Category Archives: Texas Wildlife

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge Birding

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Snow Geese at Hagerman

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge, located on the Central Flyway, hosts up to 30,000 migratory birds each year. Just west of Sherman, the refuge provides wetland habitat for thousands of Canada, snow, and Ross geese along with ducks, heron, and songbirds. Late fall through winter offers prime viewing for birds wintering in our area.

North Texas Birding Bonanza

Over 300 species of birds reside or migrate through the refuge. Cormorant troll the waterways their long necks like submarine periscopes. Ducks such as northern shoveler paddle in ponds, and shorebirds from stilts to sandpipers are found along the Lake Texoma shoreline. My favorite is the great blue heron whose flight reminds me of a prehistoric pterodactyl. In wooded areas you’ll find wrens, titmice, and woodpeckers. Lucky birders may be rewarded with rare glimpses of migratory ibis, stork, and spoonbill. Most notably, bald eagle have returned to the refuge.

Unique Bird Blinds

One of my favorite things about Hagerman is the opportunity to bird by car. The refuge has a four-mile, self-guided auto tour. Ideal for birders with limited mobility, the driving route gets you close to thousands of birds without ever leaving the car. The best part, your parked vehicle serves as an effective birding blind!

An audio auto tour is available for cell phone users. No phone, no problem. The tour is also available on CD from the visitors’ center. The auto tour includes six stops with information about Hagerman’s history and wildlife.

Hagerman Tram Tours

The Wildlife Explorer, a ten-person, open-air tram, is in operation for small group tours of the refuge every Saturday and Sunday at 2 pm. The tours are free but, due to space restrictions, require advance registration. Friends of Hagerman volunteers lead the tours. Other tram tours can be arranged in advance by contacting Friends of Hagerman.

Explore on foot

In addition to the driving route, the refuge sports miles of hiking trails. You’ll find additional bird species along with many local animals like armadillo, rabbit, fox, and squirrel; and the occasional coyote, bobcat, and feral pig. Trails cover a variety of habitat from prairie to marsh to woodland. The Meadow Pond trail is along an unpaved service road that is an easy hike for families with small children. For those wishing a hike on dirt trail, I recommend Haller’s Haven trail. It’s on the north end of the refuge and offers a longer loop footpath through woodland.

Enjoy your lunch at one of the many picnic areas scattered throughout the refuge.

Counting Birds

Every Tuesday, volunteers conduct a day-long bird count. Anyone, novice or expert, can ride with the bird counters on a space available basis. A recent Tuesday count tallied 76 different species. This weekly bird count is reported to Cornell Lab on Ornithology for research use. What makes Hagerman so unique is the fact that the bird census has been going on for over 50 years!

Other bird counts include first Saturday sunrise events affectionately dubbed The Little Sit.  A master naturalist leads the count that starts 30-minutes before sunrise. This is a great opportunity for birders of all skill levels to get tips from the experts. Advance registration is encouraged but not required. Participants to Little Sits should bring their own binoculars and camp chairs.

Finally the Christmas Bird Count will happen at the refuge on December 16 this year. All skill levels are welcome. In addition to counting birds on the refuge, you can participate in the annual event right at home by contacting the Audubon Society.

Hagerman Second Saturday

On the second Saturday of most months, a master naturalist or other wildlife expert presents a free program open to the public. Most recently, I attended a talk on waterfowl, ducks and geese, at Hagerman. Being a true novice, I found the lecture helpful with its tips on bird identification. Birds aren’t the only topics covered. An upcoming talk will discuss frogs and past talks have included information about the area’s history.

Kids at Hagerman

Friends of Hagerman are active in producing programs for children under the moniker of The Refuge Rocks. There is a Junior Wildlife Nature Journal available at the visitors’ center. The pamphlet has a number of activities to keep youngsters engaged like a scavenger hunt and backyard birding notes. Programs designed for children are available most months and tie thematically to the season like the November program Talkin’ Turkey. What a great way to introduce children to a life-long appreciation of nature. 

When You Go

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge (6465 Refuge Road, Sherman) is a day use facility open from sunrise to sunset. Visit the Friends of Hagerman website for information on free tours and talks at the refuge.

Old Tunnel State Park

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The nighttime exodus of millions of bats ranks as one of Texas finest natural wonders. In season, Old Tunnel State Park, located in the heart of Texas Hill Country, provides prime bat viewing. If you plan a summer visit to Fredericksburg, Texas, be sure to reserve an evening for the bats.

Mexican Free-tailed Bats

Unlike their northern cousins, Mexican free-tailed bats do not hibernate in winter. Instead, these flying mammals spend time between Mexico in colder months and south Texas in warmer months. The bats arrive in Texas Hill Country around March and return to their winter homes in Mexico around October. Up to three million Mexican free-tailed and 3,000 cave myotis bats have repurposed the abandoned railway tunnel at Old Tunnel into their summer home.

The little Mexican free-tailed bat is less than five inches long and weighs about 14 grams (that’s just half an ounce), and are a tasty bite for hawks and owls. The bats emerge en masse to increase their odds of escaping predators flying outside the tunnel opening. The counter-clockwise emergence vortex serves the additional function of helping the bats to gain lift as bat bones are denser than those of birds.

Aerial River

At dusk, onlookers see a streaming black river flowing above the tree canopy as the little critters make their way south towards the Guadalupe River. The bats will swoop down to the river for a quick, in-flight drink of water and then fly to feeding grounds in farm fields as far as 100 miles away. The bats are insectivores, eating whatever nighttime insects they find. Their primary food are moths, and a Mexican free-tailed bat can consume as many as 40 in a night. Once full, the tiny creatures return to the tunnel to rest until the next evening feeding flight. Viewing a bat emergence is a must on any nature lover’s bucket list. My husband and I were transfixed in awe as the river of bats continued for almost fifteen minutes, and intrigued by the scent left in the bats’ wake. Yes, you can smell the bats! It’s a little like an umami scent.

Bat viewing tips

Old Tunnel has two viewing areas. Aligned with the tunnel entrance, the lower level is space limited and no children under four are allowed. The upper viewing area is also a wonderful option. Both areas require an advance reservation that can be made online at the Texas Parks and Wildlife website. Bats emerge most but not all nights. The mammals are fair-weather feeders and often stay put in the cave during rainy evenings. That makes sense as fewer insects are available during inclement nights. Docents were on site the night we visited. These volunteers are a wealth of information and source of great bat trivia.

Old Tunnel State Park

At a mere 16-acres, Old Tunnel is the smallest Texas State Park. The 920-foot tunnel, now home to our bats, was built at the beginning of the twentieth century to link Fredericksburg to Comfort by rail. The railroad venture didn’t pan out and the line was abandoned in the forties. In an effort to protect the bat colony, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department purchased the land in 1991 with the express purpose of protecting the bat colony. The area became a state park in 2012. The park has a mile-long trail that follows the old railroad bed. No camping is allowed at the park.

Alamo Springs Café

Why not have dinner before seeing the bats? Alamo Springs Café, adjacent to the park, claims to offer the best burger in Texas. It’s a funky café that looks like a house with a few too many additions on it. We ate there on a Saturday night and were treated to tunes from a local band. The café and patios are packed at dinner time, so be patient. The service is friendly and efficient. The burgers are great, but my favorite were the onion rings….awesome!

When You Go

Old Tunnel State Park is at 10619 Old San Antonio Road, Fredericksburg. Bat viewing for both the upper and lower areas requires an advance reservation. Bats don’t use alarm clocks, so you need to check the Old Tunnel hotline at (866) 978-2287 or check the park’s Facebook page to get the latest emergence time. Alamo Springs Café is at 107 Alamo Road. The café is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. There are also a few outdoor tables at Old Tunnel if you want to bring your own picnic.

Be careful driving home. The area is chocked full of deer, we almost hit a buck making our way back to Fredericksburg.

Tip

Frankie the Free-tailed Bat is a cute book for kids. It’s loaded with information about the bats. You can download a free copy courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife.

Hike The Heard

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The Heard Wood Duck Trail
The Heard Natural History Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary Wood Duck Trail

The Heard Natural History Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney offers more than just a gorgeous natural setting for local hikes. During winter months, youngsters will delight in the exhibit of life-sized dinosaurs and naturalists of all ages will enjoy the year round museum exhibits. And did I mention the hiking trails through diverse habitats from forest to prairie to wetland?

Dinosaurs Live

A thunderous roar shatters the forest stillness. Beware. Beasts not seen for millions of years stalk the Heard Natural History Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary. Young paleontologists will find Brachiosaurus, Diabloceratops, Dilophosaurus, and the infamous Tyrannosaurus Rex roaming the trails at the sanctuary. View ten different dinosaurs along a loop trail through forest and meadow. These life-sized dinosaur replicas roar and move delighting young dinosaur enthusiasts.

North Texas Ramblings - Dinosaurs Live Heard Natural Science Museum
Dinosaurs Live at The Heard

Billings Production in Allen makes the animatronic creatures. The Heard dinosaurs are part of over 200 Billings’ dinosaurs found at zoos and museums throughout North American. The robotic dinosaurs are uniquely adapted to operate outdoors. A hinged steel structure within the fabricated body allows dinosaur heads and limbs to move. A computer program further enhances dinosaur movements making these monstrous creatures look and act almost real — Jurassic Park Texas style. The Heard’s fifteenth annual Dinosaurs Live continues through February 15.

Hike The Heard

While the dinosaurs draw the crowds, there is more to The Heard. Five hiking trails offer differing habitats to explore.

Bluestem and Wood Duck

We live in an ecoregion known as Blackland Prairie running from the Red River to San Antonio. Farming, ranching, and urbanization has decimated the original prairie land of tall grasses to just one percent of its original acreage. The Heard has restored several meadow-sized areas to prairie by careful cultivation of indigenousness grasses and plants. Bluestem trail gets its name from one of these clumping prairie grasses. The trail is one mile out and back, and easy walking.

Bluestem joins with Wood Duck to offer a completely different wetland habitat. The Wood Duck boardwalk takes you on a loop over shallow water and in among flooded trees. During summer months you’ll find turtles and snakes galore sunning themselves on fallen trees. We even found a few confused turtles out soaking up rays from a warmer than normal January sun. Across from the boardwalk, egrets often use the wetland for their rookeries. Combining Bluestem and Wood Duck trails, gives you a pleasant two-mile hike.

Hoot Owl

Located at the lower level of the museum, you’ll find the trailhead for Hoot Owl. The loop takes you through forest to the highest elevation at the sanctuary. At the overlook, you get a glimpse of Texas from before the dinosaurs when our region was covered by an ancient inland sea. The soil all around the overlook is white and part of the geological formation called Austin Chalk formed by long-dead sea creatures.

Hikers descend from the overlook into older forest of elm and oak. At the bottom of Hoot Owl, is the oldest tree on the sanctuary, a great Burr oak that has been core dated at over 230 years old. The Hoot Owl trail is a mile loop, but a more moderate hike due to changes in elevation.

Animals of the World

After your hike, check out the Animals of the World outdoor exhibit. The Heard houses a small number of native and exotic animals. Many exhibit animals imprinted with humans and cannot be released into the wild. Seized from an illegal animal breeder, some animals found new homes at the wildlife sanctuary. There are deer, bobcat, fox, and capybara, the world’s largest rodents. An albino raccoon found a home here too. My favorite are the bobcat brothers. These two were rescued by a farmer from a fire. The farmer brought the small kits to a rehabilitation center. The bobcat brothers recovered from their burns, but spent too much time with humans to be released back into the wild. The ‘boys’ are beautiful cats. During colder winter months, some of the exhibit animals, like the lemurs, are housed inside the museum.

When You Go

The Heard Natural History Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., and on Sunday from 1 until 5 p.m. Pets are not allowed in the sanctuary and there is an admission fee. The trails around Dinosaurs Live are accessible with a stroller, however all trails within the sanctuary are on natural, unpaved surfaces — challenging for wheel chairs and strollers. Picnic areas are available. Restrooms are inside the main building. The Heard Natural History Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary is at 1 Nature Place in McKinney.

Pandemic Impact

The Heard outdoor and indoor exhibits are open, however, masks are required throughout the sanctuary. Trails are narrow and there is enough crossing traffic, that masks are needed even when hiking. Because the dinosaurs draw so many families, you may want to consider a visit during the weekdays when trails are less crowded.

Green Anole

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Texas Backyard Critters

Harry, my backyard green anole

The amount of wildlife that inhabits my garden beds continues to amaze me. I’m not a big reptile fan, but I have formed an attachment to one green anole, a lizard, that enjoys soaking up sun rays on the brick ledge outside my bedroom window. I’ve named him Harry after the anole in the BBC series, Death in Paradise.

I find Harry taking up his sunbathing perch most afternoons. Sometimes he clings to the brick facing outside the front door. Other times he’s positioned on a wrought iron butterfly sculpture. And, if feeling particularly private, I’ve found him snugged up in a Rose of Sharon bush.

Battle Royal – Green Anoles

I’ve always thought of Harry as a peaceful, quiet sort of guy. Imagine my surprise, that while trimming up some overly exuberant trumpeter vine, I encountered Harry in mortal combat with another green anole. This was a pitched, dinosaur-style battle. The lizards circled each other and bobbed up and down. At different intervals the anoles took turns puffing up their dewlap, that’s the pinkish-red neck flap under their chin. It didn’t take me long to discover the reason for the skirmish. Clinging to a nearby rainspout was a female anole, oblivious to the fight taking place three feet away. Alas, Harry did not fair well in the battle, and retreated.

Female Anole waits patiently

The battle I witnessed is common in springtime. Green anoles jealously guard their territory, fighting intruders, especially when a female is involved. Another interesting tidbit, green anoles change colors, sometimes with incredible rapidity. During Harry’s battle royal, the two lizards transformed from forest green to brown and back again. In retreat, Harry shifted back to the bright grass-green skin I’m accustomed to. Scientists believe humidity, mood, temperature and health trigger color shifting, not a camouflage adaption. I’d always believed green anoles were a type of chameleon and was surprised to learn that they are more closely related to iguanas than chameleons.

I’ve discovered more green anoles in the yard. There is one little fellow who suns itself on my compost bin – a great place to catch a few rays and snatch a bite to eat (lots of ants around the bin). Harry’s opponent, in the side yard, likes to hide within my trumpeter vine. And there is a baby anole in the front yard who suns on a low rock in the afternoon. I’m sure, if you look closely, you, too, may have a few lizard friends in your own backyard.

More Anole Tidbits

Green anoles are diurnal, which means they are daytime critters

Great for the garden, anoles eat bugs, slugs, moths, and worms

Another species, the non-native brown anole is an invasive species out competing its green anole cousin in our area

Anoles live two to eight years

Green anoles can be kept as pets

Eastern Cottontail

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Texas Backyard Critters

Hoppy, an Eastern Cottontail Rabbit

Exploring my backyard has replaced day trips, as we all do our part to stop the spread of covid-19 and stay home. I am amazed and entertained by the microcosm of life around me. One frequent visitor to my garden oasis, consistently maintains at least the CDC prescribed six-foot distance – an eastern cottontail rabbit my family named Hoppy. This little guy … could be a gal … it’s difficult to sex a rabbit … lives under a tool shed in the corner. The yard is fenced, offering Hoppy protection from most predators, though I’ve noted he’s beginning to foray out in the evenings. And while he does prefer to dine on black eyed susan plants, he’s discovered that seeds, dropped by squirrels raiding the bird feeder, are mighty tasty, too.

While many view the rabbit as a pest, I admire its adaptability.  The eastern cottontail is ubiquitous adjusting to North Texas’ changing landscape and creating habitat for itself in among suburban subdivisions.  On my neighborhood walks, I frequently spy at least one fluff-tailed critter. An herbivore, the rabbit dines on lawns and makes its home in shrubs. An opportunistic vegetarian, the eastern cottontail will gladly switch from its native diet of grasses to other garden plants, like my black eyed susan, when available.

These small mammals weigh just two to four pounds. They are crepuscular, meaning they’re active during dawn and dusk, generally resting during the day. I often find Hoppy catching a little afternoon sun and taking a nap nestled in the garden bed mulch.

In the wild, rabbits live just a little over a year contending with predators like bobcat, fox, coyote, owls, and hawks. To survive, cottontails possess exceptional eyesight and hearing.  If they sense danger, the rabbit will freeze in place or dash for cover.  Backyard naturalists likely have seen both behaviors.  Cottontails can jump up to 15 feet and often will flee in a zigzag pattern – done to throw a predator off its scent.

Life is tough for the eastern cottontail, even in suburbia. Backyard bunnies, like Hoppy, have to contend with predatory dogs and cats, but most are killed by cars. Still, rabbits thrive in North Texas often birthing several litters of kits each season. Unlike their cousin the hare, rabbits are helpless at birth, born both blind and hairless. The new kit (baby rabbit) will quickly grow its fur and open its eyes, leaving the nest within about two weeks. Kits mature to full grown adults within four or five months. I’ve watched Hoppy grow from small kit to full grown rabbit over the past several months. He continues to captivate me with his cuteness.

More Rabbit Tidbits

  • Eastern cottontails are not social animals and prefer to live singularly.
  • The female cottontail is larger than the male.
  • Cottontails rarely drink water, getting most of their water from the plants they eat.
  • In winter, if green plants are not available, the cottontail will eat twigs and bark.
  • Cottontails will sometimes eat their own droppings to get all the nutrients from the food they ate.