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

White-tailed Deer at HNWR by Larry Paar

Book Review by Jean Flick

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

Beaver at HNWR by Monica Muil

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

Cotton-tailed Rabbit at HNWR by Debbie Hale

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

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

Armadillo at HNWR by Mary Karam

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

The Watchman - Squirrel at HNWR by Jeff Gladden

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

Coyote at HNWR by Carl Hill

June Plant of the Month - Gregg’s Mistflower

Gregg’s Mistflower – Conoclinium greggii

(before 2000 C.E.: Eupatorium greggii)

By Linn Cates

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

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

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

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

Photo by Truett Cates

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

Queens on Mistflower (Photo by Truett Cates)

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

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

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

Identifying Gregg’s Mistflower

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

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

Growing Gregg’s Mistflower in Your Texoma Garden

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

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

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

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

Photo by Truett Cates

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

Photo by Truett Cates

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

Photo by Truett Cates

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

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

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

Photo by Truett Cates

References: World-wide Web

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

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

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

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

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

References: Books

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

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

Photo Credits

©Truett Cates

@Linn Cates

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

Book Review by Jean Flick

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

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

               

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

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

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

Survey of Visitors Set to Begin at HNWR

By Jean Flick

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge 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.  

Watercolor- HNWR Visitor Center -  by Sandy Weir

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.

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. 

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.

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:”

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.

Roughleaf Dogwood - Plant of the Month, March, 2018

Rough-leaf Dogwood

Cornus drummondii

By David Parrish

Miracles

deep within the woods

a white dogwood blooms~

a bluebird cheers

Copyright © Patricia Sawyer (2009)

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.

Figure 1. [dogwood-flowers.jpg] Rough-leaf dogwood flowers. (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Wasowski, Sally and Andy. May 1988. Unrestricted)

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.

Figure 2. [dogwood-fruit.jpg] Rough-leaf Dogwood Drupes. (Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Bransford, W.D. and Dolphia. 1988. Unrestricted)

This plant readily sprouts from its roots. The rough-leaf dogwood or Cornus drummondii 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.

                          Figure 3. [dogwood-shelterbelt.jpg] Dogwood shelterbelt.  (USDA, Lincoln County Minnesota, SWCD.                                         Date unknown. Public)

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.

Figure 4. [dogwood-leaf.jpg] Rough-leaf dogwood leaf showing vein pattern and wavy edge. (TPWD, Chase Koll, Palmetto State Park Plants (Quiz),  https://quizlet.com/215052336/palmetto-state-park-plants-flash-cards/ )

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%. 

Figure 5. [Dogwood-colony.jpg] Rough-leaf dogwood colony in Garland Preserve. (Parrish, David. January 2018. Unrestricted) 

E.O. Wilson concludes his autobiography, Naturalist, 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? 

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))

References

Linex, Ricky J. (2014) Range Plants of North Central Texas. USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Weatherford, Texas 76086.

Vines, Robert A. (1982) Trees of North Texas. University of Texas press, Austin, Texas 78712.

Plant Database. Cornus drummondii. https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=codr, Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, The University of Texas, Austin, Texas 78739.

Wilson, E.O. (1994) Naturalist. Island Books, Washington, DC 20009.

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. < https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/03/140311124023.htm  >.  

Yannarell, A.C., Menning, S.E. & Beck, A.M. Microb Ecol (2014) 67: 897. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-014-0369-6

Note:  Watch for Roughleaf Dogwood in bloom along the fence rows, forest edges and in the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge this spring! 
David Parrish is a member of the North Dallas Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists and regularly volunteers at Hagerman NWR.

Hagerman Marks 72nd Year as National Wildlife Refuge

     By Helen Vargus

Have you visited Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge 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 Audio Tour, on your phone, on a compact disk, or, thanks to the Prairie and Timbers Audubon Society, with a personal listening device for your car.

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 Grayson County.  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. 

In 1941 the Katy and Frisco railroads began moving miles of tracks from the area.  Some of those track areas are now Wildlife Drive, Meadow Pond Trail, and Raasch Trail.  In November, 1941, Postmaster R.L. Sweeney, was required to move the Hagerman post office to the Grayson County Air School site at Perrin Field.

By August, 1942, Hagerman town lots were being condemned in anticipation of the flooding of its low-lying valley.  The U.S. 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 Denison, Sherman and other smaller communities in Grayson County. 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. 

Historic marker tells the town story

In 1944 with the reservoir full the little town of Hagerman was only a memory for the families that had developed and cared for this piece of Texas.  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. 

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 Texas 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.

            

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 United States preserves.  At that time the building program at the refuge was on hold because initial bids were too high for additional structures. 

Marcus Nelson, first Refuge Manager

          The construction of the office and laboratory, located on a bluff overlooking Lake Texoma, 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 site, the total estimated costs were to be $100,000 or more.

Photo of original Refuge HQ, taken in 1950

         Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge contains 3,000 acres of marsh and water and 8,000 acres of upland and farmland.  It is an overlay of a portion of the Big Mineral arm of Lake Texoma.  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.

Barred Owl Sentinel at HNWR, Photo by Buddy Viers

The Refuge is located at 6465 Refuge Road in Sherman, Texas.  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. 

Gull Excitement at Hagerman NWR

Text and photos by Laurie Sheppard

In early spring, Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge 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 (Larus hyperboreus) 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.

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.

Note the differences in size and coloring between the larger Glaucous Gull and the smaller, more common Ring-billed Gull.

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.

Glaucous Gull shows its pale feathers and pink feet as it prepares to land.

 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.

Glaucous Gull feeding on a dead fish.

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.

Markings of an immature gull include the black-tipped pink bill bordered by brown feathers and slight brown freckling on the chest and wings.

When Worlds Collide - A Catch and Release Story

Text and Photos by Laurie Sheppard

Fishing from the lake edge is a popular year-round pastime at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. In good weather and bad, fishermen park on the sides of the road to cast their lines. When the lake is full, it gives them the advantage of being able to keep their equipment and belongings close by in their car. They sit quietly and enjoy the outdoors, while the birds and wildlife grow accustomed to their presence.

In October, Snow and Ross’s Geese begin to arrive and by mid-November, thousands blanket the fields, eating the tender blades of wheat planted by the refuge staff. When the geese are not eating, they rest on the lake, often close to the edges. The geese feel safe on the water and they crowd together, quietly vocalizing.

With the fishermen’s lines sitting just off-shore and the geese floating closer and closer to the lake edge, accidental contact can occur. Such was the case last week when a Ross’s Goose got caught in a fisherman’s line. I had parked nearby to enjoy the sight of so many geese close to Wildlife Road between Goose Point and Plover Road when I saw a fisherman just ahead. He was reeling in what looked like a big fish, judging by the way his rod was bending. In fact, the fisherman confirmed later that he had thought the same thing.

I drove a little closer to watch the action, hoping to get some photos of the fish being caught. The fisherman saw it before I did – he was reeling in a Ross’s Goose, not a fish! Its wing had become severely tangled in the fishing line. He took great care to gently bring the goose closer because if the line broke, he might not be able to save it. When he got the goose close enough, the fisherman gently pulled the exhausted bird out of the water. He laid it in his lap and went about removing the line from its trapped wing.

The fisherman found that his hook had caught the edge of one of the Ross’s Goose’s feathers and its thrashing about had wrapped the line around and around its wing. The more the goose struggled, the more entangled it became. It took a few minutes for the fisherman to remove the line, but the bird’s wing did not appear to be damaged. He carefully picked up the goose and set it into the water at the edge of the lake. I watched as it flapped its wings, running along the water’s surface.

After a few attempts to take off, the goose stopped frantically flapping and began swimming.  Instead of heading toward the flock floating nearby, the goose swam straight out to the center of the lake. I continued to watch as it shook its head a few times and settled its wings while it kept swimming away from the flock. Finally, it turned and headed back toward the other geese but before it got there, I watched it take off and fly. Happily, the goose was unharmed by the encounter.

It’s unfortunate when worlds collide, but this fisherman showed himself to be a kind and conscientious steward of the land and the Ross’s Goose had quite a story to tell his friends.

Beyond the Butterfly Garden – October, 2017

 By Laurie Sheppard

Butterflies can be found at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge during any month or season, and throughout the year, visitors are encouraged to look beyond the Butterfly Garden to find them. The profusion of color that summer and fall flowers bring is over. Now is the time for butterflies to feed on small flowers or late blooms. Migrants are often seen looking for places to spend the night.

Without a doubt, the Monarch is the star of the season! We are fortunate to have these beauties year round but in October, Monarchs from everywhere east of the Rockies are passing through Texas on the way to their wintering grounds in Mexico. You will find them all over the refuge, either looking for food or landing on leaves as they search for a secure place to rest for the night.

The most similar mimic of the Monarch is the Viceroy. The Viceroy is easily identified by the black line through their hindwing. Viceroys do not migrate like Monarchs. Instead, mature caterpillars create a shelter from a rolled Cottonwood or Willow leaf in which to spend the winter.

The Queen is smaller and typically a rich brown color, but also mimics the Monarch. Their behavior is similar as well. Queens sometimes gather to roost communally at night and in Texas, they appear to migrate. The Queen’s caterpillar host is Milkweed, like the Monarch’s, which makes them distasteful to predators. All three of these are seen together in the Butterfly Garden.

The Red-spotted Purple is a strikingly patterned butterfly with an iridescent blue hindwing above. They are not often found nectaring on blooms, instead feeding on tree sap, rotting fruit, or animal dung. Their larvae feed on Oaks and Cottonwoods, and caterpillars over-winter.

The Tawny Emperor is related to but less common than the Hackberry Emperor. They lay their eggs on Hackberry trees and rarely visit flowers, so look for them in the woods on Oil Field Rd. Tawny Emperor caterpillars overwinter in groups of ten (10) or so in a curled dead leaf.

Fall is a good time to find southern strays like the Brazilian Skipper. These are very large compared to other skippers and fly spring to fall in south Texas. Look for them in the Butterfly Garden and then see if you can find them elsewhere on the refuge. Present only in small numbers, it’s unlikely they breed in Grayson County.

Other strays you might find in the garden include the Mallow Scrub-hairstreak which could be easily overlooked as being “just another Gray Hairstreak.” These are usually found in the Rio Grande Valley and do not cross the Red River but we’ve found them annually at Hagerman.

 A rare stray seen here is the Tailed Orange. Typically a butterfly of Mexico, in years with heavy rains, these migrate north into Texas. They are very similar to the Sleepy Orange but their hindwing narrows to a distinctive point.

NOTE: Laurie Sheppard is a Texas Master Naturalist.  She will be presenting the program, "Butterflies at HNWR", at the Refuge on Butterfly Day, October 14, and also demonstrate tagging.

Mother Nature's Gold

"I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air."
- Nathaniel Hawthorne

Bitterweed in field along Refuge Road

Last week we blogged about sunflowers. Several other plants in fields along the roadsides on the way to Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge as well as at the Refuge are also gleaming gold! Wildflower "gold" that is...And this year, according to the Lady Bird's Native Plant Database, some of the "gold" we are seeing is Helenium amarum, commonly called Yellow Sneezeweed, Bitterweed, Yellow bitterweed, Yellowdicks, Slender-leaved sneezeweed, Fine-leaved sneezeweed, and/or Yellow dog-fennel. A member of the aster family, "The genus is thought to have been named by Linnaeus for Helen of Troy. The legend is that the flowers sprung up from the ground where her tears fell."  The plant is an annual and is valuable to Native Bees and tolerant of dry conditions and varied soil types.

Bitterweed 

Soon more gold will be provided by another member of the aster family is Gutierrezia sarothrae, with common names that include Broom snakeweed, Kindlingweed, Matchbrush, Texas snakeweed, Broomweed, Turpentine weed. Growing from 1 – 3’ tall, it is a small shrub-like plant covered in tiny yellow flowers. By bloom time the lower leaves have dropped off, giving it a delicate appearance.

Broomweed, by Dick Malnory

Broomweed is native throughout much of the western U.S. and blooms from August – November. It reproduces by seed and provides nectar for bees and butterflies and seed for birds. Dried plants can be tied together to fashion a “broom”.
Another yellow autumn wildflower, one that is considered a “bad actor” by many, is Goldenrod, Solidago canadensis L., also called Canada goldenrod, Canadian goldenrod, Tall goldenrod, or Giant goldenrod. Goldenrod is blamed for causing allergic reactions each fall, but according to NPIN, the reactions are caused mainly by pollen from the ragweed plant that blooms at the same time.

Goldenrod, by Dick Malnory

Finally, there is also a burst of gold in the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman - Maximilian sunflower, a cheery yellow wildflower blooms that from August to October and provides food as a range plant, and seed and cover for wildlife. Helianthus maximiliani Schrad., called Maximilian sunflower, Max sunflower and Michaelmas-daisy, was named after the German explorer and naturalist, Prince Maximilian, according to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center native plant database. Maximilian explored the Great Plains of the U.S. in 1832. In 2016, during the early stages of the fall Monarch migration, the Monarch butterflies swarmed this plant in the garden at the Refuge. We are hoping for a repeat this year!

Maximilian Sunflowers in the Garden 

Speaking of butterflies, mark your calendar for Saturday, October 14, Butterfly Day at Hagerman NWR.   You can find the schedule of events and activities on the Friends Butterfly Garden web page.


NOTE - several versions of this post have appeared previously.