WWW.TPWMAGAZINE.COM /AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 The OU T D O O R M AG A Z I N E of GUESS WHO? 12 BIRDS EVERY TEXAN SHOULD KNOW PLUS : Coastal Birding Texoma Stripers Chihuahuan Center T E XAS Visit our online archive at www.tpwmagazine.com. Find us on Facebook. For the latest information on Texas’ parks and wildlife, visit the department’s website: www.tpwd.state.tx.us. 4 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 a u g u s t / s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 4 Features COVER STORY 30 38 12 Birds Every Texan Should Know By Cliff Shackelford A short starter list for those who long to put a name with a beak. Ay, Chihuahua! ONLINE BIRDING CALENDAR www.tpwmagazine.com By Rob McCorkle Nature center studies wildfire’s effects on Chihuahuan Desert. 44 Bounty on the Border By Larry D. Hodge For plentiful stripers, head up to Lake Texoma. TEXAS PARKS & WIL D L I FE * 5 Departments 22 wild thing: Tiny Monsters By Ben Hutchins 8 At Issue By Carter P. Smith 10 Foreword/Mail Call Our readers share their ideas. 12 Digital Drawing By Steve Lightfoot Public hunt drawing system goes paperless. Skeleton shrimp lurk in the shallows off the Texas coast. 24 park pick: West Texas Meets Hill Country By Tara Humphreys South Llano River State Park offers water, woods and wildlife. 26 Skill Builder: Choosing Arrows By Burnie Kessner 16 Good news for bats By Jonah Evans No evidence of deadly white-nose syndrome found in Texas. Safety is the key to material selection for beginners. 28 Three Days in the Field By Amos Ross with Louie Bond 18 picture this: Finding a new angle By Earl Nottingham Flip-out screens on cameras add flexibility and convenience to photographic endeavors. 20 flora fact: Purple Pineapples Lifted Up: Birding on the coast with experts proves transformational for two rookies. 50 Legend, Lore & Legacy By Nick Kotz Enduring Legacy: Pioneer Texas family ranchlands combined to create Government Canyon. By Dyanne Fry Cortez 58 Parting Shot Bumblebee-attracting eryngo brightens late-summer fields. By Chase A. Fountain Covers FRONT: A great blue heron preens its breeding plumage in the shallow waters of the Lower Laguna Madre. The herons are common along the coast and can be found throughout the state. Photo © Seth Patterson PREVIOUS SPREAD: On the upper coast, the tidal mudflats of Rollover Pass on the Bolivar Peninsula offer exceptional viewing of many types of shorebirds, such as these black skimmers, royal terns and other birds. Photo by Earl Nottingham / TPWD THIS PAGE: First light near Fresno Canyon in Big Bend Ranch State Park illuminates several strawberry pitayas in the rugged and often unforgiving environs of the Chihuahuan Desert. Photo by Earl Nottingham / TPWD 6 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 In the Field THE OUTDOOR MAGAZINE OF TEXAS A U G U S T / S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 4 , V O L . 7 2 , N O. 7 GOVERNOR OF TEXAS Rick Perry COMMISSION Dan Allen Hughes Jr., Chairman Beeville Ralph H. Duggins, Vice Chairman Fort Worth T. Dan Friedkin, Chairman-Emeritus Houston Roberto De Hoyos Houston Bill Jones Austin James H. Lee Houston Margaret Martin Boerne S. Reed Morian Houston Dick Scott Wimberley Lee M. Bass, Chairman-Emeritus Fort Worth Executive Director Carter P. Smith Communications Director Josh M. Havens M AG A Z I N E S TA F F : Randy Brudnicki Publisher Louie Bond Editor Russell Roe Managing Editor Mark Mahorsky Layout Design Sonja Sommerfeld Photo Editor Earl Nottingham Chief Photographer Chase A. Fountain Photographer Traci Anderson Business Manager Alayna Alvarez Editorial Intern Catherine Groth Photography Intern CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Mike Cox, Steve Lightfoot, Rob McCorkle, Larry D. Hodge, Dyanne Fry Cortez CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Seth Patterson, Larry Ditto, Todd Steele EDITORIAL OFFICES: 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744 Phone: (512) 389-TPWD Fax: (512) 389-8397 E-mail: magazine@tpwd.texas.gov ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES: S TONE W ALLACE C OMMUNICATIONS , I NC . c/o TP&W magazine 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744 Fax: (512) 389-8397 Jim Stone, Advertising Director (512) 799-1045 E-mail: jim.stone@tpwd.texas.gov SUBSCRIPTIONS: CLIFF SHACKELFORD, a lifelong Texan, has been the nongame ornithologist at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department for more than 17 years. This month, Cliff offers 12 examples of birds all Texans should know (including the northern mockingbird, the bird he’s holding). Cliff began birding at the age of 9. He reluctantly admits that in his youth a BB gun was essential to cultivating his desire to study birds, but this method is clearly not what he recommends to others! Cliff hosts a live radio show called Bird Calls, which airs on National Public Radio’s Red River Radio, field- ing a variety of questions about birds from listen- ers. He and his family live in Nacogdoches. for and NICK Register KOTZ, author a reporter of six books, the has Washington won the Post Pulitzer the Des Moines and Prize for National Reporting, the National Magazine Award, two Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Awards and eight other renowned prizes. Among his works are exposés of government corrup- tion and studies of national defense, civil rights and labor unions. Kotz’s latest book, The Harness Maker’s Dream: Nathan Kallison and the Rise of South Texas, tells the story of his Russian Jewish grandfather, who grew a one-room San Antonio saddlery into the largest ranch supply business in the Southwest and founded a ranch that became part of Government Canyon State Natural Area. (800) 937-9393 Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine (ISSN 0040-4586) is published monthly with combined issues in January/February and August/September by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, Texas 78744. The inclusion of adver- tising is considered a service to subscribers and is not an endorsement of products or concurrence with advertising claims. Copyright © 2014 by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. No part of the contents of this magazine may be reproduced by any means without the permission of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine. The magazine is not responsi- ble for the return of unsolicited materials provided for editorial consideration. SUBSCRIPTION RATE: $18/year; foreign subscription rate: $27.95/year. POST MASTER: If undeliverable, please send notices by form 3579 to Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, P.O. Box 421103, Palm Coast, FL 32142-1103. Periodicals Postage Paid at Austin, Texas, with additional mailing offices. SUBSCRIBER: If the Postal Service alerts us that your magazine is undeliverable, we have no further obligation unless we receive a corrected address within one year. Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine is edited to inform readers and to stim- ulate their enjoyment of the Texas outdoors. It reflects the many viewpoints of contributing readers, writers, photographers and illustrators. Only articles written by agency employees will always represent policies of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. S U B S C R I B E R S E R V I C E S Subscription inquiries only, please. PHONE: (800) 937-9393 7 a.m.–9:30 p.m. Monday–Friday AMOS about ROSS’ a appreciation for of birds his hobby and their of nature habitats came through combination photography and his first fishing trip to Rockport several years ago. Early-morning guided fishing excursions into the coastal bays exposed him to the beauty and diversity of myriad bird species, from hummingbirds to whooping cranes. This led him to spend more time photo- graphing birds on his ranch near Rochelle. When his brother-in-law bought him a guided birding trip with TPWD’s Cliff Shackelford, he knew he was in for a treat. Amos, who writes about the experience in this month’s 3 Days in the Field, says he was awestruck by Cliff’s knowledge of birds and by the dan- gers and beauty of the annual spring migration of birds. TEXAS PARKS & WIL D L I F E * 7 f r o m t h e p e n o f c a rt e r p. s m i t h It is a gem among gems — a sprawling, 12,000-acre state natural area nestled in the limestone hills, canyons, creeks and crevasses of northwestern Bexar County, located a proverbial stone’s throw away from downtown San Antonio. Government Canyon’s picturesque scenery, rich biological diversity, varied ter- rain and expansive views are a magnet for those who want to experience the beauty of the Hill Country with- out venturing far from a major city. But it almost wasn’t so. Named for a well-plodded route used by early explorers, Indians, ranchers, trappers, traders and, ulti- mately, U.S. military personnel in the mid-1800s traveling between forts, Government Canyon was the site of an ambitious master-planned development in the 1980s glowingly called “New Town.” With prom- ises of creating a brand-new community for up to 80,000 residents, the developers were going big. Alas, they went bust. And, like other failed projects of its kind and time, the bankrupt property ended up in the hands of the Resolution Trust Corporation, whose simple charge was to sell it off to the highest bidder. With the property’s fate far from certain, an unlikely coalition of scientists, ranchers, preservationists, historians, cave enthusiasts, philanthropists and local/state leaders emerged to save the place. What brought them there (and, candidly, what has kept us there) was the water. More specifically, the Edwards Aquifer, that massive underground, cav- ernous repository that serves as the sole source of drinking water for the city of San Antonio. With almost all of its land sitting atop the recharge zone for the Edwards Aquifer, Government Canyon, with its abundant caves, fissures, sinkholes and other karst-related features, was the perfect place to try out a time-honored strategy well known to the region’s ranch people: If you want to protect the quality of your water, protect the land around and above it. And so they did. Thanks to a series of extraordinary investments over time by the Edwards Aquifer Authority, the city of San Antonio, the San Anto- nio Water System, the Trust for Public Land, Karen and Tim Hixon, the Land and Water Conservation Fund and many others, Government Canyon State Natural Area came to be. And, in doing so, it became a model for public-private partnerships in Texas for how best to protect water by protecting land. Government Canyon’s story is a rich one, made all the more so by the people who lived, worked, ranched, explored, played and traversed there. One such family with deep connections to the place needs no intro- duction to any South Texan familiar with the farming and ranching supply trade, the Kallisons of San Anto- nio. Nathan Kallison’s grandson Nick Kotz shares with readers in these pages the storied history of his and other ranching families who long stewarded the hills and valleys of what is now Government Canyon State Natural Area. I hope you enjoy this edition of your magazine. If you enjoy history, nature, fishing, parks, birding, hunt- ing or just plain ol’ accounts about cool things and places in the Texas outdoors, there’s something here for you. Thanks for caring about our wild things and wild places. They need you now more than ever. Government Canyon’s story is a rich one, made all the more so by the people who lived, worked, ranched, explored, played and traversed there. Executive Director Texas Parks and Wildlife Department mission statement: To m a n a g e a n d c o n s e r v e t h e n a t u r a l a n d c u l t u r a l r e s o u r c e s o f Te x a s a n d t o p r o v i d e h u n t i n g , f i s h i n g and outdoor recreation opportunities for the use and enjoyment of present and future generations. 8 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 picks, pans and probes from our readers F O R E WO R D LETTERS Ever since Moses came down from the mountain with two stone tablets, MEMORIES OF DAD we have been obsessed with lists. It’s not just grocery lists or lists of last-minute came home from a long, not-pleasant things to do before vacation — we humans seemingly long to categorize and rank day wanting nothing more than a beer, just about everything under the sun. my porch and some peace and quiet. We’ve got best-dressed and worst-dressed celebrity lists, a top 100 of the Lucky for me I also found the June 2014 world’s sexiest men and the 10 most likely stars to wind up in rehab. How about issue of Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine in the the greatest movies and books of all time? mailbox. So the evening was set. Some are a little scary, like history’s worst leaders, most grue- I settled in to my chair on some mass murders and deadliest hurricanes. Most dangerous the porch for some quiet vacation spots? A beloved swimming hole in my hometown made time with my cold beer and this list recently, leading a cadre of new thrillseekers to unearth my TP&W magazine. The first an old article of mine about it and pass it around social media. thing I came across was There are memory challenge lists, too. Can you name Santa’s Carter Smith’s letter to his reindeer and all seven dwarfs? How about the Seven Wonders of dad on Page 8. I lost my own the World or the seven deadly sins? dad in the fall of ’06 to can- It’s all in the numbers, and those numbers seems to pique our cer. He was newly retired and curiosity. Among our readers, our “numbers” articles are by far enjoying all the freedoms the most widely read. Everyone wants to know about Texas’ 10 best that come with an open swimming holes or top 10 beaches. (I bet a few of you just made schedule. Mr. Smith’s letter a mental note to Google at least one of those!) to his father struck so many Of course, there are lists nobody wants to be on, like the 10 ”Thank you to all the fathers chords with me. Before I most-wanted criminals list or the endangered species list. At the who share the great outdoors knew it I had tears streaming Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, my colleagues work hard with their children.” down my face as I sat gazing every day to keep our favorite animals off that last list. One thing at the downtown skyline and RUSTY DeFOY you can do to help is to get outdoors and enjoy the state’s abun- remembered several great Austin dant wildlife yourself, whether at a state park or in your own hunting and fishing trips backyard, in a kayak or on a bike, fishing or birdwatching. The with my own dad: more you interact with nature, the more you care about wild My first big fish on my own. things and wild places. The more you care, the more you will act in ways that My first deer. My first dove downed in flight. protect habitat and wildlife. The more you act, the more your children will fol- Everyone was experienced under the watch- low suit. ful eye of my dad. And all done with humor, Take advantage of that simple logic this fall. Take friends and family along for pride and an eye toward conservation. a hike in the park, an early season dove hunt, an Indian summer swim in the So, thank you, Mr. Smith, for sharing river or a birdwatching foray in the backyard. your memories with me. And thank you And, of course, there’s a list to help with that. This month, our state for bringing some of my own to the sur- ornithologist Cliff Shackelford gives us his take on 12 birds every Texan should face. But most of all ... thank you to all know. It didn’t take long for the questions to start. Why this bird? Why not that the fathers who share the great outdoors one? You see, that’s the big fun of lists. We get to second-guess the list maker. with their children. If you’ve got an opinion on Cliff’s list, write us a note and tell us. Who knows? Rusty DeFoy Maybe you’ll inspire a whole new list next year! Austin I HOW THE DEVILS GOT ITS NAME was very interested to read Mike Cox’s “What the Devil?” article in the April issue of your magazine. What especially intrigued me was the theory, put forth by I Louie Bond, Editor 10 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 MAIL CALL Patrick Dearen, that the river was already known as the Devils River when the 1848 Jack Hays expedition had such a hard time crossing it. Reading Jack Hays’ report upon his return, it would appear that, due to a surveyor’s error, he indeed did name it. He refers to it as “a stream, which the surveyors had mistaken for the Puerco. This stream is almost as large as the Col- orado, and owing to the difficulties we had in extricating ourselves, from the deep ravines and mountains which encompass it for many miles from its mouth, we named it Devil’s river. About twenty-five miles from Devil’s river we came to the Puerco, or properly calling it, Pecos.” So it is not surprising that Samuel Maverick should then simply write, “Mouth of Devil’s river. 14.” J. Marie Bassett Driftwood GAWKING AT GRACKLES had always considered grackles as only city birds until I lived on Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge along the coast. I THE TIME OF THE TURKEY Even then I considered them the same nuisance bird despite knowing that there were multiple species. Thanks to your article (“Streetwise,” June 2014), I find the subtle differences fascinating. Angelika Fuller Houston SPIDERS GLOW, TOO e just read the article by Dale Weisman in the June 2014 Texas Parks & Wildlife (“Fearsome, Fascinating, Fluorescent”). The article was most enjoyable, but has a possible error about fluorescent arachnids in which he states, “Scorpions are the only arachnids known to fluo- resce under black light.” My wife and I just returned from Ecuador’s rainforest experimenting with a new UV light that will be used for underwater photography. About the only thing we did find that would fluo- resce were spiders. Barry & Ruth Guimbellot Dallas W was recently introduced to Joe Hutto’s Illumination in the Flatwoods: A Season With the Wild Turkey, a fine piece of literature recounting a season spent in the wild with these birds. If we could convince more people to read these types of journals, per- haps species reintroduction as written about in the May issue (“Return of the Turkeys”) would become unnecessary. As with other aspects of the natural world, “We have met the enemy, and the enemy is us.” Jeri Porter West Lake Hills I Sound off for Mail Call Let us hear from you! Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine welcomes letters from our readers. Please include your name, address and daytime telephone number. Write to us at Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine, 4200 Smith School Road, Austin, TX 78744. Fax us at 512-389-8397. Email us at magazine@tpwd.state.tx.us We reserve the right to edit letters for length and clarity. TEXAS PARKS & WILDL I F E * 11 NEWS AND VIEWS IN THE TEXAS OUTDOORS DIGITAL DRAWING Public hunt drawing system goes paperless. Online Public Hunt Drawing Overview Effective with this summer’s applications, the Texas 12 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 the application forms, enter the information manually into a computer database and account for the funds, and, once the drawings took place, mail out a notification letter to selected hunters, who would then have to mail back the per- mit fee for the drawn hunt and wait for TPWD to process it and mail back the permit. “It was like we were conducting business with a rotary phone and a manual typewriter — not very efficient or cost- effective,” says Linda Campbell, TPWD public hunting program director. Beginning this summer, applications will be accepted online only; no “Applications for Drawings on Public Hunting Lands” booklets or application forms were printed PHOTO BY TPWD Parks and Wildlife Department’s popular public hunt draw- ings will be online only. The Public Hunt Drawing System offers affordable hunt- ing experiences in more than two dozen different hunt cat- egories, including eight specifically for youth. Hunts are offered on TPWD-managed lands as well as specially leased private properties. The old process involved mailing an application booklet to hunters, who would thumb through the catalog and select which hunts to apply for and then clip out a paper applica- tion form, fill it out and mail it back with the application fees to TPWD. Department staff would have to sort through The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s new online process for public hunt drawings will give hunters more time and more RIGHT PHOTO BY EARL NOTTINGHAM / TPWD ; LEFT PHOTO BY CHASE A. FOUNTAIN / TPWD choices than the old system. and mailed out. With the new paperless system, hunters can browse the drawn hunt catalog by category and location using interactive maps, then complete the application and pay online. Selected applicants will be notified by email and can accept permits and pay any fees online. Permits will be issued by email and can be printed at home or stored on a mobile device. Those applicants who are not selected may still be eligible through a secondary drawing if any permits are unclaimed by the payment deadline. There may still be opportunities for traditional standby hunts at some locations. In addition to now allowing people to apply for multiple hunt areas within the same hunt category, the online sys- tem will give hunters more time to apply. Application deadlines start in August and wrap up in January. Applicants will have until midnight on the day of the deadline to apply. Applicants can choose a preferred hunt date and location from hunt areas stretching across the state. Hunts encompass a wide range of game, from white-tailed deer to feral hogs to a prized desert bighorn sheep. There’s even a provision for hunting buddies to apply as a group — in some cases up to four hunters can apply together on one application. Nonrefundable application fees for drawn special permit hunts are $3-10 for each adult applicant 17 years of age or older. Selected adult hunters pay an additional permit fee of $80 for regu- lar hunts and $130 for extended hunts. There are no application fees or drawn hunt permit fees for youths age 8 to 16. There are no application fees for the e- postcard hunt or the U.S. Forest Service antlerless deer permits. Applicants will also retain and con- tinue to accrue preference points, now called loyalty points, as in the past. Points will stay with the category and be applied to each application equally. The new online-only system began accepting electronic applications in July for 2014-15 drawn hunts, includ- ing special permit hunts, e-postcard hunts and U.S. Forest Service antler- less deer permits. For more information about TPWD’s new online drawing system, visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/drawnhunts. * — Steve Lightfoot TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE * 13 Good News for Bats No evidence of deadly white-nose syndrome found in Texas. White-nose syndrome has affected bats across the eastern U.S. 16 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 from a similar but harmless fungus. This was the only possible occurrence of WNS in Oklahoma, so the state has now been removed from the list of areas with confirmed or suspected WNS. The nearest confirmed occurrence is now in north-central Arkansas. Despite these glimmers of hope for Texas bats, WNS, first noticed in 2007 in New York, has since been confirmed in 25 states and five Canadian provinces. In some caves, 90-100 percent of the bats have died from the disease. Although the origin of the fungus is unknown, it has also been found in parts of Europe. There is no known cure at this time, though research is ongoing. Bats play a crucial role in the envi- ronment through consuming insects, pollinating plants and dispersing seeds. Some species of bats can con- sume as many as 1,000 insects an hour. Many of the insects eaten by bats consume agricultural plants. Researchers have estimated that bats in the United States save farmers nearly $4 billion annually in prevented crop damage and reduced pesticide costs. TPWD will continue to work with partner agencies and organizations to monitor Texas caves for WNS. * — Jonah Evans PHOTO COURTESY OF RYAN VON LINDEN / NEW YORK DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION Recent surveys in Texas for white- nose syndrome, a devastating fungal disease that has killed more than 6 mil- lion bats across eastern North America, found no evidence of the disease in the state. Bat Conservation International con- ducted the surveys through a grant from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Depart- ment and in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the University of California at Santa Cruz. Samples to test for the presence of the fungus that causes WNS were taken from caves in parts of the Texas Panhandle, a region thought to be the most susceptible to harboring the dis- ease. The tested caves were in Childress, Cottle and Hardeman counties. BCI biologists swabbed cave walls and individual bats for the fungus. The majority of bats sampled were cave myotis, though Townsend’s big- eared bats, tri-colored bats and big brown bats were also encountered. The Texas testing is part of a larger national effort to monitor the spread of WNS as it continues to move west- ward across the United States. In addition, a sample from Oklahoma that preliminary tests indicated was pos- itive for the fungus responsible for caus- ing WNS has now been confirmed to be P THIS Finding a New Angle Flip-out screens on cameras add flexibility and convenience to photographic endeavors. One of the easiest things a photographer can do to add Lying on the ground isn’t necessary anymore to get that good angle (above). Flip-out LCD screens (right), also called vari-angle or articu- lated screens, allow photographers to take photos more easily from any position. They’re also convenient for shooting “selfies.” 18 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 your face, at ground level in order to compose an ant’s-eye view looking up through flowers. It is equally difficult to shoot from high viewpoints such as over a crowd or a fence. Enter the photographer’s new friend — the flip-out LCD (liquid crystal display) screen found on many current digital cameras. While these types of screens have been common for many years on consumer-level and professional video cam- eras, they have only recently become popular on still cameras, largely because of the inclusion of video capabilities. Also called vari-angle or articulated screens, they rotate around a hinge or pivot, allowing the photographer to view FLOWER PHOTO BY EARL NOTTINGHAM / TPWD; CAMERA COURTESY OF MANUFACTURER interest to any scene is to photograph it from a nontradition- al angle — in other words, a perspective from which we don’t normally expect to see it. Most of the time, unfortunately, we tend to take the easy approach and shoot from a standing upright position at eye level, the realm where most snapshots (yawn) are taken. Finding that nontraditional angle might involve getting the camera down very low and shooting upward, or very high, shooting down. However, getting into those positions is often easier said than done. It’s not easy planting your camera, and the screen from a variety of positions, independent of the direction in which the lens is pointed — whether tilted up or down or at almost any angle. For instance, the camera can be placed on the ground with the flip-out screen angled up for easy viewing, or can be held high overhead with the screen angled down, a definite plus for some- one with limited mobility. The sleuth can now shoot around corners by angling the screen outward, while the “selfie” aficionado can rotate the screen toward the front of the camera – admiring that perfect pose. The flip-out screen also helps when shooting stills and video from a tripod by freeing up the photographer from having to constantly bend over to look through a viewfinder. Some even incorporate touch screens, which make access to menus and functions even easier. After shooting, the screen can be protected from damage by clos- ing it with the LCD side rotated toward the inside of the camera. Most users will just leave the screen “parked” in its normal viewing position where it will look and function like any other nonarticulated screen. One Achilles heel of the flip-out screen is the hinge or pivot, which can be accidentally broken if excess force is applied to the screen. Undoubtedly, camera makers will make these mecha- nisms more robust in future designs. For now, be careful about carrying the cam- era around with the screen extended. As you can see, the ability to place the camera in previously difficult loca- tions opens up a new way of seeing for the creative photographer. In fact, I take a compact point-and-shoot cam- era with a flip-out screen along on assignments and many times find that it is my go-to camera for images that oth- erwise would be very difficult, if not impossible, to obtain. Check out an articulated screen for yourself. It may just be the tool you need to take your photography to new levels. — Earl Nottingham Please send questions and comments to Earl at earl.nottingham@tpwd.state.tx.us. For more tips on outdoor photography, visit the magazine’s photography page at www.tpwmagazine.com/photography. TEXAS PARKS & WILDL I F E * 19 Purple Pineapples Bumblebee-attracting eryngo brightens late-summer fields. 20 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 Bumblebees and other insects love the purple blooms of eryngo, a native that adds color to Texas prairies. time. Hung upside-down and dried, they’ll last even longer. Plants left in the ground to complete their life cycle will turn brown as seeds mature, usually four to six weeks after the stamens emerge. Seeds are long and narrow and quite small, measuring about 2 millimeters from tip to tip. Some are eaten by songbirds, but they usually drop a few in the process. Some fall naturally from the drying heads or get scattered when a field is mowed. Where eryngo blooms this fall, it’s likely that some of its offspring will be around to brighten the prairie next year. * — Dyanne Fry Cortez PHOTO BY MICHAEL WARRINER / TPWD In late summer, when spring wildflowers have gone to seed and grasses fade to colors of rust and dust, eryngo brightens fields and meadows with deep-purple flower heads. Borne on branching stalks up to 3 feet high, the blooms look like miniature pineapples with rings of spiky, leaf-like bracts at the top and bottom. In full flower, this annual plant is hard to miss. I’ve admired eryngo since my high school days. In that sad season when I had to put away my flip-flops and go back to class, those tough- but-lovely flowers came along to cheer me up. Back then, not knowing the plant’s true name, I called it “Nancy’s thistle” in honor of a feisty friend whose favorite color was purple. In fact, Eryngium leavenworthii is not a thistle. True thistles are in the aster family, along with daisies and sunflowers. Eryngo, by contrast, belongs to the carrot family. It’s related to cel- ery, parsnips and several plants from the herb garden including fennel, parsley, coriander, caraway and dill. It’s also a distant cousin of the annoying hedgeparsley (called “beggar’s lice” or “tickseed” in some parts of Texas), whose fuzzy gray fruits cling to socks and shoelaces. Many well-known plants in the parsley family came to North America from other countries, but eryngo is native. It grows wild on plains and prairies, brandishing its purple “pineapples” across central and north-central Texas and into the Midwestern states. The Latin name honors Melines Conklin Leavenworth, a U.S. Army surgeon and field botanist who collected and described this species in the 1800s. In a field with other vegetation, eryngo isn’t especially noticeable until it blooms. Seedlings emerge in spring, forming taproots and strong hollow stems by mid-July. The leaves are spiky like the flower bracts, with three to five sharp- pointed lobes and bases that clasp the stem. Developing flower heads are silver-green like the foliage. When they change color in late August or September, the whole plant turns purple. Viewed up close, the flower head is a cluster of tiny flowers arranged in diagonal rows. Individual flowers are guarded by small bracts, miniature versions of the conspicuous spikes at both ends of the cluster. Each flower has five petals and five pollen-bearing stamens with bright blue anthers, opening first in the lower ranks and progressing upward. Deer seldom molest this prickly plant, but insects love the purple blooms. Eryngo is an important food source for native bumblebees. It flowers just as new queens prepare for winter hibernation, storing energy that will keep them alive and able to found new colonies in the spring. Eryngo blossoms are good for flower arrangements. Picked in full bloom, they’ll keep their shape and color for some TEXAS PARKS & WILD L I F E * 21 Tiny Monsters Skeleton shrimp lurk in the shallows off the Texas coast. Ever find yourself jumping in your seat when a fascinating yet hor- rible monster pops out on the movie screen? Even though you cover your eyes, you still venture a peek between fingers to get another glimpse. Real animals often serve as models for some of Hollywood’s scariest inventions. It wouldn’t be surprising if a certain type of amphipod — small crustaceans found along the Texas coast — inspired man-eating aliens in a series of blockbusters. Even its name is scary: skeleton shrimp. Skeleton shrimp, a small, unusu- al group of amphipods, are not really shrimp at all. Shrimp have 10 pairs of legs, but most amphipods have only seven (certain skeleton shrimp have as few as five). With a long, stick-like body and large claw- like appendages (gnathopods), skeleton shrimp look like the translucent offspring of an aquatic SPECIAL D I G I T A L E X T R A Online only! Coming late August. www.tpwmagazine.com 22 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 PHOTOS © SETH PATTERSON TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE MAGAZINE FALL HUNTING SPECIAL praying mantis and a walking stick. If you want to search Texas beaches for these living monsters, bring a magnifying glass. Of the nine species of skeleton shrimp recorded from Texas coastal waters, the largest are only about one inch long; the small- est, less than a quarter-inch long. Aside from their small size, skele- ton shrimp are masters of disguise. They use their hind legs to grasp onto their favorite substrate, and then allow their bodies, antennae and remaining appendages to wave in the water, blending in like a small piece of algae. They can be found attached to a variety of surfaces, including mangrove roots, eel grass, floating debris and the sargassum that washes up on beaches. Depending on the species, skeleton shrimp feed on a variety of material, including detritus (a mixture of living and dead plant and algal material and microorganisms), plants, algae and small animals, including other skele- ton shrimp. Despite their terrifying close-ups, they are much too small to pose any threat to people. When piles of sargassum make fishing on the beach difficult, put down your pole and collect a small bucket of the stuff. Look closely and find the eerie world of skeleton shrimp, perched like their bony namesakes in a forest neighborhood of odd residents. Pull out your magnifying glass or zoom your camera in for a closer look at what might be the next Hollywood monster. * — Ben Hutchins TEXAS PARKS & WILD L I F E * 23 West Texas Meets Hill Country South Llano River State Park offers water, woods and wildlife. South Llano River State Park isn’t appreciated for many years. In 1910, Walter White Buck Sr. bought the land that is now part of South Llano River State Park. A successful retired jew- eler, Buck moved his family in hopes of in Llano. It’s not just a pit stop along Interstate 10, either. South Llano River State Park is a destination with something to do for all ages, and its beauty has been SIGHTS & SOUNDS TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE TV AND RADIO T E L E V I S I O N LOOK FOR THESE STORIES IN THE COMING WEEKS: Lake; lift, drift, pole, troll; TPWD photogra- pher; public hunting. Sept. 7–13: Turkey calls; Mother Neff State Park; fiddler crabs; warden work; striped bass science. Aug. 10–16: Texas growth from above; bighorn sheep Sept. 14–20: relocation; wood ducks; Lake Somerville; Protecting seagrass; Lake Casa Blanca; whooping cranes. South Llano paddling; Aug. 17–23: Guadalupe bass; Angler Ed Parten; symbols of Texas. Balmorhea sunset; Sept. 21–27: outdoor educator; Kickapoo Cavern; Att- environmental water’s last dance; enforcement team. radio teamwork; a day Aug. 24–30: at the beach; tarpon Alligator hunt; gator research. chili relleno recipe; fall Sept. 28–Oct. 4: colors; life in a state Restoring coastal park; leave no trace. prairies; beneath the Aug. 31–Sept. 6: surface of Texas; Lake Woodpecker search; Livingston State Park; family photo at Inks deer feeding in a field. 24 It's a hot, muggy afternoon in an East Texas marsh, and we tag along on an alligator hunt at the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area. Watch the week of Aug. 24-30. * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 T E X A S PA R K S & W I L D L I F E Winner of 12 Emmy Awards, our television series is broadcast throughout Texas on local PBS affiliates. In stereo with closed captions. www.tpwd.state.tx.us/tv YOUR RADIO GUIDE TO THE GREAT OUTDOORS Passport to Texas is your guide to the great Texas outdoors. Any time you tune in, you’ll remember why you love Texas. Go to www.passporttotexas.org to find a station near you that airs the series. PHOTOS THIS PAGE BY EARL NOTTINGHAM / TPWD; OPPOSITE BY CHASE A. FOUNTAIN / TPWD Aug. 3–9: Youth on target; pro anglers on Lake Fork; youth ambassadors; McKittrick rocks; purple martins. finding a drier climate for his ailing son, Stroud. While Stroud passed away a year later, it was his other son, Walter Jr., who became devoted to the land as he and his father became ranchers. In fact, Walter Jr. never married and claimed that the land was his one great love. Perhaps he enjoyed the shaded pecan and buckeye bottomlands, the abundant wildlife or the clear waters of the South Llano River. The South Llano River is spring-fed, so its constant flow makes it a fun year- round destination. Beat the summer heat by renting one of the park’s inner tubes or bring your kayak or canoe to experi- ence six miles along the official Texas paddling trail that runs through the state park. The river attracts abundant wildlife, so you don’t have to look far to catch a glimpse of a critter. Keep your eyes open for white-tailed deer, armadil- los and jackrabbits. If you’re lucky, you may spot porcupines or ringtails. The river also supports quality fishing oppor- tunities for several species of sunfish, cat- fish and bass, including the official state fish of Texas, Guadalupe bass. Some of the main features of the park, however, are for the birds. “We have four bird-viewing blinds that are great places to see the diverse number of birds found in the park, especially during migration,” says park ranger Bertha Schmalfeldt. “The blinds are easy to reach. We have bird books and binoculars in each one, so they’re Opposite page: Bird-viewing blinds give visitors a chance to observe feathered friends; the South Llano River offers good fishing. This page: The spring-fed river proves inviting for kayakers and swimmers. fun for all ages.” If you visit the park from Oct. 1 to March 31, you’ll notice that the pecan bottomland area is open only from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. For more than 100 years, many generations of turkeys have been roosting there, and because they are easily disturbed, the park protects this area. However, it’s open during the midday hours, and there are many other sites in the park to visit. Walter Buck Jr.’s love of the land led him to donate it to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in 1977. As you experience the park, see if you can spot the historical structures that tell the story of ranching and remember the legacy that Buck left for us to enjoy. South Llano River State Park offers interpretive programs, camping, hik- ing, biking, picnicking, wildlife watching, fishing, tubing, swimming, kayaking, stargazing and more. To reach the park, follow Interstate 10 to Junction, and then go south on U.S. Highway 377 for five miles to Park Road 73. For more information, go to www.tpwd.state.tx.us/southllanoriver or call (325) 446-3994. * — Tara Humphreys TEXAS PARKS & WILDL I F E * 25 SKILL BUILDER / burnie kessner Choosing Arrows Safety is the key to material selection for beginners. In archery, selecting the correct arrow is key to safety and success. The beginning target archer needs a good general-use arrow. Different materials, lengths and strengths are available. How do you know what to choose? Materials . Arrows are made from aluminum, wood, fiberglass or carbon. Aluminum arrows are more user- friendly and are safer for beginners because they won’t splinter and are more easily repaired. Although they may seem more expensive in the begin- ning, aluminum arrows may actually cost less over time. As long as the shaft is straight, the nocks, fletching (tradi- tionally, feathers) and tips can be replaced. For these reasons, major youth archery programs such as the National Archery in the Schools Program use only aluminum arrows. Wood, fiberglass and carbon are good materials for arrows, but they can become dangerous if damaged arrows are shot. These materials should be used only by experienced archers who know how to look for splinters. Regardless of the arrow material, always inspect all parts of your arrows before and after shooting them. Never * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 Many factors come into play when selecting the right arrow for archery, including arrow strength and length. Fletching . For fletching, a solid plastic fletching or vane is great. Arrows typically come with three vanes. The vanes can be anywhere from 2 to 3 inches long. A vane may become damaged over time and can be repaired with a new vane, a fletching jig and some fletch- ing glue. Refletching arrows is not complicated but can be frustrating. Strictly follow the directions on the glue, jig and fletching/vane package. There are many great videos and tips on the Internet that can shorten your learning curve for repairing fletching on arrows. Nocks . Arrow nocks for most alu- minum arrows are push-in type nocks and can be easily changed if damaged. Simply pull out the old nock and insert a new one. The post of the new nocks will need to be the same thickness as the old nocks to fit properly. Also, the gap in the nock will need to be the correct size to snap tight on the center serving of the bow string. The lowdown . For beginning archers, use aluminum arrows (1516 to 1816) and a bow with a draw weight of 20 to 30 pounds. A slightly stronger bow with a 40- to 60-pound draw weight would require a stronger arrow, 1816 to 2016. Detailed arrow charts can be found on most manufacturer websites. Better yet, visit your local archery shop, where bow technicians and experts are always eager to help. * PHOTOS BY CHASE A. FOUNTAIN / TPWD 26 shoot a damaged arrow. Length . If an arrow is too short for the archer’s draw length, it could cause an injury to the bow hand, bow arm or more. To determine the right length for an arrow, an archer must determine his or her draw length. Typically, at full draw the arrow should be one inch longer than the front of the arrow rest for target shooting. Your arrow length will be longer than your draw length. (Hunters may want even longer arrows to keep the broadhead farther from their bow hand.) Websites such as www.discoverarchery.org and www.archery360.com have helpful tips for measuring draw length. Strength . The strength of an arrow, also called spine, is based on the size and type of material. Spine refers to the stiffness or amount of deflection (bend) of an arrow in flight. The spine or bend of an arrow is affected by both the material used and the thickness of the arrow. A “skinny” arrow will bend more, while a “fatter” arrow will be stronger and harder to bend. Aluminum arrows have different diameters (written in variables of 1/64 of an inch), and the wall of the alu- minum shaft comes in different thick- nesses (written in 1/1000 of an inch). The diameter and thickness are usually written on the shaft of the arrow using four numbers. The first two numbers describe the diameter, and the second two describe the wall thickness. So, a 1214 size arrow will have a diameter of 12/64 of an inch and a wall thickness of 14/1000 of an inch. Typically, alu- minum arrow sizes range from 1214 (skinny) to 2712 (fat). The arrow needs to be strong enough to be used in the bow. If an arrow is too weak for the bow it could break. Tips . The weight of the tip affects the overall weight, which affects the arrow’s speed. For target shooting, a 60- to 100-grain target tip will work just fine. More versatile arrow tips will have a threaded insert so that the tip can be easily changed. 3 Days in the Field / By Amos Ross with Louie Bond DESTINATION: UPPER TEXAS COAST T R A V E L T I M E F R O M : A AUSTIN – 3.75 hours / BROWNSVILLE – 6.5 hours / DALLAS – 4.5 hours HOUSTON – 1.25 hours / SAN ANTONIO – 4 hours / LUBBOCK – 9 hours / EL PASO – 11.5 hours Lifted Up Birding on the coast with experts proves transformational for two rookies. great egret watches over her young at the Rookery at Smith Oaks on High Island. Each spring, the upper Texas coast 28 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 Galveston, Chambers and Jefferson. Jamie purchased the guided trip at a fundraising auction as a Christmas gift, but we had no idea what lay in store for us. Jamie is a San Angelo area rancher, and I am a dentist in Fort Worth, but for three days we left our day jobs behind and it was all about birds. By day, we traveled from woodlots to coastal marshes to ferries. By night, Cliff shared his restaurant expertise, guiding us to famous local Cajun restaurants and regaling us with local lore. Cliff, Jamie and I met in Port Arthur in mid-April, right in the middle of spring migration. We chat- ted a while, then went to bed early. Cliff told us that “the early bird gets the worm,” so we rose in the dark and headed out to the woodlots full of excitement and anticipated adventure. “Coastal woodlots during migration are basically gas stations for refueling by woodland birds,” Cliff explained to us. “There are only a few of these on the upper Texas coast, so they’ll be full of birds.” Woodlots contain oak trees planted more than 100 years ago as early set- tlers tried to tame the coastal plain. These tree oases, with their under- growth of bushes and vines, offer the birds safe haven. Our first stop was the Boy Scout Woods, 60 acres of woods, coastal prairie and wetlands owned by PHOTOS BY EARL NOTTINGHAM is transformed into a bird paradise. Birds from South and Central America cross the Gulf of Mexico, flying north to cooler climates in a race for the best breeding sites in North America, and they stop here for rest and sustenance. The variety of species and sheer num- bers of winged travelers are dazzling, if you know where to look. My brother-in-law Jamie Huffman and I were rookie birders, but we found a way to up our game. We brought along our own “ringer” — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department ornithologist Cliff Shackelford. During a three-day period, Cliff helped us identify 162 different species of birds in three counties: Clockwise from top left: Cliff Shackelford (with scope) helps Jamie Huffman and Amos Ross spot birds at Bolivar Peninsula; the birders take an airboat ride at J.D. Murphree Wildlife Manage- ment Area near Port Arthur; the seafood is piled high at Sartin’s Seafood in Nederland; a roseate spoonbill takes flight at the Rookery at Smith Oaks. Houston Audubon on the famous birder’s paradise, High Island. High Island is the top of a salt dome, cov- ered with ancient trees and conse- quently 30 feet higher than the surrounding terrain, easily seen from far out in the Gulf by incoming birds. The property was officially named the Louis B. Smith Bird Sanctuary in 1982. (The name Boy Scout Woods comes from a scout camp that once existed on the property.) At the Rookery at Smith Oaks, just a few blocks away, we found roseate spoonbills, snowy and great egrets, neotropic cormorants and tricolored herons, nesting and raising young by the hundreds. Three to four nestlings per nest fight for room and food. They push, peck and dominate the weaker birds, which sometimes fall right out of the nest, to the delight of the alligators waiting below. It was a little painful to watch, but it also taught us a lesson about our own human spirit. We humans often rise above this basic survival urge and care for the younger and weaker among us. But I think the birds rise above us in that they give their all to mate and reproduce in order to propagate their species, while we can be more self- serving in our pursuits. At first, having driven through a neighborhood-type setting, I wasn’t sure if I needed to bring my camera with me. However, just inside the gate we were thrilled to realize that birds were every- where. Needless to say, I ran back to the car and retrieved my camera. Cliff is a master who has perfected his craft. He helped us identify the species by their calls and songs, behavior, habitat and color. There was no end to his expertise in recognizing so many different species of birds. As they do in the tropical jungles of South and Central America, different birds adapt to different microhabitats in these woodlots. Some reside in the understory, like the hooded warbler with its bright yel- low Lone Ranger mask and the oven- bird with its chicken-like bobbing. Some birds — like the summer, scarlet and western tanagers — congregate in the trees to feed on ripening mulber- ries and insects. We were surprised and pleased when Cliff told us that the western tanager was a rare sighting in this area. We witnessed summer tan- agers dive-bombing a huge beehive and feeding on the bees as they fled. Above us were the birds of prey, broad-winged hawks and swallow- tailed kites. Each bird had its little part to play in this symphony of nature. Cliff knew them all like old friends, so he regaled us with stories about their lives, where they came from and where they were headed. By the end of the day, we were exhausted and starving, so we headed to Al-T’s in Winnie for a Cajun feast. We happened to bump into Cliff’s friends, Sid Gauthreaux and his wife, Carroll Belser. Both are world- renowned bird migration experts from Clemson University, so we lis- tened in fascination as we enjoyed our crawfish etouffée. We headed for bed gratefully, as we faced another early alarm clock. Day Two found us exploring the J.D. Murphree Wildlife Management Area near Port Arthur. (The WMA was kind enough to let us use its bunkhouse as part of the auction package.) While Jamie and I had long since realized the blessing of having Cliff’s knowledge to guide us, this day brought another expert into the fold, WMA manager Jim Sutherlin. Our airboat driver, natural resource specialist Andrew Peters, carefully navigated the maze of marshland and alligators. Jim’s per- sonal tour through much of the 25,000-acre wildlife area showed us the effects of the ebb and flow of nature. Jim described all the efforts made to preserve this special place. For us, it seemed to be alive with TEXAS (Continued on Page 52) PARKS & WILD L I F E * 29 12 BIRDS EVERY TEXAN SHOULD KNOW 30 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 A SHORT STARTER LIST FOR THOSE WHO LONG TO PUT A NAME WITH A BEAK. EveryTexan Red-tailed hawk BY CLIFF SHACKELFORD TEXAS PARKS & WILDL I F E * 31 PHOTO © BILL DRAKER / ROLFNUSSBAUMER.COM is familiar with icons like the Alamo and the state Capitol, but how many of our feathered friends can you identify? Northern cardi- nal, blue jay, grackle … Those are pretty easy, but there are so many more! Birding is one of the fastest-growing out- door activities in the U.S. With 639 species of birds documented in Texas, things really are bigger and better here in the Lone Star State. Birding in Texas is year-round, thanks to our location and diverse eco- regions, and can be rewarding in every corner of the state. TPWD’s wildlife trails (www.tpwd.state.tx.us/huntwild/wildlife /wildlife-trails) make it easier than ever to find the best birding hot spots. Learning to identify all our state’s birds can be a daunting task, so here’s a list that’s been trimmed down to some of the more ubiquitous and easily seen species. So, armed with this starter list and a helpful birding guidebook and a pair of binoculars, head out to your yard and see how many you can spot and identify. Once you’ve conquered your own little patch of green, try it at a state park. Bring family and friends and turn it into a con- test. You’ll find being bird-brained is fun for everyone. NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD. Such a list, of course, has to 1 PHOTO © ROLF NUSSBAUMER / ROLFNUSSBAUMER.COM RED-TAILED HAWK. 2 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 PHOTO © LARRY DITTO 32 begin with the state bird of Texas. This gray and white bird makes up for its drab appearance with a voice that could compete in any singing competition. The Latin name (Mimus polyglottos), which translates loosely to “the many- tongued mimic,” really sums up this songster. Instead of singing its own song, this bird performs like a tribute band playing an original band’s song note for note. A seasoned male mocking- bird can sing the songs of dozens of other species found nearby and make a variety of other vocalizations, from frog sounds to car alarms. Known colloquially as the “chick- en hawk,” this large raptor can be seen in just about any open habi- tat, with numbers reaching their peak in Texas during the cold win- ter months. Often seen sitting on a commanding perch along our highways, the hawks look as if they’re watching traffic pass by when, in fact, the grassy medians support lots of tasty rodents. This fondness for rodents makes them good neighbors for us. Instead of red, look on the top of the tail for more of a terracotta-orange color. While it’s perched, two of its best features are often visible on many but not all individuals: a dark belly-band across its white underparts and the messy white blotches on an otherwise choco- late-colored back. GREAT BLUE HERON. 3 PHOTO © SETH PATTERSON More old-timers refer to this species as a “blue crane,” but this heron is not related to cranes. This tall wetland inhabitant will hunt for fish, frogs, crayfish and the like in just about any creek, pond, lake or roadside ditch. With an overall grayish color, this bird does have hints of blue-gray here and there. In flight, the great blue heron might conjure up beliefs that pterodactyls still fly our friendly skies. When waters freeze in winter, don’t expect these birds to chip away at the ice. Instead, watch them switch to dry upland settings in search of rodents. Who knows, maybe a switch from slimy fish to furry rats every now and then breaks the monotony! BARN SWALLOW. 4 PHOTO © LARRY DITTO Some call it the “mud swallow” because it builds open, cup- shaped nests from mud on bridges, culverts, porches and patios. If a nest shows up on your front porch, you might have to deal with occasional dive-bombs from a protective parent and a small pile of poop you’ll have to wash off. These aerial insectivores are good neighbors, though, since they eat a lot of our yard’s pesky insects; in some cultures, it’s a sign of good luck if the nesting birds select your home. Watch for their deeply forked tail and, when the sunlight hits them just right, a beautiful iri- descence of dark blue-purple on the head, back and tail. There are two other mud-nesting swallows in Texas, the cliff and cave swallows, but neither has a forked tail. Also, the cliff swallow sets itself apart in terms of architectural design with a gourd-shaped mud nest. TEXAS PARKS & WILD L I F E * 33 TURKEY VULTURE. 5 PHOTO © RUTH HOYT Early American settlers from Europe confused this carrion eater with the “buzzard” back home, but the two aren’t alike. Though the name “buzzard” is used in other parts of the world for hawks, it refuses to be erased from our vocabulary for vultures. When soaring, this vulture has a silvery tinge to the trailing edge of the entire wing. When they’re feasting on roadkill, notice their milk chocolate coloration and, in adults, a red featherless head. Only a mother could love a face like that. There is another species of vulture in Texas: the black vul- ture. The black vulture sports a gray featherless head and is dark black. During flight, black vultures also have the silvery tinge to their wings but only on the outer tips. If we didn’t have vultures, our road- ways would soon be overrun with smelly, unsightly roadkill. 6 were named for its vocalization, like this one? A resounding “kill- dee, kill-dee, kill-dee” can be heard not only in natural settings, but also in ball fields and parking lots. In flight, watch for the fiery orange rump and pointy wings and, when perched, watch for two distinctive black bands across the breast resembling wide neck- laces. If you approach one and find it limping away with a drooped wing and loud cries, know that you’re being duped. This action — called feigning — is designed to lure you away from a nearby ground nest or nestlings, so tread lightly. 34 PHOTO © ROLF NUSSBAUMER / ROLFNUSSBAUMER.COM KILLDEER. be it if every bird How great would * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 HOUSE SPARROW. native to the This species is not 7 PHOTO © LARRY DITTO Western Hemisphere. Introduced more than a century ago, it has spread from Alaska to Argentina and all points in between, includ- ing Texas. Our state’s first sighting was in Galveston in 1867. If there are a few houses or grain silos around, there will be house spar- rows. They’re actually weaver finches; folks who have found their bulky nests constructed of wispy grasses can attest to this. Purple martin landlords who aren’t monitoring their nest boxes can get overrun with these pesky sparrows. The male has a black goatee; the female is very dull and plain, but her pale eyebrow is readily seen. In urban settings, this is the expected sparrow in parking lots, often gathering into huge, noisy roosts each evening. BROWN- HEADED COWBIRD. 8 PHOTO © ROLF NUSSBAUMER / ROLFNUSSBAUMER.COM This bird evolved with the ever- moving herds of bison, and the constant moving never allowed it to settle down and raise a family. So it developed a habit of dump- ing its eggs into the nests of unsuspecting foster parents. Now they follow livestock, bringing them closer to a wider array of foster parents. This creates con- servation concerns for other bird species. The cowbird’s name makes sense once you’ve spotted a male with a shiny-black body and flat-brown head. The female, however, doesn’t have the same paint job. She has no streaks, no spots, no speckles, no bling — just one shade of earth-tone, grayish- brown. Watch for them to attack your seed feeder or cruise through a mowed lawn. TEXAS PARKS & WILDL I F E * 35 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. 9 Female Male PHOTOS BY CHASE A. FOUNTAIN / TPWD EURASIAN COLLARED- DOVE. 10 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 PHOTO © LARRY DITTO 36 In springtime, no other bird is more noticeable or recognizable than the male red-winged black- bird. He sports striking epaulets of crimson red against a glossy black body. The female, though, has a completely different appearance. Heavily streaked and looking like a jumbo-sized spar- row (which is the section of the bird book where many new bird- ers look to identify her), she is likely the most misidentified bird in our state. Look for her notice- able pale eyebrow and that blackbird-like bill. She’s often in flocks with other females of her kind, and, in the breeding season, she becomes one of her mate’s many girlfriends; he maintains a harem, which he fiercely guards and protects. This non-native dove first arrived in Texas via Texarkana in 1995 and quickly spread throughout the state. In urban settings, watch for a large pale dove with a black ring around the collar. More impor- tantly, open your ears to the incessant cooing sounds of these doves, as they are prolific singers. A unique vocalization they make as they’re taking flight or about to land is reminiscent of a loud kitty’s meow. If you spot them at the seed feeder, you’ll see that these doves are larger than their native cousins, the white-winged and mourning doves. The collared dove has taken the place of the paler, ringed turtle-dove, another non-native dove, and appears to be calling Texas home for a long time to come. AMERICAN COOT. 11 PHOTO © LARRY DITTO I don’t think it’s a compliment to be called an “old coot,” but it’s OK to spot some on a nearby lake or reservoir. Since this bird needs a running start in order to take off from the water, it doesn’t hang out in small bodies of water. If you find one there, it’s usually an indication that inclement weather grounded the bird and the runway is too short for it to take off again. Commonly occurring in rafts, or large floating flocks of birds, this all-dark bird has a pale white bill and feeds on aquatic organisms and vegetation. This species, no relation to ducks, pours into Texas during fall to spend the winter months where water doesn’t freeze, but watch for most to head north in spring. Some stick around throughout the year and raise a family. The young look similar in shape but have a whitish head that distinguishes them from mom and dad. CATTLE referred EGRET. Sometimes to as “cow 12 PHOTO BY TOMMY SNOW / TPWD birds” for their fondness of following cattle, these birds are fairly new to Texas, making their debut here in 1955 on Mustang Island. They fol- low cattle because, while walking or grazing, big bovines flush insects hiding in the grass. Those insects are precisely what the egret desires. The egret is not plucking ticks off the hides of livestock, a common misbelief. During the breeding season, watch for straw- colored patches of feathers on the head, breast and back of these oth- erwise white birds. These birds seek refuge in numbers. Their commu- nal nesting colonies, called rook- eries (or, more correctly, heronries), can be very large, with nests num- bering in the thousands and often mixed with other species of egrets, herons, ibises, cormorants and more. There’s great safety in num- bers — humans live in similar set- tings we just call neighborhoods. TEXAS PARKS & WILDL I F E * 37 38 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 Nature center studies wildfire’s effects on Chihuahuan Desert. BY ROB McCORKLE PHOTOS BY EARL NOTTINGHAM TEXAS PARKS & WILDL I F E * 39 The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center was lucky to escape relatively unscathed from the devastating Rock House fire that roared through 315,000 acres of the Davis Mountains and the Trans-Pecos in April 2011. The horrific wildfire, however, was only one threat in a year of extremes, including sub-zero February temperatures, a freak August monsoon that scoured the landscape and the subsequent drought that endures today. Research into the wildfire’s impact takes center stage now at the 36-year-old nature center near Fort Davis as Sul Ross State University students and volunteers chronicle the fire’s negative effects on some desert species and the amazing resilience of others. Much of the research focuses on the grassy northern reaches of the center’s property that were hit by the fire. Early findings from the team revealed that: ■ Forbs (broad-leafed plants) in five families were in bloom less than two weeks after the fire. ■ Oaks fared well where fire-adapted strategies were employed, but most junipers succumbed. ■ Leafy succulents, such as yuccas, began to recover quickly, along with small, cylindrical cacti. ■ Cane cholla suffered a significant loss, while prickly pears fared a bit better. “We’re studying what grasses and plants come back first, and what does- n’t come back at all,” says Cathryn Hoyt, former executive director at the nature center, operated by the Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute. “There’s a tension between the grass- lands and desert — two vegetation types that are delicately balanced — and the balance is off. We’re trying to see what’s going to happen now. How is the environment going to respond?” The institute was established in 1974 by a cadre of Sul Ross professors and Alpine community members dedicated to gathering and disseminating knowl- edge about the vast and little-explored desert wilderness. Money to purchase the 507 acres of high desert country between Alpine and Fort Davis, which is 40 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 blessed with rare desert springs, igneous rock outcroppings, a picturesque canyon and stunning hilltop vistas, came from community fundraisers and private donations. A considerable sum of money came from yearly auctions held by West Texas oilman/rancher Clayton Williams, who sold everything from a zebra to the “shirt off his back” to sup- port his pet cause. “When Dr. James Scudday and others founded the institute, very little was known about the Chihuahuan Desert,” explains Hoyt, who was director of the institute from 2001–13. “There were lots of books about the Mojave and Sonoran deserts with their Joshua trees and saguaros, but if you’d start talking about the Chihuahuan Desert, people thought you were talking about dogs.” But the 200,000-square-mile Chi- huahuan Desert — stretching across West Texas and the southern reaches of New Mexico and Arizona and some 800 miles south to San Luis Potosi, just north of Mexico City — is no joke. The largest of North America’s four deserts, the Chihuahuan, which aver- ages 4,000 feet in elevation, encom- passes one of the most ecologically diverse arid regions in the world. Its elevations range from about 1,000 feet, where cacti, succulents, grass and small shrubs dominate, to mountains rising more than 10,000 feet, home to coniferous forests. The result is an incredibly diverse habitat occupied by a stunning variety of plants and animals. In fact, the Chi- huahuan Desert supports one of the richest bat faunas found anywhere and the greatest number of cacti and succu- lent species in the world. Above: The Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center offers several miles of trails, such as the 2.25- mile Outside Loop Trail, on its 500 acres. Areas across the canyon have been recovering from 2011’s Rock House blaze. Right: Spanish daggers line the trail in the Botanical Gardens. DETAILS 5 to p.m. Monday through Saturday; closed Sundays. Hours: 9 a.m. Open year-round except: New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Admission: $6 adults, free to members and children 12 and younger. (432) 364-2499, www.cdri.org Above: An evening storm brings rain to the Chihuahuan Desert. Left: Visitors check out the view of Mitre Peak and the surrounding area at a scenic over- look at the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center. 42 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 More than 200 of those species may be viewed inside the Chihuahuan Desert Nature Center’s Cacti and Succulent Greenhouse, located in the Botanical Gardens. The world’s largest collection of Chihuahuan cacti and succulents grows inside the 1,400-square-foot greenhouse, where visitors can gaze upon row after row of otherworldly looking thorny plants ranging in size from potted specimens no bigger than a thimble to human-sized cacti rising from the ground. Of the collection, many of which are indigenous to Mexico’s north- ern reaches of the Chihuahuan Desert, about a quarter are considered rare or endangered, Hoyt says. The center does a lot of hand-pollinating — collecting seeds and growing them in the high humidity inside the greenhouse. Visitors to the nature center can take a half-mile guided walking tour of the Botanical Gardens with more than 165 species of plants native to the region. Plants are identified and grouped by families, such as the catalpa family (desert willow, trumpet flower) and agave family (lechuguilla). A short spur leads to Cactus Hill, which includes a pollina- tor garden, a solar water feature and a scenic overlook affording an unobstruct- ed view of 6,200-foot Mitre Peak. The one-third-mile Hummingbird and Butterfly Trail circles the base of a pic- turesque rock outcropping. At the visitors center, indoor displays explain the importance of the Chi- huahuan Desert. Two 3,000-gallon tanks collect rainwater off the metal roof. In addition to providing precious water for the center in an arid area that averages 17 inches of rain annually, most of which falls during summer’s “mon- soon” months, the rainwater collection system serves to educate the public about the importance of water conservation. Hoyt recalls with a chuckle the initial reaction from many residents of the Jeff Davis-Brewster-Presidio tri-county area when she proposed having the rainwater harvesting system installed. “I was told I was wasting grant money and that we would never fill the tanks,” she says. “The biggest problem now is that I don’t have enough storage capacity.” Hoyt believes the nature center helps raise public awareness of the fragility and importance of the Chihuahuan Desert and serves as an example of what is possible in such a harsh environment. “One really valuable purpose I think the CRDI serves is to be a catalyst,” Hoyt says. “We can be the risk-taker. People can stand back and laugh at what we do, or say, ‘Wow, that works.’” The use of native flora in private and public landscaping in the area has grown in recent years, spurred in part by the center’s annual native plant and cacti sales. Several native plant nurs- eries also have opened in Fort Davis and Alpine. Mexican feather grass, cenizo, yucca, ocotillo, Texas mountain laurel, desert willow and other natives, many pur- chased at the nature center’s annual plant sales, have been used to landscape everything from fast-food joints to the grounds of the Brewster County Court- house in Alpine. Education remains central to the nature center’s core mission. Bug Day in May, for example, draws as many as 300 kids. Summer camps offer youngsters opportunities to learn about desert ecology and desert critters. Hundreds of students from throughout Texas come for hands-on workshops and events, such as The Earth Rocks! held in October during Earth Science Week. Educational opportunities abound for adults as well. The center boasts more than 100 “citizen scientist” volunteers who help center staff with plant sales, bird and butterfly counts, tours and var- ious research projects. A Life-Long Learning Program draws scores of inter- ested adults from throughout the Trans- Pecos for field trips, lectures and films. Around 6,500 people visit the nature center each year to tour the 20 acres of native plant and cacti gardens, hike five miles of canyon and mountain trails and peruse a geologic timetable of the Trans-Pecos region. A replica of a 19th century mine, replete with a headframe, mining artifacts from Mexico, West Texas and New Mexico, and samples of minerals and ores, illustrates the north- ern Chihuahuan Desert’s fascinating mining history. What most visitors can’t see is the ongoing research that will help scientists better understand the nuances and complexities of the Chihuahuan Desert’s ecology as well as the impact of wildfires and a changing climate. Already, Hoyt documented a decline of roughly half the center’s butterfly popu- lation, which once counted 115 species but was hit hard by the 2011 wildfire that burned host grasslands and forests. She sees butterflies as an indicator species and has been monitoring their popula- tions for the past six years. “I expect to see certain species drop- ping out and southern species moving up in elevation, which is a typical response of animals that can move when climate warms,” she says. “During the Rock House fire, the road into our property acted as a fire break, with every- thing to the north burned and the acreage to the south unaffected. We’ve set up transects so we can compare butterfly populations on both sides of the roads and how they react to fire and drought.” The Texas Parks and Wildlife Depart- ment provided a wildlife diversity grant for the study of pollinators of rare plants at the center, where it is hypothe- sized that part of a plant’s rarity might be a result of not only low seed produc- tion or nonviable seeds, but also the lack of pollinators or the right kind of polli- nator for plant propagation. Desert pol- linators tend to be butterflies, bees and hummingbirds, the latter of which thrive in the Davis Mountains. The institute enjoys a symbiotic rela- tionship with Sul Ross State University in Alpine, working with professors and graduate students on research projects. One master’s degree candidate has been studying the bird population’s response to the Rock House fire. The Chihuahuan Desert is often dis- missed by the casual observer as a vast, arid and seemingly empty wasteland devoid of any aesthetic qualities of note. “So many people, whose only experi- ence is what they see as they drive the interstate from Austin to El Paso, think it’s ugly,” Hoyt says. “To me, the Chihuahuan Desert has a subtle beauty that you’ve got to get out and experience up close. It’s amazing what you’ll see or smell if you just sit on a rock for 10 minutes and look around you.” One warning: Be careful to avoid things that poke, sting or bite as you admire the magenta blooms of the chol- la, flowering prickly pears, the red blos- soms of the ocotillo and the shimmering silver-blue foliage of the lacey oak and inhale the intoxicating, rain-scented aroma of the desert creosote. * TEXAS PARKS & WILD L I F E * 43 BOUNTY ) ON THE BORDER For plentiful stripers, head up to Lake Texoma. STORY AND PHOTOS BY LARRY D. HODGE Stripers are sleek, aggressive feeders that can put on an acrobatic show when reeled in. 44 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 TEXAS PARKS & WILDL I F E * 45 Chris Carey revs the big outboard as he screams, “It’s a twin tornado!” We streak across the water, heading straight for the storm. Seconds later we’re slinging white buck-tailed jigs tipped with plastic worms into the water beneath the dou- ble-helix swarm of circling seagulls. The birds are there to pick off shad pushed to the surface by marauding striped bass, and our lures look just like small silvery fish swimming for their lives. My second offering is almost back to the boat, and I’m lifting the rod tip and reeling faster, preparing for another cast, when a monstrous strike snaps the 20-pound-test Big Game line. “That’s the fish we’ve been waiting for,” Carey exclaims, quickly tying another lure on my line. All day long I’ve been catching Lake Texoma stumps while Carey and my wife, Zoe Ann Stinchcomb, boat stripers up to 30 inches long. This is my chance to do the same. I cast, reel and BAM! — a big striper nails the lure and sets the reel to singing. “That’s the sound guides love to hear,” Carey says. “It’s natural Viagra.” As I admire the 24-inch fish before releasing it, words from Carey’s father, Bill Carey, echo in my mind: “I thank Ed Bonn every day for what he did.” What the late Ed Bonn did, while a fisheries biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, was bring striped bass from South Carolina and develop the procedures for rearing and stocking both striped bass and hybrid striped bass (a cross between native white bass and stripers) into fresh water. Bill Carey also owes a debt of gratitude to Jack Harper, a biologist with the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, who stocked 138 adult stripers into Lake Texoma in 1965. Striped bass (or stripers) are a marine species that, like salmon, migrate from the sea into fresh water to spawn, then return to the ocean. That process was interrupted for the first time in South 46 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 Carolina in 1941, when the giant Santee-Cooper Reservoir was impound- ed, trapping striped bass that were in the river to spawn. Biologists expected the fish to die, but they lived, and a popular freshwater fishery was created there. When Texas went on a dam-building spree following the drought of the 1950s, Texas went from a state where most fishing took place in rivers, creeks and stock ponds to a fishing paradise with more inland waters than any other state except Alaska and Minnesota. Ed Bonn saw the striped bass fishery in Santee-Cooper and decided to try to replicate it in Texas. In most Texas reservoirs with stripers, the fish do not reproduce, and contin- ued stocking is required to maintain the fishery. Lake Texoma is different. The waters of the Red and Washita rivers provide stripers with just the right con- ditions for spawning, and the fish are so prolific that the daily bag limit on Texoma stripers is 10 per day (only two of which may be more than 20 inches long), double the statewide limit. Texoma is one of about 10 reservoirs in the United States where stripers are able to naturally reproduce. In April and May they run up both the Red and the Washita in huge numbers to spawn. The Oklahoma state agency is researching whether striped bass, like salmon, return to their natal river to spawn. Rises on the rivers appear to stimulate and facilitate spawning. Striper eggs must remain suspended while hatching, so flowing water during the spawning season is critical. Reproduction in Lake Texoma is particularly high, because the fish have two rivers to spawn in. A high rate of spawning is necessary to sustain the population, since an estimated 50 percent of the fish aged one year and older die annually. Striper fishing is big business on ( ALL DAY LONG I’VE BEEN CATCHING LAKE TEXOMA STUMPS WHILE CHRIS CAREY AND MY WIFE, ZOE ANN STINCHCOMB, BOAT STRIPERS UP TO 30 INCHES LONG. Zoe Ann Stinchcomb fishes for stripers near a stump field at Lake Texoma. Stripers hang out around the stumps and attack shad. Inset: Chris and Bill Carey prefer to use artificial baits for stripers. Chris Carey ties on a white buck-tailed jig tipped with a plastic worm. TEXAS PARKS & WILDL I F E * 47 Texoma, which lies on the border between Texas and Oklahoma. Bill Carey’s Striper Express Guide Service is one of scores on the lake. While other Texas lakes offer striper fishing, “Texoma is the grand lady of them all,” Bill Carey says. Texoma’s status stems from the fact that striper fishing is good all year long. “Stripers love the cool water,” Bill Carey says. “They go on an aggressive feed as the water cools down starting in December. They will gain as much as five pounds during the winter.” Zoe Ann and I fished in January after an unusually cold December had chilled the lake into the upper 30s. By late January the water had warmed into the low 40s, and Chris Carey knew scat- tered groups of fish would be moving into shallow water on sunny days to feed on shad. “There’s only one reason for them to be in water 10 to 15 feet deep, and that’s to eat,” Chris Carey says. Due to the mild weather, we fished a typical March pattern, casting our Roadrunners into stump fields on the edges of islands and creek channels whenever the fish finder marked fish below us. “Most people think you have to drag the bait across the bottom, but you want to reel it just over the tops of the stumps,” Chris Carey explains. “Shad hide around the stumps, and stripers will come up and eat your bait. If you don’t hang up on stumps, you’re not fishing in the right place.” TPWD Inland Fisheries biologist Bruce Hysmith manages the fishery on Lake Texoma, and he offers some advice on where and when to find those right places. “May and June and October through December are the peak periods,” he says. “In the spring, either the Red or Washita River arm will have fish return- ing from spawning in the upper river. In the Red River arm, try Big Mineral Bay, Buncombe Creek Bay, the Okla- homa Flats, Caney Creek Bay, Soldier Creek Bay and McLaughlin Creek Bay. In the Washita arm, try Newberry Creek Bay, Glasses Creek Bay, Willow Springs Bay, Platter Bay, Platter Flats and Washita Point.” In June, action switches to the open water as stripers form huge schools 48 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 roaming the lake looking for unfortu- nate balls of shad. “Schools can be a mile long and a quarter-mile wide,” says Bill Carey. “For the first two hours of the day we fish 6-inch Cotton Cordell Pencil Poppers on top. We move it fast and pop it aggressively. You’ll get lots of short strikes; let it sit, twitch it, and they will blow up on it.” Stripers are light-sensitive and will go deeper as the sun gets higher, but they stay in schools. “We switch to 1- to 2-ounce slabs in chartreuse, chrome and white combina- tions,” Bill Carey says. “Drop it straight down over the side of the boat and let it fall. If it doesn’t get hit on the fall, reel it in as fast as you can. You cannot reel fast enough. The stripers are so aggressive, you may see as many as five fish follow- ing the lure.” Hysmith advises starting your summer search for stripers around daylight near Denison Dam, where you may find schools of fish on the surface. “They will then migrate around the south shoreline to Navigation Point, at which time they disappear over an open-water area known locally as Table Top,” he says. “Around noon they will reappear near West Burns Run swim beach. They do this on a daily basis from late May until about mid-June.” Seagulls that have spent the summer annoying beach-goers on the coast redeem themselves by coming to Texoma in the fall to act as fish-finders, joining the ones that reside there year- round. Anglers watch for flocks of gulls circling over the water, and when they start squawking and diving, it’s striper- catching time. During feeding frenzies the fish can make the water boil as they pursue and gobble up fleeing shad near the surface while the birds join the feast from above. Almost anything thrown into the melee — chatter baits, poppers, Rat-L-Traps, slabs — will catch fish. Striper fishing brings pleasure from the hook-set to the plate. “Crappie are sometimes called the walleye of the South, but I will put stripers right up there with them,” Bill Carey says. “The meat is white, flaky, excellent table fare. Just be sure to remove the red meat so the fillets are totally white.” The fish that Zoe Ann and I catch Zoe Ann Stinchcomb shows off a 30- inch striper that was feeding under a "twin tornado" of circling seagulls. Working birds are usually a sign that stripers have pushed shad to the sur- face and are actively feeding. Cast into the melee and hang on. ( WHILE OTHER TEXAS LAKES OFFER STRIPER FISHING, “TEXOMA IS THE GRAND LADY OF THEM ALL,” BILL CAREY SAYS. illustrate another point Carey makes about stripers. “They are the fightingest fish in fresh water,” he says. “They fight from the time you set the hook until you get them in the boat — and then they will bite you at the cleaning table. That’s what makes them such a great fish.” * From Sea to Shining Sea Striped bass (Morone saxatilis) are native to the Atlantic Ocean, but thanks to stocking by federal and state wildlife agencies, they can now be found along the California coast and in more than 30 states. Striped bass played an important part in early American history. Pilgrims of the Massachusetts Bay Colony (think Captain John Smith) wrote of them being so numerous in creeks that one might think it possible to cross by walking on their backs. A tax on the sale of striped bass funded the first free public school in the colonies. Overuse of the fish as fertiliz- er led to passage of the first conservation law in 1639, which forbade such use. Stripers have been transplanted to new waters for more than 100 years. In 1879 and 1881, New Jersey striped bass were taken by train in wooden barrels and milk cans and stocked into San Francisco Bay. Using the methods pioneered by Jack Bayless of the South Carolina Wildlife and Marine Resources Department, Jack Harper of Oklahoma and Ed Bonn of Texas, TPWD freshwater hatcheries pro- duce millions of striped bass fingerlings each year for stocking. They’re put into reservoirs with ample open-water habi- tat more suitable for stripers than for species such as largemouth bass. Early on, lakes stocked most often included Amistad, Buchanan, Buffalo Springs, Canyon, Granbury, Lavon, Livingston, Possum Kingdom, Tawakoni, Travis and Whitney. The list has some- times changed over the years. Lake Texoma was last stocked with striped bass fingerlings by Oklahoma in 1984 and 1985. Lake Buchanan maintains its outstanding striper fishery with annual stockings. For more information on striped bass, visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fishboat/fish/. TEXAS PARKS & WILDL I F E * 49 Legend, Lore & Legacy Enduring Legacy Pioneer Texas family ranchlands combined to create Government Canyon. By Nick Kotz 50 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 Government Canyon State Natural Area (opposite page) pro- tects sensitive land near San Antonio; Nathan Kallison (left) bought his ranch in 1910; more than 1,000 acres of Kallison’s ranch (top right) became part of Government Canyon; Kallison raised cattle (right) and ran a ranch supply store. As a boy in San Antonio, my greatest joy was to drive his sons, Perry and Morris — built Kallison’s Store into the largest farm and ranch supply business in the Southwest. Farmers and ranchers came from all over South and Central Texas to buy the latest feed and seed, cattle medicine and farm equipment that Kallison used on his own ranch to demonstrate how his customers could improve their livelihoods. Most of the land that today makes up Government Canyon State Natural Area was at one time owned by Jacob Hoffmann, who as a child came with his parents to Texas from Prussia in 1845. The Hoffmanns were among 2,000 European immi- grants to settle on the empresario Henri de Castro’s visionary land grant, 25 miles west of San Antonio, in what is now the town of Castroville. Ambitious and hungry for adventure, Jacob Hoffmann struck out on his own at age 14, working first for farmers, then driving wagonloads of supplies westward and serving as a guide for the Army. At 15, Hoffmann earned his reputation as an Indian fighter when he shot and killed two Comanche warriors shortly after they had killed his older brother, who was building a home on the Medina River. Starting in the 1860s, Hoffmann and his wife, Caroline Bauer Ernst, the daughter of another Castroville immigrant, managed to amass thousands of acres of ranchland, including the land that eventually would become Government Canyon. After Hoffmann’s death, his children sold part of his sprawling ranch to Nathan Kallison, allowing another young immigrant to fulfill his dream of becoming a Texas rancher. Most of those historic ranches are gone now, along with their prize-winning cattle, their Angora goats and sheep, and their gently rolling fields of sorghum, oats and corn. But in a major triumph of historic preservation and land and water conservation, those former ranches now make up Govern- ment Canyon, the third-largest Texas Parks and Wildlife Department state natural area. When the Edwards Aquifer, the vast underground reservoir that provides the main source of San Antonio’s drinking water, was threatened in the 1970s and ’80s by plans to build a 9,000-acre My grandfather shared with me sightings of wild turkey, rabbits, boar and armadillos, herds of white-tailed deer and eagles that soared overhead. TEXAS PARKS & WILDL I F E * 51 PARK PHOTO © JASON STUCK; HISTORICAL PHOTOS COURTESY OF NICK KOTZ out Culebra Road with my grandfather Nathan and Uncle Perry to the Kallison Ranch. The big spread was 18 miles west of the city, but it was really an entire world away. After we inspected the Hereford cattle, the barbed-wire fences and fields of hay and sorghum, we would ride our horses up into the Hill Country to take in the wild beauty of the vistas. Uncle Perry, known to his early morning radio audience as “the Ol’ Trader,” taught me to identify the bluebonnets and mountain laurel, the black cherry, chinaberry, mesquite and live oak trees. My grandfather, who had founded the Big Country Kallison’s Store in 1899 and bought his Bexar County ranch in 1910, shared with me sightings of wild turkey, rabbits, boar and armadillos, herds of white-tailed deer and eagles that soared overhead. At the remains of Native American campsites, my cousins and I found arrowheads, shards of clay pots and still-sharp stone heads of tomahawks and hatchets. These were traces of a not-too-distant past when nomadic tribes of Apache and Comanche roamed freely on open rangeland stretching end- lessly westward. At that time, I knew nothing about the history of that magnif- icent ranch, or about the pioneer ranching neighbors whose land also is now part of Government Canyon State Natural Area. Moreover, I knew little about my grandfather’s own early life. It wasn’t until I began to research the history of the ranch and of life in early 20th century Texas that I learned my grand- father’s story: In 1890, young Nathan Kallison managed a har- rowing escape from the Russian czar’s marauding Cossacks, hell-bent on slaughtering Jews. At 17, in the dead of night, he traveled across the continent, sneaked across borders and boarded a ship for America in Bremen, Germany. Nine years later, after starting a one-room harness shop on San Antonio’s South Flores Street, Kallison — later joined by commercial and residential “New Town,” 40 citizen groups banded together as the Government Canyon Coalition to oppose the huge development and to protect the aquifer, which receives significant recharge water from the property. The conservationists finally prevailed after they were joined by government agencies including the Edwards Underground Water District (now the Edwards Aquifer Authority), the San Antonio Water System, Bexar County, San Antonio and Texas state agencies. Their goal was “to provide additional outdoor recreational opportunities, protect important wildlife habitat, and protect and enhance sensitive open spaces (the Edwards Aquifer) near San Antonio.” Together, in 1993, they created the Government Canyon State Natural Area. In 2002, through a combination gift and sale, Kallison descendants conveyed the most scenic 1,162 acres of their ranch to Government Canyon. Since then, thousands of visitors have enjoyed hiking the 40 miles of trails, climbing to scenic vistas, exploring spring-fed creeks, and observing native flowers and wildlife, including the rare golden-cheeked warbler, a Texas native protected as an endangered species. Young children can learn the simple glories of nature there, as I did back in the 1930s and ’40s. Nathan and Perry Kallison would surely be pleased that the ranch has not been consumed by the urban sprawl that has engulfed farm and ranch land surrounding metropolitan San Antonio and other Texas cities. As dedicated conservationists, both Kallisons were well ahead of their times in demonstrating and advocating conservation practices in agriculture. Uncle Perry preached the importance of saving precious natural resources in his Saturday morning Trading Post broadcasts. “Now neighbors, the good earth provides all our needs,” Perry Kallison told his radio audience in a 1947 broadcast. “But the world over neglects the earth, and here in America we are perhaps more guilty than elsewhere. For without good soil, America would never have become a world power. “But we have so much good land, we have become neglectful. The gullies wash away the good earth, the wind lifts off the top- soil, and millions of acres go to waste through just carelessness, mismanagement, and just because the good earth lacks a true friend. So build a terrace. Stop a gully from biting into the land. Make a policy of not overgrazing. God planted the natural resources for us to use. So always be a ‘friend of the soil’ — a protector of the future of our land.” Several Kallison Ranch buildings still survive. Atop a hill, a farmhouse and sturdy cattle barn overlook the Hill Country and downtown San Antonio. In the spacious, open barn, Nathan and Perry Kallison brushed and fed Golden Nugget and other prized registered Herefords. Nearby is the ranch headquarters, which also served as home for the ranch’s manager. The front of the house is of wood frame construc- tion. In the early 1930s, Nathan Kallison added a rear addi- tion, built of Texas limestone, to protect the farm manager and his family from the cold winter winds that can sweep across the Hill Country. Although the Kallison Ranch portion of the land is not cur- rently open to visitors, TPWD is in the early stages of develop- ing a plan for public access. The landscape that inspired Texas settlers and the historic buildings they left behind now belong to all Texans and will be preserved for future generations. * (Continued from Page 29) birds of all sorts. We saw black-necked stilts, blue-winged teal, stilt sandpipers and mottled ducks, among others. Jim reminded us that this was not their permanent home. “See those blue-winged teal?” Jim asked us. “They will all be gone in a few days as they migrate north to Canada.” He realizes and cherishes the transience of life here. Seeing it through his eyes made an impact on us. Leaving our fast-paced lives, it was the best medicine to just slow down and listen to the birds. We experienced first- hand the life-and-death struggle of these birds during their biannual migration. I was lifted up as we became witness to this unbelievable wonder of nature. For me, it was a spiritu- al cleansing that refreshed my inner being. “Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves,” John Muir wrote in Our National Parks in 1901. After a day filled with wonders, it was time to feed our inner beasts, and once again, Cliff knew just where to go. In nearby Nederland, a restaurant called Sartin’s Seafood offered crab balls and barbecued crabs so good that they practically took my breath away. Full and satisfied, we head- ed back to our bunkhouse quite exhausted. Day Three found us on a driving tour of Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge, which was hit hard by Hurricane Ike and was left under 10 feet of salt water for days. This refuge is within easy driving of Houston and provides a great escape into nature. These wild places allow us all to see nature “in the raw.” We saw least bitterns and purple gallinules. From there, we headed to Bolivar Flats, just east of the 52 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 Galveston Jetty in Galveston County. This coastal site has easy access for birders. We were awestruck at the sight of more than 10,000 American avocets — a good chunk of the world’s population — in one place. They fed in uni- son, moving back and forth as a single body, like prairie grass blowing in the wind. It was as if they danced to a pri- mal beat we couldn’t hear. Though there was still evidence of damage from Hurricane Ike, the birds didn’t seem to mind a bit. Cliff wanted to take us to Galveston for a last meal, but there was birding along the way as well. He told us that fer- ries are actually great bird-watching spots, and the dolphins were a bonus. Our last meal together was at Benno’s on the Beach on Seawall Boulevard in Galveston. We gorged on heaps of boiled crayfish, those delicious “miniature lobsters.” These stops to eat were not just gastronomic pleasures for us. With all the birders in town, the talk was all about birds — who had seen what, and where. Although we were rookies, we felt welcome when hanging around with birders from all over the world. They were armed with all kinds of equipment, everything from camou- flaged bazooka-like telephoto lenses to small pocket cam- eras. Our conversations were peppered with “Did you see that blackburnian warbler?” or “Have you seen a swallow- tailed kite yet?” They were interested in us and seemed to enjoy sharing their finds as well. Transformed by our days with Cliff, we found ourselves feeling comfortable among kindred spirits. We share with them the desire to not only experience nature, but also to preserve it for future generations to enjoy. * G O O D S A N D S E RV I C E S F O R T H E O U T D O O R E N T H U S I A S T M A R K E T P L A Call for more information & mechanical specifications: Captain Chad Verburgt E PRODUCTS AND SERVICES FISHING Rockport RedRunner C (5 1 2 ) 7 9 9 - 1 0 4 5 Specializing in shallow water flats fishing for redfish, trout & flounder. • Full Day / Half Day • Baffin trips • Kayak Rentals • Kayaks Shuttle Drop off / pick up • Nature Boat Trips for Photography and Private Whooping Crane Tours Call (361) 463-6545 rockportredrunner@yahoo.com www.rockportredrunner.com HUNTING C RAWFORD & C OMPANY Hand Crafted, Personalized Boot Jacks and Coaster Sets. P.O. Box 126, Uvalde, TX 78802 Visa/Mastercard. Call to order a Free Brochure Toll Free (888) 301-1967 www.crawjacks.com www.tpwmagazine.com TREKR® Jungle Travel Washcloth. Rinses clean and stinky free. 2 pack $ 8 www.lunatecgear.com SPORTSMAN’S PARADISE pineywoodsretreat.com 54 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 ACCOMMODATIONS ACCOMMODATIONS THE LODGE & CATTAILS The ambience is casual at The Lodge, but the amenities are luxurious. Each of the eight rooms are uniquely styled, featuring the finest organic bedding, large bathrooms and original artwork. Gourmet coffees and flat screen televi- sions are found in each room and two outdoor living rooms with fireplaces are yours during your visit. Our popular mercantile shop, Cattails, is part of the Karankawa Village just across the boardwalk. Here you will find more of the finest coffees, wines, cigars, gourmet foods, artwork, clothing and homewares. karankawavillage.com TX BED & BREAKFAST ASSOCIATION (TBBA) COMFORT # Meyer B&B. On Cypress Creek, Hill Country, mid-1800s stage stop, Texas landmark. Pool, hot tub, fireplaces, golf. www.meyerbedandbreakfast.com (888) 995-6100 FREDERICKSBURG # Palo Alto Creek Farm. Landmark historic German-Texas farmstead on the creek. Ancient oaks, abundant wildlife, Hill Country tranquili- ty. Beautifully renovated log cabin, barn, farm- house, all with private spa therapy rooms. www.paloaltocreekfarm.com (800) 997-0089 # Settler’s Crossing Bed and Breakfast. Private historic log cabins and cottages spread over 35 park-like acres, just minutes from town. www.settlerscrossing.com (800) 874-1020 PRODUCTS AND SERVICES NEW BRAUNFELS # Historic Kuebler-Waldrip Haus & Danville Schoolhouse. 43-acre deer haven near Gruene, rivers. Getaways, reunions, wed- dings, corporate retreats. 10 luxurious rooms, Jacuzzis. Delicious breakfasts. www.kueblerwaldrip.com (800) 299-8372 ROCKPORT H OOPES ’ H OUSE R OCKPORT , T EXAS (800) 924-1008 www.hoopeshouse.com N ATIONALLY HISTORIC VICTORIAN HOME . E IGHT ROOMS EACH WITH PRIVATE BATH . F ULL BREAKFAST INCLUDED .C ALL FOR BROCHURE . SUBSCRIBE TO TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE MAGAZINE FALL HUNTING SPECIAL Online only! Coming late August. www.tpwmagazine.com 56 * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 TEXAS PARKS & WILDLIFE MAGAZINE TODAY! at www.tpwmagazine.com IMAGE SPECS: Olympus Stylus Tough 8010 camera with 28mm-140mm lens, f/4.7 at 1/160th second, ISO 160. When the Texas Parks and Wildlife Depart- ment was releasing Guadalupe bass finger- lings at South Llano River State Park near Junction, Texas Parks & Wildlife magazine photographer Chase A. Fountain was there to capture the action. The 2011 release marked a new chapter in a decades-long effort to save the state fish of Texas, with more than 175,000 fingerlings released. Chase quickly plunged his camera into the water to get the shot. * AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2014 58