NatureWatch
HCMN Photo Journal
Spring 2024
Hays County Master Naturalists
Anything with Wings!
Tom Hausler
At Westcave Preserve we’ve been doing a dragonfly survey for the last several years, but due to the lack of rain this year, there have been few dragonflies. So we changed our focus to butterflies—code name “Anything with Wings.” Here are a few of the winged beings we have documented over recent months.
A Mystery Solved
Betsy Cross
Common sunflowers—the same ones you see in the ditches and fields along Texas roadways—grow wild in my backyard. Some people may consider this wildflower a nuisance or even a weed, but I’ve found it to be a natural bird feeder and attractor. Lesser goldfinches love the seeds, hummers buzz around the flowers, nectaring all summer long, and lots of other birds—blue-gray gnatcatchers, yellow warblers, and summer tanagers—feed on the insects that hang out on this plant.
Here’s a website with photos and captions that perfectly describe what happened in my backyard: http://www.raisingbutterflies.org/bordered-patch/. And by the way, June 17-23 was National Pollinator Week.
Bird Sanctuary - The “Lazy Birders”
Pat Heintz
Our backyard bird sanctuary has evolved into its current state as we have learned through trial and error what seems to work best. Since creating this space, we have logged close to 50 different bird species in our backyard bird haven.
On the bird feeder poles, we offer a variety of seeds, nuts, and dried fruits, as well as white millet for the Painted Buntings. We have also drilled holes in some of the stumps, which we fill with a hot pepper “bark butter.” The birds don’t mind the heat, and the hot mix deters the squirrels and raccoons.
Of most importance is the water drip. While some birds will come to feeders, all birds are attracted to water. We provide a very slow, intermittent drip (approximately a drip every 3-4 seconds). It is said that some birds can hear the “plop” up to a half-mile away. If your drip is active 10 hours each day, it requires less than one gallon of water per day, though this estimation can depend on the variables.