Thursday, January 25, 2018

Listen to the Mockingbird

Northern Mockingbird at Hagerman NWR, Photo by Bill Hurst
"If you’ve been hearing an endless string of 10 or 15 different birds singing outside your house, you might have a Northern Mockingbird in your yard. These slender-bodied gray birds apparently pour all their color into their personalities. They sing almost endlessly, even sometimes at night...(Cornell, All About Birds)

Noting that the mockingbird "... is found in all parts of the State, in winter and in summer, in the city and in the country, on the prairie and in the woods and hills ... is a singer of distinctive type, a fighter for the protection of his home, falling, if need be, in its defense, like any true Texan ...", the Texas legislature designated the mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) as official state bird in 1927.  The northern mockingbird is also the state bird of Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi.

In the novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, where the mockingbird symbolizes innocence and goodness, Miss Maudie says

"Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy.  They don't eat up people's garden, they don't nest in corncribs, they don't do one thing but sing their hearts out for us. that's why it's a sin to kill a Mockingbird.

In Carl Sandburg's poem, Wilderness, we find this verse:

"There is an eagle in me and a mockingbird … and the eagle flies among the Rocky Mountains of my dreams and fights among the Sierra crags of what I want … and the mockingbird warbles in the early forenoon before the dew is gone, warbles in the underbrush of my Chattanoogas of hope, gushes over the blue Ozark foothills of my wishes—And I got the eagle and the mockingbird from the wilderness.


"Hush, little Baby, don't say a word,
Mama's gonna buy you a Mockingbird.

And if that mockingbird don't sing,
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.

Northern Mockingbirds have extraordinary vocal abilities; they can sing hundreds of songs, including the songs of other birds, insect and amphibian sounds, even an occasional mechanical noise.  You can check out the "music" on this video from Cornell.

Cornell gives these Cool Facts about the mockers' singing:

  • It’s not just other mockingbirds that appreciate a good song. In the nineteenth century, people kept so many mockingbirds as cage birds that the birds nearly vanished from parts of the East Coast. People took nestlings out of nests or trapped adults and sold them in cities such as Philadelphia, St. Louis, and New York, where, in 1828, extraordinary singers could fetch as much as $50.
  • Northern Mockingbirds continue to add new sounds to their repertoires throughout their lives. A male may learn around 200 songs throughout its life.
  • Northern Mockingbirds sing all through the day, and often into the night. Most nocturnal singers are unmated males, which sing more than mated males during the day, too. Nighttime singing is more common during the full moon.
  • Northern Mockingbirds typically sing from February through August, and again from September to early November. A male may have two distinct repertoires of songs: one for spring and another for fall.
  • The female Northern Mockingbird sings too, although usually more quietly than the male does. She rarely sings in the summer, and usually only when the male is away from the territory. She sings more in the fall, perhaps to establish a winter territory.
So listen up!  Do you hear the mockingbird?


Thursday, January 18, 2018

American Kestrel



Photo by Nature's Realm
According to Cornell's  All About Birds, the American Kestrel is North America's smallest falcon and the most colorful raptor.  

Hunting for insects and other small prey in open territory, kestrels perch on wires or poles, or hover facing into the wind, flapping and adjusting their long tails to stay in place. 

Photo by Jack Chiles

Recently, photographers have been posting a number of photos of this beautiful little raptor taken at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge on the Friends of Hagerman Facebook Page.  So we had the kestrel in mind as our topic for the week - then we discovered that a North Texas writer, Renny Gehman has the cover article, on the kestrel,  in the February, 2018 issue of Bird Watcher's Digest.  Don't miss her five-page article, with excellent descriptors.

As Gehman points out, kestrels nest in cavities, relying on existing holes.  They have one or two broods a season, with 4 - 5 eggs.  According to Cornell, which offers box plans, kestrels take readily to nesting boxes, but you would be fortunate to have a nesting pair in our North Texas area, as they are seldom seen here in summer, per the Hagerman Bird Census.

Photo by Win Goddard
Watch for the American Kestrel show at Hagerman NWR!


Thursday, January 11, 2018

January Plant of the Month - Possumhaw

(https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/2009/nov09/Possumh.html)

Have you seen this bright berried deciduous tree or shrub that just stands out in the winter landscape? It is Ilex decidua  - commonly known by a number of names - Possumhaw, Possumhaw holly, Deciduous holly, Meadow holly, Prairie holly, Swamp holly, Welk holly, Deciduous yaupon, Bearberry, Winterberry.

Possumhaw in the rain at HNWR, by Dana Crites
According to the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center website,

"Opossums, raccoons, other mammals, songbirds, and gamebirds eat the fruit of this and related species."

The spring blooms of the possumhaw also provide nectar for insects and the horizontal branches offer a platform for birds' nests.


From the Texas Native Plants Database

"Possumhaw is a large shrub or small tree frequently encountered in or near seasonally wet areas in Central and East Texas. Fairly nondescript in summer, female plants with their red, orange, or yellow fruit can become a blaze of color in the fall and winter landscape. It is the widest ranging of all Texas hollies and can adapt to a wide range of soil conditions. It can be grown in shade, but it fruits best in partial shade to full sun. Females need a male pollinator for good fruit set.


Possumhaw growing in Visitor Center landscape at HNWR
The Ladybird site notes that possumhaws can grow to 36' in height, while TAMU says 10' -12', occasionally 20', and 6' - 10' in width.  It is native within a "box" formed along the East Coast from  Virginia to Florida, from Virginia to westward to Kansas and down to Texas and in the states in between. (https://www.plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ILDE)

Watch for possumhaw this winter as you walk the trails at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.

Thursday, January 4, 2018

Wrap II - July - December, 2017

This week we complete our "look-back" at Hagerman NWR happenings for 2017:

July, 2017

Go green! HNWR added a water bottle filler to the drinking fountain; a counter shows the number of bottles eliminated from the waste stream.

The New Outdoor Crew has now worked on all three loops of Harris Creek Trail.

Geologist and geophysicist Diane Brownlee, below, was back for Second Saturday this month, to give an overview of Texas geology, addressing the local fossil record and plate tectonics that impacted Northwest Texas.


At The Refuge Rocks, youngsters, shown below checking their wingspan,  learned about our national bird, the eagle.

Photo by Cindy Steele


Three butterfly garden walks were held this month.

The FOH Nature Photography Club heard Paul Fuller speak on color printing of photos at the July meeting.

August, 2017  

Traffic at HNWR increased as visitors came to purchase Senior Passes before the price increase set for  August 28.

The Bluestem Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists, began their 2017 Fall Training series.

For Second Saturday, Dr. Wayne Meyer spoke on "The Shorebirds at Hagerman". Following the program,  Kelly Simpson, shown at right,  demonstrated the art of Plarn, crocheting recycled bags into useful items.



The Refuge Rocks offered children a program on "SSSNakes".

An eclipse-watching party was held at HNWR on August 21. Participants could bring their own viewers, borrow a pair of special glasses, or make a shoe box viewer. 

Photo by Roger Wilkins
September, 2017

HNWR managers Kathy Whaley and Paul Balkenbush reported to south Texas to help with Hurrican Harvey recovery.

Several successful least tern nests were reported this summer.  The Nest Box Monitors reported that from the 52 boxes along the bluebird trails, 209 birds fledged, and 139 of these were bluebirds.



Tishomingo Refuge Manager Rick Cantu was the Second Saturday speaker - his topic - "Tishomingo NRW"!

Workampers Bill and Carol Powell are back!

Children attending The Refuge Rocks were "Hobnobbing with Hummingbirds" (photo below). Courtney Anderson represented HNWR at Sherman Arts Festival, offering crafts for kids and Refuge information.

Finding nectar hummingbird style. Photo by Cindy Steele


David Alley spoke to the FOH Nature Photography Club on photo editing.

October, 2017

HNWR celebrated National Wildlife Refuge Week with a Super Saturday, Butterfly Day on October 14, organized by the Garden Docents.  Butterfly themed activities were offered throughout the day. An exhibit of butterfly photographs taken at HNWR was on display throughout the month.

Photo by Mary Maurer
The Refuge Rocks topic for October was "Go Batty with Bats".  Shown here, youngsters learn how bat mothers and young use their sense of smell to find one another.

Photo by Cindy Steele
Wildlife Drive received an upgrade and application of low-dust crushed red granite.

Another drawing and nature journaling workshop was held, led by Walt Davis, shown below, on October 28.



November, 2017

Over 200 enjoyed "High on the Hawg" on November 4.  Musical entertainment was sponsored by Landmark Bank and First United Bank, and added this year was a popular silent auction.

Greg Guymon and Little Big Iron entertained at High on the Hawg. Photo by Becky Goodman


Winning entries in the 2017 HNWR Nature Photography Contest were announced November 11.

"Protecting Wildlife" was the Second Saturday topic, with  TPWD Game Warden Michael Hummert speaking.

"Hoot for Owls" was the final Refuge Rocks session for 2017. Youngsters shown below are dissecting owl pellets.


Photo by Cindy Steele



The FOH Nature Photography Club program for November was "Photographing Bears in Alaska, with speaker Tom Savage.

Thousands of  Snow and Ross's geese began arriving at HNWR by mid-November, in time for the many visitors who make an annual pilgrimage to HNWR over Thanksgiving weekend.

Photo by Carl Hill
Workampers Kris Armstrong and Mark Gurley came to volunteer at HNWR for a month.

Garden team workdays held weekly during the growing season tapered off this month as the butterfly garden was put to bed for the winter.

December, 2017

A new 8-stop audio auto tour of the Refuge was introduced. The audio available in several formats, including personal audio devices, purchased with a grant from Prairie and Timbers Audubon Society, to plug into a car speaker system, loaner compact disks, and as a download.

Photo by James Waghorne



Jack Frost visited  HNWR early in December - note the frostweed ice formations in the Butterfly garden shown in this photo by Nancy Miller.



Dr. Michael Keck spoke on "Sex Lives of Frogs Around the World" for Second Saturday.

Plans for the annual Christmas Bird count were announced.  Count results, compiled by Dr. Wayne Meyer are posted on the Friends website.

Adopt-a-Nest Box was open for 2018 adoptions and all boxes were taken before the end of the year.

Jay Noel retired from USFWS after 33 years of service, all at Hagerman NWR.


Winning entries in the 2017 HNWR Nature Photography Contest were hung for an exhibit in the Visitor Center.

All in all, we had a great year, thanks to all the Friends members and supporters, volunteers and Refuge staff!  Here's to a repeat in 2018!