Breeding Beauties

White-eyed Vireo nest, a sign of spring

As the fickle winds of  spring come in from  the south, they usher in several  species of birds  that spend the warmer months  in Central Texas.  Most of these species overwinter in Mexico, Central America, or South America, and their arrival in  our  area  signals  the start of the  breeding season.  Most notable  are the  Summer Tanager,  White-eyed Vireo,  Western Kingbird, and Scissor-tailed Flycatcher.

Summer Tanagers (Piranga rubra) are medium-sized, chunky songbirds with big bodies, large heads, and thick, pale, blunt-tipped bills.  Mature males are the only birds in North America that are completely red.  The female and immature males are bright yellow-green, which makes them harder to spot in the forest canopy. These birds prefer to stay fairly high in the trees, often in willows, cottonwoods, and mesquite along creeks and streams.  They prefer to sit still then fly out to catch insects in midair.  They are especially fond of bees and wasps, beating them against a branch once they are caught, but they may also forage on berries and fruits near their forest habitat.  Males have a sweet, whistling song, much like an American Robin.

Summer Tanager, male

Like most vireos, White-eyed Vireos (Vireo griseus) are small songbirds with compact bodies and thick, slightly hooked bills.  They have yellow spectacles around their white eyes, yellow-washed sides, gray head, white throat, and two white wingbars.  They prefer areas that are scrubby and thick with vines and other vegetation, staying hidden in the understory where they glean caterpillars and other insects. Their song is distinctive, rapid and harsh, sounding like ‘Spit. And see if I care. Spit.’ While only the males sing on their breeding grounds, both males and females have been found to sing on their wintering grounds.  They bathe by rubbing their bodies against dewy foliage in the early morning, or by quickly dipping their backsides in a pool of water.

White-eyed Vireo

Oddly often found in parking lots with Live Oak trees, Western Kingbirds (Tyrannus verticalis) are fairly large flycatchers with gray heads, broad shoulders, whitish chest, lemon yellow bellies, heavy straight black bills, and medium-length black tails with white outer tail feathers.  They prefer open habitats, often perching on power lines, fences, and in trees, waiting to hawk insects from the air.  In fact, their breeding range has been expanding as an unplanned result of humans planting trees and installing utility poles in open areas.  Their territory defenses include lots of wing-fluttering and a long series of squeaky, bubbling calls.  Paired males and females work together to defend their territory, which shrinks as the breeding season progresses.

Western Kingbird

Few birds are as graceful to watch as Scissor-tailed Flycatchers (Tyrannus fortificatus).  These elegant, slender birds are gray overall with salmon-pink flanks and underbellies, stout black bills, blackish wings, and long, forked tails they use to sharply twist and turn midair to catch insects.  Interestingly, Scissor-tails are known to use many human-made products in their nests, including pieces of cloth, paper, string, and even carpet fuzz and cigarette filters.  These items can account for up to 30% of the weight of the nests.  In late summer and early fall, these flycatchers gather to form large, bickering flocks and migrate together back to their wintering grounds.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, showing its' namesake tail

The Real Rocky the Squirrel

 

Telltale signs of a Rock Squirrel Den

The squirrel family includes several different species that are grouped into tree squirrels, ground squirrels, and flying squirrels.  In central Texas, most are familiar with the Eastern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) and the Eastern Gray Squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), both of which are tree squirrels, meaning their habit is to live mostly among trees. The Southern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys volans) occurs rarely in the eastern most portion of our area, and is named for the special flaps of skin on the sides of its body which allows for gliding flight.  But it is the Rock Squirrel (Spermophilus variegatus), which generally lives on or in the ground rather than in trees, that is our most notable ground squirrel.

Rock squirrels are stout, moderately bushy-tailed mammals, with mottled grayish-brown upperparts, a more brownish hind back and rump, buffy underparts, and a tail mixed with buff and brown and whitish tips.  The head and upper back are often distinctively blackish, and they have a light-colored ring around each eye. Adults are typically about 18 to 20 inches long, including the tail, and are found from central Texas westward into the Trans-Pecos region of west Texas.

Adult Rock Squirrel

As their common name implies, rock squirrels nearly always inhabit rocky areas such as cliffs, canyon walls, cervices, and rock piles, and even man-made areas like fills along highways and retaining walls.  These areas are where they seek refuge and create their dens.  Although they are typical ground squirrels, they can climb trees nearly as well as tree squirrels, where they can forage for berries and seeds, and they can scale rock walls with ease.  Their diet consists of a variety of plant materials, along with many types of insects.  Unlike many other squirrels, they are fond of flesh and can catch and eat small birds. They can survive long periods without water, some even up to 100 days.

Rock squirrels are facultative hibernators meaning they enter hibernation only when either cold-stressed, food-deprived, or both.   In central Texas they generally hibernate from November to February or March, often coming out to sun during warmer winter days.  Their populations tend to be colonial, each consisting of multiple breeding females and a dominant male.   Home ranges can be fairly large and include several different dens, and the males are thought to be polygamous.  Breeding occurs in March and April with an average litter of 4 young that emerge from the den in late spring.

A litter of 5 young Rock Squirrels

Most active in early morning and late afternoon, rock squirrels are rather shy and difficult to observe at close range. Like other ground squirrels, they are known for their tendency to rise up on their hind legs whenever they need to see over tall vegetation or when they sense nearby danger.  They then curl their front paws flat against their chests and send out a sharp, clear whistle to warn other family members if they sense the presence of predators.  Now you know more about Texas’ very own real-life version of Rocky the Squirrel!

Cool As A Cucumber

 

Another common name for Cucumber Weed is Pennsylvania Pellitory

In the middle of our Central Texas winter, one does not normally think of plants emerging from their cold weather slumber.  But one plant starts to appears in the cooler days of late fall through early spring, and it is appropriately named Cucumber Weed (Parietaria pensylvanica).

While native throughout much of the US and into Mexico, Cucumber Weed, also called Pennsylvania Pellitory, is generally considered an urban weed.  It grows in light shade with moist to slightly dry soil, mostly in disturbed areas along the sides of buildings, in suburban yards and gardens, and in woods and thickets. In fact, its’ genus name is derived from the Latin paries which means ‘wall’, which is where the plant likes to grow, presumably due to its affinity for alkaline soils. It is a member of the nettle family, but lacks the stinging hairs of most nettles and is considered unarmed.

The typical upright habit of Cucumber Weed

Cucumber Weed is 0.5 to 1.5 feet tall, typically erect and unbranched, and has a green, 4-angled, hairy stem.  Its alternate, simple, thin green leaves are lance-shaped, up to 3.5 inches long and 0.75 inches wide with smooth margins, although they are smaller on younger plants.  

The leaves of Cucumber Weed are hairy and have smooth margins

Small clusters of bracts and flowers appear at the axils of the middle and upper leaves.  Each tiny, almost indistinct, greenish-white flower is surrounded by longer green bracts, and the bloom period lasts from April to November. Flowers can be staminate (male), pistillate (female), or perfect (male & female), and these different flowers kinds of flowers can appear together in the same cluster. Cross-pollination occurs by the wind, and the plant reproduces by reseeding itself.  It frequently forms colonies and while it is a persistent plant, it is not aggressive like most invasive species.

Cucumber Weed's tiny flowers are surrounded by long green bracts

Often considered a medicinal herb for its diuretic ability reportedly used to help flush out kidney stones, Cucumber Weed is also high in potassium and edible, although caution must be taken as a small percentage of people may be allergic to it.  The early leaves of young seedlings offer the strongest cucumber taste, while leaves from older plants seem to lose some of their flavor.  Some use the raw leaves in salads or smoothies, or steamed and mixed with pasta. In an online database of indigenous plants of Mexico, Cucumber Weed is called Hierba del Rayo or ‘Lightning Herb’, as it was said that a poultice of this plant applied to your forehead overnight would relieve the chills, fevers, headache, and nosebleed resulting from a nearby lightning strike.

Red Admiral

Care should be taken not to completely remove Cucumber Weed from your yard or garden as it also has value to several types of wildlife.  It is a host plant for the Red Admiral Butterfly, whose caterpillars eat the soft leaves and create shelters from predators by tying up leaves at the end of a shoot or by folding over a larger leaf.  

Lincoln's Sparrow

Cucumber Weed is a source of seed for Lincoln’s Sparrows during fall migration, and there is evidence that White-tailed Deer like to browse the foliage.  Try to stay cool as a cucumber and resist the temptation to pull up Cucumber Weed, as this is one ‘weed’ that is useful to humans and wildlife alike! 

Birds and Berries

 

 A flock of over wintering Cedar Waxwings

Several species of birds overwinter in Texas during the colder months of the year, since food is typically more abundant here than in the northern parts of the country.  While many types of seed can provide nourishment when insects are not available, it is the berries that draw in large flocks of American Robins (Turdus migratorius) and Cedar Waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum). 

American Robins are fairly large songbirds that are easily identified by a dark gray head, lighter gray back, yellow bill, and a rusty orange belly.  Throughout the fall and winter months they switch their diet from worms and insects to several types of berries, and often band together to form large flocks.  Look for them roosting in trees in moist woodland areas where berry-producing trees are shrubs are common, from November through mid-April.

American Robin

Cedar Waxwings are medium-sized songbirds with a sleek, silky look.  They are identified by a pale brown head with a crest that often lies flat, a narrow black mask outlined in white, a lemon-colored belly, and soft gray wings and tail. The tail is always tipped in bright yellow, and the wings have red waxy tips but they are not always easy to see. They also congregate in large flocks and are usually heard before seen, emitting a high-pitched trill as they fly about, from November through May.  They typically eat fruits year-round, depending on what is available.

Cedar Waxwing

In central Texas, overwintering American Robins eat berries from a variety of native plants, including Escarpment Black Cherry, Roughleaf Dogwood, Flameleaf Sumac, Ashe Juniper, Yaupon, Possumhaw, and Virginia Creeper.  In winter, Cedar Waxwings have a high preference for the berries of the Ashe Juniper, but will also eat the fruits of American Mistletoe, Texas Madrone, Roughleaf Dogwood, Yaupon, Possumhaw, and Coral Honeysuckle.

Ashe Juniper

It is important to note that these birds will also eat the berries of non-native, invasive plants such as Ligustrum species, Nandina, and Japanese Honeysuckle.  Since these unwelcome plants largely spread by bird droppings that contain the seeds of these fruits, replacing them with the native alternatives listed above is a responsible way to help safeguard against that spread.

Yaupon

From time to time, these birds can become intoxicated if they eat too much fruit that has fermented. Berries and other fruits can ferment in late fall and winter when frosts and freezes occur, which concentrates the sugar in the berries. When these cold periods are followed by warmer weather it accelerates the breakdown of the sugars into sugar alcohol, at a more potent level than might normally be present.  

Possumhaw

Like humans, drunken birds show signs of irregular movement and the inability to avoid obstacles, and some immature birds even risk the chance of death through alcohol poisoning.  Recent research shows, however, that birds such as Cedar Waxwings may have some natural protection against drunkenness due to their fairly large livers (for birds), as those livers can more effectively break down the alcohol to safely remove it from their bodies.

Each year, the numbers of American Robins and Cedar Waxwings present during a central Texas winter can fluctuate wildly.  In some years, when ample rains produce berries in copious amounts, these birds will appear in large flocks. But during drought years when berries are scarce, especially on junipers, these birds are found in much lower numbers.

The Blush of Fall

Plateau Agalinis, an Edwards Plateau endemic

Certain seasons bring to mind certain color palettes, such as the pastel-colored wildflowers of spring, or the deep orange and red leaves of fall.  But did you know that there are some native plants that bloom pink well into the months of autumn?  They include both Plateau and Prairie Agalinis (Agalinis edwardsiana and Agalinis heterophylla), Small Palafoxia (Palafoxia callosa), and Marsh Fleabane (Pluchea odorata).

Plateau Agalinis, also called Plateau False Foxglove and Plateau Gerardia, is a 1- to 3-foot tall erect, bushy plant with an airy texture that is endemic to limestone hills with thin soils on the Edwards Plateau region of Texas.  It has light green stems, narrowly linear leaves to 1.25 inches long, and pink funnel-shaped blooms from August to October, on stalks as much as 1.25 inches long.  

Plateau Agalinis, showing the long stalk

Also called Prairie False Foxglove, Prairie Agalinis looks very similar to Plateau Agalinis except that its pink funnel-shaped blooms are on short stalks up to 0.2 inches long and its leaves are slightly larger.  It blooms from June into October in grasslands and fields or in open woodlands near streams, often on more moist soils.  Both of these Agalinis species are in the Figwort Family, and are host plants for the Common Buckeye butterfly.

Prairie Agalinis, showing the short stalk

Common Buckeye adult

Common Buckeye caterpillar

Small Palafoxia or Small Palafox is a 2- to 3-foot tall upright, airy plant in the Aster Family, with sticky-hairy stems and solitary flowers on slender stalks that grows best in full sun on dry, gravelly soils.  Occurring from August to November, its half-inch wide pink blooms consist only of disk (not ray) flowers, and the narrow, linear leaves are covered in fine hairs giving it a gray-green appearance.

Small Palafoxia

Also called Sweetscent, Saltmarsh Fleabane, and Shrubby Camphorweed, Marsh Fleabane is an erect, branching plant to 3 feet tall, with simple toothed leaves, and dense, flat-topped clusters of pink flower heads from July to October.  It is in the Aster Family, and it prefers to grow at the water’s edge or in low drainage areas in moist soil.  It gets several of its common names from the sweet smell of the blooms and leaves, attracting many species of butterflies and bees.  It is also a host plant for several small moths, including the Southern Emerald.

Marsh Fleabane

Southern Emerald

As you walk the local trails, wander through the meadows, and explore the water’s edge during these weeks of cooler weather before the first frost, you just might come across the somewhat surprising pink blush of fall!

Glorious Goldeneye

 

Plateau Goldeneye

From late September to November our roadsides, woodland edges, and meadows are brimming with the profuse yellow blooms of Plateau Goldeneye (Viguiera dentata).  Also called Toothleaf Goldeneye and Sunflower Goldeneye, this native plant is extremely drought tolerant, prefers well drained soils, and grows up to 3 feet in full sun and to 6 feet in partial shade.  It can be found throughout central and west Texas, and into New Mexico, Arizona, and Mexico.

Blooms appear at the tips of long, branched stalks

Plateau Goldeneye is a bushy, much-branched plant that tends to grow in colonies.  The yellow daisy-like flowers are numerous, 1.5 inches wide, and appear at the tips of long, slender, leafless stalks.  These composite flowers have a button-like central cluster of fifty or more tiny yellow disk flowers surrounded by 10 to 14 golden yellow ray flowers with notched tips and nearly parallel veins. 

Each ray flower (petal) has a notched tip and somewhat parallel veins

The green leaves of Plateau Goldeneye are triangular with a broad base, tapering to a point, and toothed or serrated along the edges.  They can vary from 1 to 6 inches in length, and can be attached to the stem in either alternately (near the base) or oppositely (toward the tip). As fall approaches, their typical rich green color turns more of a gray-green, and the plant starts to develop flower buds around September.   

Leaves have roughly serrated or toothed edges

Throughout its growing season, Plateau Goldeneye attracts many types of pollinators, especially bees, and is one of the preferred host plants for the Bordered Patch butterfly. In fall and winter, spent flower heads provide good forage for Lesser Goldfinches and other seed-eating birds, as each flower produces numerous achenes, or small, dry single-seeded fruits that do not open to release the seed.  If left to its own devices, Plateau Goldeneye reseeds readily under favorable conditions, but it is easy to manage.

Bordered Patch

Lesser Goldfinch

The Aztec/Nahuatl people called this plant Chimalacate, and in several Mexican states infusions of Plateau Goldeneye are used as an antibacterial treatment for baby rash.  A pharmaceutical study in 2008 confirmed that a compound extracted from this plant does indeed show antifungal properties. Plateau Goldeneye is in the genus Viguiera in the Aster family, and is named in honor of the 19th century French botanist and physician Louis Guillaume Alexandre Viguier.  Regardless of this plant’s history, enjoy the glorious blooms it provides us in the fall, along the roads and trails of central Texas!

Late Summer Skimmers

The quiet waters of a pond like this make great dragonfly habitat

Dragonflies are conspicuous visitors to various bodies of water, especially in the warmer months of the year.    These visitors include members of the largest family of dragonflies, the Libellulidae, otherwise known as the skimmers. Skimmers can be large and colorful, some with distinctive wing patterns, and are often seen perching on twigs and branches.  In late summer, especially after summer rains, some locally common but not often observed species can be found around newly refilled ponds, including the Gray-waisted Skimmer (Cannaphila insularis), Needham’s Skimmer (Libellula needhami), and Slaty Skimmer (Libellula incesta).  

Found in shady or marshy ponds, typically with tall reeds or cattails, the male Gray-waisted Skimmer has greenish-blue eyes, a white face in front and metallic blue on top, and a dark brown or black thorax divided by several pale stripes.  Its abdomen is pruinose gray on the front half and black on the back half, and its wings are clear with extreme dark only at the tips.  Females and juveniles have a yellow-orange abdomen marked with dark brown or black.  Gray-waisted Skimmers are often found perching in the shade at the tips of vegetation, with their abdomen held nearly parallel to the perch.

Gray-waisted Skimmer, male

The male Needham’s Skimmer has reddish-orange eyes and face, and a thorax than is orange in front and paler or more tannish on the sides. Its abdomen is reddish-orange with a dark dorsal stripe down the length, and its orange wings are somewhat darker along the leading edge.  Females and juveniles have brown eyes and faces, a yellowish-brown thorax, and their abdomens are yellow with a dark stripe running down the middle.  Needham’s Skimmers are typically found perching low on vegetation or overhanging the water’s edge.

Needham's Skimmer, male

Most often seen around marshy forest ponds, the male Slaty Skimmer has dark eyes and a metallic blue or violet face, and both the thorax and abdomen have an overall slaty-blue pruinescence.  The wings are typically clear, but can have a pale bluish stripe along the leading edge.  Females and juveniles have red-over-gray eyes and a pale face, a cream-colored thorax with broad dark shoulder stripes, and a black abdomen with yellowish-orange markings. Females also have more prominent dark wing tips and develop a pale pruinosity at maturity.  Males perch on top of tall grasses and sticks most often in sunlit areas.

Slaty Skimmer, male

Check out your local pond or body of water before the end of September, and you just might be rewarded with a sighting of these less common, late summer skimmers!