Nature Along the El Camino Real
Blog of the El Camino Real Chapter, Texas Master Naturalists, Milam County, Texas
by Catherine Johnson
We were surprised by the sunny and pleasant weather as we cleaned some bird, bee, and butterfly water features at the ECRMN Wildscape.
Fire ants were eliminated and delicate plants protected from the upcoming hard freeze. Next chores will include cleaning the frog pond and cutting back grasses.
by Catherine Johnson
Linda, Carolyn, Debra, Catherine, Rosie, and Master Gardener Monica attended the last seed collection of the season for the Little Free Seed Library.
Natives that beat the freeze include Yarrow, Evergreen Sumac, Skeleton Leaf Goldeneye, Nolina, Agave, and Wax Myrtle. Asters and Coneflowers were greening up again.
Wildscape friend Rosie, expanded a 30-foot Bluebonnet strip.
Now that it’s winter, our Mason bees can be viewed walled in their houses.
Meanwhile, we are continuing to make preparations for upcoming Wildscape programs.
Come visit the garden and see what Winter interest YOU can find.
Members of our chapter participated in another successful First Friday at the Rockdale Library. Congratulations to our coordinator Debbi Harris and all who participated. There was a great turnout, and the refreshments were enjoyed by all.
by Eric Neubauer
Thanks to google maps updating the satellite view in my neighborhood, I have a recent look at the part of my property that is turning into a three-acre modern prairie with little help from me except for pulling up Johnson Grass.
As you can see, I’ve been wandering all over the place during the last year pulling the damned stuff except for the upper right, where I suspect there was a large rattler about a month ago. I’d also done little in the lower left until recently but have begun expanding and deepening an area prone to flooding. The property is generally flat, and there is a drainage swale running across the northeast corner. The runoff from an eight-acre hay field comes in from the southwest along several terraces.
After a dry spell, about the first 2″ of rain disappears into the Blackland cracks. So, there is little runoff except in winter and early spring, and flooding is rare; it can even skip a year. When they form, vernal ponds last a week to two weeks and make the frogs, toads, and plains crayfish very happy.
I believe the multiple paths have been a plus for wildlife. During the last year I’ve seen the return of jackrabbits, at least three does dropped their fawns in my yard, and at least the pairs of dickcissels have nested. Several other species of birds have brought their fledglings in for foraging. Recently a bobcat has been around at night, although I’ve never gotten a good look at it. Pretty good for a place with no permanent surface water.
Did I mention how many wolf spiders I host?
by Eric Neubauer
There’s an unnamed wolf spider species in the remote areas of TX, NM,AZ, and probably northern Mexico, which people have infrequently observed for years.
In early October, I stopped at the Eaton Hill Nature Center and Preserve high on a limestone hill in Sonora, TX. I did some spotlighting for spiders (of course I did) and found the unnamed spider was present in significant numbers although all were still juveniles.
Fast forward to November 24. The weather forecast was good and I took a chance and drove out to Sonora. Some nature center board members and some 4-H kids with parents arrived to help as the sun set. I could argue they were essential to my success, since they found all the best spiders. On the other hand they distracted me from finding much myself. All’s well that ends well.
Years ago, I found that studying wolf spiders as populations in their habitat was the best way to figure out what kind they were. We found juveniles to young to sex, female and male subadults, and female and male adults.
The adult male was a real shock. Initially I thought it was another unknown species. When I got a better look later, I realized it was simply a male of the unnamed species, though quite different from the juveniles and females.
This species is informally known as the Big-eyed Hogna in arachnologist circles, for obvious reasons. Until now no one had connected the adult males with this species. Now any unidentified male observations on the internet have increased value because we know what they are. I already found two from New Mexico.
Nature Along the El Camino Real 