Author: charper1

Several weeks ago I saw a flock of Monk Parakeets foraging on the red fruit of a small tree and since then I have wondered what that tree was. This week I present the Pistacia texana.

This small evergreen is native to limestone cliffs and ravine walls of South Texas and Northern Mexico. It is very drought tolerant but requires well drained soil to prevent moisture build-up.

Pistacia texana is commonly called Texas Pistache or Pistachio but also goes by the names American or Mexican Pistachio (Pistacia mexicana).

The red fruit, described by some as nut-like, fully develop only if if the make tree is nearby. The female tree (pictured here) bears the fruit which is food for birds like the Monk Parakeets I saw several weeks ago.

iNaturalist Observation

References

Texas Tree Planting Guide

Native Plant Society of Texas

Today I took a morning walk along Barton Creek and came across this mysterious bird sitting on a rock in the middle of creek.

Unfortunately it was too far away to get a better picture but it had a white foreneck, dark colored body (likely black) and light colored beak (I think it’s yellow). I used my usual online bird identification guide whatbird.com but I couldn’t find any that fit the bird I saw. Even without an identification it is still a fascinating find.

Update: The iNaturalist community has identified this as a Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus). Texas is listed as an area where they spend the winter (non-breeding) season. They generally spend the breeding season (summer) in the Northern United States and Canada. There are populations of the Double-crested Cormorant that stay in one location year round. They are colonial waterbirds and may fly up to 40 miles away from a nest to a feeding area. They often perch on rocks or other airy perches after fishing to dry off and digest their meals. 

Reference

All About Birds: Double-crested Cormorant

iNaturalist observation: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4508647

There are two species of anoles found in Texas, the Green Anole and the Brown Anole (also known as the Cuban Anole or Anolis sagrei). The Brown Anole came to the United States via Key West in the 1900s and since then have established a presence in much of the Southern United States. The Brown Anole is crowding out the Green Anole in many habitats, but some believe this is causing the Green Anole to move higher up in plants and trees leaving the ground and lower plants areas for the Brown.

Anoles, both Brown and Green, eat live insects and have a life span of 18 to 36 months on average. They grow up to eight inches in length.

Update: According to several observers on iNaturalist the lizard in the picture is actually a Green Anole, which can sometimes be brown in color.

iNaturalist observation: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4468567

Reference

Brown Anoles

I was walking home a few days ago when I saw a flash of green from a flock of birds flying overhead. The birds came to rest under a tree in my complex, so I went to investigate. There among the grackles were a flock of Monk Parakeets. Monk Parakeets are native to South America, but established wild populations in the U.S. in the 1960s, likely due to their popularity in the pet trade. They can be found as far north as Chicago and New York. It is believed that they can survive northern winters because of their large, multifamily stick nests. Each nest contains an average of 20 nest chambers, but some can house more than 200 nests.

More information on Monk Parakeets can be found on All About Birds.

iNaturalist Observation: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4404621

My apartment complex’s landscaping includes this grass, but I can’t identify it. Can you? This grass is found planted alongside cactus and succulents, in a mulched bed alongside a building. I suspect it is relatively drought tolerant, but it may also function as the plant that removes the excess moisture from the soil that the cactus and succulents don’t need. It’s also hard to tell if the brown patches on this grass are normal or a sign of sickness (disease, too much water, not enough water, etc).  Is it native or non-native to the Central Texas region?Knowing these facts for certain would make identifying this grass much easier, but for now it will be known as the unidentified grass.

iNaturalist Observation: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4376670

Did you know that the goldenrod, genus Solidago, is edible? This plant is not only edible but is also well known for its healing properties (Edible Wild Food).  All aerial parts of the plant can be eaten (Edible Wild Food). One website recommends using the flowers as a garnish on a salad and cooking the leaves like spinach (Edible Wild Food). Other uses include using the flowers and leaves to make a bitter tea (Edible Wild Food).

Goldenrod’s medicinal properties include chemicals that increase urine flow and have anti-inflammatory effects (WebMD). It is used to treat gout, joint pain, arthritis eczema and other skin conditions (WebMD). It is also sometimes used to treat tuberculosis, diabetes, enlargement of the liver, hay fever and asthma (WebMD).

iNaturalist observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4299614

References

http://www.ediblewildfood.com/goldenrod.aspx

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-84-goldenrod.aspx?activeingredientid=84&activeingredientname=goldenrod

The Great Egret, Ardea alba, is symbol of successful conservation. The egret was hunted to near extinction for its snow-white plumage, which was popular in women’s fashion, in North America in the 19th century. After a century of legal protection, egret numbers have increased substantially and their future outlook is bright.

iNaturalist Observation: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4256605

Reference

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/birds/great-egret/

While out exploring the trails of Mable Davis Park, I was surprised to see a white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, spring across the path. Unfortunately I was unable to get a picture, so readers you are going to have to take my word for it that I did indeed see this deer (A doe to be precise). Some quick facts about the white-tailed deer:

• Herbivore that can digest leaves, twigs, fruits, nuts, grass, lichens and fungi
• Mammal with a gestation period of seven months
• Rely on their speed and agility to escape predators
• Restoration and management success story (National Geographic)

As human development expands further and further into previously untouched habitats humans come into greater contact with the wild animals that once called that place home. This can be viewed as both a good thing and a bad thing. People like the idea of being close to nature and seeing a deer near their home is a way for them to forgot that they living in an urban world and remember the beauty of nature. Deer can also fascinate young children. Others, especially anyone who has ever hit a deer while driving, see the presence of deer as a nuisance. Deer can eat crops and gardens and can cause car accidents. However you view the white-tailed deer, their presence is a reminder of the biodiversity that surrounds us.

iNaturalist Observation: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4206117

Reference

National Geographic

This week’s theme is a continuation of last week’s post about the differences between succulents and cacti, but this week’s plant of choice is a cacti. What makes a cacti different from a succulent? As you might recall from my last post all cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti. One difference between the two is how the thorns are attached. Cactus thorns stick out from the pad as you can see in the picture below, while succulent thorns are an extension of the body of the plant (Wisconsin Cactus and Succulent Society). Another difference is their temperature tolerance. Most succulents can only tolerate temperatures as low as 50°F but cacti can tolerate temperatures as low as 40°F and can be found as far north as Canada (Wisconsin Cactus and Succulent Society).

 

iNaturalist Observation

http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/4147579

Reference

Cacti VS Succulents

While trying to identify the plant pictured below I discovered that, all cacti are succulents, but not all succulents are cacti (CactiGuide.com). Cacti has become a term commonly used to describe any prickly-looking desert plant. But there are differences between the two. Cacti (Cactaceae) have small, round structures called areoles from which spines, branches, hairs, leaves and flowers grow. Succulents do not have areoles (ucdavis.edu). Cacti are also only native to the Americas, from Alaska south to Chile. This includes species of cacti that have adapted to survive the freezing winters common to Canada (ucdavis.edu). Succulents on the other hand are native to most parts of the world (ucdavis.edu).

The Century Plant (Agave americana) is a native Texas agave (succulent) and described by some as the largest and most majestic of the native Texas agaves (aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu). Agave americana lives for 10 to 25 years and at the end of its life produces a flower stalk up to 15 feet tall (aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu). It is moderately slow growing, extremely drought tolerant and tolerant of temperatures as low as 20°F (aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu). It is frequently used in landscaping, as it is in the picture above.

Resources

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/nativeshrubs/agaveamer.htm

http://www.cactiguide.com/cactiornot/

http://ucce.ucdavis.edu/universal/printedprogpageshow.cfm?pagenum=6142&progkey=2080&county=5576