Rare Butterfly At Hagerman

Text and photos by Laurie Sheppard

One of the ongoing projects of the Butterfly Garden Docents is to identify every species of butterfly that lives on or visits Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge. The Butterfly Garden 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”.

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.

Frosted Elfin

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.

The host plant for the Frosted Elfin in Texas is any of three varieties of Wild Indigo. Yellow Wild Indigo (Baptisia sphaerocarpa) 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.

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.

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.

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.

The Perfect Host

In the Butterfly Garden at Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, 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.

According to Gardens with Wings,

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.  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.    

And from The Butterfly Site:

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.

So what is on the menu?  

Click here for a list of common garden plants that host caterpillars in North Texas, from the North American Butterfly Association. (Scroll past Nectar Plants to Host Plants)

  

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:

• Milk Weed - Asclepias tuberosa and Asclepias viridis –Monarch and Queen
• Texas Redbud, Yaupon Holly  – Henry’s Elfin
• Carolina Buckthorn – American Snout
• Inland Sea Oats – Bell’s Roadside Skipper
• Downy Forestiera -  Hairstreaks
• Passionvine – Gulf Fritillary
• Partridge Pea - Cloudless Sulphur
• Frogfruit - Phaon Crescent

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!

Monarch Caterpillar, by Brenda Loveless

NOTE:  This post has been updated from the original publication on  February 2, 2015.

From the Nature Nook Bookshelf - Wetland Birds of North America

From the Nature Nook Bookshelf:

Wetland Birds of North America, a Guide to Observation, Understanding and Conservation

By Scott Leslie

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.

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.

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.

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge 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.

Writer and anthropologist Loren Eiseley wrote, “If there is magic in this planet it is contained in water.”

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.

The Nature Nook is run by Friends of Hagerman Wildlife Refuge.  All proceeds go to activities and projects at Hagerman NWR.

Book review by Jean Flick.

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.