tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34490415982461648632024-03-13T08:34:35.894-07:00Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife RefugeActivities, events, wildlife sightings, announcements related to enjoyment of and support for Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.comBlogger447125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-28400494058312531002018-06-21T04:48:00.003-07:002018-06-21T04:48:41.131-07:00From the Nature Nook Bookshelf: Kaufman Field Guide to Mammals of North America<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9peMrfRxi8Js-XVbRoVmFnXvPlf-B0VNV1uvcvChvXzs5hfsmgGBLDrBXoCFSObqPjYtnpz-UFlf9_Enc4iqop0-TX_-GOFHsB15zMpqEcFaccJkW2J1tSbqs4xlZF4cQ2MVOsdvr1NA/s1600/larry+parr%2527s+deer+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="996" data-original-width="1393" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9peMrfRxi8Js-XVbRoVmFnXvPlf-B0VNV1uvcvChvXzs5hfsmgGBLDrBXoCFSObqPjYtnpz-UFlf9_Enc4iqop0-TX_-GOFHsB15zMpqEcFaccJkW2J1tSbqs4xlZF4cQ2MVOsdvr1NA/s320/larry+parr%2527s+deer+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White-tailed Deer at HNWR by Larry Paar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Book Review by Jean Flick</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<i>The Kaufman Field Guide to Mammals</i>, 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 <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a>). 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.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTpyYfEWowcMXobbKyFQp65pIyW-EUDP6E4ZcXWXgBY2G5BC4DvxmIFd7d5t7HgvwjsEx4rGxwGoqrDEeWXLRcsVroL6ql1O0VkMYCuIKkhfsttGrZSTAn69cfjlXNr6dngXloEM7zKc/s1600/Beaver_Wildlife-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTpyYfEWowcMXobbKyFQp65pIyW-EUDP6E4ZcXWXgBY2G5BC4DvxmIFd7d5t7HgvwjsEx4rGxwGoqrDEeWXLRcsVroL6ql1O0VkMYCuIKkhfsttGrZSTAn69cfjlXNr6dngXloEM7zKc/s320/Beaver_Wildlife-13.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beaver at HNWR by Monica Muil</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkU1lQE_z1qKaYRN4NHxY4pJ7EdT3KtKkUDaOQxQWq6sS13NQNBlM5qd5pUKo7PwTIbfxVuxQ0mXbXpB4m7wbK-88TkwQT1Jm3nVtosNOFlbRVzWHZNGpsSrW_zhyphenhyphenV2LJdTgMcne3eNa0/s1600/81-Rabbit-Wildlife.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkU1lQE_z1qKaYRN4NHxY4pJ7EdT3KtKkUDaOQxQWq6sS13NQNBlM5qd5pUKo7PwTIbfxVuxQ0mXbXpB4m7wbK-88TkwQT1Jm3nVtosNOFlbRVzWHZNGpsSrW_zhyphenhyphenV2LJdTgMcne3eNa0/s320/81-Rabbit-Wildlife.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cotton-tailed Rabbit at HNWR by Debbie Hale</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> 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.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1P2g2fXohngzAbeeh5cG8ejvXge5ZscOlu7lLYlLT1biYIVsSTJ7kV1Lzsu_ksNv8LnDHWeai371Q7xX7siD_ZHEuYyat54SS46JmXTM7NqapX3eY8E_wLmrVj_XEwGzf3_6I47K1oU/s1600/mammals2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1P2g2fXohngzAbeeh5cG8ejvXge5ZscOlu7lLYlLT1biYIVsSTJ7kV1Lzsu_ksNv8LnDHWeai371Q7xX7siD_ZHEuYyat54SS46JmXTM7NqapX3eY8E_wLmrVj_XEwGzf3_6I47K1oU/s320/mammals2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br />
To ensure that <i>The Kaufman Field Guide to Mammals</i> 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. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWINVg8kfsIGfV_li8apZddJGvUU9KqnB0FEgwkNKoEjExWhPtUURUF3_4tm6UOsxDHGhDBTT9rcJVi59yVB_BlyMljna9MHonglel9F8U6duyZAYOdAFXIcH01-jBLyRBIIpRYQq4W3c/s1600/74-Armadillo-Wildlife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1259" data-original-width="1600" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWINVg8kfsIGfV_li8apZddJGvUU9KqnB0FEgwkNKoEjExWhPtUURUF3_4tm6UOsxDHGhDBTT9rcJVi59yVB_BlyMljna9MHonglel9F8U6duyZAYOdAFXIcH01-jBLyRBIIpRYQq4W3c/s320/74-Armadillo-Wildlife.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Armadillo at HNWR by Mary Karam</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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? <i>The Kaufman Field Guide to Mammals</i> 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. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBH8eKWPDyiDXtwwzS3QkwIDK0TQ-tlLCpnjMRUkrH8u0EHm3cz5FN0DrfsqHNd1J3onKYg6b8NmIsURsoSpco-TnZHY4nEMmgAXxwVt2gRkY6jK1xjqBNb9rOmaid9m2iVVKXiDOTsQ/s1600/25-TheWatchman-Wildlife.jpg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsBH8eKWPDyiDXtwwzS3QkwIDK0TQ-tlLCpnjMRUkrH8u0EHm3cz5FN0DrfsqHNd1J3onKYg6b8NmIsURsoSpco-TnZHY4nEMmgAXxwVt2gRkY6jK1xjqBNb9rOmaid9m2iVVKXiDOTsQ/s320/25-TheWatchman-Wildlife.jpg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Watchman - Squirrel at HNWR by Jeff Gladden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
The Nature Nook is run by <a href="http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/" target="_blank">Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a>. All proceeds are used for projects and activities at HNWR. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFscS66sW63Jdm8OU6VzsAH-Pz9mVwZ8zZALDeCPSX6o04x6I_Z8xnvnPTZzYs-AlnutCFLgMvfa7wQ2CIyEQCdZIgTIPqwacgp8RwgLOzflmlw04QnWBbAamr1plblzSK12S5ZMY_kP4/s1600/Carl+Hill%252C+An+Encounter%252C+Wildlife.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="1600" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFscS66sW63Jdm8OU6VzsAH-Pz9mVwZ8zZALDeCPSX6o04x6I_Z8xnvnPTZzYs-AlnutCFLgMvfa7wQ2CIyEQCdZIgTIPqwacgp8RwgLOzflmlw04QnWBbAamr1plblzSK12S5ZMY_kP4/s320/Carl+Hill%252C+An+Encounter%252C+Wildlife.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coyote at HNWR by Carl Hill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-57909089359120111732018-06-14T03:54:00.003-07:002018-06-14T04:01:49.954-07:00Interior Least Terns at Hagerman NWR<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;">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 <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> 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?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;">Now we have the answer! From Jack Chiles Tuesday Bird Census for June 12,</span> "The highlight of the day was discovering that the Least Terns have settled in, starting to nest."<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;">The Refuge was ready, with two nesting platforms placed in Lake Texoma. (Photos were taken in 2015 by Rusty Daniel and Gary Hall)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-T1RU5vru0Wk4-t3FjJbzL8ojnKeBHAL2iNiPxBHFbzU_2tLZCRH4yJbBTcsQKhu-sbiEEai1kdr6PfQkf8u5FliBmWCzTLgrWva-2Wpg6X-FVyLk1yaro201GwnXKZN3bPUtmtECYA/s1600/10960213_10153413716797472_6318802911707370404_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-T1RU5vru0Wk4-t3FjJbzL8ojnKeBHAL2iNiPxBHFbzU_2tLZCRH4yJbBTcsQKhu-sbiEEai1kdr6PfQkf8u5FliBmWCzTLgrWva-2Wpg6X-FVyLk1yaro201GwnXKZN3bPUtmtECYA/s400/10960213_10153413716797472_6318802911707370404_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7n4WHyHrmTUxjT8oXiaWqBlajcgy7uH70PHhSx2vqV-n_3CKqyc48pNRpBExx2-sIf0Ms34NqdagYKULgONn90rVjUqC9I2zK9GaVSoIQPLwaSOrvd7wfeci3Gz_QPwuDd1FmjMhXuts/s1600/treat+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7n4WHyHrmTUxjT8oXiaWqBlajcgy7uH70PHhSx2vqV-n_3CKqyc48pNRpBExx2-sIf0Ms34NqdagYKULgONn90rVjUqC9I2zK9GaVSoIQPLwaSOrvd7wfeci3Gz_QPwuDd1FmjMhXuts/s400/treat+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwkuolQcJhXSIM1GQHEtWJ4fad82m9NevcIdi384u6qn3N6x_WwO36WUuKWhZTATtb3qDU1lQbSm5OtWTb7X4hFmfzcf2QVKQI090J2xCwMJLZ92nA14UptVeXd3EmKzCoZGVIsp_JNs/s1600/11415481_10153413716022472_7242836467071407454_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirwkuolQcJhXSIM1GQHEtWJ4fad82m9NevcIdi384u6qn3N6x_WwO36WUuKWhZTATtb3qDU1lQbSm5OtWTb7X4hFmfzcf2QVKQI090J2xCwMJLZ92nA14UptVeXd3EmKzCoZGVIsp_JNs/s400/11415481_10153413716022472_7242836467071407454_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #141823; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19.32px;"><br /></span>Habitat for the Least Tern, as described by Cornell Lab of Ornithology on <a href="http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Least_Tern/lifehistory">All About Birds</a> 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.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAg4xcA80ZDLWCkJfCVobXkc3fZIgFatvDE0G-_IdfU_irtE5M0_6CoARyWjm0G3hZkRNHWCeGBZz51rdJbQNer33YK5oSCjO8RN8nDHpHhHRTNHmvnRa7w-NNR0ygabiATcvQTGBEIQo/s1600/Least+Tern.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAg4xcA80ZDLWCkJfCVobXkc3fZIgFatvDE0G-_IdfU_irtE5M0_6CoARyWjm0G3hZkRNHWCeGBZz51rdJbQNer33YK5oSCjO8RN8nDHpHhHRTNHmvnRa7w-NNR0ygabiATcvQTGBEIQo/s400/Least+Tern.jpg" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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".<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrXMKg5KYpTFTld5TzqZhFDqvtBcm5thsd3bWODoA8HLKVFyEh8ep2pmoSFKGj_iiez_f4jXSfee1dLCujJkEcYwDQ-LAhzn_hP72fB69vVIFRwFvfBhmpJHzgnUDQj1O5bIotVZ4uzw/s1600/2+terns+by+e+sullivan+june+2011.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwrXMKg5KYpTFTld5TzqZhFDqvtBcm5thsd3bWODoA8HLKVFyEh8ep2pmoSFKGj_iiez_f4jXSfee1dLCujJkEcYwDQ-LAhzn_hP72fB69vVIFRwFvfBhmpJHzgnUDQj1O5bIotVZ4uzw/s320/2+terns+by+e+sullivan+june+2011.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Interior Least Terns at HNWR, photographed by Eileen Sullivan in June, 2011</div>
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheviBfXYMzwClqylB2C33d_1Q96B8S2q3hzThSyI4-czAzdE-GhUIatkR-495BAG09n3uImaTn01F23UuFztgVodsQxWbbTk3yQf4BUYJx8tbn5niAqnUQy3OVRgzTnYnZZc0qWxnI6Kw/s1600/tern+by+m+chiles.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheviBfXYMzwClqylB2C33d_1Q96B8S2q3hzThSyI4-czAzdE-GhUIatkR-495BAG09n3uImaTn01F23UuFztgVodsQxWbbTk3yQf4BUYJx8tbn5niAqnUQy3OVRgzTnYnZZc0qWxnI6Kw/s320/tern+by+m+chiles.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tern in flight, photographed by Mike Chiles</div>
<br />
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.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62yfOnLl3rrUW8BMho_9dxV_Kr4Z9fmmjGINvV_8L_ZV9Ds8f1T8goCnRtws1ZxuR342_T67qAKFcLWaZGl-MtVvAKVJ7hAJIkYYs6CU-IpHn41W7o8z6DSP2Bv7pbxpfthgMVfgFATc/s1600/20120528172128_6_closedforterns.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi62yfOnLl3rrUW8BMho_9dxV_Kr4Z9fmmjGINvV_8L_ZV9Ds8f1T8goCnRtws1ZxuR342_T67qAKFcLWaZGl-MtVvAKVJ7hAJIkYYs6CU-IpHn41W7o8z6DSP2Bv7pbxpfthgMVfgFATc/s320/20120528172128_6_closedforterns.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aobrI5mW6xmX8nKggRgRPf_HTETK236WBIDKcUHhBr9kZCAc6WNG77D3JoWLHMjkn5x2gQZCdRKCId4-VBhnJj7mf6MtE6aXaTtNXGuGJ16smrA-AsOoJ4Cu_86aeUvkuH53gFTPSsk/s1600/tern+by+j+chiles+Hag05-27-11LT+on+nest.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8aobrI5mW6xmX8nKggRgRPf_HTETK236WBIDKcUHhBr9kZCAc6WNG77D3JoWLHMjkn5x2gQZCdRKCId4-VBhnJj7mf6MtE6aXaTtNXGuGJ16smrA-AsOoJ4Cu_86aeUvkuH53gFTPSsk/s320/tern+by+j+chiles+Hag05-27-11LT+on+nest.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Nesting Tern, photographed by Jack Chiles in 2011 on one of the Pad roads at HNWR.</div>
<br />
<br />
Hopefully, the terns will have a successful hatch this year.<br />
<br />
<br />
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 <i>All About Birds</i>, information for this post came from <a href="http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wild/species/leasttern/">Texas Parks Wildlife</a> and from <a href="https://www.fws.gov/midwest/endangered/birds/leasttern/index.html" target="_blank">US Fish & Wildlife</a>.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-211932083550445422018-06-07T06:34:00.000-07:002018-06-07T06:34:40.403-07:00June Plant of the Month - Gregg’s Mistflower<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<h2>
<b>Gregg’s Mistflower – <i>Conoclinium greggii</i></b></h2>
(before 2000 C.E.: <i>Eupatorium </i><i>greggii</i>)<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By Linn Cates</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84ECkGhtbXr9FkAavqsajqZumdJSjeW51xDL3xZcol8TaG1ZWig86f72JNsgoAgqvlfdgHfVTjuqLnsfe1i2ZCs0USHbQTcKrQgrrs5cnke84eLoFq75H921jrDK-3qvPV3XTmQaBw5c/s1600/tc_Monarch_hnwrbg-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84ECkGhtbXr9FkAavqsajqZumdJSjeW51xDL3xZcol8TaG1ZWig86f72JNsgoAgqvlfdgHfVTjuqLnsfe1i2ZCs0USHbQTcKrQgrrs5cnke84eLoFq75H921jrDK-3qvPV3XTmQaBw5c/s320/tc_Monarch_hnwrbg-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Monarch on Mistflower in Butterfly Garden at HNWR (Photo by Truett Cates)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
With great anticipation of what is to come, I sighted the first Gregg’s Mistflower blossom at the <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> <a href="http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/ButterflyGarden" target="_blank">Butterfly Garden</a> on Sunday, June 3rd.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlsgw4cj-tAhKK3_4iOhkajjdlQyEfMltJThghhoVfshHNQP0LOJIgZnMFrKRYXxs0OfCWOOOhemBHDnl0YNJRTDHusu0_28dp67_esdUJU8gxbpqVIaQhy0XeUDalPSBdibKpvYh21M/s1600/greggi_hnwrbg.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUlsgw4cj-tAhKK3_4iOhkajjdlQyEfMltJThghhoVfshHNQP0LOJIgZnMFrKRYXxs0OfCWOOOhemBHDnl0YNJRTDHusu0_28dp67_esdUJU8gxbpqVIaQhy0XeUDalPSBdibKpvYh21M/s320/greggi_hnwrbg.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
I had seen the first at Austin College’s Idea Center Native Plants Garden 2 days earlier. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqos6cMouRHll-NJ7RGFObGNST8mpz6MYXCFaCjEbSRzeIiDnMUvVTxDvv4QE4PE4P5CmEt6bcRCpsfG1_Qc-chP_WMc_LGlkQu_Tkbd99qOalKFmLEe1ey4yOuiXdW08hB4tEybN6om4/s1600/greggi_AC.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqos6cMouRHll-NJ7RGFObGNST8mpz6MYXCFaCjEbSRzeIiDnMUvVTxDvv4QE4PE4P5CmEt6bcRCpsfG1_Qc-chP_WMc_LGlkQu_Tkbd99qOalKFmLEe1ey4yOuiXdW08hB4tEybN6om4/s320/greggi_AC.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
I check daily, but mine hasn’t bloomed yet. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdDHgBFXG0ActMBsk7xs1jJFTymI6TOSYbCP_2zE7JmR8h1ZSm1yeZjEXLmi7KHjQwQ1KiUN9HW5_X5XLuBQb_8gQz89ywccQFTn1HCkqenEmsoZ13XX90fNjWs9mfqMemlum9l4hg8I/s1600/tc-1-23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGdDHgBFXG0ActMBsk7xs1jJFTymI6TOSYbCP_2zE7JmR8h1ZSm1yeZjEXLmi7KHjQwQ1KiUN9HW5_X5XLuBQb_8gQz89ywccQFTn1HCkqenEmsoZ13XX90fNjWs9mfqMemlum9l4hg8I/s320/tc-1-23.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Truett Cates</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIE1xNxfdRD96wyS1R23nO7cnR8Y6QtAK6mrCwA0svmB7rXheRnSV8XbYxGsjCb8biSYBP18QsHusjsUS4hYyYCVFBgpJpQ2docKNLK_czGzsdzn24TVggvi5OtjCdjWD8dpLmN4Bprs/s1600/tc_queen+3_hnwrbg-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNIE1xNxfdRD96wyS1R23nO7cnR8Y6QtAK6mrCwA0svmB7rXheRnSV8XbYxGsjCb8biSYBP18QsHusjsUS4hYyYCVFBgpJpQ2docKNLK_czGzsdzn24TVggvi5OtjCdjWD8dpLmN4Bprs/s320/tc_queen+3_hnwrbg-4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queens on Mistflower (Photo by Truett Cates)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Identifying Gregg’s Mistflower</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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 (<a href="https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=COGR10">https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=COGR10</a>) 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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Growing Gregg’s Mistflower in Your Texoma Garden</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmx1gjFoXhf5rJF2g_ZAlq1fB5fg5mqQIG_zCFC5_dOhCf03fTe_9rWuJaQWH5UB2_6Qv4up63CrMr-ThvA6kYJedqNc6PukNcjc4Oh0KkUtwminx7GbBLZYSm0coFxbN07xN8WzJox5M/s1600/tc-1-24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmx1gjFoXhf5rJF2g_ZAlq1fB5fg5mqQIG_zCFC5_dOhCf03fTe_9rWuJaQWH5UB2_6Qv4up63CrMr-ThvA6kYJedqNc6PukNcjc4Oh0KkUtwminx7GbBLZYSm0coFxbN07xN8WzJox5M/s320/tc-1-24.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Truett Cates</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQAnMHtzWMi81PD175H1O0n42oFDtu3RqgWD8WYEpivZT2lgDbN0NAvJkgR_y41RralX41d2rOy8gLUeatDzbVWhfh5NaVp_t2FDGnKP6oXrth-kcB1-39IdHxcTfb0xh99yAOQYmaUA/s1600/_TC10266.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXQAnMHtzWMi81PD175H1O0n42oFDtu3RqgWD8WYEpivZT2lgDbN0NAvJkgR_y41RralX41d2rOy8gLUeatDzbVWhfh5NaVp_t2FDGnKP6oXrth-kcB1-39IdHxcTfb0xh99yAOQYmaUA/s320/_TC10266.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Truett Cates</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Both ways work! This my new Gregg’s mist plot with both potted and directly transplanted individuals.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcIuUtOSudQee3DXxB7n_XVHLJYMWzWLHzIeTq8yfKhr_lNjDkrLYfUubQdnSzhyp17EFITgxJuEhY76MlUtIIb5C06BACvsSdVCTshrVf4buGmRB4Vfvnh7Gdq8_17iGM-n3hyXFBOw/s1600/tc-1-17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMcIuUtOSudQee3DXxB7n_XVHLJYMWzWLHzIeTq8yfKhr_lNjDkrLYfUubQdnSzhyp17EFITgxJuEhY76MlUtIIb5C06BACvsSdVCTshrVf4buGmRB4Vfvnh7Gdq8_17iGM-n3hyXFBOw/s320/tc-1-17.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Truett Cates</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A couple of tips when including this plant in your space: </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>It can be a filler around showier plants. </li>
<li>Overwatering makes it more aggressive.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYxukHcPtDMeNkBND2Eq82gSZoH_qxB8CK0BrIO0CPiNSMgMUSurQDw6Ad8_2MdDMlICsaxnapITNUrugRWngv1blRZ_hTl8x2d2CP1aOrNbj-d_o7Z4Af77lVB4ZhbX845JPExGtqbQ/s1600/tc_queen+3_hnwrbg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1001" data-original-width="1500" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCYxukHcPtDMeNkBND2Eq82gSZoH_qxB8CK0BrIO0CPiNSMgMUSurQDw6Ad8_2MdDMlICsaxnapITNUrugRWngv1blRZ_hTl8x2d2CP1aOrNbj-d_o7Z4Af77lVB4ZhbX845JPExGtqbQ/s320/tc_queen+3_hnwrbg.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Truett Cates</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
References: World-wide Web<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Denton County Master Gardener Association. Article on Gregg’s Mist Flower. <a href="https://dcmga.com/north-texas-gardening/perennials/master-gardener-favorites/greggs-mist-flower/">https://dcmga.com/north-texas-gardening/perennials/master-gardener-favorites/greggs-mist-flower/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center. <a href="https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=cogr10">https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=cogr10</a> (plant profile for Gregg’s Mist Flower)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Monarch Butterfly Gardens. <a href="https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/">https://monarchbutterflygarden.net/</a> (Article on Gregg‘s Mist Flower. Conoclinium greggii)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
US Department of Agriculture Plants Data Base. <a href="https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=COGR10">https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=COGR10</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wikivisually. Conoclinium coelestinum. (Article and video on Blue mist-flower, the species native to North Central Texas.) <a href="https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Conoclinium_coelestinum">https://wikivisually.com/wiki/Conoclinium_coelestinum</a>. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
References: Books<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wasowski, Sally and Andy Wasowski. 1997. Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region By Region, 2nd edition<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Photo Credits<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
©Truett Cates<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
@Linn Cates<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-90854319629091105412018-05-31T05:20:00.000-07:002018-05-31T05:25:58.531-07:00From the Nature Nook Bookshelf: “The Fireflies Book” by Brett Otler<div class="MsoNormal">
Book Review by Jean Flick</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Get ready for summertime magic! <i>The Fireflies Book</i> 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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In <i>The Fireflies Book</i>, 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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Nature Nook is run by <a href="http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/" target="_blank">Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a>. All proceeds are used for projects and activities at <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">HNWR</a>. </div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-64620540086424154122018-05-24T06:03:00.000-07:002018-05-24T06:03:36.045-07:00Ladybug! Ladybug! Fly Away HomeText and Photos by Laurie Sheppard<br />
<div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJkIn9PsLVlgp0qji4Ipnrm7xfC_BsFMR6CK8gvf5vY6WfNXrEXAF-DLdSRBI563fel0uugIDZtykKYT7UlLOEStXgNiuhoOF3m0kyeyi_G1yuMCSfMfvh-J_UZtKNZogJ6ttirv2JgI/s1600/Convergent+Lady+Beetle+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1342" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbJkIn9PsLVlgp0qji4Ipnrm7xfC_BsFMR6CK8gvf5vY6WfNXrEXAF-DLdSRBI563fel0uugIDZtykKYT7UlLOEStXgNiuhoOF3m0kyeyi_G1yuMCSfMfvh-J_UZtKNZogJ6ttirv2JgI/s320/Convergent+Lady+Beetle+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Convergent Lady Beetle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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”.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbs6iCEtG0bykR2aQymQ1dOMksMtPoQGtDwwwViR_ttpXoqjfe-eCbQ21Ahe2RgGW0smFOE5YEATQf7vkOj9atTuAc26WO_uYVo26UvsMAjzSA5lS0JW7LMZAbWAiYvshgbBNJp5hDJw/s1600/Seven-spotted+Lady+Beetle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtbs6iCEtG0bykR2aQymQ1dOMksMtPoQGtDwwwViR_ttpXoqjfe-eCbQ21Ahe2RgGW0smFOE5YEATQf7vkOj9atTuAc26WO_uYVo26UvsMAjzSA5lS0JW7LMZAbWAiYvshgbBNJp5hDJw/s320/Seven-spotted+Lady+Beetle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seven-spotted Lady Beetle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mvpLSkO2BEZ9UF3ArJ465HEjeedNU6yBLL8-g9ikWAJY3VA8Zo4NSpBqSnZ3I6wWZrQlnamrupound3xGy7a_hCcTMDMI1VEZ9Scda8LRidnTvQn8sVxqXEioL8qQfhUB6PiNTZOj-Q/s1600/Seven-spotted+Lady+Beetle+Lifting+Elytra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1mvpLSkO2BEZ9UF3ArJ465HEjeedNU6yBLL8-g9ikWAJY3VA8Zo4NSpBqSnZ3I6wWZrQlnamrupound3xGy7a_hCcTMDMI1VEZ9Scda8LRidnTvQn8sVxqXEioL8qQfhUB6PiNTZOj-Q/s320/Seven-spotted+Lady+Beetle+Lifting+Elytra.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seven-spotted Lady Beetle Lifting Elytra</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVyZNVxXs2QRTugiQ2vJSB567wa6fVAnZh59hCsu5rw845cIoKhQxzHHH4QGHepPYjwl2xKL7qMyKlwKNcdM1M_h7yVmmeYo78XcW7dPB2ArB29DZaPPS-OIrMFeosyUx3t8bZiZO1_8/s1600/Swamp+Milkweed+Leaf+Beetle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVyZNVxXs2QRTugiQ2vJSB567wa6fVAnZh59hCsu5rw845cIoKhQxzHHH4QGHepPYjwl2xKL7qMyKlwKNcdM1M_h7yVmmeYo78XcW7dPB2ArB29DZaPPS-OIrMFeosyUx3t8bZiZO1_8/s320/Swamp+Milkweed+Leaf+Beetle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle (not a Lady Beetle)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUuSCptMA9MZ8fhYqBnfeWySfMuuiJZyuw5NUXbabsTtqAY9E_T2o38mTn_o-JBsG1HhZGRI-8WxoHzAYTmHu_-BhEVdFQV5sEB922VHrQSAz6v6a30B8IsWUhxlZG91NwJinNCvihK0/s1600/Ladybug+Larva.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfUuSCptMA9MZ8fhYqBnfeWySfMuuiJZyuw5NUXbabsTtqAY9E_T2o38mTn_o-JBsG1HhZGRI-8WxoHzAYTmHu_-BhEVdFQV5sEB922VHrQSAz6v6a30B8IsWUhxlZG91NwJinNCvihK0/s320/Ladybug+Larva.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ladybug Larva</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiivWGbQh2o_5T2guPr3hwDc4VJx-63ADqK2IzmDDTJsDGdqieYwZ0fvNYmuVINWhe2i24zEeNcUpSfR94ZodG7i_Mk1ofgXx9j0LWheNW0vuHJn7IODJcTuiuH5Oo-11STq6U0nZIQ6A/s1600/Pupating+Lady+Beetle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="919" data-original-width="1378" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiivWGbQh2o_5T2guPr3hwDc4VJx-63ADqK2IzmDDTJsDGdqieYwZ0fvNYmuVINWhe2i24zEeNcUpSfR94ZodG7i_Mk1ofgXx9j0LWheNW0vuHJn7IODJcTuiuH5Oo-11STq6U0nZIQ6A/s320/Pupating+Lady+Beetle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pupating Lady Beetle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuPHx-IeX4R8BgQCQDic6ktqO3I6IFqbmaI4N0VrHdCqTqZw5ctEUwHRewYoRN6RlXNVJjcu6IWVJMToPdgokCK8_yeT4GuhBkINcDeNlVYxSggwmXeQEkf-Mo3ulV8eVvMCytklFDAo/s1600/Asian+Lady+Beetle+on+Soapberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1025" data-original-width="1538" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEuPHx-IeX4R8BgQCQDic6ktqO3I6IFqbmaI4N0VrHdCqTqZw5ctEUwHRewYoRN6RlXNVJjcu6IWVJMToPdgokCK8_yeT4GuhBkINcDeNlVYxSggwmXeQEkf-Mo3ulV8eVvMCytklFDAo/s320/Asian+Lady+Beetle+on+Soapberry.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Asian Lady Beetle on Soapberry</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
If you want to find ladybugs at <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a>, you need look no further than the <a href="http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/ButterflyGarden" target="_blank">Butterfly Garden</a>, 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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTcujhvtmbr8uHaE5Tu3gEWC36iN6AtCVCRaTUVN-AIOxGJ5tsbIjo8t9CIM71D_-eJNX8lliAgDGgZvtIBsUV1wo7GpqFrENLfI4VbEO9FujRs2yKidVsBOaM73HA-MEKt26wEzxaIg/s1600/Polished%25C2%25A0Lady%25C2%25A0Beetle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1046" data-original-width="1571" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPTcujhvtmbr8uHaE5Tu3gEWC36iN6AtCVCRaTUVN-AIOxGJ5tsbIjo8t9CIM71D_-eJNX8lliAgDGgZvtIBsUV1wo7GpqFrENLfI4VbEO9FujRs2yKidVsBOaM73HA-MEKt26wEzxaIg/s320/Polished%25C2%25A0Lady%25C2%25A0Beetle.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Polished Lady Beetle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-3934564628732286502018-05-17T06:35:00.000-07:002018-05-17T06:35:26.060-07:00Buttercups in Bloom<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Have you ever gotten “butter” on your nose from a buttercup? Or as they are botanically named, <i>Oenothera speciosa</i>. Buttercups are also known as Pink evening primrose, Showy evening primrose, Mexican evening primrose, Showy primrose, Pink ladies, Pink buttercups, according to the </span><a href="http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=OESP2" style="color: #666699; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Native Plant Information Network</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">. </span><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">From </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oenothera_speciosa" style="color: #666699; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Wikipedia</a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">, 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.</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjLaXIe9mW64_F8Trls9HWYMBqf80tMdPtvHUJtbWahsF1hdvkzh6Iy8qqL5s4B4KdO2RSSN1v1NHu5KBOQGZV0Y1Pix-xDLi6efX9rhoiI5cKMBAr3QvS0zYTGtfmc3iVOVB81GRcLU/s1600/pink+evening+primrose+by+kw.jpg" style="background-color: white; color: #666699; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQjLaXIe9mW64_F8Trls9HWYMBqf80tMdPtvHUJtbWahsF1hdvkzh6Iy8qqL5s4B4KdO2RSSN1v1NHu5KBOQGZV0Y1Pix-xDLi6efX9rhoiI5cKMBAr3QvS0zYTGtfmc3iVOVB81GRcLU/s320/pink+evening+primrose+by+kw.jpg" style="border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) rgb(192, 192, 192) rgb(192, 192, 192) rgb(221, 221, 221); border-image: initial; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; padding: 6px;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Pink Evening Primrose at Hagerman NWR, by Kathy Whaley</span></div>
<div style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /></span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white;">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.</span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">“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. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7KEYC7ErN7SkYRhlnhnXzgrr45CCROZVuScOuD9YutyyjpzN-_8LWzYBT0Te-NX4eUAfjayXp3z4i2q8rkIUZu5UhMc_2WN-HTusMT6k2v_hOlVlTBJHyF48OpuTilb6rH8sPl7bkyE/s1600/eve+primrose+hs+garcia+may++2018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="272" data-original-width="472" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir7KEYC7ErN7SkYRhlnhnXzgrr45CCROZVuScOuD9YutyyjpzN-_8LWzYBT0Te-NX4eUAfjayXp3z4i2q8rkIUZu5UhMc_2WN-HTusMT6k2v_hOlVlTBJHyF48OpuTilb6rH8sPl7bkyE/s400/eve+primrose+hs+garcia+may++2018.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pink Evening Primrose at Hagerman NWR, by H. S. Bert Garcia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white;">You will also find a showy yellow version in the <a href="http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/ButterflyGarden" target="_blank">Butterfly Garden</a> at <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a>, </span><i>Oenothera macrocarpa, </i>commonly known as Bigfruit evening-primrose, Missouri evening-primrose, Fluttermill, Big-fruit evening-primrose, Missouri Primrose (shown below).<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEF2Vg3IlbSDltVrwKVaglXt0rg38L5YXfIPZOgsp4GO4j06dryMBtRyUWbGVfQdKdxTzxIlZ4Dn2tHfWzELmGN7Cnuipt2tXwOfKCp5POyZbe82JarRd-EelDVP9JdxPgMpOQvUtEIBo/s1600/mo+eve+prim+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEF2Vg3IlbSDltVrwKVaglXt0rg38L5YXfIPZOgsp4GO4j06dryMBtRyUWbGVfQdKdxTzxIlZ4Dn2tHfWzELmGN7Cnuipt2tXwOfKCp5POyZbe82JarRd-EelDVP9JdxPgMpOQvUtEIBo/s320/mo+eve+prim+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Birds like the seeds from evening primroses and the flowers offer nectar to bees, moths, and butterflies.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white;">NOTE: Weather permitting there will be a Wildflower Tour of Hagerman NWR at 10 on Saturday, May 26! <a href="http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/Activities" target="_blank">Reserve a spot in the van</a> (see sidebar of the webpage) or caravan along as we stop to enjoy various wildflower areas at the Refuge.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: #e0e0e0; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-attachment: inherit !important; background-clip: inherit !important; background-color: #f5f6f5; background-image: inherit !important; background-origin: inherit !important; background-position: inherit !important; background-repeat: inherit !important; background-size: inherit !important; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: "Diaria Light Pro", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 26px;">
</div>
</div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-7758040301637332062018-05-10T04:59:00.000-07:002018-05-10T04:59:21.637-07:00From the Nature Nook Bookshelf: Nat Geo Kids Everything Series<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
By Jean Flick</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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 <i>children's</i> lives be like if their days and nights were as immersed in nature as they are in technology?”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Nature Nook at <a href="http://fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> 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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQedcvWZTRlJJqTxxRZnVkIi6zja_Q_Pcau4j5w7rWN6-NsbfWvavJteaPay9ug3x9GswKmLvXzzDD4YwKN4YxOSOQD8zSeOCpV8iiKJ9AkSHtc91zd_a11JiwPjx1B-Hz4zqkRWFbSyU/s1600/13177997_10154211006347472_2603831960284168571_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQedcvWZTRlJJqTxxRZnVkIi6zja_Q_Pcau4j5w7rWN6-NsbfWvavJteaPay9ug3x9GswKmLvXzzDD4YwKN4YxOSOQD8zSeOCpV8iiKJ9AkSHtc91zd_a11JiwPjx1B-Hz4zqkRWFbSyU/s320/13177997_10154211006347472_2603831960284168571_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Nature Nook is operated by <a href="http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/" target="_blank">Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a>. All proceeds are used for projects and activities at HNWR. Book review by Jean Flick.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-74827054919032948712018-05-03T05:28:00.000-07:002018-05-03T05:28:14.288-07:00May Plant of the Month - Prairie Verbena<div class="MsoNormal">
By Sue Abernathy<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Have you noticed a purple hue in the pastures or patches of vivid purple along the roadside as you are driving down country roads?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
More than likely it is Prairie Verbena, <i>Glandularia bipinnatifida</i>, 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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNGAvLCDGzoHIXkcgHDi2W4zI2b6uv3HPcJ5scfpZJlzqOAmd-WLowkvA9B9vuJ6wwvINxeMGY-RcoKGcIgv5ekFDmtTMydtPCHql9LImghyphenhyphengax61K39_8t_gPUmll4ZnABhmgzIabMU/s1600/Prairie+Verbena2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXNGAvLCDGzoHIXkcgHDi2W4zI2b6uv3HPcJ5scfpZJlzqOAmd-WLowkvA9B9vuJ6wwvINxeMGY-RcoKGcIgv5ekFDmtTMydtPCHql9LImghyphenhyphengax61K39_8t_gPUmll4ZnABhmgzIabMU/s320/Prairie+Verbena2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
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.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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 <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> along the slope, behind the bench in the smaller pergola.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype
id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600" o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t"
path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f" stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/>
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/>
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_i1026" type="#_x0000_t75"
style='width:468pt;height:351pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/SueM/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/03/clip_image001.jpg"
o:title="Prairie Verbena2"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDN9uLpO_337_EOembNXpDXpaZ5LTx5voSLsXfdtQqZWR49Fgn1DFdnh5AGSZOGxtR8j12bQ04djfEefDIYfSF6Xm1HfKhusTtIs2WiMpxqhForK59DPUHiN8KF6nr-WCLQ0OuPibE6c/s1600/Prairie+Verbena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJDN9uLpO_337_EOembNXpDXpaZ5LTx5voSLsXfdtQqZWR49Fgn1DFdnh5AGSZOGxtR8j12bQ04djfEefDIYfSF6Xm1HfKhusTtIs2WiMpxqhForK59DPUHiN8KF6nr-WCLQ0OuPibE6c/s400/Prairie+Verbena.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:468pt;
height:351pt;visibility:visible;mso-wrap-style:square'>
<v:imagedata src="file:///C:/Users/SueM/AppData/Local/Temp/msohtmlclip1/03/clip_image002.jpg"
o:title="Prairie Verbena"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sources: <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at <a href="http://www.wildflower.org/">http://www.wildflower.org</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Native American Seed at <a href="http://www.seedsource.com/">http://www.seedsource.com</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Photo credits – Sue Abernathy<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-69740315996399876252018-04-26T05:50:00.000-07:002018-04-26T05:50:53.871-07:00Red Harvester Ants<div class="MsoNormal">
Text and Photos by Laurie Sheppard</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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 <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a>, 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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPF-GiDXxYFvIL45k1daJjgftb6CIP2MuD2hzn7ys8SFkZOvqtBHq8nHwee5dXdHWsYrMhkc05VPgIz6Gq2rbSdIu6537b4KfAoDQN9aygJQQ83iVEHkHlAfa2jj8iLXienVg2lO-0z9E/s1600/Harvester+Ant+15+good.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPF-GiDXxYFvIL45k1daJjgftb6CIP2MuD2hzn7ys8SFkZOvqtBHq8nHwee5dXdHWsYrMhkc05VPgIz6Gq2rbSdIu6537b4KfAoDQN9aygJQQ83iVEHkHlAfa2jj8iLXienVg2lO-0z9E/s320/Harvester+Ant+15+good.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4amI7qZmCm5gyXp50jvht3_51h5RW6NdpNuSv-l2FGm1IMG94DYeMY2FQoPjehYEF-mge_37cGe1-JCGnCQyRHOcHpeEUINEQAnjT2pztWcU6j7oumzU98W93gk32JGWAdnDMzA-XHA4/s1600/Harvester+Ant+13+good.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4amI7qZmCm5gyXp50jvht3_51h5RW6NdpNuSv-l2FGm1IMG94DYeMY2FQoPjehYEF-mge_37cGe1-JCGnCQyRHOcHpeEUINEQAnjT2pztWcU6j7oumzU98W93gk32JGWAdnDMzA-XHA4/s320/Harvester+Ant+13+good.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpczzj6aYBy_98Ki_P0NkYXpXnuNSObCY57UTbi56zNnVC-qy2Q7WKnJe_ufNOOIZ3pXX6qb8tYSjcHux61SHSwmN97FvHEh_axPEitUFqvY1NB2tqJHCu_iL4f7TgmoqXJ0a1Z6Spwo/s1600/Harvester+Ant+16+good.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="895" data-original-width="1342" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpczzj6aYBy_98Ki_P0NkYXpXnuNSObCY57UTbi56zNnVC-qy2Q7WKnJe_ufNOOIZ3pXX6qb8tYSjcHux61SHSwmN97FvHEh_axPEitUFqvY1NB2tqJHCu_iL4f7TgmoqXJ0a1Z6Spwo/s320/Harvester+Ant+16+good.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Llvy8dHYOlcZTsgmBPCwT_xpVx762A6BRZDzOqAm6DFAyBt61foGOMs21_jb_hHS43WiRBqvujcwpL7C2rzyczsdGQzVdme8DE9HeqoPJHFVmfSmiI1EX10TSwnbFhqy8PCjuLmgiNE/s1600/Harvester+7+good.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Llvy8dHYOlcZTsgmBPCwT_xpVx762A6BRZDzOqAm6DFAyBt61foGOMs21_jb_hHS43WiRBqvujcwpL7C2rzyczsdGQzVdme8DE9HeqoPJHFVmfSmiI1EX10TSwnbFhqy8PCjuLmgiNE/s320/Harvester+7+good.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p>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.</o:p></div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-38142513274126503492018-04-19T05:09:00.002-07:002018-04-19T05:09:43.824-07:00Hummingbirds<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-align: center; text-indent: 0in;">
Text and Photo by Renny S.Gehman</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;">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. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /><span style="text-indent: 0in;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxX847HyuvWkloNoahlNfJKzPaJ08RN9Y575FflSdR_IRdmCopOLvNlMMUsEzqhQLbydiuPvcyZuj7DsDlIDt0tESO9SjBfMYJse5P1Z5spm0jaDM3uRSqWc8VR2IGniDiKdjthJuHARI/s1600/hummer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="332" data-original-width="590" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxX847HyuvWkloNoahlNfJKzPaJ08RN9Y575FflSdR_IRdmCopOLvNlMMUsEzqhQLbydiuPvcyZuj7DsDlIDt0tESO9SjBfMYJse5P1Z5spm0jaDM3uRSqWc8VR2IGniDiKdjthJuHARI/s320/hummer.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
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!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
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:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Red dye is not necessary—and may actually be harmful!</li>
<li>Always boil your water.</li>
<li>Do not use honey—use refined white sugar. Honey promotes dangerous fungal growth.</li>
<li>Clean your feeders regularly—every few days, or even daily in hot weather—to avoid harmful fungal growth.</li>
</ul>
<o:p></o:p><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
For detailed instructions, with amounts and proportions, follow this link to the Audubon Society’s website: <a href="http://www.audubon.org/news/how-make-hummingbird-nectar">http://www.audubon.org/news/how-make-hummingbird-nectar</a><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
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: <a href="https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_br_w7000_1173.pdf">https://tpwd.texas.gov/publications/pwdpubs/media/pwd_br_w7000_1173.pdf</a>.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;">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!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<span style="text-indent: 0in;">Ed Note: At <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a>, visitors can enjoy Ruby-throated and occasional Black-chinned hummers at the feeder outside the Visitor Center and in the <a href="http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/ButterflyGarden" target="_blank">Butterfly Garden</a>!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; text-indent: 0in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-26325573294818067152018-04-12T05:54:00.002-07:002018-04-12T05:54:50.430-07:00From the Nature Nook Bookshelf - Field Guides to Rocks and Minerals<div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Field Guides to Rocks and Minerals<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Book Review by Jean Flick</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The marvelous geodes in the Nature Nook and the large decorative crystal in the butterfly garden are both favorites of children visiting <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a>. 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.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZki3SmG6xE2atcoKh7SNpfZUcFzTB58fHd1GJcZ9LtJDmQNj_pUmzRLK-yttUMrAblOORbwYqgwllHEw94TtpXAxLnv-m8Fq3EHhW9_4D4W86v7N77iPxbEPeUGWvdwzWWMrdgrPH-0k/s1600/rm+book+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZki3SmG6xE2atcoKh7SNpfZUcFzTB58fHd1GJcZ9LtJDmQNj_pUmzRLK-yttUMrAblOORbwYqgwllHEw94TtpXAxLnv-m8Fq3EHhW9_4D4W86v7N77iPxbEPeUGWvdwzWWMrdgrPH-0k/s320/rm+book+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>The National Geographic Pocket Guide: Rocks and Minerals of North America</i> by Sarah Garlick.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Use as a first guide for young and old to share in the discovery of the wonders of geology.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Smithsonian Nature Guide: Rocks and Minerals</i> by Ronald Louis Bonewitz<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Use to delve more deeply into the world of rocks and minerals and as a reference when beginning your own rock collection.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Peterson Field Guides: Rocks and Minerals</i> by Frederick H. Pough<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Use to glean the most in-depth information when learning about geologic specimens.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1iuzbKsBwdR7W9cdPCDFQZpCJ3xgbs_8KbZiBGHZ8U-_PyCXsHfoJrojC5BVIu9TEo367s1Hw4YUoxWPbbfRCvSeuWUTKzND5Uo0XPVTyGKVB16s7Gac4Jj-NFZlX_WmzMB3i1hdRXrk/s1600/rock+collage_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="1600" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1iuzbKsBwdR7W9cdPCDFQZpCJ3xgbs_8KbZiBGHZ8U-_PyCXsHfoJrojC5BVIu9TEo367s1Hw4YUoxWPbbfRCvSeuWUTKzND5Uo0XPVTyGKVB16s7Gac4Jj-NFZlX_WmzMB3i1hdRXrk/s400/rock+collage_edited-1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Collage - Rocks at HNWR, by Jean Flick</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Nature Nook is run by Friends of Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. All proceeds are used for projects and activities at HNWR. <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
</div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-86375387453291377652018-04-05T05:37:00.000-07:002018-04-05T05:37:55.190-07:00American Basketflower, April Plant of the Month<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Centaurea americana</i> - American Basketflower<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By Sharon Parrish</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRl4eiEIr3lYknAplkhKd1pO1l094KvNMBKpaxLxtgHJV7VRNHToEU0SpLs2uvnr19y8wU-s5x6hAUYUqhfyqbTwruVcnx39egXgfQodhFdezOnrfMFujExLNHwzFRm7pw2jKHG1b78v0/s1600/basketflower-flower1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRl4eiEIr3lYknAplkhKd1pO1l094KvNMBKpaxLxtgHJV7VRNHToEU0SpLs2uvnr19y8wU-s5x6hAUYUqhfyqbTwruVcnx39egXgfQodhFdezOnrfMFujExLNHwzFRm7pw2jKHG1b78v0/s320/basketflower-flower1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWZZ_W81ZdjrtOGgM5MBxExsbtJRXEnPj_g2zdtvXXya7UIFIQUj2meVKRzWjDWrq2hoMEhLG-wGFigAHruijA-HYYO6JIv0lDgflZ6MkmH4Jxlv6yKyhm0rLqxtI4FWG9GWMZZesVvE/s1600/basketflower-flower2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPWZZ_W81ZdjrtOGgM5MBxExsbtJRXEnPj_g2zdtvXXya7UIFIQUj2meVKRzWjDWrq2hoMEhLG-wGFigAHruijA-HYYO6JIv0lDgflZ6MkmH4Jxlv6yKyhm0rLqxtI4FWG9GWMZZesVvE/s320/basketflower-flower2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeABs9FOQgvi3flAIXzxOKLtPQPkhGH_CY08fN-Qvh-6lXegYGyN56-uK9P8fsyqhZYq7gUf79f7btQLPAiA68rknidaoYhowTItiCLBjsORlp6cVxmqB9lgHwxA2qgEXakaTd9hF3rc/s1600/basketflower-flower3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggeABs9FOQgvi3flAIXzxOKLtPQPkhGH_CY08fN-Qvh-6lXegYGyN56-uK9P8fsyqhZYq7gUf79f7btQLPAiA68rknidaoYhowTItiCLBjsORlp6cVxmqB9lgHwxA2qgEXakaTd9hF3rc/s320/basketflower-flower3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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 <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> and in the wild there also.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFiNciiIu5n356ncfYC3-41AfRccggzVj3-uaAeyS9o-n08su9fW4v0Dr0LTttmEqKPklplEv2D0Ytn6-vmm6UEvVoQqw9thwCR7xJh2myW5mpiFDW8K515i_oaCmNYsBVMXWV7Onyv0/s1600/basketflower-flower4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpFiNciiIu5n356ncfYC3-41AfRccggzVj3-uaAeyS9o-n08su9fW4v0Dr0LTttmEqKPklplEv2D0Ytn6-vmm6UEvVoQqw9thwCR7xJh2myW5mpiFDW8K515i_oaCmNYsBVMXWV7Onyv0/s320/basketflower-flower4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WPvTaTljnJxr41CVTjZeTsabJ7RqiFFImiMOtQY6gAoKdQBXUpgssbPDHZw16f4j-FhInet2wtBhaA9p9yFwkJavvYD1YMdk12Jbq2sWG-kEpvbCPPA70Vm2qtal6rRGigkHe_V_-Iw/s1600/basketflower-seeds.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="120" data-original-width="160" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2WPvTaTljnJxr41CVTjZeTsabJ7RqiFFImiMOtQY6gAoKdQBXUpgssbPDHZw16f4j-FhInet2wtBhaA9p9yFwkJavvYD1YMdk12Jbq2sWG-kEpvbCPPA70Vm2qtal6rRGigkHe_V_-Iw/s200/basketflower-seeds.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
A Field Guide to Wildflowers, Trees and Shrubs of Texas, Delena Tull and George Oxford Miller, 1991<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Range Plants of North Central Texas, Ricky J. Linex, 2014<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Native American Seeds, <a href="http://www.seedsource.com/">www.seedsource.com</a>, 2015<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Note: Sharon Parrish is a Texas Master Naturalist, a Butterfly Garden Docent at HNWR and regularly volunteers in the Visitor Center there also.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-21135816706735984462018-03-29T04:43:00.001-07:002018-03-29T04:45:10.002-07:00Rare Butterfly At HagermanText and photos by Laurie Sheppard<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One of the ongoing projects of the Butterfly Garden Docents is to identify every species of butterfly that lives on or visits <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a>. The <a href="http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/ButterflyGarden" target="_blank">Butterfly Garden</a> is commonly visited by a wide variety of butterfly species. Some previously rarely seen butterflies have become common sightings because of their attraction to the garden’s nectar and host plants. However, volunteers frequently find new species in places other than the garden. This is the story of a butterfly that is unlikely to ever visit the Butterfly Garden. It favors a specific habitat and rarely travels far from its “birthplace”.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Driving down Sandy Point Road last spring, I saw many yellow flowers along the roadside and in the open fields around the oil pumpers. There were several different types of butterflies hovering around, so I stopped to check what species were there. When I looked closely, I found a butterfly I had never seen before clinging to the stalk of the plant. It was a Frosted Elfin and we logged it as a new species on the refuge. In November, when we were reviewing the new species for the year, we discovered this little butterfly is the subject of great concern due to its diminishing numbers and actual disappearance from large parts of its historic range.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrROV4QTnMUw7-ugFuZW7CAqdPXOdnseMPBS2wLVBD4oVS5imVudC7QvMLKEsT37dUojAtRDDX_SqKQsAZfMX6GUcv19p237azVRuYsFP8o72dTVeZ9WBile5j1Cq9TnGMjJVuNk_cvFc/s1600/041117+Frosted+Elfin+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="957" data-original-width="1435" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrROV4QTnMUw7-ugFuZW7CAqdPXOdnseMPBS2wLVBD4oVS5imVudC7QvMLKEsT37dUojAtRDDX_SqKQsAZfMX6GUcv19p237azVRuYsFP8o72dTVeZ9WBile5j1Cq9TnGMjJVuNk_cvFc/s320/041117+Frosted+Elfin+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frosted Elfin</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Historical records show that the Frosted Elfin was found throughout the eastern half of Texas. However, in the past decade, only three sightings, including the one at Hagerman had been made public, adding to the uncertainty over the butterfly’s status. It is speculated that loss of habitat is the greatest threat to this species. The North American Butterfly Association received a Texas Conservation License Plate Wildlife Diversity Grant to create a “state status assessment of the Frosted Elfin”. Volunteer Texas Master Naturalists are participating in this effort with the cooperation and assistance of the Butterfly Garden Docents and refuge staff.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The host plant for the Frosted Elfin in Texas is any of three varieties of Wild Indigo. Yellow Wild Indigo (<i>Baptisia sphaerocarpa</i>) grows abundantly in the Sandy Unit of the refuge, so that was our target area for investigation. The plants began to emerge in early March but were obscured by last year’s grasses and refuse. We checked the area frequently and eventually, could see how widespread the plants are. They are now forming buds and will soon be blooming. Finally, on March 21, we saw our first Frosted Elfins of 2018. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHOoylugt12IyYTVIjmZX_XEq-Z9h5WMe0ADlcc-JnpDF3g8XpW6qJE1Tk6vtvvR-An7PwzII3uKBtVdxVkCvVETcFBdxtIIPefU2wKLJArhlxIc-hjKIrquKA6cA6FDFZyomc6EClcY/s1600/Frosted+Elfin_Hagerman_032218_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="819" data-original-width="1228" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXHOoylugt12IyYTVIjmZX_XEq-Z9h5WMe0ADlcc-JnpDF3g8XpW6qJE1Tk6vtvvR-An7PwzII3uKBtVdxVkCvVETcFBdxtIIPefU2wKLJArhlxIc-hjKIrquKA6cA6FDFZyomc6EClcY/s320/Frosted+Elfin_Hagerman_032218_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Frosted Elfins are currently mating and placing their eggs on or near the plants’ flower buds. As the plants develop and bloom, the eggs will hatch and tiny Frosted Elfin caterpillars will feed and grow. The caterpillars will be less than half an inch long when they pupate. Each of this year’s caterpillars will begin metamorphosis but remain in its chrysalis until emerging as an adult butterfly next spring. Frosted Elfins have only one brood per year.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJS7HOTLFmsrJPYebwifuWABfnWtg_bLn58gnvpv1B7YKUch79tmBXzFkph-8ZdmzNyryFo9gbLjPQbZWkdI16ZnnKSRMXAwTrQ7t4Q1SlJl5t8O3OvLSnbNXcZB7PK9EgUdXyO12wYAo/s1600/Frosted+Elfin_Hagerman_032418_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJS7HOTLFmsrJPYebwifuWABfnWtg_bLn58gnvpv1B7YKUch79tmBXzFkph-8ZdmzNyryFo9gbLjPQbZWkdI16ZnnKSRMXAwTrQ7t4Q1SlJl5t8O3OvLSnbNXcZB7PK9EgUdXyO12wYAo/s320/Frosted+Elfin_Hagerman_032418_2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So far this year, we’ve identified at least fifteen adult butterflies while looking only at the edges of the fields of Wild Indigo. It’s likely there are more that haven’t been seen. These butterflies may have escaped notice at Hagerman because of their small size (a closed wingspan of 1/2"), secretive low-flying behavior, and similarity to other dark butterflies also emerging in early spring. Now that we know where they are, though, the habitat can be protected to secure these threatened butterflies.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com16465 Refuge Rd, Sherman, TX 75092, USA33.7377809 -96.74890288.2157463999999969 -138.0574968 59.259815399999994 -55.4403088tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-2742553285522541032018-03-22T06:53:00.001-07:002018-03-22T06:53:49.618-07:00Survey of Visitors Set to Begin at HNWRBy Jean Flick<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS46FkdkVTSMv-Gp7AulFZZ-KAlezXzbw0TeCJDAs1g98H5w61HNrDZUtHG8jdMkyZ4seiFDHEdhtjULONp1woYt1uzewmXMGTI5WqKrTkQMOKz8kaDU_s9nNR84L8R4483j1rkztUm-A/s1600/entrance+sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="646" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS46FkdkVTSMv-Gp7AulFZZ-KAlezXzbw0TeCJDAs1g98H5w61HNrDZUtHG8jdMkyZ4seiFDHEdhtjULONp1woYt1uzewmXMGTI5WqKrTkQMOKz8kaDU_s9nNR84L8R4483j1rkztUm-A/s320/entrance+sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /><div>
<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> has been selected as a participant in the National Wildlife Refuge Visitors Survey for 2018. The thirty-five refuges selected represent all regions of the country and each has annual visitation of at least 50,000. Two sampling periods are scheduled at HNWR, with the first period from March 22 – April 1. The second sampling period will be in the fall. During each survey period, two survey staff will conduct visitor surveys at four refuge locations. Multiple areas were selected in an effort to capture visitors with diverse interests in the refuge. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9u5-psM3TCEK-3wxp9-ER2asnWTJWAZp9Q6k6NETIzg-g7QWXnag4LOeAWOPtDFp6EIRK92YBMb959KNa8jgiriiqb3qxDhDzuHpDao7cP1lmqUoNOaBGFxLasNvzDl8iDcquaxQ_MFY/s1600/Skip+Weir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9u5-psM3TCEK-3wxp9-ER2asnWTJWAZp9Q6k6NETIzg-g7QWXnag4LOeAWOPtDFp6EIRK92YBMb959KNa8jgiriiqb3qxDhDzuHpDao7cP1lmqUoNOaBGFxLasNvzDl8iDcquaxQ_MFY/s320/Skip+Weir.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watercolor- HNWR Visitor Center - by Sandy Weir</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the first survey period, the selected areas include the Visitor Center, Harris Creek Trailhead and Kiosk, Big Mineral Day Use Area, and the intersection of Refuge Road and Wildlife Drive. Visitors will be asked if they are willing to participate in an online or mail survey. If willing, contact information will be collected by the surveyors. The surveyors, who are from American Conservation Experience (ACE) and the Ohio State University, will be housed at the refuge during the two sampling periods.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3CniYxa4eIhUGcWVMeEKXKcUh7x46z41mhMSsJ5OVY6XcrOecGCizXcIIKy9Utqm4cQ_N2GLKsXP_4oZJvgtS2u1STDLoWAqzwfH2XnRVPaVe-wMUoki3FQkh8OMctZa7WYuTo_mt84/s1600/06+15+13_2798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt3CniYxa4eIhUGcWVMeEKXKcUh7x46z41mhMSsJ5OVY6XcrOecGCizXcIIKy9Utqm4cQ_N2GLKsXP_4oZJvgtS2u1STDLoWAqzwfH2XnRVPaVe-wMUoki3FQkh8OMctZa7WYuTo_mt84/s320/06+15+13_2798.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2mvnDIfqvQ69j4R8VrW4VFnKiKq5tUMmjFPSo9_MYXP10FvJ1xoU8VocTsdgTcXeC8jlc0UqU-Kkp_Wit7C5MFf5x4iMBSjQTdOhNN1HnXhVPBh36obquhP6gIh2Qdpj4bCoX6dfbrQ/s1600/23031470_10155954600537472_9074574360681054134_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="640" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2mvnDIfqvQ69j4R8VrW4VFnKiKq5tUMmjFPSo9_MYXP10FvJ1xoU8VocTsdgTcXeC8jlc0UqU-Kkp_Wit7C5MFf5x4iMBSjQTdOhNN1HnXhVPBh36obquhP6gIh2Qdpj4bCoX6dfbrQ/s320/23031470_10155954600537472_9074574360681054134_n.jpg" width="213" /></a>According to Kathy Whaley, refuge manager, the USFWS has increased its emphasis on improving visitor services and experiences in recent years. The Visitor Survey is designed to gather information about who visits refuges, and what activities are most important to visitors. The survey also assesses visitor satisfaction with access, facilities, and available recreational opportunities, as well as looking at related transportation on and off the refuge, and the economic contribution of visitors to the local economy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
HNWR participated in the last National Visitor Survey, conducted in 2012. At that time, over 10,000 responses were received from the 73 refuges that participated, with over 200 responses received from visitors at HNWR. Surveyed visitors at HNWR listed participation in a variety of refuge activities during the 12 months prior to completing the survey; the top three activities in which people reported participating were bird watching (71%), wildlife observation (71%), and auto tour route/driving (53%). The primary reasons identified for visitors’ most recent visits included bird watching (32%), hunting (13%), and wildlife observation (10%). Eighty-seven percent of visitors also used the HNWR Visitor Center during their visits. In all areas of visitor satisfaction, the response rates ranged from 94-97% expressing satisfaction. Over half of visitors surveyed expressed interest in a tram tour of the refuge. A twice-weekly tram tour was implemented in 2012 and is conducted by FOH volunteers.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4JYmVjr4xJqSzNyJt1HUT2hrbvQ2Xd68Muuuq2ENzSunHY2oev4o-KDXGc8Te03CRefLMsio_gI1TcHsVJjMPw0Gk1asvjjgF7wglugtZBJxt9wvBxqWePvzYfwnT-QKSgOv15c5xqc/s1600/B0002652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH4JYmVjr4xJqSzNyJt1HUT2hrbvQ2Xd68Muuuq2ENzSunHY2oev4o-KDXGc8Te03CRefLMsio_gI1TcHsVJjMPw0Gk1asvjjgF7wglugtZBJxt9wvBxqWePvzYfwnT-QKSgOv15c5xqc/s320/B0002652.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The overall satisfaction of visitors at HNWR is clearly evidenced by the increase in visitation at HNWR, increasing from 135,000 in 2011 to 181,000 in 2017. Kathy Whaley expressed hope that the 2018 Visitor Survey will continue to affirm the work of the HNWR staff and volunteers of “doing what we are supposed to be doing, ” as expressed in the USFWS publication “Meet the National Wildlife Refuge System: Special Places Where Wildlife and People Thrive:” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kSgfcvttsLuX43FWOFFmix7wZRhn5wsE98X9d5BFjOAXtsuZ-j6DhdG1_WQ75D4iKcY21bV463VjsxbV8DkE_TXjs8VEFGLfyePAojZ74HYNRn35Zvite95cWl10_thYHL18wwp6kXs/s1600/Harris+Creek+Trail+signs+2+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8kSgfcvttsLuX43FWOFFmix7wZRhn5wsE98X9d5BFjOAXtsuZ-j6DhdG1_WQ75D4iKcY21bV463VjsxbV8DkE_TXjs8VEFGLfyePAojZ74HYNRn35Zvite95cWl10_thYHL18wwp6kXs/s320/Harris+Creek+Trail+signs+2+.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Refuge System strives to make refuges welcoming, safe, and accessible places for visitors, and to provide visitors a variety of ways to enjoy, learn about, appreciate, and help conserve fish, wildlife, and plants. While carrying out national conservation goals, we strive to be valued components of local communities. We also strive to foster an informed and engaged citizenry that actively supports and understands the value of conservation and the role of the National Wildlife Refuge System.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
</div>
</div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-41168334457756855512018-03-15T05:47:00.001-07:002018-03-15T06:46:07.439-07:00The Perfect Host<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">In the <a href="http://friendsofhagerman.com/ButterflyGarden" style="color: #666699;">Butterfly Garden</a> at <a href="http://fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" style="color: #666699;">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a>, there is a butterfly nursery out there just waiting for warm spring weather. These are plants that will feed, or host butterfly and moth caterpillars once eggs begin to hatch.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">According to <a href="http://www.gardenswithwings.com/what-is-a-butterfly-garden/host-plants.html" style="color: #666699;">Gardens with Wings</a>,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("https://resources.blogblog.com/blogblog/data/tictac/quotes.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: left top; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.44px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 10px 0px 0px 20px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">If you keep an eye out you’ll see the female as she flits around the plant, gently laying her next brood’s eggs, sometimes on the top of leaves but usually on the bottom, hidden from predators. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Then, in 10 to 14 days, the tiny larvae, less than an eighth inch long, emerge and begin eating the plant. It’s a fascinating process as they munch away, growing larger every day. Equally fascinating is watching the caterpillar leave the plant to form a chrysalis. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">And from <a href="http://www.thebutterflysite.com/create-butterfly-garden.shtml" style="color: #666699;">The Butterfly Site</a>:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("https://resources.blogblog.com/blogblog/data/tictac/quotes.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: left top; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 11.44px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px 0px 0px 30px; padding: 10px 0px 0px 20px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Because tiny caterpillars cannot travel far to find their own food, the female butterfly locates and lays her eggs on only the type of plant that the caterpillar can use as food. Most species of caterpillars are particular about the type of plants they can eat. If the egg was not placed on the correct plant, the caterpillar hatching from that egg will not survive.</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">So what is on the menu?</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Click here for a list of common garden plants that host caterpillars in North Texas, from the <a href="http://nababutterfly.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/tx_northcentral_dallasftworth.pdf" style="color: #666699;">North American Butterfly Association</a>. (Scroll past Nectar Plants to Host Plants)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Here are just a few of the “caterpillar nurseries” that have been planted in the garden at the Refuge, and the species they will host:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
</div>
<ul style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; list-style: none; margin-left: 10px; padding: 0px;">
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("https://resources.blogblog.com/blogblog/data/tictac/tictac_orange.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: left 6px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Milk Weed - <i>Asclepias tuberosa</i> and <i>Asclepias viridis</i> –Monarch and Queen</span></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("https://resources.blogblog.com/blogblog/data/tictac/tictac_orange.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: left 6px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Texas Redbud, Yaupon Holly </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">– Henry’s Elfin</span></span></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("https://resources.blogblog.com/blogblog/data/tictac/tictac_orange.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: left 6px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Carolina Buckthorn – American Snout</span></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("https://resources.blogblog.com/blogblog/data/tictac/tictac_orange.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: left 6px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Inland Sea Oats – Bell’s Roadside Skipper</span></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("https://resources.blogblog.com/blogblog/data/tictac/tictac_orange.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: left 6px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Downy Forestiera - </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Hairstreaks</span></span></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("https://resources.blogblog.com/blogblog/data/tictac/tictac_orange.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: left 6px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Passionvine – Gulf Fritillary</span></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("https://resources.blogblog.com/blogblog/data/tictac/tictac_orange.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: left 6px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Partridge Pea - Cloudless Sulphur</span></li>
<li style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: url("https://resources.blogblog.com/blogblog/data/tictac/tictac_orange.gif"); background-origin: initial; background-position: left 6px; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: initial; list-style: none; margin-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 14px;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Frogfruit - Phaon Crescent</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">All of these host plants grow naturally as well at Hagerman. When you see some raggedy chewed up leaves on these host plants, you will know new butterflies will soon appear!</span></div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background-color: #e0e0e0; border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) rgb(192, 192, 192) rgb(192, 192, 192) rgb(221, 221, 221); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLA-8xier72YR46IpSbcjxqHv9RoRiY9YDHPbStg0OykGAmUFZBypwzFo8too06Epo59bp8QyEN-zKlys6VKjvkE0rKAhKPgfA9Dck5GLqS1S7-brIMtNsnIxmqOQPxlzYSoffbFAGYEw/s1600/20101026181830_monarch_caterpillar_-_bkl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #cc3333; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLA-8xier72YR46IpSbcjxqHv9RoRiY9YDHPbStg0OykGAmUFZBypwzFo8too06Epo59bp8QyEN-zKlys6VKjvkE0rKAhKPgfA9Dck5GLqS1S7-brIMtNsnIxmqOQPxlzYSoffbFAGYEw/s1600/20101026181830_monarch_caterpillar_-_bkl.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 0px;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.4px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Monarch Caterpillar, by Brenda Loveless</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">NOTE: This post has been updated from the original publication on February 2, 2015.</span>Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-41655006272151648952018-03-08T05:31:00.000-08:002018-03-08T05:31:02.765-08:00From the Nature Nook Bookshelf - Wetland Birds of North America<div class="MsoNormal">
From the Nature Nook Bookshelf:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>Wetland Birds of North America, a Guide to Observation, Understanding and Conservation</i><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By Scott Leslie<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiipkn8waicOeQ7gCO6t7fYMR5Shdfb2HHywV6oFDwzecVHlrwRYkWXumBClCa9P-qkGCrHO972W1p9N-t6tL0HrPWpWx4u6Zl1mvNaFK1HsH3AXww5OaBRSr6MVE8qqgxJvKd0gRzwM/s1600/books+1b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="986" data-original-width="987" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsiipkn8waicOeQ7gCO6t7fYMR5Shdfb2HHywV6oFDwzecVHlrwRYkWXumBClCa9P-qkGCrHO972W1p9N-t6tL0HrPWpWx4u6Zl1mvNaFK1HsH3AXww5OaBRSr6MVE8qqgxJvKd0gRzwM/s320/books+1b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Author Scott Leslie offers an ode to wetlands in this excellent book on wetland birds found in the HNWR Nature Nook. Describing wetlands as “hotbeds of life,” he first discusses the diversity of wetland habitats, then provides a chapter on the intricate complexity of wetland ecosystems.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To help the reader identify and learn about wetland bird species, over 70 representative “core” birds found throughout North American wetlands are discussed. These core birds are divided into categories which include waterfowl, wading birds, birds of prey, rails, shorebirds, gulls and terns, diving birds and perching birds. Beautiful color photos of each core bird are included, along with descriptions of appearance, habitat, calls, behavior, family life, migration patterns, and conservation concerns.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The author concludes with a gentle plea to preserve and protect wetland habitat, reminding readers that wetlands are more than a great natural spectacle, but, are, in fact, “home” for the many birds we love.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> includes 2600 acres of wetlands and is home to over 300 bird species through the course of the year. USFWS is the primary federal agency charged with collecting data for the National Wetlands Inventory. The initial NWI report estimates that in the first 200 years of our nation’s history, half of all original wetlands in the lower 48 states was lost.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Writer and anthropologist Loren Eiseley wrote, “If there is magic in this planet it is contained in water.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Take time to enjoy and appreciate the “hotbeds of life” found on the refuge, then browse through the pages of “Wetland Birds of North America” to deepen your knowledge and awareness of the magic within. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Nature Nook is run by Friends of Hagerman Wildlife Refuge. All proceeds go to activities and projects at Hagerman NWR.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Book review by Jean Flick.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-78231091003425270432018-03-01T04:47:00.000-08:002018-03-01T04:47:37.422-08:00Roughleaf Dogwood - Plant of the Month, March, 2018<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
Rough-leaf Dogwood<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<i>Cornus drummondii</i> <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
By David Parrish <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Miracles<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
deep within the woods<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
a white dogwood blooms~<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
a bluebird cheers<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright © <a href="https://www.poetrysoup.com/poems_poets/poems_by_poet.aspx?ID=11063">Patricia Sawyer</a> (2009) </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Over forty species of birds including bobwhite quail, wild turkey, numerous songbirds, plus some small mammals value the small white berries of the rough-leaf dogwood. Early each summer, from May to August, the rough-leaf dogwood flowers into clusters of small white flowers with four petals. These flowers attract a variety of pollinating insects such as native bees and butterflies which are seeking nectar.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YgsnmqF2ViFWCl-5O047Ehepqrz6ezfW87p3_G9wtiW1ai9SsScfCXyHSDDrLsHE05912AczsQAs9TryQjLKxL4Gl8-pUu8vAtUMYAEMYLNWnygm-0NI2VD_mI_hgAXxldu9sA5qHiE/s1600/dogwood-flowers.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4YgsnmqF2ViFWCl-5O047Ehepqrz6ezfW87p3_G9wtiW1ai9SsScfCXyHSDDrLsHE05912AczsQAs9TryQjLKxL4Gl8-pUu8vAtUMYAEMYLNWnygm-0NI2VD_mI_hgAXxldu9sA5qHiE/s320/dogwood-flowers.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 1. [dogwood-flowers.jpg] Rough-leaf dogwood flowers. (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Wasowski, Sally and<span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Andy. May 1988. Unrestricted)</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Then from August until October, the flowering clusters give way to the clusters of the much-valued fruit. These berries are drupes about ¼ inch in diameter which sometimes have small pink spots or streaks. Don’t hesitate if you hope to see the fruit of the rough-leaf dogwood because they are consumed quickly and seldom last into the winter months.<br />
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAlKe6CssIzPUVECXpZGzs23TnpISwGJs0kviHexecpGiTpZEBQFEuF9PuOgKu-yOuqBRQlXoU_QSgBRcm6KkAEfo_pS484iqRuRLnwQONyRNG1VJXRm7RnGyTzYI4KzrpszEu9btLt8/s1600/dogwood-fruit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAAlKe6CssIzPUVECXpZGzs23TnpISwGJs0kviHexecpGiTpZEBQFEuF9PuOgKu-yOuqBRQlXoU_QSgBRcm6KkAEfo_pS484iqRuRLnwQONyRNG1VJXRm7RnGyTzYI4KzrpszEu9btLt8/s320/dogwood-fruit.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 2. [dogwood-fruit.jpg] Rough-leaf Dogwood Drupes. (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Bransford, W.D. and<span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dolphia. 1988. Unrestricted)</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This plant readily sprouts from its roots. The rough-leaf dogwood or <i>Cornus drummondii </i>is a shrub or small tree that grows near the edge of the forest, along fence rows, or along streams. Farmers use this plant to form shelterbelts in the prairie-plains regions. This plant is commonly used as an ornamental species.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcMT6UkqTGNWCcJh-mnaVrIfxKuE3nQRfVYIWErQPcETYUsH8k50E2fqLYu4CM-1rc_UtEq-l5Zk_jxmPi4Q0iQKBLxs63DthZs09L3hWFpxK39jzz9Ivt3-kAvIRB-XCjYcKhgyE2hg/s1600/dogwood-shelterbelt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="700" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIcMT6UkqTGNWCcJh-mnaVrIfxKuE3nQRfVYIWErQPcETYUsH8k50E2fqLYu4CM-1rc_UtEq-l5Zk_jxmPi4Q0iQKBLxs63DthZs09L3hWFpxK39jzz9Ivt3-kAvIRB-XCjYcKhgyE2hg/s320/dogwood-shelterbelt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Figure 3. [dogwood-shelterbelt.jpg] Dogwood shelterbelt. (USDA, Lincoln County Minnesota, SWCD. Date unknown. Public)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Leaves are simple and opposite, oblong to elliptic with a pointy tip. They are ½ to 2 ½ wide and 1 to 5 inches long. The upper surface is olive green and roughly, pubescent (hairy). It’s the only local species of dogwood with rough leaves. Edges are wavy. Leaves have a distinct, prominent curving vein pattern on the underside of the leaf. By the late summer, leaves take on a keeled or boat-shaped appearance. To tell if a leaf is from the genus Cornus (dogwoods) grasp it near the tip and at the base and tear it in two laterally. The veins will look like connected elastic threads. Young twigs are opposite and green but turn reddish with age. These are characteristics that can be used to help identify this species.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbgPBfpvV90Zzsj2sOOz6vgehywAyvGij0Nzwn_SqYQbGLjf0TNCo0mkvWD5rHeTbyTdYXiy2l2rBs3YW98c6qFWWOmg_y18H_X8ynBdVRDB3tVO125f03qRZkDftZnDqtI2o6QPPX_M/s1600/dogwood-leaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjbgPBfpvV90Zzsj2sOOz6vgehywAyvGij0Nzwn_SqYQbGLjf0TNCo0mkvWD5rHeTbyTdYXiy2l2rBs3YW98c6qFWWOmg_y18H_X8ynBdVRDB3tVO125f03qRZkDftZnDqtI2o6QPPX_M/s320/dogwood-leaf.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 4. [dogwood-leaf.jpg] Rough-leaf dogwood leaf showing vein pattern and wavy<span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="text-align: start;">edge. (TPWD, Chase Koll, Palmetto State Park Plants (Quiz), </span><a href="https://quizlet.com/215052336/palmetto-state-park-plants-flash-cards/" style="text-align: start;">https://quizlet.com/215052336/palmetto-state-park-plants-flash-cards/</a><span style="text-align: start;"> )</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At Spring Creek Park Preserve, the Garland Parks Department mows annually to sustain the prairie. There, a stand of rough-leaf dogwood has formed into a perfect circular colony 3 foot-high and 10-15 feet in diameter (see photo). Naturalists have used some of these saplings to replace invasive privets removed along an erosion-prone creek bank. The success rate is reported at 90%. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRbfTAkxCME_d9ICTL0ynAXAh5pZfjTc1co3wNhyv_pNAX6Br44YzhpDJ8aG-4hVcDYq8R-jHderYct2gOT3iEZ-Dc6KzAVi-KUjpBSO35A1FuXtGC7nhPByqnfnMGeLidDGkCm-P1dQ/s1600/dogwood-colony.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdRbfTAkxCME_d9ICTL0ynAXAh5pZfjTc1co3wNhyv_pNAX6Br44YzhpDJ8aG-4hVcDYq8R-jHderYct2gOT3iEZ-Dc6KzAVi-KUjpBSO35A1FuXtGC7nhPByqnfnMGeLidDGkCm-P1dQ/s320/dogwood-colony.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 5. [Dogwood-colony.jpg] Rough-leaf dogwood colony in Garland Preserve. (Parrish, David. January 2018. Unrestricted) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
E.O. Wilson concludes his autobiography, <i>Naturalist</i>, saying, “…if (he) could do it all over again, … (he) would be a microbial ecologist.” Ecologists in Illinois studied changes in soil microbes as areas transitioned from open prairies to shrubland to forest (Yannarell, et al; 2014). Light woody encroachment into the prairies from the forests in the study sites included rough-leaf dogwood and sumacs. More heavily encroached areas also included honey locust and red cedar. Forest and prairie microbial communities are very different from each other. As the degree of encroachment increases, microbial communities shift to reflect the forest ecosystem. This may be an important process in the succession from grasslands to forests. So, this raises the question, does a land manager want to maintain a prairie or create a forest? <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDw3LpdPghhe1-lUReMUytf44oaS9wP_JFbuH8UwxqkIX5YcUBtYHXv1hyphenhyphenrmZ-oZbxt7QP-QB6-TJrBLqzbWbwvKJoiELtot3ILEw7XYZvC1RCj-UVmjAQ4V4O5C79h9FZCxUYSW-ir0/s1600/microbe-study-design.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="395" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieDw3LpdPghhe1-lUReMUytf44oaS9wP_JFbuH8UwxqkIX5YcUBtYHXv1hyphenhyphenrmZ-oZbxt7QP-QB6-TJrBLqzbWbwvKJoiELtot3ILEw7XYZvC1RCj-UVmjAQ4V4O5C79h9FZCxUYSW-ir0/s320/microbe-study-design.gif" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Figure 6. [microbe-study-design.gif] Schematic representation of the study design and analysis. The diagram shows two prairie remnants with differing degrees of shrub encroachment, as well as the surrounding forest and river bluffs. (Yannarell, et al, Microb Ecol (2014))</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
References<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Linex, Ricky J. (2014) Range Plants of North Central Texas. USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Weatherford, Texas 76086. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Vines, Robert A. (1982) Trees of North Texas. University of Texas press, Austin, Texas 78712. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Plant Database. Cornus drummondii. <a href="https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=codr">https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=codr</a>, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78739. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wilson, E.O. (1994) Naturalist. Island Books, Washington, DC 20009. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
University of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES). "Soil microbes shift as shrubs invade remnant hill prairies." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 11 March 2014. < <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140311124023.htm">https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140311124023.htm</a> >. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Yannarell, A.C., Menning, S.E. & Beck, A.M. Microb Ecol (2014) 67: 897. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-014-0369-6">https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-014-0369-6</a> <o:p></o:p></div>
<br />
Note: Watch for Roughleaf Dogwood in bloom along the fence rows, forest edges and in the Butterfly Garden at <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> this spring! <br />
David Parrish is a member of the North Dallas Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists and regularly volunteers at Hagerman NWR.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-85057962157593617242018-02-22T04:35:00.000-08:002018-02-22T04:39:56.127-08:00Hagerman Marks 72nd Year as National Wildlife Refuge<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><b> </b> By Helen Vargus<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
Have you visited <a href="http://fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> recently? Did you know that the Refuge is now in its seventh decade? The remainder of this post was originally published as part of the 70-year celebration for Hagerman NWR. And you can learn more about the Refuge while you enjoy a driving tour with the new <a href="https://www.fws.gov/nwrs/threecolumn.aspx?id=2147605342" target="_blank">Audio Tour</a>, on your phone, on a compact disk, or, thanks to the Prairie and Timbers Audubon Society, with a personal listening device for your car.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Hagerman NWR came into being as a result of the Denison Dam construction. The Dam was championed by Sam Rayburn in an effort to alleviate flooding along the Red River and to have the ability to generate hydroelectric power and provide electricity to rural <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Grayson</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place>. The dam bill was passed by Congress in 1938 and in 1944 the reservoir was filled. It took several years and many steps to the birth of the 11,320-acre Hagerman Refuge. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;">In 1941 the Katy and Frisco railroads began moving miles of tracks from the area. Some of those track areas are now <st1:street w:st="on">Wildlife Drive, Meadow Pond Trail,</st1:street> and Raasch Trail. In November, 1941, Postmaster R.L. Sweeney, was required to move the Hagerman post office to the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Grayson</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Air</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">School</st1:placetype></st1:place> site at Perrin Field.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;">By August, 1942, Hagerman town lots were being condemned in anticipation of the flooding of its low-lying valley. The <st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place> government appraised the properties and paid the citizens for their property based on these appraisals. The town would be inundated by 10-20 feet of water once the dam’s reservoir was filled. Most residents found farms in drier locations or moved to the thriving towns of <st1:city w:st="on">Denison</st1:city>, Sherman and other smaller communities in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Grayson</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">County</st1:placetype></st1:place>. A few left the Texoma area for distant places. Reluctant to give up their homes, some of the Hagerman residents moved their houses to nearby towns; others had them dismantled and moved elsewhere in the area, where they were then rebuilt. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) rgb(192, 192, 192) rgb(192, 192, 192) rgb(221, 221, 221); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSlGAf0ec-olcOBCacA-BstKMhVyZ7uQAD-ZIKW497pN0DWgYJiCH_wNc9LPNL6coHcj1Co-ThcXKpxL1QD8Rh_OlPtEuXyV2R7t1UYlon28jI84IcAqtb6j7LfpxmEG8B_CLB801Dxk/s1600/historic+marker.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #666699; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRSlGAf0ec-olcOBCacA-BstKMhVyZ7uQAD-ZIKW497pN0DWgYJiCH_wNc9LPNL6coHcj1Co-ThcXKpxL1QD8Rh_OlPtEuXyV2R7t1UYlon28jI84IcAqtb6j7LfpxmEG8B_CLB801Dxk/s320/historic+marker.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 0px;" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.4px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Historic marker tells the town story</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">In 1944 with the reservoir full the little town of </span><st1:city style="text-indent: 0.5in;" w:st="on">Hagerman </st1:city><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">was only a memory for the families that had developed and cared for this piece of </span><st1:state style="text-indent: 0.5in;" w:st="on">Texas</st1:state><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">. The government now owned the land and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began looking into the possibility of using the flooded Hagerman town area for a wildlife preserve for migratory birds. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;">Nothing is ever simple when it comes to dealing with a government entity. First, studies needed to be done on the feasibility of the area as a refuge. Next, an agreement between the <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state> game service and the federal service was made to establish a refuge. Hagerman was officially designated a refuge by the Fish and Wildlife Service in September, 1945. Then, a presidential executive order was signed to establish the area as a federal refuge of the Fish and Wildlife Service in February of 1946. It was also at that time the Refuge agreement was made with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. In April, 1946, the Secretary of the Interior approved the refuge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white;">A report in February, 1947, said the outlook for the Hagerman Wildlife Game Refuge was deemed to be excellent. The population for wildlife was declared satisfactory and it compared favorably with other <st1:country-region w:st="on">United States</st1:country-region> preserves. At that time the building program at the refuge was on hold because initial bids were too high for additional structures. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) rgb(192, 192, 192) rgb(192, 192, 192) rgb(221, 221, 221); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSvu31sDgIoyevwXsVF_OnNjKhD6xpyTF2yb8O7gf_uNIasL25tYY7Phul86jvkWkjxLfciVD2q0sCEFxI7uLwxUhWccy86j-0NBOcf7_xvPrEEkohlg-5XB8KeGEbJTsZFhvaA9A5eQ/s1600/marcus+nelson+1st+manager+at+hnwr.png" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #666699; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqSvu31sDgIoyevwXsVF_OnNjKhD6xpyTF2yb8O7gf_uNIasL25tYY7Phul86jvkWkjxLfciVD2q0sCEFxI7uLwxUhWccy86j-0NBOcf7_xvPrEEkohlg-5XB8KeGEbJTsZFhvaA9A5eQ/s320/marcus+nelson+1st+manager+at+hnwr.png" style="border: none; padding: 0px;" width="162" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.4px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Marcus Nelson, first Refuge Manager</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> The construction of the office and laboratory, located on a bluff overlooking </span><st1:place style="text-indent: 0.5in;" w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Texoma</st1:placename></st1:place><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">, was underway in August 1947. The structure was built of concrete blocks, took about six weeks to erect, and cost about $10,000. (Ed. Note: That building is still in use, designated as the FOH Building) Other buildings to be placed on the site were workshops, tool sheds, residences, and garages. For all buildings on this </span>site,<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> the total estimated costs were to be $100,000 or more.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="border-color: rgb(221, 221, 221) rgb(192, 192, 192) rgb(192, 192, 192) rgb(221, 221, 221); border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdUIZ1Xv7_qpbJ7SxtMuPm5E4llk5KoUgaK8xBhNvxqNVBN6X5GJzo8vKrq_aZVqsW5yXQOOrBy9UdiVnLtkV8i00hXv80x3TkZStaBIOEryecQAAMv4dixG_-8iDsBDbqhUOLs_1lME/s1600/original+refuge+hq+1947+show+in+1950.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; color: #666699; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTdUIZ1Xv7_qpbJ7SxtMuPm5E4llk5KoUgaK8xBhNvxqNVBN6X5GJzo8vKrq_aZVqsW5yXQOOrBy9UdiVnLtkV8i00hXv80x3TkZStaBIOEryecQAAMv4dixG_-8iDsBDbqhUOLs_1lME/s320/original+refuge+hq+1947+show+in+1950.jpg" style="border: none; padding: 0px;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.4px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Photo of original Refuge HQ, taken in 1950</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "crimson_textroman"; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "crimson_textroman"; text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge contains 3,000 acres of marsh and water and 8,000 acres of upland and farmland. It is an </span><span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">overlay of a portion </span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">of the Big Mineral arm of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placetype w:st="on">Lake</st1:placetype> <st1:placename w:st="on">Texoma</st1:placename></st1:place>. </span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"> </span><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Its purpose is to protect and improve living conditions for all wildlife. It provides a variety of habitats for birds and other animals and is a prime location for migratory birds and waterfowl.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0zLv_pqyn5WQLUcin4CfohjGZL12tLe4WNjrDnQyqL5-J17xHKzLG7iOzZ5S6QujulY3Rlk23VWoZEBgZIRTbFyVTmqQlnLtWZMOjNMP3hDYmbUm_UJjcY3HvrfMVOtY-L07r0GfRJPU/s320/Hagermansign+w+Owl+%25282%2529B+Viers+ed.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barred Owl Sentinel at HNWR, Photo by Buddy Viers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"></span></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span lang="EN" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span lang="EN" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="background-color: white;">The Refuge is located at <st1:street w:st="on">6465 Refuge Road</st1:street> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:city w:st="on">Sherman</st1:city>, <st1:state w:st="on">Texas</st1:state></st1:place>. The Refuge Office and Visitor Center are open Monday – Friday, from 7:30 – 4 pm. The Visitor Center is also open from 9 am – 4 pm on Saturdays, and 1 – 5 pm on Sundays. The grounds are open year-round from sunrise until sunset unless otherwise posted. </span></div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-63874885194069305652018-02-15T04:52:00.000-08:002018-02-15T04:52:59.855-08:00Gull Excitement at Hagerman NWR<div class="MsoNormal">
Text and photos by Laurie Sheppard</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In early spring, <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> attracts large numbers of gulls, as many preparing for migration join those that wintered here. Most are Ring-billed Gulls, but it’s worthwhile to look closely through the large flocks because frequently you will find a few Herring Gulls, Franklin’s Gulls, or other species migrating through. This week, though, we have had a very unusual visitor – a Glaucous Gull (<i>Larus hyperboreus</i>) has landed in our midst. Jack Chiles reports that this is the first time one has been seen at Hagerman NWR and many birders have rushed to the refuge to get that rare sighting.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Glaucous Gulls are very large, with some approaching 28 inches, compared to the Ring-billed Gulls’ mere 17-21 inches. The Glaucous Gulls’ typical wingspan is nearly five feet, which rivals that of the familiar Turkey Vulture, and the gulls can exhibit bursts of speed of up to 40 mph. They are said to be the second largest gull species, behind only the east coast’s Great Black-backed Gull. They are strikingly pale and have been described as “ghostly”. Adult Glaucous Gulls have a yellow bill and both adults and juveniles have dark pink legs and feet. In any group of gulls, the refuge’s visitor will appear much bigger and lighter than others nearby, particularly because of its white wing tips. Most other gull species found in north Texas have dark wing tips.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQ-kN6vVIaJ2OCbkbfAAxnW8REuqGhdqC95RWMK-nddOGczCeE8a16wXpIc51u89pESVjNWGCFqjo9hWnNB-iYuimS4MACb8Sh9IUC5P3TVBywjcrhFH4XwR4NsNcFQgtupa0fj6PZWo/s1600/021018+Glaucous+Compared+to+Ring-Billed.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQ-kN6vVIaJ2OCbkbfAAxnW8REuqGhdqC95RWMK-nddOGczCeE8a16wXpIc51u89pESVjNWGCFqjo9hWnNB-iYuimS4MACb8Sh9IUC5P3TVBywjcrhFH4XwR4NsNcFQgtupa0fj6PZWo/s320/021018+Glaucous+Compared+to+Ring-Billed.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note the differences in size and coloring between the larger Glaucous Gull and the smaller, more common Ring-billed Gull.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Glaucous Gulls breed in the Arctic, along marine and freshwater coasts, or on nearby tundra, cliffs, or ice edges. Both sexes build their nest which is little more than a shallow depression in a mound of grass, moss, twigs, and occasionally feathers with little or no lining. These might be at the water’s edge or in grassy areas atop cliffs, on the cliff’s ledges, or in the rocky scree at the base of the cliff. Both parents tend the eggs and care for the young until they become independent. It takes four years for a Glaucous Gull to fully reach maturity and their lifespan in the wild may be ten years or more.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinjYWJJGVyWo0iwjEB4F4HFUAvL-m5nsGNWBV52ck8MQ6DS7SWoAAy9B1nL7R93WL4mrE_hjkYiwjnTRBfMFWXSBVZDbZflWxi0EU7yIj5oKT7xQWIpx9mN34tOJBtylDFt6yx3JaYUs/s1600/021018+Glaucous+Flight.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjinjYWJJGVyWo0iwjEB4F4HFUAvL-m5nsGNWBV52ck8MQ6DS7SWoAAy9B1nL7R93WL4mrE_hjkYiwjnTRBfMFWXSBVZDbZflWxi0EU7yIj5oKT7xQWIpx9mN34tOJBtylDFt6yx3JaYUs/s320/021018+Glaucous+Flight.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glaucous Gull shows its pale feathers and pink feet as it prepares to land.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Like most gulls, Glaucous Gulls are omnivores with a varied diet. They will eat fish, berries, mollusks, small birds or mammals, eggs and chicks of other birds, and vegetation. They will also scavenge dead fish, carrion, and human refuse, and will attempt to steal food from other gulls and terns. They often forage while walking or swimming. The gull at the refuge has frequently been seen in the vicinity of other gulls, especially in the shallow water near Harris Creek or the exposed area off J Pad.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeSPCsw3D-UEeI7cqpjJ9nz-vA4t4Ps3n7CL1LYzwl4be-iwgDl8QcSiR4533P0QgFBfpoL92qr5Em0pQT5a3xlCO65X8wikIrB4h4bI37dSxRUIMghBGTBYA64IyVlVSXHC2GFrkVsY/s1600/021018+Glaucous+Gull+Feeding+on+Fish.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkeSPCsw3D-UEeI7cqpjJ9nz-vA4t4Ps3n7CL1LYzwl4be-iwgDl8QcSiR4533P0QgFBfpoL92qr5Em0pQT5a3xlCO65X8wikIrB4h4bI37dSxRUIMghBGTBYA64IyVlVSXHC2GFrkVsY/s320/021018+Glaucous+Gull+Feeding+on+Fish.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Glaucous Gull feeding on a dead fish.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
During the winter, Glaucous Gulls migrate south along the coastal edges of the continent, but most adults remain north of Virginia in the east and California in the west. Occasionally, some birds migrate further south, but nearly all of those are immature Glaucous Gulls. This appears to be the case with the one seen on the refuge, which has the black-tipped bill and occasional brown freckling of a third winter bird. Migrating Glaucous Gulls are rarely found very far inland, which makes our visitor unusual.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPAwN7GaRAUfaudbMZ4SJcI3gYQ84k5rtTBBr92b-i82CyJqGuI74diPVyWWB5Ph6Wkyj3kIFQdxO_ehtANnyjrRtO-9PPO2e6HDc6r07WLf-WgK_f1kpoo2Gn5yN6Fm8SBTmx7toi6I/s1600/021018+Glaucous+Showing+Juvenile+Marks.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYPAwN7GaRAUfaudbMZ4SJcI3gYQ84k5rtTBBr92b-i82CyJqGuI74diPVyWWB5Ph6Wkyj3kIFQdxO_ehtANnyjrRtO-9PPO2e6HDc6r07WLf-WgK_f1kpoo2Gn5yN6Fm8SBTmx7toi6I/s320/021018+Glaucous+Showing+Juvenile+Marks.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Markings of an immature gull include the black-tipped pink bill bordered by brown feathers and slight brown freckling on the chest and wings.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br /><div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-50328471348525583572018-02-08T05:48:00.001-08:002018-02-08T05:48:41.756-08:00 Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
By Jean Flick </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On a cold day in January, a group of hearty individuals, led by Paul Balkenbush, <a href="http://fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> Deputy Manager, searched the Texas side of Lake Texoma for the presence of bald eagles. HNWR has supported the Midwinter Bald Eagle Survey for a number of years, providing bald eagle counts that are used to estimate trends of wintering bald eagle populations across the lower 48 states.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtF3WS4JR3RIFxkqfu3YQoj14Nts1WyzXMnF5Cn9IBHtNoWTZ8QoWJULz66vjlWahQxMmNL387gj1aff3soNrkBuvsaiZHHve0lKRYq96Fq6RC24CqFIufPVXzg4ByRW-x5B-BLMKB68E/s1600/by+brian+fant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtF3WS4JR3RIFxkqfu3YQoj14Nts1WyzXMnF5Cn9IBHtNoWTZ8QoWJULz66vjlWahQxMmNL387gj1aff3soNrkBuvsaiZHHve0lKRYq96Fq6RC24CqFIufPVXzg4ByRW-x5B-BLMKB68E/s320/by+brian+fant.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Each January, several hundred individuals count eagles along standard, non-overlapping survey routes as part of this nationwide survey. Started in 1979, counts were first coordinated by the National Wildlife Federation and are now coordinated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul Balkenbush coordinates this effort for the Texas portion of Lake Texoma. The 2018 survey was completed in one day in January, by individuals who were each assigned portions of the shoreline area between Highway 69/75 and I-35. Team members may travel by boat or vehicle to search for eagles, with most choosing to travel by vehicle. This year, the team completed 859 minutes of survey time with 67.3 miles of shoreline observed. Bald eagle sightings included 4 adult and 8 immature eagles.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Paul reports the team’s data, including the time spent and miles observed. This data, including the number of eagles/shoreline mile and number of eagles/survey hour is compiled from regions across the country and can then be used to support bald eagle relative density estimates.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The USACE website provides <a href="http://gis.nacse.org/eagles/sumtrend-simple.php" target="_blank">summary trend tables</a> from 1986-2010, which show an overall increasing trend in eagle sightings in the majority of national regions (6 of 9 regions) but an overall decreasing trend in sightings in Texas during that same time period. A wide range of variables may impact this data. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The USFWS considers the recovery of bald and golden eagles to be a conservation success story. When the bald eagle was adopted as our national symbol in 1782, the country may have had as many as 100,000 nesting eagles. By 1963, with only 487 nesting pairs of bald eagles remaining, the species was in danger of extinction. Loss of habitat, shooting, and DDT poisoning contributed to the near demise of our national symbol.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Endangered Species Act was enacted in 1973, and in 1978 the bald eagle was listed as endangered throughout much of the contiguous U.S. Habitat protection afforded by the Endangered Species Act, the federal government’s banning of DDT, and conservation actions taken by the American public have helped bald eagles make a remarkable recovery. Bald eagles were removed from the endangered species list in August 2007 because their populations recovered sufficiently. (USFWS Endangered Species website and Fact Sheets)<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Data from a variety of sources, including estimates from the annual Midwinter Survey, contribute to our body of knowledge regarding the continued successful recovery of bald eagle populations. Paul is always looking for members to join the Bald Eagle Survey team. Participation is open to any interested birder who wants to spend a day looking for eagles along the lakeshore. Contact Paul at the refuge office if you would like to participate on the team in January 2019.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Photo Credit: Bald Eagle at HNWR by Brian Fant</div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-59850724727229189532018-02-01T05:14:00.000-08:002018-02-01T05:14:29.357-08:00Smartweed February Plant of the Month at Hagerman NWR<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFMsvKy69de7znnDxcqgPvwG3TTsjtr__cAIpoppN7W7LKH_cnlsz2zEsIalr1hYLdwRK7ShxkcUmAf4fgFHoLXmQ1KF7tKWiI_Tbnlje7vqu01Z6Gc8WZts1_xP0RIkH066T0M0Jvb4/s1600/yellow+head+phillip+jones.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1168" data-original-width="1600" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFMsvKy69de7znnDxcqgPvwG3TTsjtr__cAIpoppN7W7LKH_cnlsz2zEsIalr1hYLdwRK7ShxkcUmAf4fgFHoLXmQ1KF7tKWiI_Tbnlje7vqu01Z6Gc8WZts1_xP0RIkH066T0M0Jvb4/s320/yellow+head+phillip+jones.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yellow-headed Blackbird, Pennsylvania Smartweed at HNWR, by Philip Jones</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">Smartweed is a plant that is <a href="https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=POPE2" target="_blank">native</a> to the lower 48 states and Alaska in the U.S. as well as in much of Canada. When <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> was first established, smartweed seed was among the 10 - 15 tons of seeds of various plants sent by the Fish and Wildlife Service to both Hagerman and Tishomingo national wildlife refuges, to be planted at both refuges along the edges of newly built Lake Texoma (Denison Herald, February 18, 1945). Since February is the anniversary month for the establishment of the Refuge, we chose Smartweed as the featured plant this month.</span><br />
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: inherit;">According to the <a href="https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=POPE2" target="_blank">Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center</a>, smartweed is in the buckwheat family and is important to<span style="background-color: white;"> waterfowl and other birds, which use it for food and cover. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #444444;">At least 50 species of birds have been observed feeding on the seeds, including ducks, geese, rails, bobwhites, mourning dove, and ring-necked pheasant. The seeds and other parts are eaten by mammals such as the white-footed mouse, muskrat, raccoon, and fox squirrel.</span> (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polygonum_pensylvanicum" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #58585a; font-family: "open sans"; font-size: 14.6667px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZUky_k6uNTXE7fBkIbA7Qp02qRe3PVufRvlr1jdOhgQER0haRdba1MRmbReQxaDcD16oxidBr58Oq9TrphdmiKG8DOn-VJgwDLnLg4v9SYJZaFBRmuWGs58X8msllfpIzu5mRu0Su20/s1600/SmartweedEgret-Wildlife-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="927" data-original-width="1200" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZUky_k6uNTXE7fBkIbA7Qp02qRe3PVufRvlr1jdOhgQER0haRdba1MRmbReQxaDcD16oxidBr58Oq9TrphdmiKG8DOn-VJgwDLnLg4v9SYJZaFBRmuWGs58X8msllfpIzu5mRu0Su20/s320/SmartweedEgret-Wildlife-15.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great Egret in Field of Smartweed at HNWR, by Kim Morris</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #58585a; font-size: 14.6667px;">The Wildflower Center notes that </span><span style="color: #58585a; font-size: 14.6667px;">about 75 species of smartweeds occur in North America. </span><span style="color: #58585a; font-size: 14.6667px;">Pink blooming </span><i><a href="https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=POPE2" target="_blank">Polygonum pensylvanicum</a>, </i><span style="color: #58585a; font-size: 14.6667px;">and white blooming smartweed,<i> </i></span><i><a href="https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=POLA4" target="_blank">Polygonum lapathifolium</a>,</i></span><br />
<span style="color: #58585a; font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">can be found on the Refuge. We know this because thanks to the birds, we also have volunteer plants of both species in the Butterfly Garden each summer.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #58585a; font-size: 14.6667px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #58585a; font-size: 14.6667px;">Pennsylvania, or pink, smartweed, is mainly identified by spikes of numerous flowers and encircling leaf sheaths. The white blooming smartweed is also known as Curlytop knotweed, and Pale Smartweed. Pale Smartweed (</span><a href="http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=POLA4" style="color: #58585a; font-size: 14.6667px;"><i>P. lapathifolium</i></a><span style="color: #58585a; font-size: 14.6667px;">), is closely related to Pink Smartweed and has white or pale rose, arching </span><a class="glossary_link" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted; color: #677617; cursor: pointer; font-size: 14.6667px;" title="FLower (Florida)">flower</a><span style="color: #58585a; font-size: 14.6667px;"> spikes and usually smooth stems. Both are found in gardens as well as in damp waste places and wetlands. The plant is annual, so watch for it to come back from seed this spring. The bloom-time is March-May.</span></span>Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-43491583045602674722018-01-25T06:35:00.000-08:002018-01-25T08:46:19.286-08:00Listen to the Mockingbird<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vuk8qZDu0S-GYHwKIEWhjX9qTKjH7yjYKHhsKmjIOPeDuXb-FowEfYrR1t-9KxRBNQuC2PSsxQB3a79GYPCZl29dLkXDDZxdwGatEtTnX9rQbtBoGXflkAOvYupPWYw4_gDWeVo1lOQ/s1600/Northern+Mockingbird+bh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_vuk8qZDu0S-GYHwKIEWhjX9qTKjH7yjYKHhsKmjIOPeDuXb-FowEfYrR1t-9KxRBNQuC2PSsxQB3a79GYPCZl29dLkXDDZxdwGatEtTnX9rQbtBoGXflkAOvYupPWYw4_gDWeVo1lOQ/s320/Northern+Mockingbird+bh.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Northern Mockingbird at <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman" target="_blank">Hagerman NWR</a>, Photo by Bill Hurst</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
"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...(<a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/id" target="_blank">Cornell, All About Birds</a>)<br />
<br />
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 (<i>Mimus polyglottos</i>) as <a href="https://statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/texas/state-bird/mockingbird" target="_blank">official state bird</a> in 1927. The northern mockingbird is also the state bird of Florida, Arkansas, Tennessee, and Mississippi.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In the novel, <i>To Kill a Mockingbird</i>, where the mockingbird symbolizes innocence and goodness, Miss Maudie says</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"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.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In Carl Sandburg's poem, <a href="https://www.poetrysoup.com/famous/poem/wilderness_9940" target="_blank">Wilderness</a>, we find this verse:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"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.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
A <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hush,_Little_Baby" target="_blank">traditional southern lullaby</a> begins:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Hush, little Baby, don't say a word,<br />
Mama's gonna buy you a Mockingbird.<br />
<br />
And if that mockingbird don't sing,<br />
Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.<br />
<br />
<div>
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 <a href="https://academy.allaboutbirds.org/northern-mockingbird-sings-hundreds-of-borrowed-songs/#_ga=2.224114523.1375844897.1516718038-947134530.1508699953" target="_blank">video</a> from Cornell.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Cornell gives these Cool Facts about the mockers' singing:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>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.</li>
<li>Northern Mockingbirds continue to add new sounds to their repertoires throughout their lives. A male may learn around 200 songs throughout its life.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>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.</li>
<li>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.</li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: inherit;">So listen up! Do you hear the mockingbird?</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-30905671173084415942018-01-18T06:55:00.003-08:002018-01-18T06:55:50.121-08:00American Kestrel<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxUDBmXN7JO0lGmxP8Qi2rBiRQuEdGn0w7b8C9vp1_HYQGR6kPGJeBBXxEMR44yjVJ8mX35HTNBixfv2UqAG_FDZf8jznyf1Igu_CuKAqFAIfPw_QEolhHnGgwjDRdfXnYZu84QPFy0s/s1600/nature%2527s+realm+kestrel+1+6+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxUDBmXN7JO0lGmxP8Qi2rBiRQuEdGn0w7b8C9vp1_HYQGR6kPGJeBBXxEMR44yjVJ8mX35HTNBixfv2UqAG_FDZf8jznyf1Igu_CuKAqFAIfPw_QEolhHnGgwjDRdfXnYZu84QPFy0s/s320/nature%2527s+realm+kestrel+1+6+18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MyNaturesrealm">Nature's Realm</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
According to Cornell's <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/American_Kestrel/id">All About Birds</a>, the American Kestrel is North America's smallest falcon and the most colorful raptor. </div>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: #fbfafa; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">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. </span></blockquote>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklO_Si0XTyWxqrZIsz3I1ZbGt-OJf3gxrp-yFPGyEReIa50GmN4lJ8yo4LG7Y85ejTU_aX1ll0D9MoaGTy4Db1X0G0FFLyBTmq7tYLwl6dVxjeDf1_ak0qCFGkz5bcU6oUeAPK4CLeGo/s1600/kestrel+by+j+chiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="685" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgklO_Si0XTyWxqrZIsz3I1ZbGt-OJf3gxrp-yFPGyEReIa50GmN4lJ8yo4LG7Y85ejTU_aX1ll0D9MoaGTy4Db1X0G0FFLyBTmq7tYLwl6dVxjeDf1_ak0qCFGkz5bcU6oUeAPK4CLeGo/s320/kestrel+by+j+chiles.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Jack Chiles<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Recently, photographers have been posting a number of photos of this beautiful little raptor taken at <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a> on the <a href="http://www.facebook.com/FOHNWR/">Friends of Hagerman Facebook Page</a>. 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 <a href="http://www.birdwatchersdigest.net/wbbn/february2018/6/?utm_source=BWD+Email+List&utm_campaign=55eaf10c26-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_01_12&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_6e189f3c6b-55eaf10c26-40632429&mc_cid=55eaf10c26&mc_eid=6fe1251214">Bird Watcher's Digest.</a> Don't miss her five-page article, with excellent descriptors.<br />
<br />
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 <a href="https://nestwatch.org/learn/all-about-birdhouses/birds/american-kestrel/?__hstc=75100365.c579e13b068b450628739608c592613f.1508699953379.1516133959390.1516194712327.16&__hssc=75100365.4.1516194712327&__hsfp=3647517780#_ga=2.42053798.2099907099.1516133958-947134530.1508699953">box plans</a>, 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 <a href="http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/Birdsurvey" target="_blank">Hagerman Bird Census</a>.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKURVitHbA5SG7aAsrm45ri2NJrD-BCnjpENRVebD70ZyIxnZ08Y7IcnYJP3Xf_F5deZ0mMtkeLtL0yBDpnHYuy11V4KHU_QsnogyLkmcAApOkMtqNk-D9-EEGwwi4XhSbAKrPThA6Hks/s1600/kestrel+win+goddard+1+3+18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="517" data-original-width="960" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKURVitHbA5SG7aAsrm45ri2NJrD-BCnjpENRVebD70ZyIxnZ08Y7IcnYJP3Xf_F5deZ0mMtkeLtL0yBDpnHYuy11V4KHU_QsnogyLkmcAApOkMtqNk-D9-EEGwwi4XhSbAKrPThA6Hks/s320/kestrel+win+goddard+1+3+18.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Win Goddard</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Watch for the American Kestrel show at Hagerman NWR!<br />
<br />
<br />Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-10849033270071638752018-01-11T06:39:00.000-08:002018-01-11T06:39:05.697-08:00January Plant of the Month - Possumhaw<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuh_EWV68Ew7uhoMGMLhyphenhyphenAJpSY9s1ZTAClftlDRdzH7eU98I9NhxAXmAyhnlvMZkMI49ASVF4qSsknGLuHl3oVnS2k26cAtcbLh__U4ET7ihXPVeeNKi5yQELaXDbn5RcwLQpmuyKk3M/s1600/deciduous.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="520" data-original-width="390" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwuh_EWV68Ew7uhoMGMLhyphenhyphenAJpSY9s1ZTAClftlDRdzH7eU98I9NhxAXmAyhnlvMZkMI49ASVF4qSsknGLuHl3oVnS2k26cAtcbLh__U4ET7ihXPVeeNKi5yQELaXDbn5RcwLQpmuyKk3M/s320/deciduous.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/newsletters/hortupdate/2009/nov09/Possumh.html)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Have you seen this bright berried deciduous tree or shrub that just stands out in the winter landscape? It is <i>Ilex decidua </i> - commonly known by a number of names - Possumhaw, Possumhaw holly, Deciduous holly, Meadow holly, Prairie holly, Swamp holly, Welk holly, Deciduous yaupon, Bearberry, Winterberry.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf79b96XlBQacKQyiLpGDqxrQzyMg53RJM44zDt_ohoACYylLq-KXtzR8NLSyN-5Z39WwihH7M71mxKgd5gf4sSBD9ciYfK80ntfJJTmfOp7DtG_FeqRdtygL6vkZ8-UyS29Xx17AbbjU/s1600/26685174_10156022063393622_826445243705797838_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf79b96XlBQacKQyiLpGDqxrQzyMg53RJM44zDt_ohoACYylLq-KXtzR8NLSyN-5Z39WwihH7M71mxKgd5gf4sSBD9ciYfK80ntfJJTmfOp7DtG_FeqRdtygL6vkZ8-UyS29Xx17AbbjU/s320/26685174_10156022063393622_826445243705797838_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Possumhaw in the rain at HNWR, by Dana Crites</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
According to the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center <a href="https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ilde">website</a>,<br />
<br />
"Opossums, raccoons, other mammals, songbirds, and gamebirds eat the fruit of this and related species."<br />
<br />
The spring blooms of the possumhaw also provide nectar for insects and the horizontal branches offer a platform for birds' nests.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="background-color: white;">From the <a href="https://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/ILEXDECIDUA.HTM">Texas Native Plants Database</a>, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white;">"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.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJVIjEqe4hCWqEZ4rKKEbtiYRTnBhfR4Fyjx9kXC0ntrqTT2KeMN-2Dl7Pk9bYjX5ZnjzRWZeDs0rT1Ee7H93F8lia4hqgpS4tekNyZWCbYKhnPquI_RblYoGIm1c-48HtjuYULcmJgA/s1600/20180106_161329_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJVIjEqe4hCWqEZ4rKKEbtiYRTnBhfR4Fyjx9kXC0ntrqTT2KeMN-2Dl7Pk9bYjX5ZnjzRWZeDs0rT1Ee7H93F8lia4hqgpS4tekNyZWCbYKhnPquI_RblYoGIm1c-48HtjuYULcmJgA/s320/20180106_161329_resized.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Possumhaw growing in Visitor Center landscape at HNWR</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: white;">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. (</span><a href="https://www.plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ILDE)">https://www.plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ILDE)</a><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span> <span style="background-color: white;">Watch for possumhaw this winter as you walk the trails at <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman">Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge</a>.</span>Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3449041598246164863.post-37171345523198798822018-01-04T06:25:00.000-08:002018-01-04T06:25:01.406-08:00Wrap II - July - December, 2017This week we complete our "look-back" at <a href="http://www.fws.gov/refuge/Hagerman">Hagerman NWR</a> happenings for 2017:<br />
<br />
July, 2017<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zfpLzhAn4f9YjC-kw8MK2vDSYmhtaQlIXltXhsEN95F06NDZHOEaBVffKiOf6_LRaCTjpdJbna5CF_HasYMgxjdS26AfDt5c8Du3tD6r17OSMm8vSYTLtc6tiSFHOseu5K5no99H0Zs/s1600/20170726_112626+copy.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zfpLzhAn4f9YjC-kw8MK2vDSYmhtaQlIXltXhsEN95F06NDZHOEaBVffKiOf6_LRaCTjpdJbna5CF_HasYMgxjdS26AfDt5c8Du3tD6r17OSMm8vSYTLtc6tiSFHOseu5K5no99H0Zs/s200/20170726_112626+copy.jpg" width="112" /></a>Go green! HNWR added a water bottle filler to the drinking fountain; a counter shows the number of bottles eliminated from the waste stream.<br />
<br />
The New Outdoor Crew has now worked on all three loops of Harris Creek Trail.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
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.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZGfAjKKAGECDKIEYABsiNyXR1SIWmpd23T_h6gkSgNKAOe_6czr1KyT8g4X7T0y6GcodKAGJrv1ksBDzAe7duBW879TuGPBHeZefqlcH52NpH8daQFTcSlOnua9jP1SjzfOvZEW5bmM/s1600/d+brownlee+july+2017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1202" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVZGfAjKKAGECDKIEYABsiNyXR1SIWmpd23T_h6gkSgNKAOe_6czr1KyT8g4X7T0y6GcodKAGJrv1ksBDzAe7duBW879TuGPBHeZefqlcH52NpH8daQFTcSlOnua9jP1SjzfOvZEW5bmM/s320/d+brownlee+july+2017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div>
At The Refuge Rocks, youngsters, shown below checking their wingspan, learned about our national bird, the eagle.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVK066g_1_xEwMp8ThEgBZXIydNbdF9PNf36LR9tLG7v8BFWdH5kwU-ahNA04kPPH5PCAI7H6Bj-na8jm35RRzVViOn8qlJjRaBfQUugS7dP8nilubJr-SxBRXx8XC21O24xURmXMRQSw/s1600/IMG_5090.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="830" data-original-width="1381" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVK066g_1_xEwMp8ThEgBZXIydNbdF9PNf36LR9tLG7v8BFWdH5kwU-ahNA04kPPH5PCAI7H6Bj-na8jm35RRzVViOn8qlJjRaBfQUugS7dP8nilubJr-SxBRXx8XC21O24xURmXMRQSw/s320/IMG_5090.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Cindy Steele</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Three butterfly garden walks were held this month.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The FOH Nature Photography Club heard Paul Fuller speak on color printing of photos at the July meeting.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
August, 2017 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Traffic at HNWR increased as visitors came to purchase Senior Passes before the price increase set for August 28.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Bluestem Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists, began their 2017 Fall Training series.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaU3pXNn7yrzRRecWgir7I90Mf_TZnntQ8DeDHPM_5JyG_bzWqu7NVuTr7WmpDIRTtigjg1RWmOBOCfPzSqoQyr4EOtxdEviBgy-rr7S9XCixMxVQDOpAgsnUC00OCx8T7lI-dH6oSa0/s1600/kelly+simpson+plarn.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1328" data-original-width="981" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLaU3pXNn7yrzRRecWgir7I90Mf_TZnntQ8DeDHPM_5JyG_bzWqu7NVuTr7WmpDIRTtigjg1RWmOBOCfPzSqoQyr4EOtxdEviBgy-rr7S9XCixMxVQDOpAgsnUC00OCx8T7lI-dH6oSa0/s200/kelly+simpson+plarn.jpg" width="147" /></a>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.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The Refuge Rocks offered children a program on "SSSNakes".</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIej7itNwh2_In9lCuXnHEjfijwDsnXHrN7GlsHPNKmfW2G6ggP7i6MkpCwsqm1XSNUo8lplyCbSwOTGo4xtXd_RCVcEwTS7Ah227JyM83QrE0tIQ5Ft6fTR3s2e1SgpfACfUK_744rOM/s1600/r+wilkins.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1072" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIej7itNwh2_In9lCuXnHEjfijwDsnXHrN7GlsHPNKmfW2G6ggP7i6MkpCwsqm1XSNUo8lplyCbSwOTGo4xtXd_RCVcEwTS7Ah227JyM83QrE0tIQ5Ft6fTR3s2e1SgpfACfUK_744rOM/s320/r+wilkins.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Roger Wilkins</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
September, 2017</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
HNWR managers Kathy Whaley and Paul Balkenbush reported to south Texas to help with Hurrican Harvey recovery.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBpBbecKZyTl0nhndUUGE1_fwvBJX2nDlUHQ6i5QOxL2Pq0lVpSk4vC__rQD_5wddnhY9R6mWNR8oCFWyc9D1fHPELKsUk-JEy5UlmAepolKblxn8zwmTLXExDcRfa9kF_WOB6jHwat0/s1600/2+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1303" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSBpBbecKZyTl0nhndUUGE1_fwvBJX2nDlUHQ6i5QOxL2Pq0lVpSk4vC__rQD_5wddnhY9R6mWNR8oCFWyc9D1fHPELKsUk-JEy5UlmAepolKblxn8zwmTLXExDcRfa9kF_WOB6jHwat0/s320/2+%25281%2529.jpg" width="260" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Tishomingo Refuge Manager Rick Cantu was the Second Saturday speaker - his topic - "Tishomingo NRW"!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Workampers Bill and Carol Powell are back!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz5wwbg11geAcoMJaeOsW7N5vbLWFg_WgJpUejoONNlzyvg-7aGqGGNAAP5GC_D8krVTNlqyc48mW4Qak2hNNEM7urzRm2YxmPy_sEGRPpUnIZZ8u-QDCG31GI6I6qq1LSfwHxertqmE/s1600/IMG_1196.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfz5wwbg11geAcoMJaeOsW7N5vbLWFg_WgJpUejoONNlzyvg-7aGqGGNAAP5GC_D8krVTNlqyc48mW4Qak2hNNEM7urzRm2YxmPy_sEGRPpUnIZZ8u-QDCG31GI6I6qq1LSfwHxertqmE/s320/IMG_1196.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finding nectar hummingbird style. Photo by Cindy Steele</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
David Alley spoke to the FOH Nature Photography Club on photo editing.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
October, 2017</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoIgQUf4uxSnNfFGQkvSUqkpDKINFHLAZz7j63UksFiuQ7su8ZRaK9brvv_TlFTmpwTWBaqsuDU41yvmdvCIrgqnerFwF6f-YxCcPENJmTlSxDYGXxZq6KYexyDdAGuVNNMe9yeEY3aQ/s1600/tagging4.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIoIgQUf4uxSnNfFGQkvSUqkpDKINFHLAZz7j63UksFiuQ7su8ZRaK9brvv_TlFTmpwTWBaqsuDU41yvmdvCIrgqnerFwF6f-YxCcPENJmTlSxDYGXxZq6KYexyDdAGuVNNMe9yeEY3aQ/s320/tagging4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Mary Maurer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
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.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVCXC09RO6f6EBX9sWLWileJtDAceaoR3guKATfqn1fMiSoNiKuf9kWJOvY8hil1XgU473rSNwd_YWfbJPkEafB53HvVZ4F6N2AI3UughnGEsv4j8Tmw4nvFrFWVDUF-YlcAuM2dFvBE/s1600/IMG_8134.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibVCXC09RO6f6EBX9sWLWileJtDAceaoR3guKATfqn1fMiSoNiKuf9kWJOvY8hil1XgU473rSNwd_YWfbJPkEafB53HvVZ4F6N2AI3UughnGEsv4j8Tmw4nvFrFWVDUF-YlcAuM2dFvBE/s320/IMG_8134.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Cindy Steele</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Wildlife Drive received an upgrade and application of low-dust crushed red granite.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Another drawing and nature journaling workshop was held, led by Walt Davis, shown below, on October 28.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlI3-ZK4ueTNTszkkCRJ4xVeDOiDEF3-SmBMWR0soMSSiF4k4VJkulxtGPY0Sfvojwt1_0Q3bKYso4I65lbcsg1X1sScSYaZSCd4grgcpmYdsQObPWjmkEoo5uIb-e5J6DWFlQyx9Jr9g/s1600/walt+davis+oct+2017.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlI3-ZK4ueTNTszkkCRJ4xVeDOiDEF3-SmBMWR0soMSSiF4k4VJkulxtGPY0Sfvojwt1_0Q3bKYso4I65lbcsg1X1sScSYaZSCd4grgcpmYdsQObPWjmkEoo5uIb-e5J6DWFlQyx9Jr9g/s320/walt+davis+oct+2017.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
November, 2017</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pMppfei_NaisUKeJFrhENA6Wxr6scuPEhqVo4_lgV1Q-vM8agfsPiOYDE0yF-UNosc8tn4UX0sn0mHvub9UDCjx-e0ZgGz_c1Z9A309NJw63KEUshxdPNFCEQg9i9Kiyp6cz3aZzeeM/s1600/IMG_2705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3pMppfei_NaisUKeJFrhENA6Wxr6scuPEhqVo4_lgV1Q-vM8agfsPiOYDE0yF-UNosc8tn4UX0sn0mHvub9UDCjx-e0ZgGz_c1Z9A309NJw63KEUshxdPNFCEQg9i9Kiyp6cz3aZzeeM/s320/IMG_2705.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Greg Guymon and Little Big Iron entertained at High on the Hawg. Photo by Becky Goodman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<a href="http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/Gallery">Winning entries</a> in the 2017 HNWR Nature Photography Contest were announced November 11.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Protecting Wildlife" was the Second Saturday topic, with TPWD Game Warden Michael Hummert speaking.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
"Hoot for Owls" was the final Refuge Rocks session for 2017. Youngsters shown below are dissecting owl pellets.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-EEVTafdXonQ5t63nC2InWzwMrNUQRn0MmA0ZvtdSZZwxxUDM6fjOOTBTqHnA5E3HWNHcP46SM5N3oGHwLwDukjvlD0yZpChXEJd0iwQ2ENcFQkqDYluk1kQyArxeejQ6PIRWXteJxY/s1600/IMG_8199.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW-EEVTafdXonQ5t63nC2InWzwMrNUQRn0MmA0ZvtdSZZwxxUDM6fjOOTBTqHnA5E3HWNHcP46SM5N3oGHwLwDukjvlD0yZpChXEJd0iwQ2ENcFQkqDYluk1kQyArxeejQ6PIRWXteJxY/s320/IMG_8199.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Cindy Steele</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The FOH Nature Photography Club program for November was "Photographing Bears in Alaska, with speaker Tom Savage.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_U7rOdGxhCZkdCAHHcdyZ6tSM3Ypl_QEtQfvMhsbWjS-3xS0_GDMZxuYAOx8Y2To52nTCW1SPLmDK8RkieY87qgltdwgFGTD4HxwSTwRN8gPj3-6d6Ua1d0aLeX74P5YWRvc_w1R8YTg/s1600/carl+hill+2017.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_U7rOdGxhCZkdCAHHcdyZ6tSM3Ypl_QEtQfvMhsbWjS-3xS0_GDMZxuYAOx8Y2To52nTCW1SPLmDK8RkieY87qgltdwgFGTD4HxwSTwRN8gPj3-6d6Ua1d0aLeX74P5YWRvc_w1R8YTg/s400/carl+hill+2017.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Carl Hill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Workampers Kris Armstrong and Mark Gurley came to volunteer at HNWR for a month.<br />
<br />
Garden team workdays held weekly during the growing season tapered off this month as the butterfly garden was put to bed for the winter.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
December, 2017</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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 <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/hagerman/multimedia/autotour.html">download</a>.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8ntnZftys9Z8GuMDe_tjgc0GHEaAt_2d1K1joHr_xB1KFfCxDXLG9PKFbcjDo1D39Az-j9yV9OsZuJZAh6KRHzkf8WdN7o8Y7I1Pek1JH59WEJFChe1nJ-wnSl-o2qyCbXwPbqZ8_GQ/s1600/by+james+waghorne.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="828" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8ntnZftys9Z8GuMDe_tjgc0GHEaAt_2d1K1joHr_xB1KFfCxDXLG9PKFbcjDo1D39Az-j9yV9OsZuJZAh6KRHzkf8WdN7o8Y7I1Pek1JH59WEJFChe1nJ-wnSl-o2qyCbXwPbqZ8_GQ/s320/by+james+waghorne.jpg" width="276" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by James Waghorne<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Jack Frost visited HNWR early in December - note the frostweed ice formations in the Butterfly garden shown in this photo by Nancy Miller.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjMiZaQGjQxOURY8Tq7fMowny7gdCy-N3mjGwf5mILvi1WxChORnNk7uqbM44bkonvOETywqxkpHos0SARgXQdcjR7e2sOtn2H9fhLJV3cWnRjFSYaJzW-Y_qVW5Y1IyVoij8pJ7jg0A/s1600/frostweed+by+n+miller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFjMiZaQGjQxOURY8Tq7fMowny7gdCy-N3mjGwf5mILvi1WxChORnNk7uqbM44bkonvOETywqxkpHos0SARgXQdcjR7e2sOtn2H9fhLJV3cWnRjFSYaJzW-Y_qVW5Y1IyVoij8pJ7jg0A/s320/frostweed+by+n+miller.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Dr. Michael Keck spoke on "Sex Lives of Frogs Around the World" for Second Saturday.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Plans for the annual Christmas Bird count were announced. <a href="http://www.friendsofhagerman.com/BirdSurvey">Count results</a>, compiled by Dr. Wayne Meyer are posted on the Friends website.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Adopt-a-Nest Box was open for 2018 adoptions and all boxes were taken before the end of the year.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Jay Noel retired from USFWS after 33 years of service, all at Hagerman NWR.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvO6mYYP1-01Clezb4iEuyVEFn5Hu-w6PGXXfUmjts61naqHcYAmaMPJynBN6AdWgIRBcjHyrKtaixXh37rsvhCFM3aFsgsWe0kfm2VIVZsapzvNO-HKmrIkXhZbYTbb37SO_yL0kzmU/s1600/Jay.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1473" data-original-width="973" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvO6mYYP1-01Clezb4iEuyVEFn5Hu-w6PGXXfUmjts61naqHcYAmaMPJynBN6AdWgIRBcjHyrKtaixXh37rsvhCFM3aFsgsWe0kfm2VIVZsapzvNO-HKmrIkXhZbYTbb37SO_yL0kzmU/s320/Jay.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Winning entries in the 2017 HNWR Nature Photography Contest were hung for an exhibit in the Visitor Center.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
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!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Friends of Hagermanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07097711616173185992noreply@blogger.com1