Honors 2360.01 Spring 2017

Adventuring our way through Big Bend on an Easter Break jaunt, we started off by hiking a trail up to a hidden waterfall called Cattail Falls. Because the trail is not put on trail maps to protect its delicate ecosystem, we only passed by  perhaps two groups of people coming down from the falls as we were going up. We passed by one gentleman and asked how the falls looked today. The falls were more of a trickle despite the recent rain, he admitted, but there were tons of what he thought might be orchids surrounding the falls that made the trip up worth it.

We hiked on, excited at the prospect of the shade and cool of the waterfall, as well as these supposed orchids. We finally arrived, our feet aching and skin starting to tinge pink from oncoming sunburn. The waterfall was indeed a trickle, but the shade and cool were a relief. Plus, the flowers that had been promised were indeed abundant. Patches of tall yellow flowers surrounded the small pool at the base of the falls at every side, trailing outward into the surrounding shady areas but not venturing into sunnier areas. However, as I learned, these flowers were not in fact orchids but Longspur Columbine, native to the Chisos Mountains. It made sense that the Longspur Columbine was nowhere to be seen on our walk through the glaring sun, but only appeared near the shade of the falls. Columbine plants love shade and need a lot of moisture, which the nearby falls are able to provide. Seeing these beautiful plants surrounding the pool was worth the hike, even if they weren’t orchids.

Source: http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=AQLO

iNaturalist Link: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5977491

Having finished our adventures in Marfa, we started to see more and more wildlife as we got closer to Big Bend National Park. Weaving through endless curving roads ever-upward in slope, we made it at last to our campsite in nearby Terlingua. We pitched our tents and fell asleep early, exhausted from what felt like days in the car and preparing for an early morning and a long day to come. We started with an attempted sunrise hike through the Santa Elena Canyon, which was thwarted by the previous night’s rain flooding all roads into the canyon. Instead, we watched the sun rise between two mountain peaks as we ate a small breakfast and planned our first hike of the day- 7 miles in the open sun to a hidden waterfall.

This trail, called the Cattail Falls Trail, is particularly interesting because it is known to be a sensitive environment. So much so, in fact, that park rangers told us the trail had to be taken off the guide maps in order to lessen traffic to the delicate waterfall. However, hiking was still permitted to the trail given that hikers did not touch the water and remained aware of the sensitivity of the ecosystem of the waterfall. After hiking several miles in direct sun, I could already feel a sunburn growing on my right shoulder and was starting to grow tired. At the first shady tree, we stopped to hydrate and rest before heading back out into the sun. In that shady grove is where I spotted the desert agave, growing by itself in this uncharacteristic shade. It looked a lot like an aloe plant with the long pointed leaves and small spikes. However, on closer inspection one in our group was able to identify it as an agave plant- source of both tequila and the currently popular sugar alternative. As we climbed higher and higher towards the water fall we began to see agave plants all over the place, soaking in the sun rays they enjoy so much. Why this particular desert agave was able to survive in such a shaded spot is still something of a mystery, but it was this unique placement that allowed me to snap a picture of it before we continued our hike toward the falls.

iNaturalist Link: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5977573

After spotting a very speedy Texas Horned Lizard amongst the artwork in Marfa, I continued my day wandering the tiny art town. The day we chose to visit was not a busy one in Marfa, but it was still proximal enough to Spring Break that a few shops were open, though most of them at odd hours. The town was quiet, and while not the wild in any real sense, it served as an introduction into desert flora and fauna as the desert landscape stretched out around Marfa in all directions. Lizards, flowers and cacti that seemed totally foreign to me were commonplace near sidewalks or in the courtyards of the small shops.

While the cactus I spotted was most likely planted there and maintained by whatever shop was nearest, it was a plant that I saw again and again as we ventured deeper into the wilderness of Big Bend. This cactus towered several feet over my head with long, thin branches that seemed brittle and almost dead. I was unsure whether this was due to season change or poor maintenance, but when trying to identify the plant I learned that this is normal. As far as I can tell, the plant I saw was a night-blooming cereus, a tall native cactus that appears nearly dead for most of the year. But one night each summer, large white flowers bloom on the cactus, only to close back up the same morning. It was a little early for the flowers when I saw the plant in Marfa and it was unlikely anyways that I would’ve been lucky enough to witness that short-lived phenomenon. Nonetheless, it interested me to know that the plant I saw in Marfa and throughout Big Bend has such a unique quality.

Source: http://www.desertusa.com/cactus/night-blooming-cereus.html

iNaturalist Link: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5977670

I have seen these beetles all around, but never knew what they were specifically called. There are actually a wide variety of beetles found all over the world.  These particular beetles are known as June beetles. They also are called May beetles or June bugs. These insects are not harmful to humans, but they are pests to plants as their larvae eat the roots of plants causing the yellowish tint in grass. This may be why there has been a yellow patch of grass outside my window and why I always see birds trying to peck their way through the dirt.

Source: http://texasinsects.tamu.edu/bimg139.html

Observation: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5738679

While my blogs began on the St. Edward’s Campus, I had the chance to extend my search for natural beauty much further while on my Easter Break. On this break, I was took a camping trip to Big Bend National Park for some hiking, swimming and even perusing art galleries. Since the drive there is quite long, we were able to make a few stops along the way. One of them was the famous little desert town of Marfa, Texas. We spent the afternoon wandering the town, perusing art set against the stark desert background, drinking iced coffees and getting dark red sun burns on necks and noses.

Our first stop was the Donald Judd exhibits at the Chinati Foundation on the outskirts of town, where his untitled works in concrete are. A series of 15, the works are huge concrete blocks arranged in symmetrical configurations each with a makeshift desert path between them. It was on this path that I spotted a Texas Horned Lizard, a tiny thing of only 2 or so inches long. With rough beige skin, the lizard blended in perfectly with its surroundings, and I was only able to catch a glimpse of it because of how fast it moved, racing between rocks and shrubs. Since I’m from Michigan and haven’t done much travel in Texas outside Austin, this felt like the first real desert animal I’d ever seen. It had spikes down its spine and was so neatly camouflaged to its environment. Though I was just barely able to snap a picture of it before it darted away, this sighting made me excited to spend the rest of my break exploring a new desert environment and all the natural wonders it had to offer.

 

iNaturalist Link: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5977300

I found this unique looking insect in the field behind Teresa Hall while helping my friend take graduation photos. I was not sure at all what this bug could be, but I knew it was super cool, but not anything I wanted to be around. Thank to the iNaturalist community, I was able to identify this insect as the Giant Leaf-footed Bug. As an act of defense this bug will emit a loud noise at it flies away if approached which I experienced firsthand as I tried to approach it…. and I got the message loud and clear! Luckily, I did not experience its second method of defense which is to emit a foul odor.

Source: http://www.insectidentification.org/insect-description.asp?identification=Leaf-Footed-Bug

Observation: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5738489

Such a common and lovely sight around campus, it seemed that I would be missing something if I didn’t  include the bluebonnets in my exploration of the natural world around me. St. Edward’s has, in my opinion, some of the best collections of bluebonnets around the Austin area (except for perhaps McKinney Falls). As we took a walk around campus with Dr. Bellaire I snapped a photo of this particular bluebonnet.

This bluebonnet was part of a cascade of others that run down the hill in front of Main Building, leading down to the soccer fields. This sight is one that assures me that spring, my favorite season in Texas, has truly arrived. I could hardly go a few feet without seeing a bluebonnet at the time since it was peak season, around the first weeks of April when the winter chill had finally left for good. The Texas State flower and still one of my favorites, this common flower goes to show that one doesn’t have to look far to see some truly lovely native wildflowers.

iNaturalist Link: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5434106

These insects had been flying all over campus for a while. I always thought they were giant mosquitoes and avoid them at all possible cost because I was afraid they were carrying some disease. However, I was happy to learn that these were not mosquitoes at all but rather Crane Flies. It makes sense that these crane flies appeared when they did because we had just gotten out of a rainy period here in Austin and their larvae live in loose soil or organic matter. They are also extremely attracted to porch lights which is why I would find about 5 flying around my door every night.

Source: http://www.mosquito.org/mistaken-identities

Observation: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5433963

 

A few weeks back, one of my classes held in the performance studio (a room
with a wall of windows which floods the room with natural light) was graced with the presence of a blue jay! Though I wasn’t able to get a photo of it, the bird was so beautiful and rare to my eyes that I had to include it in this blog.

Blue jays are actually fairly common in suburban areas, especially near oak trees or bird feeders. The blue jay’s diet is fairly varied. They eat insects, nuts and seeds, grains, dead or injured small vertebrates, and are even known to steal the eggs of other birds!

These songbirds are fairly complex. They have intricate social systems and are known for their intelligence. Blue jays mate for life and form tight family bonds. They have a large ‘vocabulary’ and have been known to imitate human speech and cats’ meows. In the wild, they frequently mimic hawks, either to warn other blue jays of the presence of hawks, or to trick other birds into thinking a hawk is present.

Reference and photograph source:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Blue_Jay/lifehistory

iNaturalist Observation:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5433720

I found this little creature on my walk home late one night. I knew it had to be a centipede or a millipede, but I had no clue what the differences between each one were. After doing some research, I figured out that this was in fact a millipede. The main identifiable factor is that the millipede has two sets of legs per segment rather than one like a centipede. There are many types of millipedes of all shapes and sizes around the world, but this one specifically in from the Family Parajulidae.

Source: https://www.orkin.com/other/centipedes/what-is-the-difference-between-centipedes-millipedes/

Observation: http://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5067108