The Hays Humm - July 2020
The Hays Humm
July 2020
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Tom Jones - Betsy Cross - Constance Quigley
By Mimi Cavender and Betsy Cross
There are still secrets. Naturalists discover them, each of us in our own time, in our own way. With loggable observations, contributions, we chart away their mystery. But amid the science, let’s admit it, some greater joy seems to be in just knowing that there are still secrets. They’re there, rustling in the trees, flashing at the waters’ edge, pushing up through karst and — wait, what was that that touched our hair in the fragrant dark, gently breathing by us on the breeze? Those are secrets.
We all know Betsy Cross. She’s HCMN Class of 2017, an editor of this Newsletter (she sculpts every inch of it), super-engaged mom, grandmother, and businesswoman, who makes time every Saturday to monitor bird boxes at Jacob’s Well and who makes every aspect of our virtual HCMN meetings function. Yes, that Betsy. And the extraordinary photos and video that you enjoy here and in past years of The Hays Humm are a fraction of her photography.
Betsy is an instinctive naturalist. She notices. Recently, from her home office where we see her in our Zoom sessions, she was looking out to her backyard and noticed a female Black-chinned Hummingbird pulling beakfuls of fluff from a thistle. Nesting material? A secret! Betsy rushed outside and followed the mother hummer to a live oak branch nearby. “There was a swollen bump about 12 feet overhead on the lichen-covered branch. I couldn’t quite see…I ran to get my camera and zoomed in. She was lining an unfinished nest with thistle!” Over that Saturday and Sunday, the tiny nest took the shape “of an espresso cup.”
This series of photos and videos document the usually hidden life of Archilochus alexandri, the Black-chinned Hummingbird. We have them because our colleague, nature photographer Betsy Cross, loves a secret. So let’s watch this drama unfold. Betsy will take it from here.
Spotting Spiderweb
Looking closely, you’ll see that hummers gather spiderweb to use in their nests. The tensile strength of spider silk is greater than the same weight of steel and has much greater elasticity. I’ve noticed the spiderweb is used to help bind the nest cup to the branch, as well as a way to attach lichens for camouflaging. And as the nestlings grow, the nest stretches into a wider, shallower cup, but with an opening only the size of a silver dollar.
Looking for Lichen
Hummers use other natural elements to camouflage their nests. She carefully looks for just the right lichen flakes, which she takes back to her nest and sticks to the nest cup.
NEST BUILDING - An Eye for Perfection
Watch this video to see her in action. An extraordinary discovery is that the mother continued to improve the nest throughout the nesting period. She kept stuffing in fluff and bringing spider silk to adhere the outer tiling of hundreds of tiny lichen flakes individually, continually applied.
UNDER ATTACK
Watch the aggressive behavior toward the nesting female. There are still more secrets here. Who is the female/immature attacker? Why the intrusion? And why the attack from the male?
FEEDING HATCHLINGS
Watch her feeding nestlings Day 1 through Day 7. A secret! How many bald quarter-inch little hummers were in there? They’re perfectly silent during the three weeks from hatching through fledging.
The first feeding of hummingbird hatchlings was recorded on the morning of June 21. From the first day of live nestling activity, the mother and babies were enduring attacks from both male and female/immature Black-chinned Hummingbirds.
Is this normal territorial behavior? In 2017 when two nests in my yard each fledged two young, I did not observe such attacks on the nesting females.
These aggressors probably succeeded in posing substantial harm to the nestlings. By Day 4 the feedings were shorter and less frequent. By Day 6 it appeared that the nestlings were less responsive to the mother’s attempted feedings. On Day 7 it was apparent that feeding attempts were unsuccessful.
Around noon on Day 7, the mother left the nest. She only returned to look down at her nest from an adjacent tree. She looked puzzled.
Mimi again: We were waiting for the Happy Ending: two tiny fledglings peeking over the nest cup. But this mother stopped feeding. She tried, with no response from the hatchlings. Until she gave up. She lingered on a nearby branch all afternoon, looking down into the nest as if bewildered. Hummers have the largest brain in relation to body size of any known bird. She would stare at Betsy — looking for shared grief? Okay, we're anthropomorphizing just a tad here. Back to science. With no view into the nest cup, Betsy has no way to know for sure, but based on the attacks we see in the video, she suspects the delicate hatchlings were injured and failed to thrive. What exactly happened is forever — a secret.
Hummer secrets in your yard? Look for nest building behaviors, and follow them home!
Read more on these lovely birds here: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Black-chinned_Hummingbird
“We were already over-pumping the aquifer in 2000 when Jacob’s Well stopped for the first time in recorded history. Even developers and water utilities represented on the task force recognized that keeping the springs flowing at Jacob’s Well and Pleasant Valley - and keeping the water clean and healthy - is a benefit to everyone.”
After a second 167-day flow interruption in 2008-2009 and another stop in 2011, residents of the Wimberley Valley began to take action to protect their community asset, the local economy, and their property values. Over the past year, there have been numerous media announcements about the development of a Groundwater Management Zone (GMZ) for Jacob’s Well. This plan is an important milestone for water management in Hays County and especially for the Wimberley Valley. But what is a Groundwater Management Zone, how does it work, and what is the next step?
What is a Groundwater Management Zone?
Groundwater management zones are smaller areas within a larger watershed. They represent a three-dimensional region containing groundwater being managed. Work performed by water specialists at The Meadows Center and other organizations used the large volume of existing data including monitor well measurements, springflow data, and other information to define two groundwater management zones that affect Jacob’s Well. Both are shown on the map below. On the right side of the map shaded in green is the Jacob’s Well GMZ. This zone extends to both sides of Cypress Creek from its headwaters down to Eagle Rock. Most of the water flow from Jacob’s Well spring is from recharge occurring in this area. This zone may also be referred to as the Jacob’s Well Springshed. Water supply wells pumping in this area have a direct impact on the flow from Jacob’s Well spring.
Springshed
A springshed is an area within a ground or surface water basin that contributes to the spring flow. The boundaries of springsheds are dynamic - they change based on the level of the aquifer (otherwise known as its potentiometric surface). This means that a springshed may cover different areas at different times, depending on whether water levels are high or low.
The other area, shaded yellow-green on the left side of the map, is the Regional Recharge GMZ. This zone includes both sides of the Blanco River, extending from the western border of Hays County south to below Pleasant Valley Spring (PVS). This area identifies a recharge zone to the Middle Trinity Aquifer (Cow Creek Limestone) and is likely to contribute some flow to Jacob’s Well under certain conditions.
Jacob's Well & Regional Recharge Groundwater Management Zone Map
Water supply wells located in close proximity to Jacob’s Well spring may have a direct impact to the springflow from Jacob’s Well.
What are the key takeaways of the study?
Illustration of how pumping lowers the water table resulting in a reduction or elimination of spring flow.
Flow from Jacob’s Well spring is very sensitive to changes in aquifer recharge and pumping. Aquifer recharge occurs during periods of high rainfall, elevating the water table, and resulting in higher flows from Jacob’s Well and other local springs. Wells located in the GMZ pumping water from the aquifer have a much faster effect on Jacob’s Well. Increased pumping results in lower flow from the spring. Municipal water well locations in close proximity to the Jacob’s Well spring are illustrated on the map, above right.
During drought periods, a reduction in pumping from current levels will result in increased springflows.
A variety of strategies to decrease pumping and to find water supply alternatives could be implemented to achieve the desired Jacob’s Well flow goals.
How does the Jacob’s Well Groundwater Management Zone Work? A regional groundwater strategy includes using Jacob’s Well as one of the drought indicators. Specifically, within the Jacob’s Well GMZ, strategies may include:
Decrease aquifer pumping during drought conditions.
Offset the decrease in pumping with alternative water supplies such as: aquifer storage and recovery, interconnections, development of the Lower Trinity aquifer, and rainwater harvesting.
Cap or restrict future pumping of the Middle Trinity Aquifer (Cowcreek Limestone) while promoting alternative water supply options.
Jacob's Well Groundwater Management Zone — Drought Management
In order to protect groundwater supplies and Jacob's Well springflow in the 39-square-mile GMZ, District Rule 15 designates cutback triggers based on Jacob's Well. When flows from Jacob's Well average six cubic feet per second (cfs) or less during any 10-day period, the District Board declares appropriate restrictions.
Rule 15 Status: This Rule defines the Jacob’s Well GMZ, establishes permitting criteria, and sets the drought trigger points and cut-back amounts for non-exempt wells within the Management Zone. The rule was passed on March 5, 2020.
A look to the future: The Jacob’s Well Groundwater Management Plan is a big step forward in planning for the future. But it faces many headwinds which could slow or limit its full implementation. These include:
Increased pumping could limit water preservation gains from the Plan.
Infrastructure improvements would need to be identified and funded.
Water conservation plans such as rainfall recovery and aquifer storage would need to be developed on a regional scale.
Links to additional information:
Click here to read the Evaluation for the Development of a Jacob’s Well Groundwater Management Zone in Hays County, Texas.
Meet Your Master Naturalist
Neeta Allen
Neeta Allen
“Becoming a Master Naturalist scratched the surface of my ignorance,
and left me itching to learn more about the nature around me.”
About Me: I grew up in Mesa, Arizona, where my love of nature was nurtured by Girl Scouts. We camped in the desert, near Sunflower, attended Girl Scout camp up in the pines of the Mogollon Rim, and we backpacked down into Havasu Canyon. After high school I moved to St. Louis to go all the way across the state to Northwest Missouri State University, north of Kansas City. I experienced the beautiful fall and snow for the first time. After college, I moved to Texas, later to New Orleans, then back to Texas. On a trip to Austin, we pulled out at an overlook on 290, where I spotted Baby Blue Eyes. Beautiful! When I retired from public school, I took my Master Naturalist training. Being a MN was the perfect way to learn and incorporate those teaching skills into nature related activities, since most folks are open to sharing their love of nature and pass on their knowledge of this area.
Many of my friends in the Texas Master Naturalist (TMN) Cradle of Texas chapter (Brazoria County) were science folks, due to the area’s being a hub for chemical plants. However, I taught mostly 7th and 8th grade Language Arts, occasionally Theater, and finished my teaching career with preschoolers. When the time for retirement approached, my husband Roger and I had three criteria for where to move:
Baby Blue Eyes
1. Away from the Texas Gulf Coast. We’d had enough hurricane evacuations and aftermaths, mosquitoes, and humidity.
2. Some place closer to family within Texas that would be affordable.
3. Access to an active TMN chapter, to let us continue volunteering with nature related activities.
Hays County fit the bill! We’d met several Hays County MN folks at State Meetings, so we knew the chapter would enable us to continue to learn and serve. We would be able to transfer our membership, and attend intern classes to acquaint ourselves with this area. In addition, we were already acquainted with and could enjoy volunteering at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. What’s not to like about Hays County?
You May Not Know: Not all chapters name their intern classes. Cradle of Texas did not. However, they did other things unique to Brazoria County.
Favorite Master Naturalist Activity: Since moving here in April 2019, we’ve done most of our volunteering at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. We look forward to resuming that! In Brazoria County we had a summer-long weekly program at all the county libraries. My favorite one was where we brought live snakes, alligators (on a leash or less than 12 inches), and box turtles for children and adults to hear about, touch, and hold. We brought these animals to other events during the year. We also participated in programs at Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge and San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge. With such close proximity to the Gulf, our training included birding at the Quintana Neotropical Bird Sanctuary during migration. In spring, there was a weekend Migration Celebration where we volunteered. Most of my volunteer hours were at the Sea Center in Lake Jackson at the touch tank. Ask me sometime about the sea turtle patrol and plantation activities! Last, but not least, we are so enjoying getting to know the Hill Country and the Hays County Master Naturalists.
Favorite Bird: My favorite birds are the penguin family, easily spotted at various zoos. I used them as a personal logo when teaching, as they are black and white, like the printed word. More favorite native birds are the gorgeous painted buntings and the whimsical Carolina and Bewick’s wrens. We've become acquainted with the lesser goldfinches at our backyard feeders. Birds are great!
Jennifer Ackerman, New York Times bestselling author of The Genius of Birds and a renowned ornithologist, has written an easy-to-read and entertaining yet very scientific and thought-provoking book, The Bird Way. She shares her observations and those of other ornithologists around the world. Her specialty is bird cognition — how birds think and why they do what they do.
She notes early in the book that in recent years new tools have changed the way scientists learn about birds. Web cams, miniature video cameras, tiny backpacks with special devices, tracking devices, and DNA analysis are some of these improvements. She also notes that most ornithologists in the past were men; when studying bird song, they wrote only about male bird songs, thinking the softer voices of the female birds did not matter. In more recent years many women have become ornithologists and have discovered that the female birds indeed have song and have important things to say. At a recent bird conference in Washington, D.C., the author states that a male researcher admitted to being “a recovering female song denier” and had noticed female songs in his own study of juncos.
Bird behavior examined in the book includes songs, nest building, playing, parenting, courtship, and thinking. The author describes strange bird behaviors over the whole world including Panama, Sweden, Scotland, the U.S.A, Africa, and predominantly Australia. Some of the strange behaviors include those of birds such as hawks, kites, and brown falcons in Australia selectively picking up burning sticks and transporting them to unburned locations to get the insects that will flee from the fire. In England in the 1920s tits learned to peel off the foil cap from milk bottles left on doorsteps to get the cream that collects at the top. It was not long before tits were stealing cream from doorsteps all across Great Britain. Pelicans have learned to synchronize their movements, forming a line of birds around schooling fish so that they are easily scooped up. The keas, a type of parrot in New Zealand, have a mischievous streak and have been known to dive beneath parked vehicles and steal their engine hoses.
Marilyn Brister
The funniest chapter in the book describes the behavior of the courting male bowerbird of Australia. This bird builds a bower, an ornate structure up to three feet in height made of sticks and decorated objects that a female might like, such as bones, shards of glass, straws, stones, plastic, and ribbon. This is not a nest; it is a place for romance. One variety of bowerbird builds a bower of two walls of grass with a few decorative objects, the main attraction being a collection of sparkling clear glass marbles in the center. The male enters, hopping from side to side, in and out of the sunlight, sometimes bumping into the wall, and flinging a piece of red ribbon. Then he makes every bird call that he knows, some of them calls of other birds. The female considers his behavior and judges him according to strength, size, vigor, genetics, and other qualities; if she likes him, they mate. However, only a tiny percentage of displays end in mating. I think that if people could see this on film, they would be rolling in the aisles.
In short, birds can think and communicate on a high level. When I start a walk on Centipede Trail in Spring Lake Preserve, I always hear a bird call from what may be a Carolina wren. Ten feet down the path another wren calls out, and so on down the path. I am pretty sure this call is an alarm. But there may be more to it: is he afraid of my walking poles? Does he want a sequin from my hat? Is he saying a human is coming by, but don't worry too much – she looks kind of unremarkable, maybe she has some birdseed. Or, perhaps, guard your chicks – she might take them.
Just like the researcher who began to hear female bird songs once he was introduced to the idea that there was more there than he had thought, I became much more aware of bird behavior after reading The Bird Way. If you want to get an idea on how birds think, read this book!
Female Polyphemus Moth
Photo by Betsy Cross
By Mimi Cavender
July boasts National Moth Week, July 18-26
Moths and butterflies are together Lepidoptera, loved equally by their mother Nature. But if you’re still a fan only of the fragile, floaty Lep species and tend to squish the larvae of everything else (shudder to think), these palm-sized moth beauties may soften your heart.
They are silk moths. See, that’s romantic — recalls the Chinese princess unraveling a cocoon in her teacup to weave a cloth that built dynasties. This one is Antheraea polyphemus, Hodges number 4252, one of four silk moths, Saturnids, common in Texas. Polyphemus is found all over the U.S. except Nevada and Arizona; they range from Alaska to the southern Mexican highlands.
Life cycle — where to start?
It’s funny how many of us have yet to appreciate that the green caterpillar making lace of our oak leaf tips and the lovely bat-sized butterfly-cousin that whacks us upside the head under the porch light are the same animal! Its life cycle is just that — a circle, no clear beginning. Wait, hear the music? The Circle of Life!
Most folks start with the moth:
Life Cycle Photos by Eva Frost
How to see it? Depends on its form.
How do we spot this strangely elusive creature in our own landscape? Well, it depends on the season of the year and the stage in the life cycle. Which of this animal’s transformations are you personally fascinated by? Again, too many of us squish the cats but love the moth.
Yep, it’s gorgeous, but really hard to see. The polyphemus moth is beautifully camouflaged and only lives a few days. She has vestigial mouthparts and can no longer eat; she exists only to mate and lay her eggs, and then she dies. Even Hays County MN and expert Eva Frost, whose photos we enjoy here, finds the four-day moth stage ephemeral. ”I have only seen this moth occasionally on large tree trunks or with wings open on the ground.” The colors mimic tree bark, the wings sport owl eyes. We more often see her already dead than alive.
It’s easier to look for the various caterpillar (larval) instars; they hang around for up to three months, chowing down on leafy greens. But it takes some effort to find them; their brilliant green disguises them as whatever they’re having for lunch. Ok, Spoiler Alert! As they grow, Eva tells us, “their faces pop off.” Yup. They just molt and eat, eating up to 86,000 times their initial body weight in two months. They molt five times, bursting out of each previous version as a different self, called an instar. “Their face goes from red to browns to white.” Their body grows bigger and weirder before the final instar cocoons itself in leaves, sometimes attached to a twig by a silk tether. Some overwinter in the cocoon.
The polyphemus cocoon is an off-white ovoid, about the size of half your thumb, opaque and delicately rigid. The final caterpillar instar had extruded near-microscopic strands of pure silk, spinning it round and round its body and a few oak leaves, many thousands of windings. This process in itself boggles the mind. Inside, it hardens into a pupa, the developing moth, eventually to chew and twist its way out, unfurling as the beauty we love.
This cocoon most of us only discover by accident, often in leaf litter, long after it’s been vacated by the emerging polyphemus moth. But the cocoon can be attacked by woodpeckers or pirated by several species of wasp, which desiccate the moth pupa and then pupate themselves, cocoon within cocoon! Yeah, it’s complicated.
Cocoon Photo Group by Mimi Cavender
And if you’re looking for this moth’s tiny flat, round, light brown eggs, good luck. Eva says they might be found below your house eaves near a light. Or they may be stuck on a host plant, in Texas most often oak leaves. You can even try breeding your own polyphemus from eggs, as Eva has done.
Polyphemus Moth Gallery
Photos by Eva Frost
Polyphemus Cat with White Face and Molt - Should Cocoon Soon
Volunteer Submissions
Spider web - photo by Mike Rambo
Cute Foxes by Dick McBride
TWO NEW CITIZEN SCIENTISTS ARE OUR VOICE
By Mimi Cavender
Carolyn and Wayne Bauknight - Class of 2020
If you’ve been Zooming in on Hays Chapter meetings and Nature Watches this season, you’ve likely noticed the good looking couple who seem wedded together at their computer screen, attentive to every word. That’s because they are. Attentive, wedded, smart, unassuming, Carolyn and Wayne Bauknight are the voice of 2020’s Trainees. They’re also becoming the citizen scientists all Master Naturalists are called to be.
The Hays County Master Naturalist Board accepts applications from among each year’s Training Class members to attend Board meetings as volunteer representatives of the Class. On May 23, Mark Wojcik, 2020 Training Class Coordinator, announced that the Bauknights had volunteered to represent the Class at the now virtual Board meetings.
Board reps “...are always asked for comments on how things are going and whether any issues need to be addressed, so get in touch with them directly,” Mark reminded us, “if you want something to come forward at Board meetings. They will also be given some time every month to report out to the class on Board items.”
The Hays Humm, journal of the mind and heart of Hays Master Naturalists, asked the couple about themselves.
You’re new to Texas? From where? (Carolyn): Before moving to Texas in December of 2018, Wayne and I lived in Maggie Valley, North Carolina . We had a log house on top of a ridge in the Smokey Mountains, 5,200 feet above sea level. Wayne was in private practice as an orthodontist for 31 years. I was a developmental/educational psychologist in private practice and taught college level classes for 30 years. We have one son, a physician, who is currently in residency in neurology at Northwestern in Chicago.
What do you love about the Texas Hill Country? We love the beautiful wildflowers, sprawling live oaks, and broad vistas. The winters are fabulous, as are the springs and falls. Our home here in Buda backs up to a large retention pond and park with lots of lovely birds We also love the wonderful people we have met and befriended. Everyone is so inclusive and welcoming.
But…? The summer heat can get a bit intense, particularly if the humidity is also high.
What brought you to HCMN? Our wonderful friends, Roger and Neeta Allen. They invited us to attend two chapter meetings, and we were hooked after learning about the Texas Horned Lizards and the Black-crested Titmouse. We also visited the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center and joined there.
Do you have favorite areas of study from this HCMN information firehose? (Carolyn): Wayne really enjoys the geology, history of Texas’ early inhabitants, and archaeological digs. He continues his interest in the weather, using his rain gauge and weather station. He also enjoys nature photography. Texas wildflowers have perked my interest. I have always loved birds, and since moving to our home near the pond, my interest has grown. [I’d like to] educate my Buda community about the HCMN program and about the birds around our retention pond. I can do this on our community Facebook page with pictures and information about each bird.
Yes! This is the “community science” and public education that we’re learning is at the core of what we do as Master Naturalists. Craig Hensley, wildlife biologist with Texas Parks and Wildlife’s Nature Trackers, spoke eloquently to this in his June 23 virtual presentation to the Training Class.
More citizen science after your HCMN certification? We plan to volunteer at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center and continue educating the community about local birds and wildflowers. Wayne would like to participate in more archeological digs and learn more about local weather patterns and about aquatic life.
But for now, ...We plan to represent the 2020 HCMN training class to the Board by presenting questions, comments or concerns from the class.
Carolyn and Wayne Bauknight, new Central Texans and soon Master Naturalists, citizen scientists---thanks for your service! And did you ever find those azaleas? Yes, we have three very healthy azaleas planted on the north side of the house. I know they are not native, but it is nice to have a little piece of the Carolinas.
By Mimi Cavender
Apparently loads of passion, that’s what! And the Hays County Master Naturalist Class of 2020 is nothing if not passionate about their training — have been since the start — and about choosing their name. There were well over a dozen suggestions before the virtual meeting and vote on June 9. Passions ran high. The Class name will serve as mascot and must be a Texas native species. Lots at stake.
Candidates included a range of passion-inspiring life forms cute and fluffy, spiney, poisonous, toothed, sleek, edible, and blowing in the breeze. It was down to a turtle, a flowering vine, and the Covid-19 virus. Covid — tsk! — not officially a life form, and invasive to boot. And some folks just didn’t want to be called a cooter, even when a river runs through it.
So, suddenly it was down to the wire and a passionate plea from Molly Wood, that a Texas passion flower, Passiflora foetida (Fetid Passionflower — hmm, shall we stick to the Latin?) was fragrant, aggressive, fruitful, and a friend of wildlife. It thrives in unfavorable conditions, climbs over obstacles, and is damned good looking! Its popular name is Corona de Cristo. Oh my, and we could even cut right to…[drum roll]...The Coronas! In these challenging times… And the vote was in! Congratulations, Coronas de Cristo, Class of 2020! Stay passionate.
For the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center’s complete take on this species, including an ominous warning “it can become a nuisance,” click here: Coronas de Cristo.
The scientific name is Centaurium beyrichii or Zeltnera beyrichii. You may know them as mountain pinks, rock centaury, quinine-weed, or canchalagua. And June is the time to see them along the highways and back roads of the Edwards Plateau. These annual wildflowers appear as bouquets growing out of solid rock, and we have a LOT of rocky ground in Hays County. They prefer well-drained limestone caliche seepage areas. The next time you’re driving along the highway, take note of those clouds of pink lining the roads. They are truly beautiful to behold!
Special thanks to Jim Johnson (HCMN in training) and Karen Billings Johnson (HCMN class of 2019 - Horned Lizards) for showcasing their property covered in mountain pinks!
