Author: cjohns10

This past weekend as I was walking in my neighborhood, I spotted this large Magnolia tree that covers most of a front yard. I’m somewhat familiar with Magnolia trees because of their long, dark green leaves and their large white flowers, but I wasn’t sure of the exact species. Through Googling and by looking at other iNaturalist observations, I was able to further identify this individual as a Southern Magnolia, or Magnolia grandiflora.

 Magnolia grandiflora are native to the Southern U.S., and as they are commonly used as an ornamental because of their distinct white flowers, they bloom in May through June. More on the Southern Magnolia can be found here.

My iNaturalist observation can be found here.

This past weekend out at Wild Basin, this frog was spotted as it was exploring Bee Creek. After googling its description, I’ve identified it as a Plains Leopard Frog, or Lithobates blairi. The Plains Leopard Frog is a frog common to central Texas, and named after a zoologist  from the University of Texas, Dr. Frank Blair. More on the Plains Leopard Frog can be found here.I like to see amphibians move across both water and land in native areas, because frogs are a common bioindicator for ecosystems. This capability as a bioindicator is characterized by the  permeability of their skin, which makes them susceptible to changes in both terrestrial and aquatic environments.

My iNaturalist observation can be found here.

When hiking or exploring out in nature, it’s always exciting when something you’re not expecting pops up. For example, this happened to me last week out at Wild Basin when this Monarch Butterfly crossed my path. I had to chase it up the trail for a bit to take a picture, but luckily it stopped for a photo opportunity on this flower. 

As Monarchs, or Danaus plexippus, are native to North America and migrate to Mexico during the late summer/early fall, I was able to identify it as a Monarch right away. Being from central Texas, I’m pretty familiar with Monarchs and how they migrate this time of year, and how they lay their eggs on milkweed and use it as a food source. More on the Monarch Butterfly can be found here.

You can find my iNaturalist observation here.

As I’ve become familiar with the different plant species that can exist in riparian areas through my research this semester, this fern is one of my favorites. It usually grows close to a water source, and can be found growing along banks and even on rocks (like below).  

My research group was initially unsure of the identity of this plant but after having help from our research assistant who was familiar with the species, we agreed that this was a type of Maidenhair Fern. Upon uploading the observation and photos to iNaturalist, multiple community members have further identified the species as a Black Maidenhair Fern, or Adiantum capillus-veneris. My iNaturalist observation can be found here.

Black Maidenhair Ferns are native to the southern half of the United States, and on down through Mexico and Central America to South America. It exist where moisture is high and it is commonly cultivated as a houseplant. More on the Black Maidenhair Fern can be found here.

While doing research this past weekend out at Wild Basin, I spotted this large turtle swimming in Bee Creek. My group’s research assistant, Stephanie, and I discussed what kind of turtle it could be, and because of its size and tail, we agreed that this was a Common Snapping Turtle, or Chelydra serpentina.

Common Snapping Turtles are common throughout the U.S. and North America, and more on the Common Snapping Turtle can be found here. I was initially surprised to come across this turtle because I didn’t realize Texas had snapping turtles, and besides deer, this is the largest animal I’ve seen at Wild Basin so far. I made sure not to get too close!

My iNaturalist observation can be found here.

I’m thankful that the city of Austin has many parks and opportunities to experience nature even inside the city limits. An example of this is a small park, called Central Park, that is nestled in the middle of the Hyde Park neighborhood. This park contains a pond that rests inside a trail system, and with all its  surrounding vegetation being native and well-maintained, the park provides a good example of a healthy wetland ecosystem in an urban area.  This weekend I was walking on the trail there with some friends, and I spotted this majestic creature standing along the bank of the pond.

It initially caught my eye because of how white its feathers were and how it stood to be about three feet tall. I was initially unsure of the bird’s identity, but after doing some googling and deciding whether or not if it was a herron or an egret, I identified the bird as a Great Egret, or Ardea alba. I was glad that a few community users on iNaturalist confirmed this ID as well, and my iNaturalist observation can be found here. 

Great Egrets are native to most wetlands in North America and as they migrate between late summer and early fall, I’m assuming this individual stopped at the pond during a long flight. More information about the Great Egret can be found here.

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Every time my research group goes out to Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve, we run into many different species that we’re not used to seeing in the city. For example, this weekend I spotted this unfamiliar friend sitting on a Yaupon Holly branch near the trail.

This insect is about two inches long and after doing some googling, I identified it as a Leaf-footed bug, or Acanthocephala terminalis.  These Leaf-Footed Bugs are native to most of North America and they tend to feed on native vegetation. If you look closely at the top photo, you can see herbivory activity on the leaves of the Holly that this individual is sitting on; perhaps he was there for breakfast.

My iNaturalist observation can be found here.

Earlier this week, I was walking on the sidewalk along the main street in my neighborhood, and I came across a row of these trees that were planted between the street and the sidewalk. As this area is most likely an easement and because this row persists for a few blocks, I’m assuming the City of Austin or Travis County has planted these trees in this area. (I could be wrong though.)

What first caught my eye and inspired me to identify this tree was its pink-colored, small fruit. At first glance I thought this tree’s fruit looked like dusty gum-balls: the fruit is no larger than a quarter and most of the fruit on the tree is bright pink. I could tell by looking at fruit that had fallen though, that ripe fruit from this tree is more of a dark pink to mauve color.

This gave me the idea that this tree is a type of plum tree. At first I wasn’t sure because the fruit is so small but after inspecting the inside of one of the fruits, it looked just like a tiny plum. From there I went on a hunt to identify the species of this plum tree, but as it was clearly planted and as there are many types of plum trees that could be planted in Texas, I couldn’t pin down the exact species. I was torn between Mexcian Plum and Japanese Plum, but when I observed this tree on iNaturalist, I left the species name “unknown”.

Well, I’m happy to report that there are community members that are just as passionate about species identification as we are, and in just a few short hours, a community member had identified my tree as a Mexican Plum. After doing some research on this species, I’ve confirmed with her that this row of mysterious, pink-fruit trees is indeed a row of Mexican Plum trees.

You can find my iNaturalist observation here.

Mexican Plum, or Prunus mexicana, grow in the wild throughout most of the central and south regions of the U.S. It fruits between July and September and although it is native to Texas, it is important to note that these specific trees were  planted. After reading how the fruits from Mexican Plums can attract many species of local birds, I’m wondering if the city (or county, or whoever) planted these native fruit trees in this area, did so with the intention for them to bring birds to an urban area. Regardless who put them there, as this tree-bird relationship enhances local biodiversity, I’m glad they were planted!

More on the Mexican Plum tree can be found here.

 

As I generally enjoy looking at and identifying trees whenever I’m outside in the Austin area, I’m always on the lookout for native trees with unique traits that set them apart from others. Cedar Elm, or Ulmus crassifolia, always catches my eye with its long and fully-serrated leaves. Leaves on most native tree species are usually not serrated around the entire leaf, which is the case for the Cedar Elm.

I spotted this large Cedar Elm near my apartment building because along with its leaves, it caught my eye because it provides shade for the the entire yard next door. Cedar Elms are native to the south central region of North America and as they are native to Texas, I don’t often see one as tall as this one. I usually spot Cedar Elms when they are about 10-15ft high, so I was happy to find this next door neighbor which I estimate to be about 50ft tall!

My iNaturalist observation can be found here.

The Pecan tree, or Carya illinoinensis, is a large deciduous tree related to hickory tree species, and it is native to Mexico and the southeastern and southcentral regions of the U.S. Its fruit, the pecan, is also an important food source for many animals. As the tree is particularly native to Texas, Pecan also happens to be the official State Tree of Texas. More on the Pecan tree can be found here.

Being someone that holds both native flora and Texas near and dear to their heart, I was happy to spot this familiar friend behind my apartment building in the Hyde Park neighborhood. It always catches my eye with its long and dark green leaves, and its green to brown fruit. I usually keep an eye out for brown pecans on the ground because depending on how ripe the fruit is, that could be a snack.

My iNaturalist observation can be found here.