to be just resting for the day. No parents were flying nearby for the short time I was observing them.
I did catch the first view of him flying but did not capture it well with the camera lens. He was flying at a very fast speed with the wind. I am presenting the photo anyway.

Both young birds were enjoying their mobility and showed signs of advanced training by soaring through the tree tops. They will be hunting soon.

And the Eaglets prepare for flying lessons

2009-03-18T20:24:00.000-07:00

Our Woodlands Bald Eagles are progressively raising their "teenagers" to be good Woodlands residents. One recent warm Spring day in March, this large beautiful creature was enjoying the evening just watching over the forest. It takes many trees to support the Eagle's lifestyle. He has to have security. He seems to be quite content with the quietness about him, like a Teddy Bear. Click to see a larger view.

Up here, you have to get your exercise in the gym provided. Flying along the rim of the nest provides a means to "spread your wings and fly", but go nowhere.

Thank goodness there are such things as tree limbs, allowing a young Eaglet like me to fly a little ways.

When mama comes around, we look for food. But she watches over us to make sure we are OK and this time she brought no food.

When papa arrived at dusk, mama gave him a piece of her mind and chased him off. He didn't bring home the bacon either! And it was his turn. They got back home late and we feasted on a fish that papa brought home. What is a kid to do with parents who argue, anyway? Don't they know, we are sitting here dependent on them? Thank goodness we live in a remote spot and they are comfortable with our safety here. Sometimes, people seem to be a threat though. Tonight, we are fine. Mama and Papa are close by. I think we get a real flying lesson soon. They say we are not ready yet, but soon ... I hope ... can't wait!

Eaglets in The Woodlands

2009-03-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

How fast do these guys grow anyway? I have seen two rather large eaglets in their nest this year. They appear black from the ground but are a dark brown. Soon we will see them flying around. So after about two months, they have grown by leaps and bounds and I would guess by their size, about two weeks from attempting to fly! Mama and papa bring various foods, from small animals to large fish for them.
One parent is always close to the nest to ward off predators or just to ensure danger is not imminent. The parents actually talk to their offspring, alerting them to danger or in other cases, what I believe to be an "all clear" message. After waiting some two hours for a glimpse of anything in the nest, I finally just gave up and started to leave. As soon as I walked away, I heard the sound - "all is clear". I turned around and one eaglet poked his head above the nest. He was looking over the area, quite interested in my departure. I reassembled my gear and quietly approached my observation point without any parental intervention. The eaglet was now more positioned over the nest, enough to compose a a few photographs, one of which I am sharing now. I almost stepped on a Brown Snake as I was watching the skies. These was taken near the end of February. Watch the skies, chances are that you will see or at least hear one or more of these majestic birds. I would also keep an eyes on the ground if out in a park or green area. Even though most snakes are not dangerous, you don't want to step on one. Almost all of them will bite, given the right circumstances.

Coming through - Red Winged Blackbird

2009-03-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

Among several migrating species I observed today in The Woodlands, was the Red Winged Blackbird. I was not sure the bird was actually the Red Winged since there are other species and this one looked very similar to the Tricolored Blackbird of California. I am accustomed to seeing a brilliantly and distinctively colored wing on the Redwinged in the Texas valley. These birds are a bit shy. This male refused to stay out in the open. He hid in the branches of the tree so that he and I would not be able to see each other. Twice he momentarily was visible.

American Kestral Falcon in the forest

2009-03-05T18:49:00.001-08:00

Here in The Woodlands, we do see a variety of God's creations. This Falcon is perhaps one of the most beautiful birds of prey. It is a little larger than a Blue Jay. I found this one on a creek, perched on a tree where he could see the grassy area to hunt. These birds eat a wide assortment of bugs and small animals and even birds. This is a male, exceptionally colorful. I stopped in my tracks when I saw this bird. His flight actually clued me in to his presence. I have photos of him in two locations. I preferred his perch among the leaves of the American Holly tree (in this setting).
His hunting grounds on the creek in The Woodlands.

Afraid of snakes and you live near The Woodlands?

2009-02-12T18:26:00.000-08:00

Even if you do not live near The Woodlands, this is probably for you. The East Texas piney woods is not a dangerous place for snakes. Here in The Woodlands, we cautiously look for only three venomous snakes and only one is really of much concern. Not bad considering there are some seventeen snake varieties expected to be seen in this area! Learn these three and you have it made. There is possibly a fourth venomous snake that might be seen, that is on the endangered list, but I really doubt any of us will ever see it. I will also describe it here nevertheless.

First be safe outdoors. When gardening, wear gloves when working in in and among vegetation. For clothing, wear long pants and shoes. Don't allow children to play outside barefooted. These are practical safety tips for everyone irregardless of what we do outside. Stepping on a rusty nail is probably more apt to occur than running across a snake. Snakes do bite and they can hurt but most of the time, that is all there is to it. Still, be safe and if you or your child is bitten, go to the clinic. Don't panic, just casually go there to have it looked at. The staff will want to know what the snake looked like. If you know your venomous snakes, you already know whether the snake is venomous or not. Chances are even if it is venomous, there is no venom in your wound.

Speaking of risk, do you know how many fatalities we have each year in Texas as a result of a snake bite? We average less than one per year for the entire state. Those usually occur in the hill country or in West Texas or on the coast. (Be careful in the dune grasses of Galveston or Padre Island - rattle snakes there are very dangerous). I don't believe we have had any deaths in east Texas. But people do get bitten. Many times when people are bitten by a venomous snake, the snake releases zero or only a small amount of venom. They are known to conserve their venom for catching prey. They know you are not food and they need to eat! A baby snake may be more apt to hurt you, because he probably has not learned yet to conserve his venom.
Courtesy of Troy ¹. Click on photo for detailed view. Copperhead.

Let's take a look at the venomous species. It behooves us to learn to identify these three common snakes. The most likely one you are to encounter is the Southern Copperhead. This one is the most populous of the venomous snakes in this area. The key identifying marks are the clear dark patterns that look like Hershey Kisses on the side of the snake, with the tip of the kiss on the top of the back, often touching the kiss on the other side. Another way to look at the markings is to envision an hour glass with the center of the hour glass on the top of the back. Hershey kisses are easy to remember. Characteristically, the snake will be light colored underneath, a light brown base on its sides and top, with fairly sizable kisses on the sides. Our first lesson - Don't kiss a Hershey Kiss snake! In fact, stay clear of it. They will not harm you unless you corner it or otherwise threaten it in some way. Let it be - all snakes have value in the forest. This snake might climb up into a bush looking for food.
Courtesy of Troy ¹. Click on photo for detailed view. Adult Cottonmouth.

The next likely problem snake would be the Western Cottonmouth. This one is less populous but very wide-spread and likely to be found on or near the water. This one is a little more difficult to identify. The head is the key to this snake. At some distance, you might see a fully black snake, or a very dark snake with barely visible brown rings or if a young lad, it might have irregular dark rings around a brown body. The rings fade as the snake ages. To confirm your sighting, you would examine the head.
Courtesy of Troy ¹. Click on photo for detailed view. Juvenile Cottonmouth.

It will have a dark stripe on the sides of its head, resembling the face of a raccoon. So remember, raccoons don't eat cotton; they just have in their mouth! It is dangerous. Inside the mouth of these slippery creatures are little pieces of tissue that look like cotton. This is not the only snake that has this in its mouth, so use the external head criteria to identify the snake. This snake likes to eat food near the water, such as frogs.

Courtesy of Troy ¹. Click on photo for detailed view. Coral Snake.

The less likely snake to run encounter is the most dangerous but not seen very often. Its venom is the strongest. The Coral Snake has a small mouth and has more difficulty than other snakes breaking the skin and even more of a problem trying to get through your clothing. However, its teeth are sharp and given sufficient time, can and will envenom a person. Consider this snake very dangerous and do not touch it or threaten it! This one is colorful, but there are several species that can appear to be a coral snake and are not. Every other ring is yellow. There is no other snake with that attribute, but there are others with yellow rings. The rings are red, yellow, black, yellow then the ring color pattern is repeated. If you see yellow bands in the day, this is it. If you see yellow bands at night, it is another species, such as the King Snake. So remember, yellow bands in the day are dangerous. Stay clear. Just let him be. There is no need ever to harm a snake. He wants to be left alone just as you do.

The only other possible dangerous snake is the Timber Rattlesnake. If you see rattles on the end of the tail, it is dangerous. Always! And the rattlers do make noise.

Other non-dangerous snakes you may see here include: nocturnal Milk Snake (every other band is black), Buttermilk Racer (also known as the Blue Racer), Rubber Snake, Eastern Hognose, Texas Rat Snake, Rough Green Snake, Texas Brown Snake, Rough Earth Snake, Yellow Belly Water Snake (raccoon mask on head 4-4.5 ft), Blotched Water Snake (black with some white), Diamondback Water Snake (5 ft checkered pattern), very common Broad Banded Water Snake (Black and white bands), Western Mud Snake (reds on it with rectangles underneath), Speckled King Snake (looks like small white dots all over it).

Other trivia to know: all snakes can and will swim in water. They know how to survive in bogs and swamps. Mothballs are good to repel snakes from an area.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Mike Howlett of Houston Herpetology Supply for presenting this material to us. He sells snakes and snake supplies at www.houstonherp.com in Spring, Texas.

¹Thanks to Troy Hobbitts for providing his 2006 copyrighted photos of the venomous species to help you visually identify snakes here in The Woodlands.

And thanks to several others who also shared their knowledge of snakes in this part of Texas.

This is an interesting video of a "land snake" swimming in water. A Rattle Snake!

"Just passing through The Woodlands, do you have to be so rude?" says the Robin

2009-02-07T07:00:00.000-08:00

I laughed really hard at this scene. You know how obnoxious and aggressive a Mockingbird can be, especially during nesting time! How about pre-nesting time? Over the past two days, hoards of Robins have been migrating through this area. It appears they spent the night, ate breakfast and soared off further north. Perhaps, the reason was this nasty little non neighborly resident.

He tried to chase all of them off, attacking every time he could. I wanted to have a talk with this guy on how to treat beautiful guests. Anyway, he would attack one and forty would fly into the bush full of berries to replace the one chased away. Finally, I saw no Mockingbird. I think he had to go take a nap. So rude!

Anyway, I hope you heard the many Robins talking and calling outside as I did. There is nothing like seeing the yard full of migratory birds, starving hungry, going after all the Yaupon berries, worms and seeds that they can gobble up. Last year I caught a glimpse of hundreds of Waxwings passing through. After they cleaned up the worms out of the yard and the Yaupon around the house, they started into this berry-filled bush.

It was a very quiet afternoon as things returned to normal on their departure. We still have some berries though. Hope to have another wave of these birds come and stay a while. Usually we have many around here for a few weeks bop bop bopping along in the grass and trees.

Great News for Eagle Fans - Woodlands Texas

2009-02-05T12:58:00.000-08:00

Bald Eagle fans that is. This year, we are proud to have a second nesting Eagle couple. The returning couple has nested in or near their traditional location on East Shore, and now a new couple has moved into Carlton Woods! I suspect at least one is an offshoot of The Woodlands couple. Fifteen eaglets have been born and raised here over the past few years. They mature into breeding adults at about five years of age and live to be about thirty. It is believed that we have chicks in both nests this year. They usually raise one or two chicks each year. We are now awaiting sightings of the newborns above the nests to see how many we have this year. The new couple have decided that they did not need to be very near water, as did our resident pair. We have watched the Eagles teach their offspring to fly, to fish and even to hunt. They of course soar high and distant in search of food. Each year someone gets the privilege of seeing one or more in a local park or near their home. Each December-January, they return to nest. Let's hope the newcomers return each year also. So watch and listen to the skies and see if you can spot one this Spring.

I recall one year watching the Eagles teach their two fledglings to fish. They had a nest near Woodlands Parkway and people would stop at the bridge over Lake Woodlands to watch. I saw one parent swoop out of the sky and grabbed a fish on the surface of the water. One of the babies swooped right behind following the parent. As the parent came off of the water, he dropped the fish. The youngster dived and plucked the fish out of the water, right behind the parent. Lunch was served and lesson taught.

Those days are gone. These days, the birds nest in more remote locations. It is better that way. They need their privacy and will stop nesting here if they are disturbed.

Additional reading: American Bald Eagle - nesting and young

Coyote - friend or foe? threat or help? Southeast Texas

2009-01-16T16:10:00.001-08:00

Do you like to befriend animals? I know I do. My impression of the Coyote has been an elusive, wily and timid wild animal that helps control our local varmints. I see it as beneficial to the ecology about us. But is that an impression only from perception and not from fact? I decided to seek a better understanding of this animal and share it with my readers. Unfortunately, all my encounters have been without a camera, so I have no photos to show. However, there is a reference below with a photo of both a Coyote and a Red Wolf. ⁶

Human behavior should be different when it comes to a dog or to a Coyote. This is especially important in teaching our children how to behave in their presence. Humans should not be aggressive with dogs. A dog will be threatened and will protect itself or its human master if attacked. A Coyote will be intimidated and run. Therefore, it is recommended in various literature that a human not move in the presence of a growling dog, but let the animal calm down and slowly remove yourself from its presence to avoid being bitten. That behavior may entices the Coyote to approach the human.

As I write this article, the Coyote is at the beginning of its breeding season. This is the time one can hear the famous Coyote howl on very dark nights. We will see more of them during the day as well. This will continue through February into March.

Please allow me the opportunity to first tell you why I looked into this and why I want to share what I discovered. One day, a friend and I were on Spring Creek, on a Kayak fishing expedition. We came upon some children playing in the creek with adult supervision, so we said "hello" and after a few introductions, proceeded to hear a story they all wanted to tell. It was about this young Coyote they would see every morning when they came to the creek. That group traveled in a little two-wheel trailer pulled by a four-wheeler. We were interested and listened intently, asking questions. The adult instantly could tell that we had an interest in wildlife. The adult asked, "do you want to see this?" Our immediate response was "sure". We got in the back with the kids and rode up the trail with them. At some point, we turned around in the vicinity where they had last seen the Coyote. As we proceeded back, sure enough, the youngster suddenly appeared bouncing along beside us, some 100 feet away. This sure was a novel situation. I could see the fascination of viewing a wild animal of the forest as I looked into the eyes of the children. I was seeing the Coyote in a similar light as the children. I got this strange sense of a wild camaraderie between young humans and a young animal. There was no fear evidenced by either.

In retrospect, I understand now how I had felt that age-long connection between man's best friend (dog) and man. Perhaps that was in error. The children really do not have a grip on the difference between a dog and a Coyote, except the Coyote is found in the wild, and the dog is typically found in the home. We live in a society that wishes to retain all the wildness of nature that it can. That desire is currently packaged in a neat little box of "Green" and "Animal Conservation". The adult supervising the children was also in touch with the outdoors and felt a natural connection to nature by this close proximity to such a wild creature. This harmless dog-like animal maintained a distance of about 30 yards, running parallel with our 4-wheeler and did not threaten us, or so it seemed.

I have since had one other encounter. That was with a family of Coyotes about 5AM, just before daybreak. Standing only 40 feet from me next to the tree line, they were curious about me and appeared to be calmly studying me. They were not at all spooked. This was in The Woodlands proper, near a golf course. I froze and studied them also. They finally got bored and disappeared into the forest. They never made one move towards me nor did I take one step towards them.

Then one day I heard that our community was relocating our wild Coyotes before they could "turn urban", like those in California. Although that did not set well with me, I acquiesced and just let it all pass by without challenging the strategy. Recently, a new wave of concern surfaced with new but daylight sightings. So I researched the issue and asked an expert. This is what I found:

The number of threatening incidents in Texas is almost non-existent. Although we live amidst a forest where the Coyote thrives, we see little of them, and no one gets attacked. He eats small animals such as rabbits or rats. Tree rats are common here and provide a staple diet. Any small animal would be considered food by the Coyote. He will eat feral cats (domesticated also) and small dogs. He often hunts alone but may take his prey with the help of several members of his family. They also eat fruit, berries and insects. ⁵

He can be lured to a hunter with a caller that sounds like a squealing rabbit. I have witnessed the success of this tool in bringing a Coyote right into the back of a pickup truck! The only time this happened to me was with a friend of mine one time when he dared me to go. In west Texas, we waited for an animal to appear as we called. Nothing happened for a couple of hours. When we got tired, we waited a few minutes and a Coyote then jumped suddenly into back of the pickup. My friend and I were so startled that we jumped over the side to the ground, but we also saw the Coyote leave the bed of the truck on the other side. Neither he nor us wanted to have anything to do with each other. A close encounter, yet it proved nothing about the behavior of the animal. He did enter a human scent area, but he was only chasing what he thought was a normal meal.

Recently one local resident told me that the remains of her lost cat had been found nearby. Apparently a Coyote killed and ate it. This was disturbing, but we all know that our cats are at risk when outside during the night here. The cats are not supposed to be outside without a leash. Personally, I would never want to leash a cat. I have been through a thrashing machine before and don't want to experience that again.

We do have the coyote in our midst right here in The Woodlands. Do you respect his potential aggressiveness for the sake of your child's safety? Do your children know about this animal? If the statistics show a very low threat, why would I even ask? Urbanization of the Coyote habitat took place in the western area of our country long before it occurred here. We are in the early stages of habitat change. There are lessons to be learned from urban Californians and other western residents.

From studies there, over time, some of these creatures have learned not to fear man. There have been a number of threatening encounters out west and even small children dragged as apparent prey. "In some cases, our provision of ample resources to these urban coyotes (particularly in the form of intentional feeding) has resulted in their losing almost all fear of humans, and in some cases a few coyotes will become aggressive enough to attack pets and people." ¹

New York state recommends: "People should never try to get close to a coyote. Any coyote that shows unusual boldness or acts tame should be avoided. Coyote attacks directed towards people have occurred in the western United States, and aggressive coyote behavior has also been reported in the eastern United States and in New York State."²

In Texas, we need to understand the North American trend towards increased Coyote aggressiveness. While studies in other areas continue to to be conducted, we must not lay back and be complacent. We must take precautionary measures to keep our children safe, yet not be overly aggressive ourselves toward removing one of the inhabitants of our forest. Here are some practical measures that we as residents can take:

Do not feed or befriend the Coyote. He should fear man. We can even appear aggressive and to him by using sudden moves and intimidating gestures such as throwing an object in his direction.
We should not encourage his presence in any way, giving him opportunity for malicious behavior.
We must not corner the animal, forcing self defense.
We should not allow very small children to play unattended in our green areas. Assume there are Coyotes nearby and one of them is aggressive.
We should keep our small pets indoors at night. Don't let cats pets roam loose outdoors, especially outside of fences. The small ones become potential food for the Coyote. A dog the size of a Coyote or larger is considered a trespasser in his territory. A Coyote group will gang up on him.
We should keep our fences maintained, what I call "pet tight", where no Coyote can enter and your pet cannot escape. If you have problems with this, use chicken wire at the base of the fence to prevent digging and passing under base boards.
We should report sightings to the community association.

There are a few practices that our community can take or has already taken:

Receive and track reported sightings through an organized process. (taken)
Remove animals to another location if they are sighted during daylight.
Respond quickly to sightings near children. Treat the sighting as an emergency.
Deploy portable remote animal photography units in selected green areas to monitor activity and population.

Additional facts

The Coyote is considered a varmint, along with Bobcats and other animals. Coyote and other varmints may be taken in any number, by any method, 365 days a year in Texas! It's pelt can even usually fetch a couple of bucks or a little more. It's lifespan is only about 7 or 8 years. They will mate for life and have frequent encounters with their mate throughout the year. The Coyote is not a native resident of our forest. We had its larger but look-a-like cousin, the Red Wolf before 1900. Gradually, the Coyote displaced the Red Wolf because man drove the Red Wolf to extinction in East Texas.⁶ Dogs are by far more dangerous to children and adults than the Coyote. It is important that we understand this. If we see a dog without a leash on the streets, I would be much more apt to report it than a Coyote. Many dogs are much larger and more dangerous than the Coyote.

So you can see that I do respect the Coyote. He is not my enemy. If he can stay on his diet of rodents and leave human flesh alone, he is welcome at my home, outside my fence. I regard him as a very minor threat to both my pets and my family. There have been no deaths in Texas or the southern part of the United States as a result of a Coyote attack and very few human incidents. Texas had two deaths in 2008 from dog attacks. There has already been a dog-related death for 2009 in Houston. This comparison is similar for every state of the nation. Let's cohabit the forest with the Coyote or even better yet, the Red Wolf. I am not optimistic that we will see any effort to being back the wolf however.

References

¹ Statement by known Coyote expert, 2009, Bob Timm.

² "Bad Dogs: Why Do Coyotes and Other Canids Become Unruly?" http://www.coyotebytes.org/urban_symposium.html

³ "Prevent Encounters with Black Bears and Avoid Conflicts with Coyotes" June 2006, http://www.dec.ny.gov/environmentdec/18907.html

⁴ "More Isle Coyote Sightings",Galveston County Health District, 2008 - http://www.gchd.org/press/2008/02Coyotesight.htm

⁵ "Behavior of Coyotes in Texas", undated, WILLIAM F. ANDELT, Department of Fishery and Wildlife Biology, Colorado State University http://texnat.tamu.edu/symposia/coyote/p2.htm

⁶"Coyote Mammals of Texas", Texas A&M, 1994, http://www.nsrl.ttu.edu/tmot1/canilatr.htm

⁷"RESPONSE TO COYOTE PREDATION ON PETS, Dorinda Pulliam City of Austin,TX, USA, 2007, http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1069&context=icwdm_wdmconfproc

⁸"Coyote, Canis latrans", Texas Parks and Wildlife, http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/coyote/

Moon Beams in the forest on the eve of the largest full moon

2008-12-12T19:08:00.001-08:00

Not too many people knew this event occurred last night. I didn't until a neighbor brought it to my attention. One thing I like about The Woodlands - people get into nature. When I was a child, my dad and I generated many memories in the dark scary forests. When the moon was out bright, I could go outside in the middle of the night and find the ghosts of the forest along with the wolves and the bear (which were fabricated by stones my dad threw into the forest when I was not looking).

Last night the moon was not only a full moon, it was the largest full moon for the next 15 years. I'd call it Santa's moon this year. I could just see Rudolf and the reindeer practicing their flight under the backdrop of that spectacular moon. With its brightness, there was no need for a flashlight except in the very darkest part of the woods. What is it that makes a person feel eerie when in the woods at night? I shot a few woodsy photos where I could see the moon as a backdrop for the forest. One can see all sorts of strange images drawn by the leaves and branches.

Take a look at the link from Earth Sky about the event itself. The writer explains "perigee", when the moon is closest to the earth. That happens more frequently than every 16 years, but coinciding with the full moon orientation is another matter. You will need to mark your calendar for November 14, 2016, to see it again. Mine is marked. I will probably have to use a wheelchair then to get out to see it, but it is worth going outside in cold weather to view it.

Take a look at these photos and see what you can detect in them. What time of day do you believe these photos were taken?

Acorns or no acorns, the woodlands squirrels must eat

2008-12-11T19:38:00.000-08:00

I have noticed that we have no acorns this year on any tree nearby. It first came to my attention when I observed a squirrel outside in the Yaupon eating the berries. Then I thought, if the squirrels are going to eat the berries all winter, what about the Robins in the Spring? What will they eat? Last year, this little guy was eating acorns at this time of year. He has been eating pine cone seeds until recently.

Well, if you noticed what I noticed last year, then there is a clue for you as well. We had a bumper crop of acorns last year. My White Oak produced so many that I thought I was going to go crazy with the acorns hitting the roof and lying all over the patio. Then too, the squirrels were burying the acorns all over the yard, so grass was damaged by their need to save the food for a "rainy day". The acorns were everywhere last year, all over the street, driveways, ... just everywhere and varying species of Oak all contributed to the abundance. There are zero acorns this year. The only ones I have seen were on a few limbs that were toppled by Hurricane Ike but had been in the tree all year as broken limbs, unable to break lose to fall to the ground. Those were all rotted out and useless for food.

So did the hurricane knock all of the acorns off the trees? No, that would be very doubtful. Actually, this is a cyclic pattern of Oak Trees. They usually produce a small amount of acorns in the off year cycle, but this year it appears to be nil. So what to do? Feed the little guys or just let nature do its thing? We will lose some to hunger I think, if we do not feed them. Yet this is the way nature takes care of its own. The birds will have to seek alternate food (worms for example) to continue their trek north in the Spring. They will compete for the berries in the winter, but I have not seen any Robins yet. Where are they? I heard that some of them are staying up north but winter looks pretty harsh this year, so I expect to see them soon.

I am going to provide them and the birds with some seeds in my feeder, but they will have to fare on their own for most of their food.

How did the forest fare from the winds?

2008-12-06T13:45:00.000-08:00

Some folks believe that Hurricane Ike destroyed those trees not protected by the wind. One resident questioned why would we keep these trees which used to be in the forest but now are left exposed to fall on houses? In the same breath, the implication is that we do not live in the forest in The Woodlands. I want to assure everyone we do live in the forest. We have a program for reforestation to replace that which is deficient. We also maintain the forest through a management program for disease control, to maintain the integrity of the forest plant diversity, and the general health of the trees. Special attention is given to replacing invasive with native plants. Many seedlings as well as young trees are planted each year.

So here is the dilemma. We saw many trees fallen by the storm in our residential streets and yards. After all was over, the cleanup was very large. So some residents questioned the value of having the trees. We live in The Woodlands, a master planned community of the forest.The trees are and have always been part of our values here. They are the reason the community exists as it does, in a seemingly endless tangled web of paths and streets bounded and entwined with natural green areas. All green areas are intended to be part of the forest with the exception of the golf courses. Even those are supposed to have native trees and bushes.

So were the fallen trees more numerous in the green areas and the yards than in the forest? I took this question to the new county nature trail park on Flintridge. The Spring Creek Reserve area is a large protected section of forest, easily accessed by residents of The Woodlands. Any casual observer will note the large number of fallen trees. My conclusion is that the forest may have more fallen trees per given population than the ones in the homes. One reason for this is the interactions between the trees during the fury of the hurricane. For example, a tree that is uprooted by the storm is likely to fall on other trees during the storm, causing tons of weight to shift on the ground. That causes other nearby trees to be uprooted. Then there is also the "kiss" effect. One tree falling on another will damage the the other by reducing light and just pushing the other tree to an unstable or leaning posture. The density of the vegetation does not necessarily block the wind and protect the trees as some might conclude. IN fact it can have the opposite effect, like a fence. One pole can withstand heavy wind whereas the pole will fall with the fence if attached to the other boards. In other words, the lifting and pushing of a stand of trees and bushes can be considered just like a wall and gives way to the power of the wind where as a single tree lets the wind move around it, less surface and thereby less resistance. Although many fell, many of them will continue to survive for years in their new leaning and tangled positions.

So no, the trees of the forest are not more protected from the winds than the trees in the yards. And no, the trees are not as much a threat to homes as some would lead us to believe. We value our forest and can exclaim now that out trees did exceptionally well in riding out the storm. I sincerely believe that we dodged a bullet because we had healthy trees and vegetation. What we have has been through many many storms in the past. This is good reason to keep native trees and not displace them with invasive trees nor any trees that don't belong here. See related article for a different perspective.

Energy, Biofuels, the forest and our economy

2008-11-07T05:35:00.000-08:00

Truly this is a mouthful, but we endear our forests, so we pay attention to what is happening as these things interlink. We must have transportation and it must be at an affordable price for us to exist. Under extreme financial pressure, diminishing available consumables, and higher costs of transportation, our country is searching for solutions. These are all connected, and I hope we are all paying attention.

So here we are, talking about this relative to our East Texas forests. Now there is a trend to seek fuel sources using natural and unnatural biodegradable techniques. Major oil companies are funding research into these technologies. It all started with corn. We all know that corn will produce alcohol. Heaven knows, there has been enough movies about illegal liqueur-running in the back woods for decades. Production of alcohol in the backwoods is a well known fact. Corn whiskey is relatively easy to make. Now our cars are using it for fuel. 10% of what we get at the pump is distilled corn "whiskey" (i.e., ethanol)! However, we do have problems with this strategy. We burn food to reduce the amount of petroleum that we consume! It is really diluted gasoline that we burn in our cars today. In turn, the prices of a major food staple has risen considerably. So the strategy of adding ethanol to gasoline is having a negative economic response. Even those people who can't afford to own automobiles are negatively affected by this oil conservation strategy. This is now a recognized fact, and many businesses are scrambling for their piece of a future change to alternate biofuel sources.

They want to use our forests! We have many components for fuel in our forests. After all, we used to get our energy from there. We would burn wood, primarily cellulose. Put fire to wood and it generates heat, a form of energy. The answer seems not to be in fire since it is so inefficient. Instead, researchers are looking into biodegrading methods, that is, let the natural bacterial decay that occurs every day in the forest be our means to producing energy.

Do you have a compost pile? I do. I take the fallen leaves of the trees, crush them to some extent and put them in a compost bin. The bin is a heavy wire mesh that I can easily empty and turn over every month. I stimulate decomposition by adding egg shells, raw potato skins, raw green leaf leftovers, coffee and tea bags. The composition occurs because we have bacteria that will break these things down. That process generates heat and the process then accelerates. Wood also will break down but at a much slower pace than the leaves. Basically, what remains after one year of a compost pile, is the cellulose and nutrients for plants that result from the breakdown. I point this out because it is what happens in the forest. Various carbon gases and liquids are produced in the process.

Companies are now seeking ways to harness these by-products and even more. They want to find ways to use the cellulose, the backbone of the forest, to produce fuel. To do that, one must find organisms that will break down cellulose into carbon chains. Yes, even alcohol is a carbon chain. When it burns, water and carbon dioxide are produced as by-products. So you see, the environment is affected as well. When you burn something, you are feeding the global warming cycle from gas emissions into the environment. Of course the forest takes a substantial amount of the CO2 and produces oxygen through photo genesis. It also produces some carbon-chain liquids and gases, especially on the forest floor where the leaves decay. Where is all of this heading?

Let's say that our science is successful. Our universities come up with a viable solution to this approach. Then the forest becomes another money producing resource. Its cellulose is valuable. What's more, in the science labs, microbes are synthesized as a means to break down cellulose. So the question is asked, how would these new microbes be controlled as to not harm our forests? Could they make our forests sick? Possibly, but not likely since the targeted cellulose would be dead, not living matter. The more likely problem would be the enemy of the forest - humans. I call us the enemy because when it comes to money, we as a race have destroyed forests for thousands of years. Just think, 1500 years or so after the Ottoman Empire, there remains a large amount of land without trees where there were forests before. Why? Because the Turks paid a bounty for trees which protected tax evaders. To get those taxes, the forests had to be destroyed (in their eyes). We can look at the Amazon jungles today to see what happens to forests given economic reason.

Our economy is severely stressed. We need alternate fuel sources. Is this a good way to spend our money? Will we be opening up our forests to tree cutting for fuel? Will we be turning our forests into tree farms so that we can have gasoline? I surely hope not!!!!! Let's think about the environment, retaining the natural forests and seeking alternate fuel sources in the wind, the ocean and the sun, not our forests nor our crops.

References -

Forbes article - Beaker Fuel November 2008

Backyard Hummingbirds in The Woodlands

2008-08-08T08:00:00.000-07:00

This little creature moves so fast that you may not know what it is. Is it a
bug? Is it a bumble bee? No! It is a Hummingbird! Darting hither and thither, one
can become crossed-eyed trying to follow its movement. Then suddenly, you see it
perching on the tiniest of twigs. It has to rest between feeding binges.
Watching these birds for several hours, one can see patterns emerge. This little male has several favorite perches. He prefers a tiny twig that is fairly long relative to his body size. The twig must give him a clear view of his domain. He is very possessive of his space. So he stays very busy chasing off would-be dinner guests. Thus the darting behavior.

Then came the female. She was allowed to feed when he was not in the neighborhood. It is my suspicion that he was out visiting his other girlfriend next door when I was able to catch some photos of this little lady.

For the next couple of days, she was running off the others until the guy returned and chased her off. She fed more inside of the Hummingbird plants than did the male. She did not get up on the perches and monitor the area like he did. She would just attack everything that came to the table while in the backyard, then would disappear for as long as an hour. The female tended to catch more insects than the male. She would be high in the air at times, obviously catching something about 20-30 feet off the ground. That could have been flies or mosquitoes.

These are Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. They are the dominant and possibly only one of two species in this area. The other species is the Rufous. These Ruby-throated nest right here in our backyards. I suspect this one has a nest near here and is feeding her brood now, but she managed to keep me unaware of her nest. According to my bird book, she can be nesting as far away as 1.3 km and feeding here in my backyard. I noticed that each time she arrived, I could hear her chattering as if to say, "if there is anyone else here, you'd better leave".

Don't think that the little lady is dull and only gray with white wing tips. She has the iridescence on her feathers that is typical of Hummingbirds. When the light hits her just right, you see these green and blue colors. As the sun reflects off of the bird in the flowers, her colors become very evident. The female is quite beautiful in fact.

So the next time you go outside and have the opportunity to observe these beautiful and interesting creatures, try to see where the male is watching and if there are any females lurking around. Keep an eye for a family, maybe two youngsters and their mama. The male does not play a role in the upbringing of the brood. The female will protect them, but after a couple of weeks out of the nest, she will run them off to fend for their own well being, unlike the broods of other backyard birds.

Montgomery County had two observers participating in the 2006 Texas Hummingbird Roundup, reporting two species of Hummingbirds in the county.

Video:

References

Woodpeckers in The Woodlands Texas

2008-07-13T12:29:00.000-07:00

There are three species seen here in The Woodlands, and they all have red heads! If you are not careful, you may call them all Red-Headed Woodpeckers, but only one is. The true Red-Headed Woodpecker has clean crispy black and white markings and a large red area on the head, whereas the Red-Bellied Woodpecker has a smaller reddish area on its head and belly, and black and white checkered-like markings on the wings. The Pileated has a crest on his head as evidenced by the photo below. I have included a photograph I took of the Red-Bellied species. I keep seeing the Red-Headed Woodpecker but have no photograph to show you yet. The two birds are exactly the same size, about 9 inches long. Another red-head here is the Pileated Woodpecker (photo below). These are larger, about the size of one of our local Crows.

If you hear an annoying tapping noise on the roof resembling a hammer hitting metal, don't fret; it is only a male woodpecker establishing its territory. Similar to several types of birds which are territorial, the Red-Headed, Red-Bellied and Pileated varieties can make their point known for an entire block! There is nothing like a 6AM wake up notice from the local male woodpecker.

A reader provided this photograph of the Pileated Woodpecker.

One of these days, I will take a photograph of the smaller Red-Cockaded Woodpecker, which is on the endangered list and makes his home in this area. He is about one inch shorter than the other two. His red markings are much smaller. There are few places he is seen, so I would not expect to see one here inside of The Woodlands. More likely, we would see one in the protected Jones Forest or on Spring Creek.

References

Woodpeckers of the East Texas Piney Woods by Texas Parks and Wildlife
Cornell Lab of Ornithology

Acknowledgements

Pileated Woodpecker photograph courtesy of Nelda Blair