From the Nature Nook Bookshelf: Kaufman Field Guide to Mammals of North America

White-tailed Deer at HNWR by Larry Paar

Book Review by Jean Flick

The Kaufman Field Guide to Mammals, by Nora Bowers, Rick Bowers, and Kenn Kaufman is one in a series of excellent field guides that includes guides for identifying birds, butterflies, and insects, as well as advanced birding (all available in the Nature Nook at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge). All the guides in the Kaufman series are compact but filled with excellent images and useful and interesting information. The 340 pages of the mammal guide include images and descriptions of all 450 mammal species found in North America and the surrounding waters.

Beaver at HNWR by Monica Muil

This user-friendly field guide comes with a caution by the authors that mammal identification is completely different than identifying birds, which often have distinctive color patterns and specific field marks that help with recognition. Mammals, however, often lack obvious markings (the skunk, of course, being one notable exception). Therefore, the authors remind us that mammal ID requires that the observer focus on size and shape as well as habitat, range, and behavior in addition to noting signs of animal presence such as tracks, droppings, trails, dens, and digging.

Cotton-tailed Rabbit at HNWR by Debbie Hale

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge is home to over 30 mammal species. Every hiker on the refuge has seen the obvious signs of feral hogs digging throughout the refuge. Kids enjoy finding tracks in the mud on Harris Creek Trail, using the HNWR Nature Journal track guide to identify animals that have recently shared the trail. Check out the track ID page in the Journal, shown below…the tracks represent a variety of species, including several of the mammals found on the refuge.

To ensure that The Kaufman Field Guide to Mammals is easy to use, the guide is divided into fifteen sections with each section color coded. This allows the reader to quickly search the guide for a specific mammal group or species. Each section begins with general information about the mammal groups within that section. As always with Kaufman Guides, individual species descriptions are clear and concise. The images are digitally edited photos for clarity and ease in identification. Many species descriptions include drawings of the tracks, for those times when your identification is based on evidence that something interesting passed by but no animal is in sight. 

Armadillo at HNWR by Mary Karam

Glimpses of a white-tailed deer, a slow-moving armadillo, a rangy coyote, or a chattering squirrel are always a treat at HNWR. Be sure you are equipped to recognize any of the mammals you may encounter on the refuge. Is it a beaver or an otter? A mouse or a mole?  A red fox or a gray fox? A cottontail or a jackrabbit? The Kaufman Field Guide to Mammals can help the careful observer identify the mammals, and the evidence of mammals, you are sure to see as you spend time on the refuge. 

The Watchman - Squirrel at HNWR by Jeff Gladden

The Nature Nook is run by Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. All proceeds are used for projects and activities at HNWR. 

Coyote at HNWR by Carl Hill

Interior Least Terns at Hagerman NWR

Last week Dr. Wayne Meyer's Second Saturday program was on Terns, particularly the Interior Least Tern. Thirty Interior Least Terns were spotted by the birders at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge on May 22, then only 8 on May 29 and 4 on June 5. Until this week,  no nesting activity had been reported and the question has been, will they nest here this year or have they moved on?

Now we have the answer!  From Jack Chiles Tuesday Bird Census for June 12, "The highlight of the day was discovering that the Least Terns have settled in, starting to nest."

The Refuge was ready, with two nesting platforms placed in Lake Texoma. (Photos were taken in 2015 by Rusty Daniel and Gary Hall)

Habitat for the Least Tern, as described by Cornell Lab of Ornithology on All About Birds is “Seacoasts, beaches, bays, estuaries, lagoons, lakes, and rivers, breeding on sandy or gravelly beaches and banks of rivers or lakes, rarely on flat rooftops of buildings.” You can add to that the two artificial nesting platforms at Hagerman, especially designed and built by Refuge employees for the Least Tern. Funding for the project was provided by Jetta Operating Company, Inc and the Nancy Ruth Fund.

The first of two artificial nesting platforms (above) was completed and put in place the summer of 2013.  A second platform was constructed and was to be "launched" in 2014 but those plans were on hold due to drought - there was no water in the area where the platform was to go! And for the record, the one-legged Terns in the photo above from 2013 are decoys!  BUT - once again the terns have chosen the pad roads, according to Jack, nesting "on C and D pads. Those areas have now been closed off to the public (no walking/no driving) to protect this endangered species. We counted 20 Least Terns and saw at least 4 birds sitting on eggs. One nest visible from the edge of the pad had 3 eggs. The nests will be monitored until the birds that hatch out fledge six weeks or so from now".

The Least Tern, the smallest American Tern, is an 8 to 9-inch bird, with a black "crown" on the head, a snowy whiter underside and forehead, grayish back and wings, orange legs, and a yellow bill with a black tip. Males and females are similar in their appearance. The name “Interior” is attached to Least Terns who breed in isolated areas along the Missouri, Mississippi, Ohio, Red, and Rio Grande river systems. They winter in coastal areas of Central and South America.

Interior Least Terns at HNWR, photographed by Eileen Sullivan in June, 2011

The Interior Least Tern is endangered due to loss of habitat, primarily because of changes in river systems and competition from recreational development. Terns arrive at the breeding ground in late spring – early summer and spend several months there. According to Dr. Wayne Meyer, courtship behavior includes the male showing off a fish to potential females, see photo above. Nesting in small colonies, Terns scratch out a shallow depression in sand or gravel for a nesting spot. The female lays 2 – 3 eggs in 3 – 5 days. Parents take turns incubating the eggs for about 3 weeks; Dr. Meyer says that the female does the lion share of the incubating.  Chicks hatch one per day and leave the nest a few days after hatching but continue to be fed and cared for by adults for about two months.

Nesting adults defend an area surrounding the nest (territory) against intruders. Intruders can include humans, coyotes, fox, raccoons, bobcats, domestic dogs and cats, American Crows, Great Egrets, and Great Blue Herons among other creatures. When defending a territory, the incubating bird will fly around giving an alarm call and diving repeatedly at the intruder.

Terns feed on small fish and aquatic creatures and can be seen hovering and diving for prey, as well as skimming for insects. The young have to learn these hunting skills during their "nursery" days.

Tern in flight, photographed by Mike Chiles

Terns usually return to the same nesting area year after year. Before the launch of Tern Island I and II, the birds chose the rocky surface of the pad roads for their nursery, completely vulnerable to predators and extreme summer heat; the successful hatch rate was low to none. However, they still had not taken to the presumably safer man-made nesting platforms in 2017; they produced 10 eggs and 5 live chicks, on the pad roads C and D.

Nesting Tern, photographed by Jack Chiles in 2011 on one of the Pad roads at HNWR.

Hopefully, the terns will have a successful hatch this year.


Thanks to Jack Chiles, Texas Master Naturalist, for the original post on Least Terns, July 13, 2011.  Material has been updated in 2015, 2017 and 2018. In addition to All About Birds, information for this post came from Texas Parks Wildlife and from US Fish & Wildlife.

June Plant of the Month - Gregg’s Mistflower

Gregg’s Mistflower – Conoclinium greggii

(before 2000 C.E.: Eupatorium greggii)

By Linn Cates

Monarch on Mistflower in Butterfly Garden at HNWR (Photo by Truett Cates)

With great anticipation of what is to come, I sighted the first Gregg’s Mistflower blossom at the Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge Butterfly Garden on Sunday, June 3rd.

I had seen the first at Austin College’s Idea Center Native Plants Garden 2 days earlier. 

I check daily, but mine hasn’t bloomed yet. 

Photo by Truett Cates

All this excited anticipation because what is to come is amazingly beautiful to behold. Gregg’s Mistflower, to my mind, wins the prize for attracting beautiful butterflies.

Queens on Mistflower (Photo by Truett Cates)

Look for Gregg’s Mistflower in the Hagerman NWR Butterfly Garden, but not on the trails. Gregg’s Mistflower is native to areas in west and south Texas. Our native is Blue Mistflower, Conoclinium coelestinum which grows in East, Southeast and North Central Texas.

You will see many pollinator species on this plant; you might see a flock of Queens happily nectaring away during your visit to the garden. It is especially exciting to see the Monarchs nectaring on it in October on their amazing 3000-mile migration south each year.

While Gregg’s Mistflower is not native to North Central Texas,  it performs so nicely here in our Butterfly Garden setting that we have invited it in to stay. Its cousin, Blue Mist Flower (Conoclinium coelestinum), our region’s native, stays in the fields at Hagerman. The Wasowskis caution about Blue Mist in Native Texas Plants writing that “one of these plants is usually enough” to invite into a garden.

Identifying Gregg’s Mistflower

Though you won’t be needing to hone your ID skills to locate Gregg’s Mistflower at Hagerman –it is labelled in the Butterfly Garden-- you may encounter it in the wild on travels south and west.  It grows on chalky, calcareous soils that get seasonally flooded. It grows to a height of 1-3 feet, usually 1 ½’, and because it spreads readily by way of underground rhizomes, it will form a mat or colony and may have spread over vast areas if the moisture and sun conditions were conducive. The leaves are about 2” long and a little less wide, very cut out looking on the leaf margin, and arranged in pairs opposite one another along the stem. The bloom is made up of small purplish-blue flowers clustered together to form cushion like 2” flower heads. This plant tends to seek shade because of its preference for lightly moist soils so you most often encounter it in dappled shade in the wild. On the USDA Plants Database (https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=COGR10)  you can zoom in on the range map for this plant to see its native range by county-- something I like to do as I’m learning about a native plant species.

I also like to glean all I can from the common and scientific names of species. Josiah Gregg (1806-1850) was an avid naturalist, who explored Texas and Mexico, in the 1840’s, and then points west to California before he died. The American Botanical Society has added the Latin name “Greggi” to 23 species of plants in his honor. “Mist” in the name is thought to refer to the blurry look of the florescence. “Conoclinium” is from the Latin for “little cone-shaped bed.”

Growing Gregg’s Mistflower in Your Texoma Garden

I’ve enjoyed getting to know this plant over the years in different gardens, therefore in different growing conditions. Some of us gardeners will remember our own, very special plant person, Jesse Stephens who wrote a weekly column in the Sherman Democrat on gardening, published several garden-related books, and ran a garden store called “The Backyard Nature Store” from which she also did landscape consulting. In this capacity, Jesse planned a xeriscape landscape for the front garden of the Belden Street Montessori School where I taught. 

In choosing the perfect plant for a flower bed that bordered the benches where our preschoolers waited to be picked up after school, she chose Gregg’s Mistflower. It was soft, in case a child fell into the flowers; short enough that the children could see over the plants while sitting; and it was often covered in butterflies and other pollinators, so the children could watch nature and contemplate as they unwound after a busy school day. Perfect!,  we decided, but our Gregg’s Mistflower decided otherwise. It found the spot too sunny and over time it grew only in one small shadier triangular corner of the bed and eventually “walked,” as Jesse described it, across the sidewalk to the dappled shade under a newly planted redbud tree! 

We most likely could have kept the plant in our intended place had we met its water requirement; but alas this was a xeriscape landscape and we used a minimum of water in it.

Gregg’s Mistflower spreads by underground stems or rhizomes, putting up new plants all along it or as in the case of the “walking” plant putting up new plants on the other side of the sidewalk. This growth pattern has led some gardeners to call it “aggressive.” My observations in my garden, at HNWR Butterfly Garden, at Austin College’s Idea Center Gardens, and even at the Montessori School garden indicate that it is easy to pull out any strays and that environmental factors, like shade and moisture, naturally limit expansion. And one benefit of this growth pattern is that it yields plants you may want to have in new garden areas. This photo shows plants that have walked under a fence, and I welcomed that. 

Photo by Truett Cates

You may want to share the rhizomes as new plants with friends and neighbors. I have tried directly transplanting and potting up for a while to establish more root hardiness before planting. 

Photo by Truett Cates

Both ways work! This my new Gregg’s mist plot with both potted and directly transplanted individuals.

Photo by Truett Cates

A couple of tips when including this plant in your space: 

• It can be a filler around showier plants. 
• Overwatering makes it more aggressive.

I am curious about the mistflower native to our area, Conoclinium coelestinum (coelestinum for “sky blue.”) I will be looking for it on walks in the area, and plan to invite one, maybe just one, into my garden. I have bought the seeds and will share. Any takers? This queen wants to know.

Photo by Truett Cates

References: World-wide Web

Denton County Master Gardener Association. Article on Gregg’s Mist Flower. https://dcmga.com/north-texas-gardening/perennials/master-gardener-favorites/greggs-mist-flower/

Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=cogr10 (plant profile for Gregg’s Mist Flower)

Monarch Butterfly Gardens. https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/ (Article on Gregg‘s Mist Flower. Conoclinium greggii)

US Department of Agriculture Plants Data Base.  https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=COGR10

Wikivisually. Conoclinium coelestinum. (Article and video on Blue mist-flower, the species native to North Central Texas.) https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Conoclinium_coelestinum. 

References: Books

Diggs, George, et al. 1999. Shiners and Mahler’s Illustrated Flora of North Central Texas. Botanical Research Institute of North Texas and Austin College. Ft. Worth, Tx

Wasowski, Sally and Andy Wasowski. 1997. Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region By Region, 2nd edition

Photo Credits

©Truett Cates

@Linn Cates

From the Nature Nook Bookshelf: “The Fireflies Book” by Brett Otler

Book Review by Jean Flick

Get ready for summertime magic!  The Fireflies Book by Brett Otler provides a good introduction to the magic of fireflies, often called lightning bugs.  This delightful little book is available in the Nature Nook at HNWR.

The emphasis of the book is on enjoying fireflies, with lots of fun and interesting facts thrown in.  The biology and chemistry of how and why fireflies light up the summer sky are presented in easy-to-understand language.  Simple family projects are described, such as how to participate in firefly citizen science and how to compare the flashing patterns of common firefly species.  And, readers learn where to see the greatest synchronous firefly show in the U.S.

               

In Texas, fireflies may light the night sky from mid-April until October.   According to National Geographic, fireflies are actually winged beetles.  There are approximately 2,000 firefly species, and each subspecies has its own unique flashing pattern.

In The Fireflies Book, Otler seeks to remind us, above all, of the simple joy of gathering together on a warm summer evening, sharing in one of the most readily accessible spectacles of the natural world.  “The Fireflies Book” is suitable reading for older children to those of adult age who revel in childhood memories of chasing lightning bugs.

The Nature Nook is run by Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.  All proceeds are used for projects and activities at HNWR.  

Ladybug! Ladybug! Fly Away Home

Text and Photos by Laurie Sheppard

In many cultures, ladybugs are thought to bring good luck. In Sweden, a ladybug landing on a young lady’s hand means she will marry soon. In England, they are thought to be an omen of a good harvest. Some other cultures believe that if you kill a ladybug, then sadness and bad luck will follow you. As with many “old wives tales”, there’s a grain of truth to the myth, or at least a desire to lead behavior in a particular direction. Most farmers and home gardeners consider ladybugs a welcome visitor and something to be protected rather than exterminated.

Convergent Lady Beetle

Ladybugs are beneficial in gardens and agricultural fields. Rather than eating or damaging plants, they are carnivores that feast on plant pests like mealy bugs, mites, and aphids. This behavior may have even led to their common name. Legend says that during the Middle Ages, European crops were threatened by many plant-eating insect pests. Farmers prayed to the Virgin Mary to save their crops and soon after, they began seeing black-spotted red bugs doing battle with the other insects. The crops survived and as the legend spread, people began to refer to the helpful bugs as “our lady’s birds”. Over time, they became known as “ladybugs”, “ladybirds”, or “lady beetles”.

Seven-spotted Lady Beetle

Ladybugs are insects in the order Coleoptera (beetles). Like other insects, they have six legs, wings, a muscular thorax, and an abdomen, but most of these are tucked away under the ladybugs’ rigid coverings. The most visible of these coverings are the Elytra, on which you will find each ladybug’s typical colors. These are actually the ladybug’s forewings that have hardened to surround and protect the delicate hindwings. The elytra must be lifted to expose the hindwings so the ladybug can fly.

Seven-spotted Lady Beetle Lifting Elytra

There are several thousand different species of ladybugs worldwide; they inhabit most temperate or tropical climates. A few hundred species are found in North America, and several of those have been found at Hagerman NWR. Not all ladybugs are red with black spots, and not everything with the same general coloring is a ladybug.

Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle (not a Lady Beetle)

Like butterflies, ladybugs undergo complete metamorphosis. An adult ladybug lays a cluster of 10-15 eggs on the underside of a leaf in an area where she has found aphids or other small plant-eating bugs. The eggs hatch into larvae that look similar to tiny caterpillars, but with six legs. Unlike butterflies, the larvae’s diet is the same as an adult ladybug’s.

Ladybug Larva

The larvae grow and shed their “skin” (exoskeleton) repeatedly until they are ready to pupate. After shedding for the last time, individual larvae are enclosed in a new covering, not unlike a chrysalis. Over the next few days, they complete the transformation into an adult ladybug. From egg to adult takes less than a month and an adult can live a year or more.

Pupating Lady Beetle

Ladybugs are generally harmless to people, although one group can be considered pests. Asian Lady Beetles are becoming more common in Grayson County and can be a mild nuisance in winter, when they find their way inside our homes. All ladybugs can release a nasty-smelling fluid when threatened but the Asian Lady Beetles are larger than other ladybugs in the area, so that fluid is more noticeable. These ladybugs can be recognized by their orange legs – other local ladybugs have black legs.

Asian Lady Beetle on Soapberry

If you want to find ladybugs at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, you need look no further than the Butterfly Garden, where they help us keep the host and nectar plants pest free. You can also find them anywhere wildflowers grow, busily climbing up and down stems and over and under leaves and blossoms. I particularly like Silliman Road and L Pad for finding ladybugs. They like warmer weather and will not fly if it is under 55 degrees. The colors on the head and the number and pattern of spots on the elytra are helpful in identifying which ladybug species you are looking at. Think small and enjoy your search! You have no idea what else you may find out there.

Polished Lady Beetle

Buttercups in Bloom

Have you ever gotten “butter” on your nose from a buttercup? Or as they are botanically named, Oenothera speciosa. Buttercups are also known as Pink evening primrose, Showy evening primrose, Mexican evening primrose, Showy primrose, Pink ladies, Pink buttercups, according to the Native Plant Information Network. 

From Wikipedia, we learned that although this plant is also frequently referred to as a buttercup, it is not a true buttercup (genus Ranunculus) or even in the buttercup family, Ranunculaceae.

Pink Evening Primrose at Hagerman NWR, by Kathy Whaley

The website for Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center goes on to say that while most primroses open in the evening, this plant, native over a widespread area from Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, opens in the evening in the northern range but in the morning in the southern range. They could also be called “dayflower” as each flower lasts only one day.

“Buttercups” are perennial; their blooms vary from palest pink, nearly white, to deep rich pinks. The flowers’ yellow pollen is the source of the “butter”. They will grow is a variety of soils but go dormant if the soil is too dry; in our area, you will note large masses of them where there are apparent low places in the fields and along roadsides.  

Pink Evening Primrose at Hagerman NWR, by H. S. Bert Garcia

You will also find a  showy yellow version in the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, Oenothera macrocarpa, commonly known as Bigfruit evening-primrose, Missouri evening-primrose, Fluttermill, Big-fruit evening-primrose, Missouri Primrose (shown below).

Birds like the seeds from evening primroses and the flowers offer nectar to bees, moths, and butterflies.

NOTE:  Weather permitting there will be a Wildflower Tour of Hagerman NWR at 10 on Saturday, May 26!  Reserve a spot in the van (see sidebar of the webpage) or caravan along as we stop to enjoy various wildflower areas at the Refuge.

From the Nature Nook Bookshelf: Nat Geo Kids Everything Series

By Jean Flick

Richard Louv, in “Last Child in The Woods,” pleads the case for reconnecting children with nature.  He dubbed the term Nature Deficit Disorder to describe the “growing gap between children and nature.” In his later book, “The Nature Principle”, he asks the question, “What would our lives be like if our days and nights were as immersed in nature as they are in technology?”  Consider rephrasing that:  “What would our children's lives be like if their days and nights were as immersed in nature as they are in technology?”

A good starting point to spark interest and enthusiasm for the natural world in the minds of the children in your life is the “Nat Geo Kids Everything” series.    The “Everything” series invites kids into the world of nature through the use of fun facts and comparisons, and, of course, outstanding photography.  The unique “Explorer’s Corner” feature introduces readers to scientists such as ecologists (“Everything Birds of Prey”) and herpetologists (“Everything Reptile”) and offers a personal connection to the field work of these scientists as well as a glimpse into potential career opportunities.  Interactive glossaries keep young readers engaged all the way to the last page.

National Geographic has a well-established history of producing high-quality books, magazines, and documentaries about our world.  Their publications are noted for their scientific inquiry as well as their stunning photography.  Books published for children are of equal quality, designed to entice young readers to explore the many wonders of our natural world. 

The Nature Nook at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge offers Nat Geo Kids books for children with varying reading levels.   Pre-readers will enjoy “Slither Snake!” while books on bats, plants, butterflies, trees, and more are available for various reading levels.

In addition to the wide selection of children’s books available in the Nature Nook, HNWR provides robust programming designed to spark kids’ interest in the natural world that abounds on the refuge. FOH volunteers and refuge staff biologist Courtney Anderson engage children through The Refuge Rocks for Youth/Saturday programs, Spring Break activities, and multiple school field trips.

The Nature Nook is operated by Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.  All proceeds are used for projects and activities at HNWR.  Book review by Jean Flick.

May Plant of the Month - Prairie Verbena

By Sue Abernathy

Have you noticed a purple hue in the pastures or patches of vivid purple along the roadside as you are driving down country roads?

More than likely it is Prairie Verbena, Glandularia bipinnatifida, which is an early blooming native perennial. It is also known as Dakota Vervain, Purple Prairie Verbena, and Dakota Mock Vervain. It generally has purple, five petal clustered blooms, but the color can vary from a bluish purple to violet to pink.  The blooms set on top of stems with highly divided leaves.

Prairie Verbena is drought tolerant and highly deer resistant. This native perennial can be found from Northern Mexico north to Oklahoma and west to New Mexico and Arizona. It thrives in full sun in open pastures and grasslands, often covering acres of ground, but will also tolerate partial shade. It is a low growing, trailing plant that likes dry to medium moist sites and well-drained soils like sand, loam, clay, caliche, and limestone.

Prairie Verbena’s extended bloom time from March through October benefits both gardeners and pollinators. The blankets of purple flowers are an excellent nectar source for butterflies and bees.

It transplants easily from nursery stock or the pasture and can be started from seed and it is a great addition to any butterfly or pollinator garden.  It is widespread throughout the state of Texas and can also be found in the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge along the slope, behind the bench in the smaller pergola.

Sources:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at http://www.wildflower.org

Native American Seed at http://www.seedsource.com

Photo credits – Sue Abernathy

NOTE: Sue Abernathy is both a Grayson CountyMaster Gardener and a Texas Master Naturalist, Bluestem chapter, and serves as a co-chair for the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman NWR and as a Garden Docent. "Plant of the Month" blogs are contributed by the Butterfly Garden Docents at HNWR.

Red Harvester Ants

Text and Photos by Laurie Sheppard

Ants! They get into your pantry. They invite themselves to your picnics. Some of them can chew through a wood framed house. Others sting!! What’s to like about an ant?? Well, maybe if it was a mostly peaceful ant that didn’t enter homes, chew on wood, or sting when you get near their nest, you could like it. The Red Harvester Ant is that sort of ant.

Although Red Harvester Ants look formidable because of their size and wasp-like appearance, they are communal seed-eaters that mostly keep to their own business. If you have walked the Haller Haven Trail, at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge,  out to Dead Woman Pond, you have passed a broad, flat nest of Red Harvester Ants that stretches a few feet across. They are the large, busy, red ants that never stop moving as you pass. They are capable of delivering a painful bite if threatened, but they are not aggressive and are generally reluctant to do so.

Red Harvester Ants are a favorite food source for the Texas Horned Lizard and they are in constant competition for food and territory with other ants such as the invasive Fire Ant. Sometimes Red Harvester Ant nests are created in risky areas and do not survive. Often, that is because of human actions, either intentional or accidental. Red Harvester Ant colonies have been declining in recent years and that decline has impacted other native species.

Each underground Red Harvester Ant nest is composed of many chambers connected by labyrinthine tunnels that have been excavated by members of the colony. A mature nest can reach depths of over 8 feet and is several feet across. Within the nest, the colony consists of a single queen, who can live for 15-20 years, and thousands of female worker ants. Only the queen can reproduce and she is well cared for by the others, for her death signals the end of the colony.

For the first four to five years, a new queen produces only sterile female worker ants. These ants perform the tasks that ensure the success of the nest: foraging for seeds, maintenance and excavation of the physical infrastructure, caring for the queen and her larvae, and defense of the nest. When the colony reaches about 10,000 members, the queen produces a small number of males and fertile females. She will do this once per year for the remainder of her life.

These unique ants, called alates, have wings that will carry them away from the nest to an aggregation site. The site is created when a few males mark a location with specialized pheromones that trigger sexual behavior. These pheromones attract other males, who add more pheromones, and also draw females to the site. There, alates from many nests engage in a mating ritual that will result in new colonies being formed. Each female mates with multiple males of separate lineages, then flies to a suitable spot to establish her own nest. She digs down several inches and produces her first larvae, which become the nest’s original worker ants. The workers excavate the nest and gather food for their colony before moving deep underground for the winter.

In spring, the work continues. Scouts leave the nest each morning to look for food sources, leaving a trail of pheromones for the foragers to follow. The ants in the nest appear to have a sense of time. If a scout comes back too quickly, the forager ants sense danger and ignore that route. If a scout takes too long to return with seeds, then perhaps foraging will expend more energy than the value of the seeds they may collect. The foragers are therefore selective in the trails they follow. The work of these ants benefits the ecosystem by scattering some of the seeds they gather as they return to the nest. Meanwhile, excavation and nest cleaning are constant.

It’s easy to think that the frenetic pace of the ants lacks purpose, but as you watch individual ants marching out of the nest carrying staggering loads or returning to the nest dragging stalks heavy with seeds, you realize what an amazing society this is. Ants can carry up to 20 times their body weight. For every ant you see, there are several others that are working in the total darkness below the surface. Each ant will defend the nest to her death when called upon. Next time you see a Red Harvester Ant nest, stop and spend a few minutes getting to know them.

NOTE: Laurie Sheppard is a regular volunteer at Hagerman NWR and frequent contributor to the FOH Blog. She is a Texas Master Naturalist, member of the Blackland Prairie Chapter.

Hummingbirds

Text and Photo by Renny S.Gehman

A blur, a whir—a hummingbird! Hummers are back at our Texas feeders after wintering in Mexico. Their arrival is eagerly anticipated and greatly enjoyed—almost everyone gets a thrill when they spot one of these tiny creatures. Here in North Texas that usually happens around April 1st and mine were right on time.  

In our part of Texas the most common hummingbird in our garden is the ruby-throated, although this year I’ve been blessed with a visiting black-chinned male—who was nice enough to perch on a nearby bush long enough for me to see the purple throat which distinguishes it from the other visitors at my window feeder. Although in some lights, ruby throats and black chins can look similar, the most obvious distinguishing mark is their throat color: either red or purple. Both can look black in some lights! Since their females are so similar, I just assume that the female I’m also seeing is actually more than one!

Part of our fascination with hummers happens because of both their small size and swift speed. A hummingbird—any of the 18 species found in the U.S.—is the smallest bird, but can reach speeds equal to geese, accelerating to 60 mph from a standing start in less than three feet! No other species matches their flying skill—they can hover, fly up or down, and also backwards because of their extremely large breast muscles, which move their wings in a figure-8 pattern unique among birds.

With their high energy output, hummingbirds must eat every ten to fifteen minutes—a reason why they’re such regular visitors at our feeders. In fact, because of their energy requirements, hummers go into “torpor” or a reduced energy state at night when their heart beat slows, body temperature drops and they cannot move. But these little birds still use so much energy at rest, it is comparable to the amount a human uses during vigorous exercise.

The best way to help these high-energy flyers is to provide them with multiple food sources. Feeders are one food source humans can provide, but we need to remember some important guidelines:

• Red dye is not necessary—and may actually be harmful!
• Always boil your water.
• Do not use honey—use refined white sugar. Honey promotes dangerous fungal growth.
• Clean your feeders regularly—every few days, or even daily in hot weather—to avoid harmful fungal growth.

For detailed instructions, with amounts and proportions, follow this link to the Audubon Society’s website: http://www.audubon.org/news/how-make-hummingbird-nectar

Besides providing feeders, you can choose garden plants, like sage, honeysuckle and lantana, which attract hummingbirds—and often butterflies, as well. Some suggestions on planting a hummingbird garden are available in the Texas Parks and Wildlife brochure. To access online, follow this link: https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_br_w7000_1173.pdf.

Hummingbirds are fun; I’m never sure if I enjoy their iridescent colors, their acrobatic flying or their territorial squabbles more. They pack a lot of entertainment in a small package—and certainly demonstrate the truth of the familiar adage, Little, but Oh, my!

Ed Note: At Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, visitors can enjoy Ruby-throated and occasional Black-chinned hummers at the feeder outside the Visitor Center and in the Butterfly Garden!

From the Nature Nook Bookshelf - Field Guides to Rocks and Minerals

Field Guides to Rocks and Minerals

Book Review by Jean Flick

The marvelous geodes in the Nature Nook and the large decorative crystal in the butterfly garden are both favorites of children visiting Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.  Kids know:  rocks are fun!!   Beyond fun, Rachel M. Barker, with the US Geologic Survey (USGS) reminds us that rocks “tell the story of the Earth.”

Most rocks at the Earth’s surface are formed from only 8 elements (oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and sodium), but these elements are combined in various ways to make rocks that are very different.  Geologists classify rocks into the three major groups (igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic), according to the major Earth processes that formed them (USGS website).  HNWR is located where the gently rolling black land prairies meet the more hilly terrain of the eastern cross timbers, providing us a glimpse into the geologic footprint that began millions of years ago when northern Texas was covered by a huge, warm, shallow sea.

               

There are three different rock and mineral field guides available in the HNWR Nature Nook.  Each offers unique features for the beginning or experienced geologist to explore and learn about a wide variety of geologic phenomena.  As you wander the refuge, by car or foot, be sure to take a rock and mineral field guide with you and discover more about “the story of the Earth” right here in our corner of that Earth.

The National Geographic Pocket Guide:  Rocks and Minerals of North America by Sarah Garlick.

This compact field guide, published in 2014 by the National Geographic Society, is lightweight and will fit easily in a backpack, pocket, or fanny pack.   The guide features 160 geologic forms and phenomena and is organized into the categories of minerals, rocks, fossils, and structures and landforms.  Each page contains high-quality photos of individual specimens for close-up comparison and photos of larger formations that might be viewed from a trail or road.  Key facts are presented in an interesting manner, making this an excellent guide for a family outing that will include a look at geologic features.

Use as a first guide for young and old to share in the discovery of the wonders of geology.

Smithsonian Nature Guide:  Rocks and Minerals by Ronald Louis Bonewitz

This guide, published by DK Publishing (first American edition 2012), offers full-page profiles of 270 rocks and minerals.  Each profile includes a large photo of each specimen, along with small photos of variants and a concise description of key features.  The guide begins with general information about minerals, crystals, gems, and rocks and includes several pages of helpful hints for beginning collectors.  At 350 pages, this guide is still small and light enough to carry in a backpack, but loaded with large photos for easy identification.

Use to delve more deeply into the world of rocks and minerals and as a reference when beginning your own rock collection.

Peterson Field Guides:  Rocks and Minerals by Frederick H. Pough

This fifth edition, published by Houghton-Mifflin Co. in 1988, offers more in-depth information.  Photos of individual specimens, as well as various landforms, are grouped together in the middle of the book for convenience in identification and comparison.  Individual rocks, minerals, and other geologic phenomena are discussed in greater depth with comprehensive information on each specimen or topic.  At almost 400 pages, the guide packs in a wealth of information but is still well-sized to be carried in a backpack.

Use to glean the most in-depth information when learning about geologic specimens.

Photo Collage - Rocks at HNWR, by Jean Flick

The Nature Nook is run by Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.  All proceeds are used for projects and activities at HNWR. 

American Basketflower, April Plant of the Month

Centaurea americana - American Basketflower

By Sharon Parrish

American Basket Flower, sometimes called Shaving Brush or Straw-hat, is in the Sunflower family and the only genus native to North America.   It is found in several states in southwest and north central US, as well as New York and South Carolina.  The plant starts growing in late winter with blooming periods from May to July or August.

American Basketflower stands two to five feet high with two-three inch wide showy blooms that are generally lavender in color, with creamy centers, and have a honey fragrance.  The height of the plant is largely dependent on soil conditions and rainfall.   The plant can grow in sand, loam or clay and is found along roadsides, meadows, prairies and farmed or overgrazed fields. It grows best in full sun, and if enough land area is available, can be found in large colonies. 

This annual reseeds easily and has low water requirements.  Stems are enlarged below the head and sport narrow simple leaves that attach directly to the stem.  The leaves are smooth with no teeth and no hairs.  The petals that make up the plant head are held by a basket weave phyllary, appearing as a bloom in a basket (hence the name). Look for it soon in the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge and in the wild there also.

Nectar from the blooms is high in sugar and amino acids, and pollen is high in protein.  The plant attracts hummingbirds, songbirds, butterflies, bees and other pollinators.  Game and songbirds especially nourish on the seeds, shown below,  that are relatively large with excellent nutritional value.   American Basketflower is not grazed by wildlife or livestock and has no diseases or pests.   The plant is generally tolerant of floods, droughts and freezing temperatures.

A Field Guide to Wildflowers, Trees and Shrubs of Texas, Delena Tull and George Oxford Miller, 1991

Range Plants of North Central Texas, Ricky J. Linex, 2014

Native American Seeds, www.seedsource.com, 2015

Note: Sharon Parrish is a Texas Master Naturalist, a Butterfly Garden Docent at HNWR and regularly volunteers in the Visitor Center there also.