Part 2 of the December-January Newsletter Native Plant of the Month By Judy Hetherington

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1 Part 2 of the December-January Newsletter Native Plant of the Month By Judy Hetherington This plant is one that Robert Pritz recommends that all Big Country Master Naturalists should learn to identify. Page 1

Native Plant of the Month continued There are 50 known species of hairstreak butterflies in Texas. Hairstreaks are mainly small, with threadlike tails on their hindwings.

2 Native Plant of the Month continued There are 50 known species of hairstreak butterflies in Texas. Hairstreaks are mainly small, with threadlike tails on their hindwings. Flying rapidly, they flit from side to side or in circles, with movements that can be difficult for human eyes to follow. Most perch with wings closed, revealing their upper surface only in flight. Males of many hairstreak species have an oval black stigma on the forewing. The Banded Hairstreak flies in spring and summer. Males like to hang out in sunny places, where they will dart out and furiously flutter around each other before returning to their perches. Red-banded Hairstreaks congregate in treetops in the late afternoon and early evenings from spring to fall. During the day, they prefer the shade, or they like to be close to the ground. Both Banded and Red-banded Hairstreaks are common in the eastern part of Texas. Butterflies of North America, Jim P. Brock and Kenn Kaufman A Field Guide to Butterflies of Texas, Raymond W. Neck Page 2

3 Tree Gall Insects By Bruce Keitler Page 3

4 Tree Gall Insects continued Page 4

Elm Creek Trail Workday by Judy Hetherington On Saturday, November 10, Big Country Master Naturalist members met with Ryan Hunter (TPWD sponsor) and Mike Mitchell (Camp Host extraordinaire) at

The jobs were to remove the old sign posts, dig the holes and install new sign posts. Ryan had already scouted the site many times and set up flags for the new sign posts.

5 Elm Creek Trail Workday by Judy Hetherington On Saturday, November 10, Big Country Master Naturalist members met with Ryan Hunter (TPWD sponsor) and Mike Mitchell (Camp Host extraordinaire) at Abilene State Park to work on the Elm Creek Trail. Attending and bringing their sack lunches were Jan Carrington, Jean Dotson, Brian & Judy Hetherington, Jimmy Shipp and Marianne Marugg. The jobs were to remove the old sign posts, dig the holes and install new sign posts. Ryan had already scouted the site many times and set up flags for the new sign posts. While most of the group took off to start work with some posts that were ready, Judy and Jan were left at the maintenance facility to sand the top and edge of the new sign posts. They loaded the posts in a truck and drove it to the trail (actually to the end of the trail) and loaded the posts onto a Gator to haul the posts to where the hole digging was going on. While the expert sanding was going on, Ryan sent Jimmy and Brian off to remove the old posts which were now in the wrong places. Ryan and Mike pulled out the mechanical & manual hole diggers and started digging the holes. Once the holes were 42 deep, Ryan and Mike set the post. Jean and Marianne then took over, filling in the hole and tamping the dirt down around the post. Then they were off to the next site. At the site talking about dens and burrows, the guys manhandled the mechanical post hole digger at an angle to build a burrow. Mike was to return and disguise the hole with leaves, sticks, etc. In all, 14 new posts were placed at appropriate spots and the old posts were loaded and hauled out. Ryan was happy that we actually completed all the work & ate lunch in 4 hours! The signs for the trail ends (giving BCMN credit for helping) are to be prepared. Brian Hetherington is working on the box for brochures and donations which will stay at the Park Office. Ryan Hunter is working to complete the quad fold brochure. John English is providing pictures for the brochure cover. Hopefully the brochure will be done by the end of November. Once it is complete, we can number the posts to coordinate with the brochure. Page 5

6 Elm Creek Trail Workday Continued The photos were taken by Jimmy Shipp and Brian & Judy Hetherington. Choosing a site Digging the hard way (starting the hole in hard ground) Setting the post Digging the easy way Finishing up the post and hole Page 6

be installed on the posts, and the trail

Once the sign for the trailhead is done,

7 Elm Creek Trail Workday Continued BUZY BEEZ! The 13 trail markers are soon to be installed on the posts, and the trail guide is in process of being finalized. Once the sign for the trailhead is done, this year-long BCMN project will be complete! Disguising the critter hole Ryan & Jimmy digging, Brian supervising Jan joined the tamping crew She ll be right, mate! Judy, Expert Gator driver The Prickly Pear 1 Worker (Brian), 2 Supervisors (Jimmy & Ryan) December 2012 January 2013 Page 7

8 Arthropod Count at RPQRR by Carol Hayward OOPS!! Due to errors in formatting this article last month, it is being published again. The Editor apologizes for previous errors. Page 8

9 Arthropod Count at RPQRR continued Page 9

Rodney s Corner By Rodney Sturdivant Insect of the month: Red-eyed Devil: Neobarrettia spinosa This is a rather large katydid. The body is 3 inches long.

The next thing I knew, Melissa was on the back porch and called me to look, and there was a redeyed devil the 24 hour rule was in play.

Range is Texas, New Mexico and south-eastern Arizona. The red-eyed devil will rear up and make a rather formidable display if disturbed.

Mammal of the month: Hispid Cotton Rat: Sigmodon hispidus The hispid cotton rat is a rather common rodent of the southeast US, including Texas.

They have a high reproductive potential. Occasionally there are population explosions followed by crashes.

Large cotton rats accumulate fat stores that allow them to reduce activity in the coldest of winter weather.

Their food is almost exclusively plant material, but there is some evidence that they feed also on the eggs of ground-nesting birds such as bobwhite and meadow

10 Rodney s Corner By Rodney Sturdivant Insect of the month: Red-eyed Devil: Neobarrettia spinosa This is a rather large katydid. The body is 3 inches long. Last summer I was doing some research on katydids and ran across this interesting species. The next thing I knew, Melissa was on the back porch and called me to look, and there was a redeyed devil the 24 hour rule was in play. The insects are predators. See photo of one eating a gecko. Their habitat is oakjuniper, mesquite, brushland, and shrubby desert. Range is Texas, New Mexico and south-eastern Arizona. The red-eyed devil will rear up and make a rather formidable display if disturbed. The life cycle is one generation per year. Mammal of the month: Hispid Cotton Rat: Sigmodon hispidus The hispid cotton rat is a rather common rodent of the southeast US, including Texas. It is a relatively large rat whose tail is shorter than its body. Their coat is grayish with a grizzled appearance. Habitat is normally in tall grasslands. They have a high reproductive potential. Occasionally there are population explosions followed by crashes. They do not hibernate and are active throughout the year. Large cotton rats accumulate fat stores that allow them to reduce activity in the coldest of winter weather. They do not dig extensive burrows, but may use burrows of other small mammals. Their food is almost exclusively plant material, but there is some evidence that they feed also on the eggs of ground-nesting birds such as bobwhite and meadow lark. Bird of the month: Wood Duck: Aix sponsa In my humble opinion our prettiest duck. In mid- November Melissa saw 5 drake wood ducks on one of our tanks. This duck s breeding range is primarily the eastern US and east Texas, however it does winter throughout Texas. Wood ducks inhabit wooded swamps and streams. They nest in tree cavities. During the early part of the 20 th century the wood duck s populations were very low due to loss of nesting habitat. The US Fish and Wildlife Service, along with many states in the southeast, started placing nesting boxes in prime habitat. The wood ducks have made a strong comeback. The hen is drab like most ducks; however you can easily identify them by the white teardrop around the eye. Page 10

Officers President: Jimmy Shipp Vice-President: Marianne Marugg Past President: Judy Hetherington Treasurer: Roger Clark Secretary: Pam Yeaman 2011 Class Representative: Jan Carrington According to

If you have concerns you wish the Board to consider, please contact Jimmy Shipp at shipp571@gmail.com or come to a Board Meeting (please let us know you will be coming).

11 Officers President: Jimmy Shipp Vice-President: Marianne Marugg Past President: Judy Hetherington Treasurer: Roger Clark Secretary: Pam Yeaman 2011 Class Representative: Jan Carrington According to the BCMN By-Laws, our Board of Directors consists of the Officers and the Chair of each Committee (nonvoting). If you have concerns you wish the Board to consider, please contact Jimmy Shipp at or come to a Board Meeting (please let us know you will be coming). BCMN Board Meetings are held in the first week of January, April, July, and October, generally starting at 6:00 p.m. in the Conference Room of the Taylor County Extension Office Conference Room. Check with a Board member for more details. Advisors Agrilife: Robert Pritz Texas Parks and Wildlife: Ryan Hunter Committees Training Chair Brian Hetherington, Member Jimmy Shipp. Develops BCMN curriculum for intern training classes; plans lectures, activities, and field trips for each class. Membership Co-chairs Roger Clark and Judy Hetherington Maintains database of interns, members, and alumni, including names, addresses, class attendance, volunteer hours earned, advanced training completion, initial certification completion, recertifications, and awards. Volunteer and training hours are due at the end of each month to rogerclark87@yahoo.com Volunteer Service Projects / Advanced Training Chair Roger Clark, Members Jan Carrington, Jean Dotson, Marianne Marugg Develops criteria to determine whether volunteer opportunities may be counted for BCMN credit. Reviews, approves, and publicizes opportunities. Programs Chair Marianne Marugg Maintains chapter calendar of activities and schedules chapter meeting programs and field trips. Newsletter Chair Judy Hetherington Editor Jan Carrington Website Amy McCullough Collects chapter and state news, produces and distributes chapter newsletter. Maintains chapter website. Outreach / Historian Chair Jan Carrington Members E. B. Dotson, Pam Yeaman, Jimmy Shipp Arranges staff for outreach booths, creates and publishes chapter brochures, produces chapter display boards, maintains chapter historical records, including a record of all BCMN projects and events. Hospitality Chair Marianne Marugg Members E. B. Dotson and Jean Dotson Coordinates drinks, snacks, and other refreshments for intern classes, chapter meetings, and events. The Prickly Pear is published bi-monthly on the first of February, April, June, August, October, and December. Send information, photos, and articles for publication in The Prickly Pear to Jan Carrington at mjcarrington@att.net or Judy Hetherington heth76933@gmail.com. Deadlines for submission are announced at regular intervals through the Chapter s regular communication channels, direct , and the BCmasternaturalists Yahoo Group.

Gator Hole Graphics. There is usually a six-month period

Gator Hole Graphics. There is usually a six-month period Goal: Interpret graphs that tell how some swamp animals survive drought. Objectives: Describe some of the ways drought affects animals in a swamp. Explain why alligators are an Important part of the swamp