2003 Archives
July 23, 2003 - James Rusk will lead a tour of Long Branch Prairie on
Saturday, August 2 at 08:00AM (see mapfor parking area). Members of the Texas Master Naturalists will also participate. Part of the prairie along Northwest Drive across from Mesquite Golf Course will be developed
in the near future.
July 8, 2003 - added 4 photos from James Rusk to Long Branch Prairie page
July 5, 2003 - new page on Long Branch Prairie
July 2, 2003
new species on plant list
new breeding bird
more news on Mesquite Prairie
Derek discovered a Canadian Milkvetch (Astragalus canadensis) growing along the Preserve path today...he also saw a fledgling Northern Parula Warbler, the first documented breeding warbler for the Preserve. One more thing he saw..a big Gulf Coast Toad in its burrow near the vernal pool (the amphibian pond). Also there is a new update onthe remnant native prairie in Mesquite (see below).
Canadian Milkvetch with seed pod in lower left of photo
July 1, 2003
Memories of Lost Forest - a talk before the Pleasant Oaks Gem and Mineral Club of Dallas, on
June 5. . . light summer reading.
James. Rusk reports:
New Update on the Mesquite prairie:
I talked with Tony Fisk (214-720-0430) who is developing the property.
The sign
is in the right place, it's just that it's at the far north end of the
property.
They have an option on 13 acres and it has a considerable frontage on
Northwest
Drive, the area across from the Mesquite Golf Course. He assured me that
the
entrance to their property will be far enough south of the intersection
of
Northwest Drive and Trails Parkway that traffic won't be a problem.
However, a great deal of blackland paririe will be bulldozed if they
can't be
stopped. He wasn't very happy to talk with me, but that's
understandable since
he's got an $11 million project. He said they've had the land under
contract for
2 years.
Update on the Mesquite prairie: A new sign appear on the prairie remnant
on Northwest Drive
across from the
Mesquite golf course. A developer is going to erect a 200 unit housing
project
on the site! Here's what the sign says:
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY AFFAIRS
MULTIFAMILY HOUSING REVENUE BONDS
(EVERGREEN AT MESQUITE) SERIES 2003
Notice is hereby given of a public hearing to be held by the Texas
Department of
Housing and Community Affairs (the “Issuer”) at Shands Elementary
School, 4836
Shands, Mesquite, Texas 75150 at 6:00 p.m. on July 15, 2003 with repect
to an
issue of tax-exempt multifamily residential rental development revenue
bonds in
an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $11,000,000 and taxable
bonds, if
necessary, in an amount to be determined, to be issued in one or more
series
(the “Bonds”), by the Issuer. The proceeds of the Bonds will be loaned
to
PWA-Mesquite Senior Community, L.P., a limited partnership, or a related
person
or affiliate thereof (the “Borrower”) to finance a portion of the costs
of
acquiring, constructing and equipping a multifamily housing development
(the
“Development”) described as follows: 200-unit multifamily residential
rental
development to be located at 5201 Northwest Drive, Mesquite, Texas
75150. The
project will be initially owned and operated by the Borr
ower.
All interested parties are invited to attend such public hearing to
express
their views with respect to the Development and the issuance of the
Bonds.
Questions or requests for additional information may be directed to
Robbye Meyer
at the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, 507 Sabine,
Austin,
Texas 78701; (512) 475-2213
June 21, 2003 Remnant Prairie soon to be destroyed in Mesquite, Texas.
Another Little Bluestem prairie remnant will soon disappear....this one was discovered off Northwest Highway near I-30 East, about 2.6 miles se of Rosehill Park Prairie. . There is a sign to sell 2-30 acre parcels for development. It is located between the powerline right-of-way (broad gray band) and Northwest Highway across from the Mesquite Golf Course. This is a further example of fragmentation and impending destruction of remnant prairies in Dallas County.
June 17, 2003 On a green milkweed seed pod, milkweed bug (Onchopeltus fasciatus) nymphs show off their red-orange colors to warn predators that they are distasteful. They are one of the few insects that acquire their defense from chemicals in milkweed sap. Left photo - nymphs (instars) of the Milkweed bug. Right photo - adult.
June 14, 2003 Old Gravel Mine and Rocky Prairie. At Fay Danahy's request we have added
a map of where the Texas Plume (Standing Cypress) prairie and Lady Bird Centaury prairie is located
adjacent to Naaman Forest High School.
June 11, 2003 added Parkhill Prairie on Blackland Prairie page
June 5, 2003
Spring Creek article in today's Dallas Morning News - local section
Spring Creek Forest has helped humans beat the heat for centuries
06/05/2003
By RICHARD ABSHIRE / The Dallas Morning News
The good news: Tom Frey saw a wildcat.
The bad news: Clean-up crews found beer cans and other litter.
The Spring Creek Forest Preserve, a 69-acre tract less than a mile south of the Bush Turnpike, is one of the last remnants of hardwood bottomland forests that covered the area when settlers arrived in the 1840s.
Mr. Frey said he sees a wildcat in the preserve once a year or so. That is an encouraging sign that the forest still provides a habitat for wildlife and indigenous plants. A landscape architect for the Garland Parks and Recreation Department, Mr. Frey oversees the preserve. He leads tours and teaches amateur naturalists about its flora and fauna and the ecosystem that thrives beneath the canopy of towering trees that are more than a century old, including Shumard and bur oaks, sugar hackberry and American elm. Before it was killed by lightning, a bitternut hickory was a rare example of one of only two varieties of indigenous hickory trees in Texas. The other variety – the pecan tree – is much more common.
"It's a good example of a north-central Texas hardwood bottomland forest with very little social or economic impact," he said. "It's very much like it was before folks started moving in." But thoughtless folks have moved in recently at the Holford Road access to the preserve, leaving behind beer cans and other trash to litter the parking area that opens on a half-mile concrete path leading to some of the preserve's richest treasures. It's part of a one-mile loop designed to let visitors see what the area was like in centuries past. The springs that gave the creek its name attracted visitors for hundreds of years before white settlers came. American Indians
camped along the creek because it supplied fresh water even in the droughts of August, according to Mr. Frey. "This is one of the healthiest creeks in Dallas County," Mr. Frey said. He said the springs keep the water moving. The water has low levels of waste and bacteria. Earlier generations of Garland residents fished and swam in the creek, but that has not been allowed for years. "There are three pre-Columbian sites in the preserve, Indian campsites," he said.
Human remains were found at one of the sites, carbon-dated to confirm their antiquity, and reburied with blessings from a medicine man from the Wichita tribe, who came from Oklahoma for the occasion. Early visitors also came to escape summertime heat. Moving from the parking area into the shade of the forest canopy is like stepping into an air-conditioned room – it is 15 to 20 degrees cooler, with a gentle breeze.
The secret to enjoying the visit is to slow down, be still and open your eyes to small wonders. It helps to have Mr. Frey along to explain what you're seeing and how everything from bugs to grass, fungi and wildlife interact in the delicately balanced ecosystem. "One of our goals is to protect the forest," said Barbara Baynham, president of the Society for the Preservation of Spring Creek Forest. "You can see how narrow it is and it's being encroached on from all sides. It's a difficult problem." Ms. Baynham said she became a forest advocate because of urban sprawl. "I saw all the trees being cut down and the fields being paved over," she said. Spring Creek Forest is a treasure that can't be replaced, she said, and its value is impossible to assess. "One of the things we know we have to do is be compromisers in these days," Ms. Baynham said. "Our goal is to work with the encroachers to mitigate the runoff and pollution and try to educate folks to what this offers them that they don't see when they drive by."
In addition to at least one wildcat, the preserve is a refuge for coyotes, armadillos, raccoons, opossums, squirrels, rabbits, lizards, salamanders and snakes. And it's a birder's paradise. "[The preserve] is always turning up some unusual bird," said Jack Hill, a member of the society's board of directors who visits the area frequently with his son, Derek, to tally sightings of bird species. "There are several good types of bird habitat for both nesting and migratory species." Mr. Hill cites a long list of interesting sightings, from blue-winged warblers to indigo buntings, barred owls and hairy woodpeckers.
"Spring Creek is also great for butterflies during the warm months as they feed on nectar from many species of prairie and forest wildflowers," he added. Those include milkweed plants, which are the only food hosts in which Monarch butterflies lay their eggs, according to Ms. Baynham. The preserve also includes a prairie remnant that is home to indigenous plants such as the firewheel that gave Garland's golf park its name, the rare Liatris glandulosa, the Barbara's button that American Indians used in purification ceremonies, purple prairie clover, the purple basket flower and native yucca.
"As our landscapes in north-central Texas continue to be developed at a rapid pace, habitat such as Spring Creek Forest are becoming more and more scarce in the Texas blackland prairie, which stretches from Sherman to Austin," Mr. Hill said.
The late Bobby C. Scott was credited with identifying Spring Creek Forest in 1978 when he found plants there that indicated the site was a virgin forest. Dallas County and the state paid $2.3 million for the land in 1988 and turned it over to the city to operate, with oversight from the Preservation Society. Ms. Baynham said she isn't sure it will survive development on its fringes and careless abuse by litterers. "I don't know," she said. "I'm not confident. We're going to bring in folks from other organizations to help us learn how to meet the challenge." For more information or to schedule tours, call the Garland Parks and Recreation Department
at 972-205-2750.
E-mail rabshire@dallasnews.com
or call 972-272-6591, ext. 244
Spring Creek Preserve
Friday, May 30, 2003
Pollinators on Basketflower: photo 1 Bee Fly,a bumblebee mimic, hovers over the flower with
its long proboscis to feed on nectar. The larvae parasitize other insects, including the Carpenter Bee.
Photo 2 Queen butterfly - a nice chesnut brown color with white spots on the forewing help distinguish this
from Monarchs or Viceroys. Photo 3 Ventral view of Queen showing double row of white spots and
veins. The high today will top 100 F o so get out early if you want to visit the Preserve or Forest.
Spring Creek Forest
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Bobcat spotted!
All,
Great news from Tom Frey. He spotted a bobcat in Spring Creek Forest. Excellent evidence that the Forest is still
hanging on to some wild-life biodiversity.
Bad news from Tim Henry, Spring Creek Forest Preservation Society member. On Monday afternoon, May 26, he spotted
a group of young men carrying a cooler of beer into the Forest at 1770 Holford, the Lee F. Jackson Spring Creek Forest Preserve.
Tim called the police and Tom Frey to report it. We are worried that there will be additional littering and destruction in that
biologically sensitive area since the gate is now unlocked. Everyone please keep your eyes open and please report any
problems to Tom so the Garland Parks and Recreation Department and the Dallas County Park & Open Space folks can
evaluate the impact of leaving the gate open.
Hope you all have an excellent summer.
Barbara Baynham,
President, Preservation Society for Spring Creek Forest
Work Phone: 972-685-2016
Home Phone: 972-495-3569
The bobcat was seen on the old haul road between Charleston Commons and the electric substation (2:15 PM)
Spring Creek Preserve
Wednesday, May 28, 2003
Purple Coneflowers and Basketflowers are more abundant this year probably due to the December
mowing. There are a couple of Pasture or Wavy-Leaf Thistles in the photo.
Arapaho Park and Prairie Creek Park
May 21, 2003
Texbirders,
Brian Gibbons and I birded Arapaho and Prairie Creek Parks this morning,
and
ended up with 14 species of warblers and some other migrants. The cold
front two nights ago definitely helps. The flycatcher numbers were
impressive, and plenty of empids were singing.
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 5
Olive-sided Flycatcher - 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 5-6
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher - 10
Alder Flycatcher - 15
Least Flycatcher - 5
Great Crested Flycatcher
Swainson's Thrush - 20
Warbling Vireo - 1
Philadelphia Vireo - 1
Red-eyed Vireo - 4
Tennessee Warbler - 4
Nashville - 1
Yellow - 6
Chestnut-sided - 4-5
Magnolia - 4
Black-throated Green - 2
Blackburnian - 2
Black-and-white - 1
American Redstart - 6
Ovenbird - 1
Mourning - 5
Common Yellowthroat - 10
Wilson's - 6
Canada - 3-4
Good birding,
Derek Hill
Richardson, TX
Arapaho Park and Prairie Creek Park
May 15, 2003
Texbirders,
Brian Gibbons and I birded Arapaho Park and Prairie Creek Park today
5/15.
Weather was overcast, calm to light breeze, with a few sprinkles last
night.
Ended up with a respectable 14 warbler species, but we had to work to
find
the birds, mostly females and immatures this late in the season.
Arapaho Park
------------------
empid sp.
Cedar Waxwing - 8
Blue-headed Vireo - 1
Warbling Vireo - several singin
Nashville Warbler - 2
Yellow - 10
Chestnut-sided - 1
American Redstart - 6
Northern Waterthrush - 1
Mourning - 1
Common Yellowthroat - 6-8
Wilson's Warbler - 6-10
Clay-colored Sparrow - 1
Prairie Creek Park
------------------------
Yellow-billed Cuckoo - 6
Eastern Screech-Owl - 1 red phase in roost tree
Willow/Alder Flycatcher - 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1, late
Swainson's Thrush - 4-5
White-eyed Vireo - 1
Blue-headed Vireo - 2
Warbling Vireo - several singing
Philadelphia Vireo - 1
Yellow Warbler - numerous
Chestnut-sided - 1
Magnolia - 4
Black-throated Green - 2
Blackburnian - 1
Black-and-white - 3
American Redstart - 4
Ovenbird - 1
Common Yellowthroat - 2
Wilson's - numerous
Canada - 2
Good birding,
Derek Hill
Richardson, TX
Friday, May 9, 2003
Texbirders,
I birded Prairie Creek Park today from 8:45am-1:15pm with my dad and
Peter
Assmann. Surprisingly enough we refound the Purple Gallinule (photos)that
Brian
Gibbons found a few days ago. This spectacular bird was walking around
on
the limbs of a large fallen tree in the creek, just upstream of the
dam. Other
migrants include:
Photo courtesy of Jim and Dede Crusinberry, Plano Texas
PURPLE GALLINULE - 1 see photo
E. Wood-Pewee - 1-2
Willow/Alder - a few
Least Flycatcher - several
Great Crested Flycatcher
Swainson's Thrush - 5
Bell's Vireo - 1
Blue-headed Vireo - 2
Red-eyed Vireo - 2
Warbling Vireo - 1 HO
Tennessee Warbler - 1
Nashville - just a few
Yellow - numerous
Magnolia - 3
Black-throated Green - 1
Bay-breasted - 1, FOS
Black-and-white - 4
American Redstart - 4
Mourning - 3, FOS
Common Yellowthroat - 6
Wilson's - several
Canada Warbler - 1, FOS
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 2-3 HO
Clay-colored Sparrow - 1
Baltimore Oriole - 2-3 HO
Good birding,
Derek Hill
Richardson, TX
Spring Creek Preserve
Saturday, May 7, 2003.
This is the peak blooming period (or near it) at the Preserve. The more conspicuous species on the
prairie are Antelope Horns, Green Milkweed, Englemann Daisy, Ratany, Prairie Larkspur, Foxglove, Texas Paintbrush, Dakota Vervain, Prairie Phlox, Firewheel, Thelesperma, Yucca, Drummond's Sundrops, Old Plainsman, Barbara's Buttons, Winecup, Drummond's Skullcap, Mealy Sage, Roemer's Sensitive-Briar, and Many Stem Evax, . In the forest, Low Wild Petunia is in bloom.
Smoke from Mexico & Central America
May 5, 2003
Hazy - refer to Texas Commission on Environmental Quality site about air pollution from "agricultural" fires in Mexico and Central America. Looks like a repeat of the May, 1998 problem and may be with us for weeks.
During 1998, Mexico and the Central American region had a drought brought on by El Nino...the drought aggravated the effects of slash and burn agricultural practices in forest and grassland areas, leaving thousands of fires burning out of control. Add this to the existing air quality and it doesn't look good...refer to American Lung Association report.
Eastern Screech Owls (juveniles) - This photo was taken by Jim Morris, a member of the Society:
Spring Creek Preserve
Saturday, May 3, 2003.
Finally had a chance to check out migrants along Spring Creek in
Garland just east of Jupiter Rd.
Amy Summerfelt reports on TexBirds
site:
Had the following at about 7:30 am:
1 Eastern Kingbird
20 Swainson's Thrush (gathered in large mulberry tree, often 2 birds in
same binocular view)
4 Warbling Vireo (singing)
1 Yellow Warbler (male)
1 Magnolia Warbler (male)
2 Black-and-white Warbler
1 American Redstart (singing male)
1 Common Yellowthroat
1 Wilson's Warbler
1 Indigo Bunting (female)
1 Painted Bunting (female)
Saturday, May 3, 2003
We
birded off and on this morning with Prairie & Timbers Audubon
at
Prairie Creek Park
in Richardson. From 8:00am-12:00pm we ended up with 10 warbler species. Due to
a prevailing south wind@ 6 mph and sunny skies, we didn't expect too many neotrops
on this trip. We had 30 participants and a good time. Suggestions included a T-shirt
for next year and an earlier meeting time (07:00am). I will firm up list with Derek
over the next day or two. Thanks to all who participated. Any corrections please email
us.
Red-Tailed Hawk
American Egret
Red-Bellied Woodpecker - 3
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Tufted Titmouse - several
Carolina Chickadee - several
Bluejay - several
American Crow - several
Eastern Starling -several
Northern Cardinal - 4
Eastern Catbird - 2
Least Flycatcher -
several
Great Crested Flycatcher
- several
Western Kingbird - 2
Eastern Kingbird
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 2-3
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Warbling Vireo - 3
Blue-headed Vireo ~ 2
Swainson's Thrush - a
few
Ovenbird - 2
Yellow Warbler ~ 4
Magnolia - several
Blackburnian
Black-throated Green -
3
Black-and-white ~ 5
American Redstart ~
1
Tennessee -
2
Nashville -
5
Orange-crowned -
heard
Indigo
Bunting - heard
Lincoln's Sparrow
Numbers weren't highl
and diversity was lower than last year. No
grosbeaks today.
Wilson's Warbler has been noticeably absent.
May 2, 2003
Cloudy, mild and light wind.
In addition to the ones we have been spotting this week, there were several Magnolia Warblers and
a pair of Orchard Orioles. Brian Gibbons and Ross Rasmussen had their list up to 8-9 warblers
by mid-morning.
May 1, 2003
9:00-12:30
Clear, warm and windy. It took about 3.5 hours to find the following warblers:
Nashville, Tennessee, Black and White, Common Yellowthroat, Yellow, Orange-crowned,
Blackburnian, Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird, and American Redstart. We also
saw a Blue-headed vireo, Warbling vireo, Great crested flycatcher, Baltimore Oriole,
Gray-cheeked and Swainson's Thrushes, Gray Catbird, Clay-colored, White-crowned
and Grasshopper Sparrows and our common residents. Brian Gibbons saw a Worm-Eating Warbler
on April 30 at Prairie Creek.
We discovered a small colony of Green Dragon (Arisaema dracontium) along the west bank of the
creek....up close you can its strange flower. Photo 2. Green Dragon can easily be recognized with
its extremely long spadix protruding from the spathe. It is found in wooded areas where there is
a good layer of humus and leaf litter.
April 29, 2003
Texbirders,
My dad and birded Prairie Creek Park again this afternoon, with some
nice
finds. Conditions were clear, warm, and slightly breezy.
4:00-6:30pm
Swainson's Hawk - 1 FOS
Great Crested Flycatcher
Warbling Vireo - 1-2 FOS
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher - 2
Baltimore Oriole ~ 5
Swainson's Thrush - 10
Gray-cheeked Thrush - 2, scarce in NCTX
Golden-winged Warbler - 1, same spot as yesterday
Blackburnian Warbler - 1 FOS
Tennessee Warbler - 8
Nashville Warbler - 20+
Yellow Warbler - 2
Orange-crowned Warbler - 1 HO singing
Chestnut-sided Warbler - 1 FOS
Black-and-white Warbler - 4
Common Yellowthroat - 3
Ovenbird - 2
N. Waterthrush - 1
Good birding,
Derek Hill
Richardson, TX
April 28, 2003
Texbirders,
My dad found a male Golden-winged this afternoon at Prairie Creek
Park in
Richardson. We refound it around 4:30pm just a little farther south - a
bit
south of the spillway. It was singing off and on, which helped to
locate
it. Also ran into a birder friend, Elke, who lives near the park, and
she too had
a Golden-winged in her yard this morning. This is the first one I've
seen
in NCTX.
Swainson's Thrush - 5-10
Least Flycatcher - 1-2
Great Crested Flycatcher - 2-3
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER - 1
Tennessee Warbler - 1
Nashville Warbler ~ 15
Common Yellowthroat - 1-2
Ovenbird - 1-2
Yellow-breasted Chat - 1
Baltimore Oriole
Good birding,
Derek Hill
Richardson, TX
April 27, 2003
5:00-6:00pm
Texbirders,
My dad and I birded Prairie Creek Park this afternoon from
about 5-6pm. It
was warm and clear with a south wind, not the best conditions for
finding
migrants. Highlight was a Wood Thrush in the NE part of the park. I
glimpsed a Catharus thrush that looked like a Gray-cheeked, but the
short
obscured view wasn't satisfying. Hopefully the thunderstorms this week
will
ground some migrants.
WOOD THRUSH - 1
Swainson's Thrush - 3-4
? Gray-cheeked Thrush - 1
Nashville Warbler - 8
Tennessee Warbler - 1
Ovenbird - 1
waterthrush sp. - 1, glimpsed flying away
Good birding,
Derek Hill
Richardson, TX
Arapaho Park
April, 2003
It has been reported that the city has cleared much of the understory vegetation out of Arapaho
Park, thus degrading wildlife habitat. For its small size, this Park is (or was) notable
in that many seasonal or rare migrants would show up in spring and fall. Last year a
Black-Throated Blue Warbler was seen over a few days. For description & map to park click here.
Spring Creek Preserve
April 26, 2003
A birder reports that he saw several Nashville Warblers and heard a Wilson's Warbler today.
Spring Creek Preserve
April 25, 2003
Photo below: Wild Foxglove (Penstemon cobaea ) is blooming on the prairie. Other species included Missouri Primrose Texas Vervain, Antelope Horns, Slender-Stemmed Bitterweed, Texas Paintbrush, Meadow Flax, Sensitive Briar, Scarlet Honeysuckle, and others. Right Photo: Gray Hairstreak on Antelope Horns flower
Spring Creek Preserve
April 19, 2003
Monarch caterpillar feeding on Antelope Horns milkweed. Asclepias asperula plant on left,
Danaus plexippus larva on right.
Left to right: well camouflaged Rough Green Snake, Ground Plum Vetch (Astragalus crassicarpus) with fruit,
white Wild Hyacinth, Wild Onion.
Other plant photos taken today are on the photo page near the top...1 of 4 have been identified. They look like they came from a wildflower seed mix. One of plants identified, Centaurea cyanus (Cornflower or Bachelor’s button) is originally from Europe and the Near East and is now found almost worldwide. It has escaped from cultivation throughout the U.S. and is particular invasive in native grasslands and prairies. It is a common addition to commercial wildflower mixes so carefully read your product labels. Once established, it is difficult to control. Glyphosate herbicide is effective but will also kill the surrounding native grasses and wildflowers.
Update: It appears that the new flowers are all part of a seed mix that was planted recently by the City of Garland. Unfortunately most of the species are non-natives or are naturalized. Invasive species are already a problem in our Blackland Prairies so this just exacerbates the problem.So far we have identified:
Spurred Snapdragon (Linaria maroccana) (Scrophulariaceae)
- native to Morocco
Cornflower/Bachelor's Button (Centaurea cyanus) (Asteraceae)
A drought tolerant annual, native to Europe, which has naturalized
throughout North America
California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) (Papaveraceae)
An upright, compact annual or tender perennial native to California and
sw US.
Baby Blue Eyes (Nemopila insignis) (Hydrophyllaceae)
A hardy annual native to California.
Scarlet Flax (Linum rubrum) (Linaceae)
A hardy annual, native to northern Africa and southern Europe, it has
naturalized
Goatsbeard (Tragopogon dubius)(Asteraceae)
An introduced species from Europe what has become a common "weed" in
many areas
Texas Bluebonnet (Lupinus texensis) (Fabaceae) finally a
native of Texas.
Drummond's Phlox (Phlox drummondii)
Rose Hill Preserve
Garland, Texas
April 12, 2003
Thousands of Texas Bluebonnets in bloom along the road. Seven-Spotted Ladybug on
Texas Bluebonnet. This 75 acre prairie is located north of Country Club Road across from
Lyle Middle School in Garland. Thanks to Tim H. for corrected the map to get there...we had a map showing
Rosehill Park at Eastern Hill Country Club by mistake.
Adult seven spotted lady beetles are large (about 3/8 inch), have red wing covers with seven black spots. Females lay clusters of 15 to 70 yellow eggs on plants that are infested with their aphid prey. Larvae grow and molt through four stages as they feed on aphid prey. The large fourth instar consumes more aphids than the previous three larval stages combined. Adult seven spotted lady beetles overwnter in small groups in hedges, or in leaf litter on the ground near the base of plants. The seven spotted lady beetle produces one or two generations in the Midwest each year. The seven spotted lady beetle was introduced into North America from Europe. source: Midwest Institute for Biological Control @
//http://www.inhs.uiuc.edu/cee/biocontrol/predators/predgroups/coleoptera2.html
The Texas
Bluebonnet was adopted by the Texas legislature as the State Flower
in 1901 thanks to a painting
of the plant by Miss Mode
Walker of
Austin. Shinner's and Mahlers states that this is "one of the six
Lupinus species which are the State Flowers of Texas."
Spring Creek Forest
April 5, 2003
On clean up day we saw many spring bloomers while cutting out our target plant invader...
japanese privet. Fay will report on them in the newsletter next month.
left to right: Blue-eyed grass, wild hyacinth, Star-of-Bethlehem
Prairie Creek
April 5, 2003
Derek reports: I wasn't sure if we already made this discovery or not, but there are dozens of trout lilies at prairie creek park. The other day (April 5) the forest floor was covered with trout lily leaves, and all of them had gone to seed. Yet another stronghold for this species in DFW.
-Derek
Spring Creek Preserve
April 4, 2003
Warm, recent rain
Texas Garter Snake (click here to see photo or go to Reptiles & Amphibian Page). Derek reports:
we have some really good luck finding this species, as most local herpers I've talked to
say they are very local and hard to find,and one or two of the better herpers around
here have never even seen one.
Texas Paintbrush is in greater abundance this season since the prairie was mowed in December..
.
Mallard drakes swimming down rain-swollen Spring Creek (below)
Spring Creek Preserve
March 28, 2003
Windy and cool
Fringed Puccoon, Texas Paintbrush, Prairie Verbena, Crow Poison, Funnel Flower, Buffalo Plum, Stork's Bill, Golden Groundsel, Fragrant Sumac, and Redbud are all in bloom.
Spring Creek Preserve
Hummingbirds & Coral Honeysuckle
March 26, 2003
Fay Danahy reports: Lynn and I walked 1787 Holford Road this afternoon. In the south most of the two copses that are just west of the first copse were several black-chinned hummingbirds feeding on coral honeysuckle. We watched them for 15 minutes.
Also, details on Fay's discovery of two more additions to the Flora List are in this
month's Newsletter. That makes four new additions to the floral list this spring.
Reptiles and Orchids
Spring Creek Preserve
Week of March 9th
Derek reports that he caught and released a Texas Garter Snake on Wednesday, March 12 and a Rough
Green Snake on Friday, March 14. He says "warm weather is bringing out the herps." He also
and discovered a new orchid along the trail....his message reads "found a new plant for the list
while I was showing Monica around the park on such a nice day. It was a coral root orchid, blooming right next
to the trail where the trout lilies are most dense. It was between the bench in the opening and the little side trail
overlooking the creek where the green dragon grows. It was blooming right next to the trail near one of the large
fallen logs. Was about 8" tall I'd guess. I'd like to go back and take a picture or at least have Shinners and Mahler
in hand to identify it. It was reddish brown colored, and the lower lip of the flower was white with purple spots and ruffled edges, quite an exciting find."
Update, March 15: We found 10 individual orchids in the general area
where there was oak leaf
litter and duff in
habitat similar to the Trout Lily. Most were not yet in full bloom.
Rough Green Snake (Opheodrys aestivus) second one found this week. (Below)
Another new species for the Forest...Violet Wood-Sorrel (Oxalis violacea) far right photo
Spring Coralroot, Wister's Coralroot (Corallorrhiza wisteriana
)
Corallorrhiza may appear infrequently depending on winter rainfall...refer to these notes:
http://www.sierraclub.org/lewisandclark/messages/index.asp?day=13&month=3
Saturday, March 8, 2003
Spring Creek Preserve - early spring flowers & pollinators
Ten-Petal Anemone abundant on prairie that was mowed last December 7. Elbow bush blooming (blooms are small, fuzzy yellowish green flowers in clusters along the branches of this shrub)..there are a myriad of pollinating flies, wasps, bees, bee flies, and a few Question Mark butterflies. Trout Lilies in full bloom in the forest, and are generally pollinated by honey bees and beetles. Pollination Partnerships in Texas hyperlink to Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT)
Friday, March 7, 2003
Winter's Park (s. of Spring Creek Forest)
12:45 74o F
A flock of 50 Sandhill Cranes trumpeted while they circled high overhead and then proceeded north...according to
Roger Tory Peterson, the "early spring gathering of Sandhill Cranes on the Platte River in Nebraska is among the greatest
wildlife spectacles in America." A link to Sandhill Cranes: http://www.ngpc.state.ne.us/wildlife/cranes/sandhill.htm
February 25, 2003
Ice Storm
A sleet storm covered Spring Creek with 2-3 inches of ice ....here are some photos..
Trout
Lily
Saturday, February 22, 2003
1770 Holford Road
Garland, Texas
Tom Frey led the Trout Lily Walk at Spring Creek Forest today. Details forthcoming in the Newsletter by Fay Danahy. There were hundreds of trout lilies, most not in full bloom, generally growing in clusters on mesic alluvial soils just outside the active floodplain of Spring Creek.
Below: Bridgette's foot versus plant size.
Bridgett's foot gives a scale of the size of the Trout Lilies
Saturday, February 15, 2003
Jack & Derek Hill
We walked in a beautiful remnant prairie and associated cattail marsh (downslope) located on the east side of Rowlett Creek this afternoon for a Backyard Bird Count. Swamp, Field, White-Crowned, White-Throated, Fox, and Lincoln's Sparrows, Dark-Eyed Juncos, Rusty Blackbirds, Red-Winged Blackbirds, Common Grackle, American Crow, Cowbird, Starling, Ring-Billed Gull, Red-Bellied Woodpecker, Yellow-Rumped Warbler, Red-Tailed Hawk, Kestrel, American Goldfinch, House Finch, and Mallards.
Also found a dead, and quite hard-to-find, Texas Garter Snake which must have been active during the mild 72 degrees
yesterday and been run over by a mountain bike or something similar (see photo on Frogs & Snakes Page).
More on the upland prairie-cattail marsh complex later.
Friday, February 14, 2003
Spring Creek Preserve
Forestiera pubescens (Elbow Bush, Desert Olive) is budding and a single shrub was blooming. A few butterflies were seen. . A few birds including Harris's, Field, White-throated Sparrows, a Red-tailed Hawk, Sharp-shinned Hawk, a flock of 12 White-winged Doves, Mourning Doves, Northern Cardinals, Northern Mockingbirds, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Carolina Wren, Carolina Chickadee and American Goldfinch. A few butterflies. Remember that next Saturday is the Trout Lily Walk begins at 1770 Holford Road in the large parking and not at Spring Creek Preserve.
Sunday, January 12, 2003
Spring Creek Preserve
Winter Scenes...
click
on left image to enlarge
Saturday, January 11, 2003
Spring Creek Preserve
The Nature Hike today was enjoyed by all as we hiked through the Preserve and looked at birds, plants, and a geocache. Fay Danahy will have details on today's field trip in the next Newsletter. Below is a group photo that may not have all 21 participants since some came a little late. Photo courtesy of Ben Cox.
Raid on the geocache site... no damage or mischief, just fun. For info on the sport of geocaching,
refer to the following website: http://www.geocaching.com/seek/nearest_cache.asp?zip=75044&submit1=Submit