Living in Warbler heaven; big hog hunting

By Bebe and Sissy Fenstermaker

Golden-cheeked Warblers' buzzing songs greet me when I work in the yard. They serenade lunch on the porch. They are establishing territories around the houses. We must be living right or something. Last year one singing male was heard out in front of the Barn and this year there are at least two singing. Actually they are trying to attract mates and set up individual territories. Before this the closest bird group was up on the hill in back of the houses, so it seems they have had some successful years and returning birds are compelled to reach out into new areas. This is a gratifying sign to hear. I feel absolutely rich.

The Golden-cheeked Warbler should be the state bird of Texas . It only nests in the Hill Country of Texas, flying south to Central America for the winter. Looking at a birding book shows how small an area this bird is restricted to and defines why it has become endangered. It was put on the endangered species list in the early 1990s. Its range is so small and is undergoing horrendous development which is destroying its habitat. The bird weaves its nest using only strips of cedar (juniper) bark. The cedar tree's bark begins to slip or strip off when the tree is 30 or more years old. Humans hate cedar and feel compelled to clear them completely from their land. This is fatal to the Warbler, who has to move onto adjacent land which has mature cedar along with mixed woodlands for insects to feed its young. That kind of land is becoming harder to find, hence the problem.

In the old days cedars were usually confined to hillsides and creek bottoms. With settlement, fields were cleared of all trees for livestock grazing and planting of crops. Overgrazing began with the first settlers, and soon cedar berries carried by birds began to populate the overgrazed areas. Humans started the mess and are ridiculously sanctimonious now over the result. A cedar can and does do a lot of good things besides its bad rap. Lots of little trees start their lives snuggly growing in the duff below a cedar. It is a virtual nursery there with a germinating mixture, moisture, dappled shade, and protection from grazing animals. Look under a cedar (not a cedar brake) and there are many wonderful plants getting their first start. It is thought that a madrona tree needs cedar protection and support to even begin to grow and then needs the cedar for much of its early life. And, of course, the Golden-cheeked Warbler needs it in order to survive. We have been told to spare cedar growing on the south and west sides of hills because they protect the hill surface from the scorching and drying sun. Most of the hardwoods are found on the north and east slopes which are the coolest in the summer. We have plenty of cedar; we have mixed woodlands and we have always had the Warbler. Now, hopefully, we have even more.

Our Black-capped Vireo habitat enhancement area is developing nicely. This is the third spring since we began the project with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and the oak motts are growing. This endangered bird needs dense brush in which to nest and that is what we are working toward. If it is possible, the Black-capped Vireo is thought to be in more trouble that the Warbler. Its habitat disappears because of development and because it grows out of the right size. An oak/brush mott will grow up beyond the size the Vireo can use for nesting and so time also takes a toll on its habitat. We are going to maintain our habitat when it reaches the ideal height by going back in and cutting or topping the oaks as they grow. This was usually done by wildfire in the days before settlement. A wonderful addition to the Vireo habitat is wild turkeys are beginning to nest in the brush piles.

This is a beautiful spring, one of the greatest I've ever experienced, as Nature goes. When the mid-day sun hits the newly greening trees, it's as if they have been lit from inside. The air is just right and the months of rain have paid off. A few days ago an invigorating cool front came through, making the evenings sharp and the morning air fresh. Now the baby calves have begun arriving and they are looking good. So far they are all Titian red.

Our GO OUTDOORS! event was successful and our nature tourism group is going to do it again next year. We had nice turnouts for most events and the sites reported satisfied customers. We have decided to hold it a couple of weeks later next spring and will contact other towns to join in the nature fun. We had a couple join us who are avid birders living in an RV and traveling the country year round.

Bebe Fenstermaker

Wow! The end of March was very windy and it continued into the first part of April as well. The GO OUTDOORS! weekend of various nature and recreational activities went well for a first time event. We had guest birders from our area as well as a couple “stranded” in their RV while it was being repaired. The morning was a bit windy and really did not clear until the second hour of our walk. It was a crisp morning and when the sun finally came out it felt good. The wind was ideal for the Cibolo Nature Center, though, where there was kite making and flying going on. The nature walks on both public and private lands succeeded in drawing in visitors who enjoyed the programs offered for the two day event.

The hunters were out the other evening looking for hogs. Before dark, Frank bagged one with a single shot. He settled in to wait for Lester to finish hunting and join him. Bebe was driving out shortly after the shooting and saw the hog on its side out in the field. From her description, it sounded like a rather large one. The account of what happened later was told to me a few days later. When Lester arrived to help him load the animal into the pickup, Frank said it was probably about 130 pounds. As they were struggling to drag it across the field, Lester told Frank it was much heavier. Fortunately, Lester had a heavy duty hoist on his pickup so they were able to get the hog into the bed without too much effort. However, when they got to their destination, hoisted the hog to weigh it, that hoist broke, and the scale maxed out at 180 pounds. After the hog was dressed it was reweighed. With its head dragging on the floor, it still maxed out the scale. The last I heard, the animal was said to weigh over 260 pounds. Frank thinks there may be another one of equal size still out there because his hog's hide showed signs of fighting. Lester hunted Frank's stand later in the week hoping he might see it.

I do not remember a spring with as much blue eyed grass and as many blue gilia plants as I've seen this year. When the dogs and I walk out, both are scattered along our paths. Each has smallish blue flowers with bright yellow centers. The blue eyed grass flower is a medium powdery blue on a blue green plant with flat blades. The blue gilia flower is a much darker blue and the plant is quite small with leaves that resemble tiny twigs. Other wildflowers blooming are scurf peas (Psoralea latestipulata), slender-stem bitterweed (Hymenoxys scaposa), black foot daisy (Melampodium leucanthum), wild garlic (Allium Drummondii), lazy daisy (Aphanostephus sp.), puccoon (Lithospermum incisum), and just recently seen, blue sage (Salvia texana). Our walks have been longer lately as I look for each new spring arrival. The dogs don't seem to mind, though, as it gives them a longer opportunity to investigate all the scents they run across along their routes.

Sissy Fenstermaker