Educational Material – Nature Along the El Camino Real

A Gray Cardinal? Discovering the Pyrrhuloxia at Twisted Creek Ranch

January 25, 2026 Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall2 Comments

by Michelle Lopez

The first time I saw it, I knew immediately it wasn’t a Northern Cardinal.

At a glance, it had that familiar cardinal shape, but something was different—more gray overall, with muted red highlights and none of the bold black around the bill. At the time, I didn’t know exactly what to look for, only that my eyes were telling me this was something else.

Later, as I learned more about the Pyrrhuloxia, one detail stood out: the beak. Unlike a cardinal’s thick, conical bill, the Pyrrhuloxia has a distinctly curved, almost parrot-like yellow beak. Once I knew that, everything clicked.

Not long after, I saw the bird again near the pond at Twisted Creek Ranch. This time, I was ready. The curved beak was unmistakable. As if on cue, the Merlin Bird ID app also picked up its call, confirming what I already felt deep down—I hadn’t been mistaken.

The Pyrrhuloxia, sometimes called the “Desert Cardinal,” is far less common in Central Texas than its bright red cousin. Seeing one is a reminder of why slowing down and paying attention matters. Sometimes it’s not about bold colors, but subtle differences—the shape of a beak, a softer call, or that quiet inner nudge that says, this bird is special.

Moments like this are exactly why I love living and observing nature here. Every season brings the possibility of something unexpected, and every observation deepens my connection to this land.

Keep watching. Keep listening. Nature always has more to reveal.

Did You Know?

The Pyrrhuloxia’s curved beak is specially adapted for cracking hard seeds, especially those found in arid and semi-arid landscapes.
Though often called the “Desert Cardinal,” Pyrrhuloxias are actually a separate species and lack the cardinal’s bold black facial mask.
Females are even more subtle than males, appearing mostly gray with faint red accents, making them easy to overlook.
Pyrrhuloxias are most commonly found in thorny brush, mesquite, and scrub habitats, which makes sightings in Central Texas especially exciting.
Their song is softer and less musical than a Northern Cardinal’s—another reason apps like Merlin can be helpful for confirmation.

Beaver Dam Education

January 19, 2026January 19, 2026 Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall2 Comments

By Sue Ann Kendall

This past Saturday was chilly, plus there was a brisk wind. That didn’t stop a small but eager group of members of our chapter and friends, though. It was their big chance to learn all about beavers and their habits.

We gathered at the ridge that overlooks the beaver ponds, where I gave an introduction to beavers (having recently read an informative book, Beaverland, from which I learned a great deal about their history and effect on the environment). I also repeated things I learned from this here Wikipedia article on Castor canadensis that you, too, can read.

For example, beavers are the second largest rodents in North America, and they have come back from near extinction as a result of the fur trade at the turn of the last century. They have had a huge effect on the environment by damming waterways and creating wetlands that end up becoming fertile land when the beavers move on and the dams break up. They don’t eat trees, by the way, just bark. The trees they cut down with their big orange teeth are used in dams, which can contain their lodges where they sleep and raise young.

After I talked for just a little while, we trekked off to see the three dams that create beautiful ponds along the spring-fed creek that runs through the property.

We could see how the creek trickles through each dam, which is another thing beaver dams do, they lessen erosion from fast-flowing water. and we saw many trees that had been chewed on. The pond water was so clear that you could see fish in it, where the duckweeed wasn’t floating.

Even though we were a bit chilly, we had a good time seeing this sight not everyone gets to see. The sun was shining and we were with fellow lovers of nature. Not a bad way to spend a chilly Saturday morning.

Photos by Carolyn Henderson, Rosie Johnson, and Sue Ann Kendall

Pepper Pot Mushroom: A Rare First for Milam County

January 13, 2026January 11, 2026 Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall1 Comment

by Michelle Lopez

Sometimes the most extraordinary discoveries happen quietly—right under our feet.

While exploring Twisted Creek Ranch, I came across an unfamiliar mushroom growing beneath a mix of native trees. At first glance, it didn’t resemble the common fungi we see after rains. Its clustered form and unusual structure immediately stood out, prompting a deeper look and documentation.

After careful observation, photo documentation, and consultation, the mushroom was identified as the Pepper Pot mushroom—a species with only around 820 documented sightings worldwide. Even more exciting, this appears to be the first recorded sighting in Milam County, Texas.

Why This Find Matters

Pepper Pot mushrooms are not just rare; they are indicators of something larger. Fungi play a critical role in ecosystems—breaking down organic matter, recycling nutrients, and supporting soil health. The presence of such a rarely documented species suggests a healthy, functioning habitat with intact ecological relationships.

Twisted Creek Ranch is a National Wildlife Federation–certified wildlife habitat, and discoveries like this reinforce the importance of preserving native landscapes. Undisturbed leaf litter, mature trees, and minimal chemical inputs all create the conditions fungi need to thrive—but that are increasingly hard to find.

The Value of Paying Attention

This find is a reminder of how much there still is to discover, even in places we walk every day. Fungi often go unnoticed, emerging briefly and disappearing just as quickly. Without slowing down, looking closely, and being curious, moments like this are easy to miss.

As Master Naturalists, documenting these occurrences—especially rare ones—is invaluable. Each observation adds to our collective understanding of species distribution and habitat health.

I’ve included photos from the original discovery to help document this sighting and to encourage others to keep their eyes on the forest floor. You never know when your next walk might turn into a county first—or even a global rarity.

Discoveries like this are why I’ll always advocate for leaving the leaves, protecting native spaces, and staying curious.

The Third Time’s the Charm: A Rare Mushroom Find in Texas

January 12, 2026January 11, 2026 Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall2 Comments

by Michelle Lopez

I was standing behind the barn the other day, not looking for anything in particular, when I happened to glance down at an old board on the ground. Growing right out of it was a small, unassuming mushroom—one of those moments where something ordinary suddenly asks you to pay closer attention.

Of course, I did what any curious naturalist would do: I took a photo and uploaded it to iNaturalist.

That’s when the surprise came.

The mushroom turned out to be Pleuroflammula tuberculosa, a species with only 527 documented observations worldwide—and just two prior sightings in the entire state of Texas. Mine became the third.

Finding something so rare without intentionally searching for it feels like a quiet gift from the land. It’s a reminder that nature doesn’t always announce itself with fanfare. Sometimes it waits patiently for us to slow down, look down, and notice what’s right at our feet.

Moments like this are why I love spending time outdoors. Nature never disappoints. There is always something interesting happening—fungi recycling old wood, birds passing through unseen, insects going about their lives—if we’re willing to stop and observe.

Who knows how many rare, beautiful, or important things we walk past every day without realizing it? This little mushroom was a good reminder to keep my eyes open and my curiosity alive.

Wolf Spiders of Winter

January 11, 2026 Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall2 Comments

by Eric Neubauer

Finding wolf spiders during winter is a challenge since favorable temperatures are uncommon and often short lived. It’s a good time of year for me to concentrate on local species that need better photo
coverage. One such species is Gladicosa pulchra, the contrary wolf spider that dwells in the treetops. They seem to be absent from the Blackland Prairie, and I’m only aware of them being at one location in each of Burleson and Milam Counties.

On December 25, I visited the Cedar Hill Nature Preserve, and on January 7 I visited Edwards Ranch. Spotlighting was the easiest way to find them. I quickly discovered they are more plentiful than I expected, and that December-January is the height of their mating season. I also found that while they live in the canopies of post oaks most of the time, they all follow the leaves down to the ground where they became a lot easier to catch for my photos of several adult females, some already gravid, and two adult males.

Gladicosa pulchra was first described in 1877, spent time in several different genera, and was ultimately put into a new Gladicosa genus by Brady in 1987. Regarding the color, he wrote,

“The range of color in G. pulchra is greater than that of G. gulosa. I have noted light forms and dark forms of pulchra. These do not represent a genetic polymorphism but are the extremes in a color continuum. There is no discernible correlation between geographic locality and color pattern among the specimens examined. The darker forms are much more numerous than the light colored ones.”

With my recent observations, I believe I have a natural explanation for the two forms, and it’s most certainly genetic polymorphism though of the sexual dimorphism variety. A little field work certainly paid off. True to the last sentence, I saw more dark females than pale males which is typical of most species since males don’t live as long as females as adults. Females may even delay egg production while waiting for better conditions.

Addendum: Coincidentally, as I was getting this blog ready to upload, I looked over and there was a Hogna antelucana watching me. I took this friend outside to a warm spot — Sue Ann Kendall