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Bandera County Courier is published weekly by Gail S. Joiner, 1210 Hackberry St., Bandera, TX 78003. Subscription price $26 per year in Bandera County, TX; $36 per year for other Texas counties; $40 per year out of Texas. POSTMASTER: send address changes to Bandera County Courier, P.O. Box 1704, Bandera, TX 78003. Periodicals Postage pending in Bandera, Texas.

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Staff: Judith Pannebaker, Editor
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Articles in the Nature section of the on-line Courier:

The Real Scoop on Soil for Earth Day	Published April 24, 2008
Master Naturalists explore ‘Erosion Control & Creekside Conservation'	Published April 24, 2008
Day trippin’ down Canyon Lake Gorge	Published April 17, 2008
Birding tours offered at Lost Maples State Natural Area	Published April 17, 2008
ISO: Texas wildflowers	Published April 10, 2008
Salvia suitable for Texas Hill Country	Published April 3, 2008
Tornado fires bullet, but Medina dodges it.	Published March 20, 2008
Texas Master Naturalist meet Monday 'Hill Country Wetlands and Riparian Area Habitat Enhancement/Restoration'	Published March 20, 2008
Astonishing images of lovely lunar eclipse	Published March 13, 2008
Bandera’s latest fine feathered resident	Published Feb. 28, 2008
Texas wants inventory of nature tourism	Published Feb. 14, 2008
Native plant society to hear about grasses Saturday	Published Oct. 11, 2007
Nature program in Kerrville	Published Oct. 11, 2007
Watch out for wildlife babies	Published July 5, 2007
Nature walk set for Saturday	Published July 5, 2007
Blue Moon over North America	Published May 31, 2007
Don't export that turtle! TPWD may ban Texas turtles from global repasts and pet trade	Published May 24, 2007
Master Naturalist Chapter Now Accepting Applications	Published May 24, 2007
Wild Lives – Callous acts can turn spring's magic tragic	Published May 24, 2007
Was it a tornado, Ralph? No, it just felt like a twister	Published May 10, 2007
'Natural Texas-Right Here at Home' program Monday	Published April 19, 2007
Medina Library Garden hosts NPSOT program	Published April 12, 2007
The Natural World - April 2007 Calendar of Area Events	Published April 12, 2007
Bluebird Festival April 15	Published March 29, 2007
Has spring sprung?	Published March 15, 2007
Galveston Island Featherfest March 29-April 1	Published March 15, 2007
Texas Tropics Nature Festival March 29-April 1	Published March 15, 2007
Hummingbirds of the Texas Hill Country program Feb. 26	Published Feb. 15, 2007
Whooping Crane population continues to soar	Published Feb. 1, 2007
Cronkite to narrate "Texas the State of Springs" Documentary Feb. 15	Published Feb. 1, 2007
Bear Springs meets Jan. 16	Published Jan. 4, 2007
The Natural World Jan. 2007 Calendar of Area Events	Published Jan. 4, 2007
Bandera County's hill hogs worldwide celebs	Published Jan. 4, 2007
Nature articles from 2006	Nature articles from 2005

Day trippin’ down Canyon Lake Gorge By Judith Pannebaker BCC Editor Published April 17, 2008 In 2002, raging floodwaters sliced the Glenrose Aquifer horizontally, exposing natural channels – approximately 18 inches wide – that originally carried water underground. Staff Photos by Judith Pannebaker This earthen dam was designed to wash out during the next “flood event,” forestalling water from backing up in Canyon Lake Gorge. For the first time since its completion in 1968, Canyon Lake overflowed its spillway in 2002. The cave shown in the center right of the photo marked the first appearance of water in the gorge. Previously, the groundwater had wended its way through limestone in the aquifer before appearing as surface water. No one has yet plumbed the depth of this pool, once hidden far below ground. This area is close to the juncture of the Trinity and Glen Rose aquifers. One of the tour participants attempted to keep warm while straddling a fault line uncovered by floodwaters. During the summer, the temperature in the gorge is 20º higher than at its surface. This huge fault – think “San Andreas” – showed vertical “scratches” created when one portion of the rock pulled away from the other. Since 2002, native plants, such as ferns and grasses, have sprung up in the fracture lines in the limestone of Canyon Lake Gorge. Preservationists quickly remove non-native “volunteer” greenery, such as pampas grass. Prior to being opened up floodwaters in 2002, this area was merely “a slight depression with just a surface stream.” Now, it is the deepest part of the gorge. The cottonwood and willow trees appeared in the last five years. Tour participants scrutinized the gorge for fossils. Like members of the Sierra Club, however, they were cautioned to “take only photographs and leave only footprints.” This Glen Rose limestone formation was exposed during the “Great Flood of ’02.”    The website, www.canyongorge.org, describes Canyon Lake Gorge as “a beautiful and natural insight into the geology and hydrologic dynamics of Glen Rose limestone in Comal County near Canyon Lake.”     Well, it’s that, and much more.     Public tours of the gorge are offered the first Saturday of each month, and the expedition is fascinating.     In fact, one of the hosts – who apparently shunned the moniker “guide” – described the natural phenomenon as “a miniature Grand Canyon.”     Back-story     “Super erosion” created or “cut” the gorge when floodwaters rushed over Canyon Lake’s spillway during the “Great Flood of ’02.” The spillway functions as a kind of emergency release valve, and the 2002 event marked the lake’s first overflow in 40 years.     “If the flood had gone over the dam (itself), the dam would have been destroyed because it’s made of rolled, compact earth,” said host Jamie Kinscherft.     A member of the Gorge Preservation Society, as well as the Texas Master Naturalist program, Kinscherft and three of his colleagues led a group of 20 participants on a threehour gorge tour, Saturday, March 29.     The United States Army Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority, began constructing the Canyon Lake Reservoir, in 1958. The reservoir was designed for flood control and as a stored supply of water in droughts. Construction was completed in 1968.     Great Flood of ‘02     In his introduction to the natural marvel, Kinscherft said rain began falling on June 28, 2002, and by July 1, everyone involved was aware a “flood event” was coming.     The upper part of the Guadalupe River watershed received more than 35 inches of rain in approximately one week. The runoff poured into the Guadalupe River and emptied into Canyon Reservoir, which was already above normal due to recent rains.     “At 3:30 pm on July 4, the water went over the spillway – at the rate 3,000,000 gallons of water per second for seven or eight days. The entire flood event lasted six weeks,” Kinscherft said. Residents living throughout the hills that overlook the gorge described the sound of the rushing water as similar to a thunderstorm – except it shook the foundations of their homes.     Zipper in aquifer     According to Kinscherft, when the flood waters receded, “a zipper – 50 to 60 feet at its deepest point – had been opened up in the Glen Rose limestone formation,” exposing a vertical cut of the aquifer. The raging waters displaced enough solid matter to fill a football field 300 feet high. Some of the piled limestone boulders were as large as SUVs.     Exposed portions of the Glen Rose Aquifer, long hidden underground, now serve as a living scientific lab for geologists, botanists, hydrologists and paleontologists.     “None of this was evident five years ago, the water scoured out the gorge,” Kinscherft said. “All the water that you can now see flowing through the gorge was once groundwater – water moving underground through the aquifer.” He compared traversing the gorge to “putting a glassbottom boat in the aquifer.”     According to host Coco Brennan, the event exposed phenomenon that had never been seen before, including two sets of dinosaur tracks and other fossils, fault lines and remarkable channels that carried water underground. “We’ve been given a chance to examine how limestone that makes up the aquifer really works,” she said.     Inland sea     Host Dave Skinner offered, “The Glen Rose formation is 105 million years old.” Part of an ancient reef, the cretaceous limestone formation is made up of multiple layers of the inorganic remains of sea creatures.     According to Kinscherft, 140 to 160 million years ago, Texas was covered by a shallow marine environment. “That meant it was salt water and light could penetrate to the sea bottom,” he explained. “During this period, continents were splitting apart and the Edwards Plateau, the Hill Country and the Balcones Fault Escarpment were being formed.”     Dinosaurs roamed Texas during this period. In fact, two left tracks along the edge of the then-shallow inland sea – Acrolanthosaurus, a “mini T. Rex,” and Pleurocoelus, the official state dinosaur. The tracks are now exposed to the elements, prompting Kinscherft to note, “If these tracks are not preserved, they will disappear in a few years.”     Other fossils unearthed by the churning waters nearly six years ago are being stored at the University of Texas until an “interpretive center” can be constructed by the gorge. “Unfortunately, a lot of looting has been gone on in the gorge. It seems like every time I take a tour through, more of my favorite fossils have disappeared,” Kinscherft said.     Dirt poor     Another item that has disappeared from the Hill Country is topsoil. “We don’t have dirt here, we have rock,” said Brennan, adding, “It takes 500 years to grow one inch of soil.”     According to Skinner, several unrelated occurrences conspired to disseminate the dirt, including the Hill Country area being “lifted up,” which allowed rain to wash soil from the High Plains to the coast.     “Although we’re only 10 miles from the Blackland Prairie, the Balcones Fault prevented dirt from settling here,” Skinner continued. Ranching, he said, also contributed to loss of topsoil.     “After cattle overgrazed the big grasses, sheep were brought in to eat the secondary grasses and then goats took care of the tertiary grasses,” he said, adding, “After that, erosion occurred.”     Clear cutting land for housing developments also contributed to soil loss through erosion, he noted. During the tour, Kinscherft pointed out a miniature eco-system completely contained within a small pool of water. Fed by a tiny spring bubbling up from the aquifer underneath the gorge, the ecosystem contained crayfish and tadpoles, as well as the larvae of stoneflies. “This indicates the purity of the water,” he said. “Stonefly larvae are intolerant to pollution.”     The end     A “disposable” earthen bridge signified the tour’s conclusion.     “Another flood event like the one in 2002 will likely occur again. When water rushes over the spillway, this bridge will give way and prevent water from backing up in the gorge,” Kinscherft explained. “This allows the water to continue a mile to the Guadalupe River.”     According to data from the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Guadalupe River basin remains one of the most flash flood prone river basins in the world. To sign-up for the tour, which costs $10 a person, visit www.canyongorge.org.

Birding tours offered at Lost Maples State Natural Area Special to the Courier Published April 17, 2008 Golden-cheeked Warbler Birds are abundant at Lost Maples State Natural Area in several habitats. This hawk’s nest at Lost Maples State Natural Area has a pair that return each year to hatch a new brood.    Bandera County residents, who think of Lost Maples State Natural Area only in the fall for its spectacular fall foliage, will miss a rare opportunity this spring.     Along with clear streams and outstanding examples of Edwards Plateau flora and fauna, Lost Maples also offers birds – lots of birds – including two endangered species, the Golden-cheeked Warbler and the Black-capped Vireo. The rare Green Kingfisher and Zone-tailed Hawk can also be found at the natural area.     To see these wonderful specimens, birding tours are offered on Tuesdays and Saturdays at the park this month, continuing through Saturday, April 29.     An experienced birder will lead participants down trails and help them identify birds in their natural setting. The tour lasts from 8:30 am to noon. Fees are $13 for adults, $10 senior citizens and $9 for children 12 and under. Fees include a park admission fee of $5 person.     Golden-cheeked warblers     Adult Golden-cheeked warblers, Dendroica chrysoparia, reach a length of 4.5 inches. These birds nest only in the mixed Ashe-juniper and oak woodlands located in ravines and canyons of Central Texas. Warblers eat insects and spiders found on the leaves and bark of oaks and other trees, and use long strips of cedar bark and spider webs to build their nests.     These birds flock Texas in March to nest and raise their young, and leave in July to winter in Mexico and Central America. During nesting season, females lay three to four eggs. Nearly 360 species of birds breed in Texas, but the Golden-cheeked Warbler is the only one that nests exclusively in the Lone Star State.     Golden-cheeked warblers are now considered endangered. Much of the birds’ natural habitat – tall juniper and oak woodlands – have been cleared for development and to grow crops or grass for livestock. In addition, habitat areas were flooded when large lakes were built. Lucky visitors may see warblers while on the birding tour, but are cautioned to be quiet and pay attention to the guide. Old growth cedar and oak abound in the park and the bird’s habitat is within easy walking distance from the parking area.     Black-capped Vireos     The tiny Black-capped Vireo, Vireo atricapilla, is also 4.5 inches long. These birds nest in Texas during April through July and winter on the western coast of Mexico. They build a cupshaped nest in the fork of a branch two to four feet above the ground, usually in shrubs such as shin oak or sumac.     Females lay three to four eggs, which hatch in 14 to 17 days. Both parents incubate the eggs and feed the chicks. The diet of the black-capped vireo consists of insects. The birds have a lifespan of five to six years.     Males sing to attract mates and defend territories, which are usually two to four acres in size. Vireos return year after year to the same area to nest and at least five couples are known to Lost Maples.     In Lost Maples, Blackcapped Vireos prefer rangelands with scattered clumps of shrubs separated by open grassland that are found in the rear of the park. Because visitors must climb to reach that area, the birding tour may not include that area of the park.     Black-capped Vireos are endangered because the low-growing woody cover they need for nesting has been cleared or overgrazed by livestock and deer. Also, range fires – previously used to keep the land open and the shrubs growing low to the ground – are infrequent today due to Texas’ increased population.     Additionally, brownheaded cowbirds lay their eggs in vireo nests, causing the vireos to abandon their nest.     Some tour guides from outside Lost Maples use a recording of the vireo’s song to attract the endangered bird. This technique, however, confuses the birds and they can remain disturbed for hours after the visitors have left.     Terrain     The terrain of Lost Maples Park combines steep, rugged limestone canyons, springs, plateau grasslands, wooded slopes and clear streams – essentially a microcosm of the rest of the Hill Country.     However, the varied topography is contained within the 2,174-acre park. Birding tour participants are requested to wear comfortable shoes as well as a cap or hat and bring their own water. In addition, bringing a walking stick will help navigate rougher areas.     For more information, call the natural area at 830-966-3413. The park is located five miles north of Vanderpool on Ranch Road 187.

ISO: Texas wildflowers Published April 10, 2008 Location: FM Road 1283, Lakehills Ice House Photographer: James Henry Frazar Date: March 29, 2008    As testified by a pleasing, but sparse, patch of bluebonnets, found in Lakehills, this wildflower season might be bleak. However, unwilling to be deterred, The Bandera County Courier wants your photos of wildflowers to brighten up spring. Entries in the photo contest will be accepted at our office at 1220 Hackberry Street, or by email at bcccomp@sbcglobal.net until 5 pm, Friday, April 25. A collection of the best entries will be published in the May 1 edition. Photos will be evaluated on color, sharpness and focus, composition and overall appeal.     Potential participants are asked to adhere to a few simple rules:     • Wildflowers must be in Bandera County or its environs, such as Mico or Utopia.     • Information accompanying the picture must include name of photographer and location and date of photograph.     • Wildflowers must have been growing along a road, in an open field or in a yard. In addition, the flowers must be visible to the public without trespassing on private property.     • Wildflowers must have been planted by Mother Nature herself; no snapping patches situated in gardens or in professional landscaping.     • Photos must be from this year. Please don't resurrect photos from an earlier season.     Happy hunting and snapping.

Salvia suitable for Texas Hill Country Special to the Courier Published April 3, 2008    Featured speaker at the March meeting of the Rose Garden Club of Medina was Jack Smith, who has been researching salvia, the largest genus of the mint family.     Salvia plants – often referred to as sages – are important in this area because most can be used in xeriscaping. The plants are heat and soil tolerant, drought resistant and prolific reproducers. In addition, many are deer resistant, and salvia’s showy, tubular flowers attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. These Texas natives include annual, perennial and woody varieties, and have both culinary and medicinal uses.     Smith, a biologist, and his wife, Sue Ellen, who has her doctorate in music, left the prairie for the hills when they retired from teaching a few years ago. Since the couple is avid gardeners, they have enjoyed landscaping the nine acres that surrounds their new home in Medina.     Part of the yard is fenced to protect a growing collection of antique and Earthkind roses. The unfenced part of the yard is devoted to deer resistant plant material such as various rosemary plants, as well as cenizo and salvias.     After listing 16 examples of native salvia of Texas, Smith offered members a photo display of several of the plants growing in his yard, including S. farinacea, Mealy Blue Sage, Mealy Cup Sage and Victorian Blue Sage; S. greggii, Cherry Sage, Autumn Sage and Fall Sage; S. coccinea, Tropical Sage; and a hybrid, S. farinacea x S. longispicata, Indigo Spires.     Two of the salvia have many common names, as with all plant material, gardeners should the Latin name to prevent mistakes in buying or caring for their plants.     The Rose Garden Club of Medina would be happy to share Courier readers with Smith’s salvia list. Interested gardeners are asked to send a long SASE to MRGC, Dee Tusch, 2327 Elam Creek Road, Medina 78055.

Tornado fires bullet, but Medina dodges it. by Judith Pannebaker BCC Editor Published March 20, 2008    While it wasn’t powerful enough to pluck Dorothy from the Cowboy Capital of the World and deposit her in Oz, nevertheless, there’s no doubt a Big Wind blew through the Medina community during the evening of Monday, March 17.     The storm whipped up at approximately 6 pm, which coincided with the time Bandera County Fire Marshal Ralph Dresser activated the Emergency Operations Center on 11th Street. Information proved sketchy during the early portions of the weather event and reports differed on its severity. San Antonio 10 pm newscasts announced that funnel clouds had crossed from Bandera County into Kerr County. However, Dresser offered another take. Reporting no tornado touchdowns, injuries or property damage, he said in an interview, “We really dodged a bullet.”     Since local weather forecasters had predicted a stormy evening, everyone kept their fingers crossed for a good soaking rain. Between 6 pm and 7 pm, the forecast became more ominous. The National Weather Service announced twisters had been sighted six miles west of Tarpley and were heading north, “straight for Medina.” A little later, the reports became even more threatening. The weather service indicated the twister had veered slightly east. According to Dresser, this put the tornado directly in the path of the Medina Children’s Home.     Tracking the storm’s movements on a computer in the EOC, he immediately contacted Medina Volunteer Fire Department Chief Shane Keese and Precinct 3 Constable Don Walters. According to Dresser, both men did a “fantastic job.”     Calling the volunteer firefighters “real heroes,” Dresser said they fired up a truck and prowled the Medina area, urging all residents to seek emergency shelter in the elementary and high schools, the community library and Baptist Church. “They sounded sirens and went around with loudspeakers practically door-to-door telling people to seek alternative shelter,” he explained. “It was a great effort by great people and they got all the residents covered.” Residents living between Medina and Bandera were told to make their way to the Bandera Fire Station on Main Street.     In his stomping ground, Precinct 4 Commissioner Doug King ventured to Lost Maples State Park to check on a group of spring break campers. He found the campers copasetic, but on his way back to Medina via FM 337, “nickel-sized” hail forced King to turn back, according to Dresser.     Reported rainfall included a half-inch in Vanderpool, one to one and three-quarters inch in Tarpley and Medina, trace amounts in Bandera and none at Lake Medina. However, WOAI news anchor Delane Matthew reported that Highway 16 North was covered with two feet of water at one point and numerous trees had been downed. In addition, a tornado watch remained in effect for Bandera County until 2 am, Tuesday, March 18.     In the event of future emergencies – and not only weather related ones – Dresser recommended that citizens purchase an “All Hazard Radio,” available at H-E-B stores for $32. “The radio can be programmed to tone just for emergencies in Bandera County,” he said, adding the radios would help everyone stay informed. “It’s better than waiting for TV weather forecasts.”     Dresser singled out several people for doing outstanding work during the emergency, including Judge Richard Evans, Sheriff Weldon Tucker and Chief Don Berger, as well as EMS Director Cindy Martin and her staff, whom, he reported, “did a great job.”     Dresser, however, saved his greatest accolades for a person close to home and heart – his wife, Dolly. “She is at the top of my hero list,” he said. “She stays home alone while I come up to the EOC and play fire marshal. She’s put up with me for 30-plus years.”

Texas Master Naturalist meet Monday 'Hill Country Wetlands and Riparian Area Habitat Enhancement/Restoration' Published March 20, 2008    Tim Schuman, private land biologist with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, Environmental Service Center in Austin, will present “Hill Country Wetlands and Riparian Area Habitat Enhancement/Restoration” at this month’s meeting of the Texas Master Naturalist—Hill Country Chapter at Riverside Nature Center, 150 Francisco Lemos Street, Kerrville, Monday, March 24.     Schuman’s interest in wildlife and natural areas developed from his early childhood in rural Texas where he lived on his grandparent’s 900 acre cattle ranch and attended high school in Dime Box, with a student body of 75 students. After high school Schuman attended Blinn College in Brenham and then Texas A & M University, where he graduated with a BS in Wildlife Management.     Since graduating from college, in addition to his work with the US Fish and Wildlife Department, Schuman has acquired diverse experience and knowledge while working for two years on his grandparent’s ranch, five years with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department at the Kerr Wildlife Management Area in Hunt, two years with the Colorado River Authority, where he worked in deer management and conducted prescribed burns and endangered species surveys, and three years as a self-employed biologist. During his 10 year stint with the US Fish and Wildlife Service he has worked to restore habitat for federal trust species, which includes migratory waterfowl, shore birds, songbirds, and threatened and endangered species.     The meeting will begin at 7 pm. There is no charge, and the public is invited. For more information contact Warren Ferguson, 830-896-9500 or cwferg@ktc.com.

Astonishing images of lovely lunar eclipse by Judith Pannebaker BCC Editor Published March 13, 2008 Photographer Rene Trujillo captured these haunting images of last month’s total lunar eclipse. The next celestial phenomenon of this type will be in December 2010. A freelance photographer and graphic designer, Trujillo lived with his children in Bandera for a short time. His wife is an attorney who works for the Mexican government. According to Trujillo, he is presently working on his bachelor of fine arts degree and “sending out resumes.”    Photographer Rene Trujillo snapped haunting images of February’s total lunar eclipse in Guanajuato, Mexico. Due to a heavy cloud cover that rolled in about 9 pm on Feb. 20, Hill Country residents, unfortunately, lost out on observing the infrequent, but stunning, phenomenon.     Trujillo shot approximately 100 images of the eclipse, but deemed the quarter moon’s shadow in an original photo too light to illustrate the stages, so he substituted another shot, which showed a more dramatic shadow.     Photography buffs will be intrigued with the process Trujillo used to produce his images.     He indicated that while working on the Cintiq, the image was impressive, but less so after he moved it to another LCD screen. A dual monitor allowed the photographer greater workspace.     “I noticed the striations of the different shades of black and so I just selected the whole moon – including the area which was already in shadow. Rather than masking in channels as I had before to blend the background and shadow together smoothly, I simply added the whole thing to the background.”     According to Trujillo, this process could have been done from the beginning; however, he was looking for a seamless transition into the background. “Often the easiest solution is the one you think of last,” he wrote, adding, “It's the same three-quarter eclipsed moon, but a much nicer composition now.”     But for a bit of luck, Trujillo might have missed this total lunar eclipse – as he had a previous one.     “I didn't even realize there was going to be an eclipse until I heard about it while taking my children to school,” he wrote. “Knowing the night was supposed to be clear, I loaded the car with two tripods, two Canons, a wide-angle – for shots to include the city – and a super telephoto lens. I went straight to the highest peak I could find which had road access.”     The night did not begin auspiciously for Trujillo; a light cloud and dust layer began blowing from down in the valley toward the location of his cameras. “Fortunately, the winds changed direction and the stars began to show their lovely faces as the sun set behind me, and the moon began its ascent into the sky.”     During the evening, Trujillo attracted quite a few people to his airy perched high above Guanajuato. The area he had selected happened to overlook an affluent area of the city. More than one patrol car stopped and police officers asked what he was photographing. “Perhaps they were worried I was staking out a mansion,” Trujillo speculated. However, once he informed them of the impending eclipse, the officers offered to come and check on him periodically to make sure he was okay.     Eventually other cars stopped, and soon 15 or 20 people – all waiting for the eclipse to begin – surrounded Trujillo. “To say it was difficult to snap pictures between letting people get a closer look through my glass is putting it mildly, but they all seemed rather pleased and excited (to witness the event),” he wrote.     People began calling friends on their cell phones and soon a full blown “eclipse party” was in swing on top of the mountain. People arrived with food, drink and music, and later three patrol cars converged simultaneously on the scene. Of course, the revelers immediately expected trouble – especially when an officer cut a swath through the crowd with a “typical tough cop look on his face.”     Trujillo wrote, “For a few moments, the officer’s eyes shifted back and forth between the people around me. Then he asked unexpectedly, ‘Can I have a look?’ One by one, all the other officers took turns staring at the craters on the moon's surface, too.”     Trujillo concluded, “After my last shot, when the moon passed totality, I said goodbye to my new friends and went down the mountain with the sound of revelry and Alajandro Fernandez's music trailing off behind me into the distance.” According to the website www.abcnews.go.com, the recent lunar eclipse on Feb. 20 and 21 was a bright one, measuring a 3 – the second brightest level – on an eclipse-rating scale that ranges from 0 to 4. The eclipse was visible in the central Pacific, the Americas, Europe and Africa.     As described by www.mreclipse.com, an eclipse of the moon only occurs during a full moon, and only if the moon passes through some portion of earth's shadow.     When a lunar eclipse takes place, everyone on the night side of Earth can observe it.     For those who missed the sky show in February, the next total lunar eclipse will occur Dec. 21, 2010, according to Fred Espenak, NASA-GSFC – and eclipse predictor extraordinaire.

Bandera’s latest fine feathered resident by David Arny BCC Staff Published Feb. 28, 2008 Green Jay (Cyanocorax yncas) Photo courtesy of Texas Parks and Wildlife    When local birding enthusiast Bettie Ford saw her first green jays in Bandera County last Christmas eve, she thought someone’s tropical pets had escaped their cage and were on the loose.     “I’d never seen anything like it,” said Ford. “Later that evening, I described the bird to Martha and Dusty Pendleton. They said it sounded like I’d seen a green jay.”     Ford breeds parakeets and has – at last count – 40 of the popular cage birds in a roomy free-standing birdhouse in the backyard of her house located several miles north of Bandera. She thinks the sight and sound of her parakeets may have attracted those first green jays to her yard that afternoon in late December.     Since that time, the noisy newcomers have made the ligustrum trees in Ford’s yard a regular stop on their daily rounds. She says they always announce their arrival with a staccato burst of calls that can be heard from inside her home. Once thought to be fairly common only in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, the green jay (Cyanocorax yncas) is about the same size as the common blue jay and has a green back, yellow outer tail feathers, pale green chest, black bib and a blue and black head pattern.     In the past, the beautiful plumage of the green jay has inspired birders to travel long distances to far South Texas to see it firsthand. The bird’s normal habitat includes dense lowland acacia and hackberry thickets, but can also be found in mesquite brush and oak woodland habitats a bit farther north, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife website www.tpwd.state.tx.us.     A TP&W biologist told Ford that she had the honor of being the first person to report a green jay sighting in Bandera County.

Texas wants inventory of nature tourism Published Feb. 14, 2008    To assist owners of nature-type businesses marketed for tourists and increase awareness for visitors, personnel with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service will compile a list of Texas tourism operations that center around nature.     “This will assess the industry’s growth and demand,” said Miles Phillips, Texas AgriLife Extension Service nature tourism leader. “It will also help the traveling public find nature tourism businesses to enjoy.”     The list will be ongoing effort, he said, so that businesses can add information at any time. An online form is available enabling so all nature tourism business operators to list their companies. The form can be downloaded at http://naturetourism.tamu.edu.     “In addition to the traditional hunting and fishing places, nature tourism businesses can also include agricultural tours such as hayrides and pick-your-own produce, or adventure tour operations, including biking, paddling, canoeing, ATV trails and lodging facilities that cater to these markets,” Phillips added.     For more information, contact Phillips at mdphillips@ag.tamu.edu, or call 979-845-1023, or Dr. Michael Schuett, AgriLife Extension specialist, mschuett@tamu.edu, or 979-845-0872.

Native plant society to hear about grasses Saturday Contributed Published Oct. 11, 2007 A wide variety of plants native to the Texas Hill Country are displayed on the grounds of the Medina Community Library.    This time of year, many of our native prairie grasses are at their peak.     Sadly, the most desirable and decorative species are decreasing in the wild due to a variety of factors ­ grazing pressures from livestock, introduction of invasive exotics, highway construction and maintenance practices and suburban development.     Why not plant a few of our native bunch grasses on your own residential property? Well adapted to our extremes of weather, native grasses are easy to establish and require little maintenance. They can provide mass and accent, year-round interest and seasonal drama, and impart a true "sense of place" to a property of any size.     The October meeting of the Bandera County chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will focus on this topic. Susan Tracy will be the featured speaker. Her slide presentation, titled "Native Grasses for the Home Landscape," will cover a number of suggested grass species, landscaping ideas on placement, and cultural recommendations.     The NPSOT meeting is scheduled for this Saturday, October 13. The program will begin at 1 pm ­ note the new time this year ­ in the community meeting room at Medina Community Library. As always, it is free and open to the public. Come join us in learning about the plants native to our area. Bring your questions - and bring a friend!     The program will be followed by refreshments and a look at what's blooming now in the library's all-native demonstration garden. For more information contact John Rogers 830-796-4356 or Susan Tracy at 830-589-7124.

Nature program in Kerrville Published Oct. 11, 2007    The Riverside Nature Center in Kerrville will host a native tree and plant sale and 12-step tree planting program Saturday, Oct. 13, from 8 am to 3 pm at their facility at 150 Francisco Lemos Street.     Speakers will discuss Hill Country Native trees, creating wildscapes, and backyard critters.     Call 830-257-4837 or visit www.riversidenaturecenter.org.

Watch out for wildlife babies By Peter Bonenberger Bear Springs Blossom Nature Conservation Group Inc. Published July 5, 2007 This fawn is hiding in the grass as left by its mother. The doe is either looking for food or leading you away. Photo by James Henry Frazar    With warmer weather, homeowners are eager to spend time outdoors working in their yards. What many may not realize, however, this is the peak baby season for wild animals, including rabbits, squirrels, birds and raccoons.     Bear Springs Blossom Nature Conservation Group urges everyone to keep an eye out for their wild neighbors when mowing and tree trimming. A few simple precautions can prevent unnecessary injuries to wildlife, particularly to the babies booming right now. Spring can be a rough time for them.     To keep wildlife safe when doing yard work always:     • before mowing, walk over the lawn to check for wildlife, especially birds and nests of baby rabbits. A walk-through can save tiny lives.     • leave rabbit nests alone so mother rabbits can find their young when they come back to feed them. The babies will be weaned and on their own within three weeks, so be patient and work around them if possible.     • check tree limbs for bird and squirrel nests before trimming. It’s a myth birds reject babies touched by humans. If you accidentally knock a bird's nest out of a tree, retrieve the babies and the nest. Carefully return the babies to their nest and replace the nest in the same location. If the nest is broken, fashion a replacement from a wicker basket of similar size, securing it firmly in the same location as the original nest. Then watch for the parents to return.     • place baby squirrels knocked out of nests at the base of their tree in a shallow box so they don't get hurt while waiting for their mother to return.     • use brush piles to attract additional wildlife to a property. Tree limbs, leaves and other garden debris make a brush pile in a corner of the yard. This is an inexpensive and easy way to provide critical shelter and cover for ground-nesting birds, reptiles and amphibians, chipmunks, rabbits and other small mammals.     May all your lawns be good for you and our flora and fauna.

Nature walk set for Saturday Published July 5, 2007    The Bear Springs Blossom Nature Conservation Group Inc., celebrates its fifth annual Anniversary Walk from 9 am until 11 am Saturday, July 7.     The group invites everyone to participate and will provide snacks and drinks for all visitors.     After extensive restoration work, the group’s nature preserve now serves as home to six pairs of the endangered Golden Cheeked Warbler. The birds return every spring to raise their young ones. The BSBNCG nature preserve offers a rare opportunity for birders to listen to the songs of the Golden Cheeked Warblers songs and catch a glimpse of the shy little bird with the golden cheeks.     From a few members, the non-profit BSBNCG has grown to an international organization with members all over the US and Europe. On its website, which can be accessed at http://bearspringsblossom.keepbanderabeautiful.org, members provide information to all nature-related questions in both English and German. The BSBNCG website is visited by over 200 people daily.

Blue Moon over North America By Dr. Tony Phillips Science@NASA Published May 31, 2007 The first full moon of May 2007, photographed May 2 by Tony Wilder of Wisconsin. May's second full Moon May 31 will probably look as gray as this one, although according to folklore, it is "blue." Photo from the NASA Web site    At 8:04 pm Central Daylight Time Thursday, May 31, the full moon over North America will turn blue.     Not really. But it will be the second full moon of May and, according to folklore, that makes it a Blue Moon.     If you told a person in Shakespeare's day that something happens "once in a Blue Moon" they would attach no astronomical meaning to the statement. Blue moon simply meant rare or absurd, like making a date for "the Twelfth of Never."     But "meaning is a slippery substance," writes Philip Hiscock of the Dept. of Folklore, Memorial University of Newfoundland. "The phrase 'Blue Moon' has been around a long time, well over 400 years, and during that time its meaning has shifted."     Blue Moon? The modern definition sprang up in the 1940s. In those days the Maine Farmer's Almanac offered a definition of Blue Moon so convoluted even professional astronomers struggled to understand it. It involved factors such as ecclesiastical dates of Easter and Lent, tropical years, and the timing of seasons according to the dynamical mean sun. Aiming to explain blue moons to the layman, Sky & Telescope published an article in 1946 entitled "Once in a Blue Moon." The author James Hugh Pruett (1886-1955) cited the 1937 Maine almanac and opined that the "second [full moon] in a month, so I interpret it, is called Blue Moon."     This was not correct, but at least it could be understood. And thus the modern Blue Moon was born.     Surveying the last four centuries of literature and folklore, "I have counted six different meanings which have been carried by the term," recounts Hiscock. In song, for instance, Blue Moons are a symbol of loneliness; when love conquers all, the Blue Moon turns gold. (See old Elvis records for more information.) "This makes discussion of the term a little complicated," he said.     One complication is that the Moon can turn genuinely blue. The moon can appear blue because tiny droplets of water in the air make it look so. When water droplets are about one micron (one millionth of a meter) in diameter, they strongly scatter red and green light while allowing other colors to pass. A white moonbeam passing through such a misty cloud turns blue.     Clouds of ice crystals, fine-grained sand, volcanic ash or smoke from forest fires can have the same effect. "The key," notes atmospheric optics expert Les Cowley, "is that the airborne particles should all be of very similar size, a micron or so in diameter." Only then do they scatter the correct wavelengths of moonlight and act as a blue filter.     There are other reasons for blue moons, he notes. "Our eyes have automatic 'white balances' just like digital cameras. Go outdoors from a cozy cabin lit by an oil lamp (yellow light) and the Moon will appear blue until your eyes adjust."     Blue Moons should no longer take anyone by surprise. Full moons are separated by 29.5 day intervals--the moon's synodic period. By counting out synodic intervals, and checking to see when a pair of full moons falls into a single 30- or 31-day month, we can easily and precisely figure out when the next blue moon is due: Dec. 31, 2009. Mark your calendar.

Don't export that turtle! TPWD may ban Texas turtles from global repasts and pet trade Published May 24, 2007 Ornate Box Turtle (Terrapene ornata) is found in most Texas counties, including Bandera. Box turtles are "dry-land" turtles and may be found far from a water body. The ornate box turtle is usually found in open habitats: pastures, rairie and open woodland. This species is most active after rain, especially in drier habitats. It is also known as the Desert Box Turtle. TPWD © Terry Hibbitts    Three of every four native Asian turtles are now threatened with extinction.     With turtle populations throughout Asia decimated from being over-harvested for culinary purposes, foreign food vendors have turned to Texas to supply an increasingly affluent Chinese market. As a result, a silent trade in turtles – for both pets and meat – has grown in the Lone Star State.     Designated "non-game" animals, Texas turtles have not been protected by state regulations. Years ago, local biologists, backyard naturalists and nature lovers began their campaigns to save the declining Texas turtles populations, but Texas Parks and Wildlife Commissioners are only now acknowledging the threat.     To prevent turtles from being harvested for food on Asian tables and exported as pets, commissioners have proposed a prohibition on the turtle trade. If approved at their Thursday, May 24 meeting, Texas will join the states of Alabama , Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee in commercial bans.     "We must take every action to protect this all–too-often forgotten community of wildlife," said Lynn Cuny, founder and executive director of Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Kendalia. "These silent and gentle creatures deserve our protection. We must act today to ensure their future in this state, their home for eons."     Turtles mature later in life, sometimes taking a decade or more to breed, which makes them especially vulnerable to aggressive hunting practices.     Officials don't have precise data on the trade in Texas turtles, but believe as many as 100,000 native turtles are collected and shipped abroad each year. The exotic pet trade plays a significant role, too, with vast numbers of 14 different Texas species filling aquariums around the world.     This exploitive system is inherently cruel, causing these reptiles intense suffering. When shipped around the world, turtles are packed atop each other in large crates, which results in many turtles being crushed. According to the Gulf Coast Turtle & Tortoise Society, once the turtles arrive at market, they are displayed to the public by being hung by holes cut in their shells.     Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation urges citizens to speak out for Texas turtles by contacting commissioners before today's meeting. For expediency, comments should be emailed to robert.macdonald@tpwd.state.tx.us.

Master Naturalist Chapter Now Accepting Applications Submitted by: Sharon Corley Published May 24, 2007    The Texas Master Naturalist- Hill Country Chapter is now accepting applications from persons interested in becoming Master Naturalists. The session begin at the end of August and continue through November. The deadline for registration is July 12.     Any adult in Bandera, Gillespie, Kendall or Kerr County may apply for this annual training. Hill Country Chapter members volunteer in over 50 projects to help conserve Texas natural resources and educate residents about the local ecology.     The Master Naturalist program involves research-based, scientific training in wildlife and natural resource management taught by experts from various state agencies and universities. Topics include all of the major plant and animal groups and their interaction, deer management, basic ecology, geology, range science, plant identification and more. The training is customized to focus on the Hill Country. These classes will be held in Kerrville on Wednesdays from 8:30 am to 1 pm beginning Aug. 29 and ending Nov. 14.     To become certified, in addition to the training, participants complete two requirements. They volunteer a minimum of 40 hours a year on approved projects of their choosing within the Chapter's four-county area; and they complete a minimum of 8 hours of Advanced Training each year in areas of their interest.     There are many ongoing volunteer projects in each of the four counties, such as nature centers and parks, butterfly research, bird counts, water quality monitoring, landowner management assistance, and children's classes.     To obtain more information or an application packet for the 2007 Master Naturalist training classes, contact John Huecksteadt at 830-456-5061 or jhuecksteadt@earthlink.net. Please include your name, mailing address and e-mail address. Completed applications must be postmarked by July 12.     For more information about the Texas Master Naturalist- Hill Country Chapter, go to the Chapter's website at www.hillcountrymasternaturalist.org.     Further information about the State program, which is sponsored by Texas Cooperative Extension and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, can be found at http://masternaturalist.tamu.edu.

Wild Lives – Callous acts can turn spring's magic tragic By Lynn Cuny BCC Contributor Published May 24, 2007    Spring's arrival is hard to miss here at Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation in Kendalia. The phones buzz wildly with news of animal mothers and babies and the often-preventable tragedies that tear their lives apart. Clinic rooms are filled with hundreds of minute opossums squirrels, and raccoons – many of whose tiny eyes have yet to open.     The lives of these young charges rest on their own determination for life, as well as the patience and tender care offered by our staff and volunteers.     The renewal trumpeted by our celebrated bluebonnets and Mexican redbuds is replicated in the animal kingdom, too. It is nature's way – and this is her generous season. Sadly, humans are not always equally as generous.     One clear example was the thoughtless resident who should have known better when he laid out a trap earlier this month. When the door snapped shut on the gray fox, he should have known the meaning of her rounded middle. Although these incredible creatures devour their share of rabbits, rats and mice, a fox this pregnant shouldn't be hard to miss.     Without considering the pups or the abandoned male left behind – foxes are monogamous, mating for life – the trapper turned the animal into a local animal control facility to have her killed. However, a compassionate animal control officer rebelled after seeing the pregant fox. Our phone rang, and within a few days, baby foxes were born at our sanctuary.     This time of year, traffic accidents, trapping and poisons don't just devastate one animal life. How else to explain the hundreds of opossums already crowding our clinic?     Devastating errors can also be made at the other end of the spectrum, as well.     Well-meaning, but uninformed, residents, often "rescue" young animals perfectly capable of making it on their own. Residents may find a fawn seemingly abandoned in a field, or a fledgling bird fluttering about on the ground. Each scenario, however, is completely normal.     Fledging birds often need several days to come to terms with the challenge of taking to the air. Fawns require so much care their mothers forage night and day to produce food for their newborns. Wildlife mothers are devoted to their young; you can bet they are nearby watching every time you tread near their youngster.     Remember, a baby's best chance of survival is being reunited with its mother – though at times, a helping hand is needed.     Sometimes it's simply a matter of putting a still-pink nestling back in her nest. It's not true that momma birds will reject their young if they have been handled, so don't worry about this popular fallacy.     Also, an obviously wounded animal or one in danger from fire ants or a predator, including your pet cat or dog, will need to be helped. Wearing thick gloves, place the animal in a box and keep him warm. Call Wildlife Rescue at 830-336-2725 for assistance as soon as possible.     In the case of the gray fox mother, we set her out in an open enclosure with her litter, hoping that, given time and privacy, she would relocate her young and continue nurturing them. However, the obviously traumatized momma fox ran off and never returned. Our staff must now attempt to make this matter right – a tragedy that never should have happened.     Sadly, too many people never question their responsibility to the wild creatures with which we share this earth. They would be stunned to realize the Golden Rule applies to all of our relatives – not just humans.     As the dominant species on the planet, the way humans live affects all life everywhere. Don't allow the celebration of spring to be marred by the callous acts of a few.     Lynn Cuny, founder and director of Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation, has written two books, "Through Animal Eyes" and "Through Animals Eyes, Again." Her column "Wild Lives" examines animal issues and the intricacies of human-wildlife relationships.

Was it a tornado, Ralph? No, it just felt like a twister by David Arny BCC Staff Published May 10, 2007 Luis Medina points to the wind damaged roof of his residence near Wharton's Dock after severe mid-morning thunderstorms passed through the area Monday, April 30. "We went outside and looked up at the clouds and thought we were in ‘The Wizard of Oz'," Medina said of the experience. Staff Photos by David Arny    As Lake Medina Shores resident Luis Medina can attest, the distinction between a tornado and the phenomenon called "straight-line winds" might seem purely academic when, during a violent thunderstorm, the roof of your home is being ripped away. On Monday, April 30, extremely high winds in the Wharton's Dock area led some residents to believe a twister touched down, uprooting trees and damaging homes.     According to Ralph Dresser, Bandera Fire Chief and Emergency Response Coordinator for Bandera County, the culprit was actually a common feature of severe storm systems called "straight-line winds." Experienced weather-watchers can distinguish between tornadoes and straight-line winds by observing Doppler radar images and by examining post-storm damage.     "The day after the (April 30) storm, we had Larry Eblam, a severe weather meteorologist with the National Weather Servive (NWS) in New Braunfels, came to Bandera to do a damage analysis for us. He confirmed that the uprooted trees in Alamo Beach and Lake Shore South, as well as the roof damage in Lake Medina Shores were all caused by straight-line winds from 60-70 miles per hour," Dresser said.     Meteorologist Jeff Haby's website offers ‘Habyhints,' an informative source of facts about weather-related subjects.     He wrote, "When the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) NWS does a storm damage survey. They distinguish between straight-line wind and wind produced from a tornado. Straight-line wind will push debris in the same direction the wind is blowing (hence the creation of the term "straight-line"). Tornado damage will scatter debris in a variety of different directions since the winds of a tornado are rotating violently. Straight-line wind intensity can be as powerful as a tornado. Because of this, some people in the general public will believe a tornado has occurred when in reality one did not occur."     If winds from a thunderstorm exceed 58 miles per hour, that storm is classified as severe. Clearly, this spring has produced more than the usual number of major storms in Bandera and surrounding counties. After the prolonged drought experienced by Hill Country residents prior to late March, some may consider the sometimes violent storms of April, along with the rainfall which accompanied them, to be the lesser of two evils.     For more information, visit Jeff Haby's website at www.theweatherprediction.com or the NWS website at www.weather.gov.

'Natural Texas-Right Here at Home' program Monday Contributed Published April 19, 2007    The State Coordinator for the Texas Master Naturalist program, Michelle Haggerty, will be the featured speaker for the Monday, April 23, meeting of the Texas Master Naturalist-Hill Country Chapter. The program will be "The Natural Texas-Right Here at Home." Haggerty will focus on the Texas Master Naturalist program, what it means to the community and how to become part of it. Two of the founding Hill Country Chapter members, Sandy Pena and Jim Stanley, will highlight the chapter's history and accomplishments.     After graduating from Michigan State University's Fisheries and Wildlife Department, Ms. Haggerty joined Texas Parks and Wildlife as a Wildlife Biologist. She took over as coordinator of the Texas Master Naturalist program shortly after its statewide implementation in early 1998. Since then, she has led this international award-winning program to include 38 chapters with over 4,000 members. These members provide valuable hours of volunteer service to their Texas communities; 136,500 hours in 2005 alone.     Haggerty's past work experience includes coordinating programs for Michigan State University Extension, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan Private Lands program and the Michigan Natural Heritage program. She is currently Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Alliance of Natural Resource Outreach and Service Program, which includes state coordinators of Master Naturalist-type programs nationwide.     The meeting will be held at Riverside Nature Center, 150 Francisco Lemos Street in Kerrville, Monday, April 23, beginning with refreshments at 6:30 pm and the speakers to follow at 7 pm. There is no charge and the public is invited. For more information on this program contact Betty Gardner, 830-896-5117 or bkgardner@stx.rr.com.     To find out more about Texas Master Naturalist-Hill Country Chapter go to www.hillcountrymasternaturalist.org.

Medina Library Garden hosts NPSOT program Published April 12, 2007 Native columbine, Aquilegia canadense, blooms in the garden of the Medina Community Library. The library will offer a program on the native plants Saturday. See Page 4B. Photo courtesy of Susan Tracy    The Bandera County Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Texas will host a program on an all-native plant garden beginning at 2 pm at Medina Community Library, Highway 16, Saturday, April 14.     The library's unique demonstration garden, installed in 2003, features over 120 species of plants native to Bandera and adjacent counties. The garden illustrates the diversity and adaptability of native plants for landscape use – some well known, and others seldom to be found in the wild. Less familiar species currently in bloom include hop tree, scarlet penstemon, blue curls, Texas clematis and native columbine.     Library Director Susan Tracy's presentation, "The Library's Native Garden – Design and Details," outlines the challenges of the site, design considerations and the plant species used to create variety and interest throughout the year. Refreshments and a tour of the garden will follow the presentation.     The public is welcome to attend, learn more about area plants and share ideas on ways to incorporate them into the home landscape.     For more information, contact Tracy at 830-589-7124.

The Natural World - April 2007 Calendar of Area Events Published April 12, 2007    In and around Bandera County, garden clubs, plant societies, birders, naturalists and environmentalists offers monthly non-commercial events and activities that are free to the public.     This calendar compiles events of potential interest to area plant enthusiasts and naturalists. Program schedules are subject to change; however, so anyone planning to attend is urged to call contacts to confirm.     Saturday, April 14     Madrona Garden Club, Bandera Location – City Park, Bandera Time – 10 am - 1 pm Event – Plant Sale Merida Tinsley, 830-796-4770     Bandera County Extension Service Location – Mansfield Park, Highway 16 Time – 10 am - 2 pm Event – Home & Landscape Show - Educational booths, handouts, prizes Warren Thigpen, 830-796-7755     Bandera County Native Plant Society of Texas Location – Medina Community Library, Highway 16 Time – 2 pm Topic – "Medina Library's Native Garden: Design and Details," talk and tour with speaker Susan Tracy, tracy@hctc.net     Saturday, April 21     Medina Rose Garden Club Location – Masonic Lodge, Medina Time –10 am - noon Event – Plant Sale Sandra Vannatter, levannatter@hctc.net     To submit information for upcoming events, contact Susan Tracy at tracy@hctc.net.

Bluebird Festival April 15 Published March 29, 2007    The 14th annual Bluebird Festival will be held April 14 at Wills Point.     Wills Point celebrates its birds with special educational and entertaining programs. Driving tours afford festival attendees access to hundreds of bluebirds and nesting boxes lining the roads into town. Arts and crafts, games and food and educational booths are set up throughout the brick-lined streets of downtown.     Then Texas Gov. George W. Bush signed the proclamation Feb. 1995 that designated Wills Point at the "Bluebird Capital of Texas."     The resolution came after the Annual Audubon bird count revealed that Wills Point was host to more bluebirds than any other area in Texas for 11 consecutive years.     Contact: Wills Point Chamber of Commerce P.O. Box 217, Wills Point, TX 75169 or call (903)873-3111 or (800)WPBlUBI.     Visit: www.willspointbluebird.com.

Has spring sprung? Published March 15, 2007 Staff Photo by Stephanie Day    This tree on Old Hondo Highway in Bandera thinks it has. The mesquite trees are still strangely quiet about the change in seasons.     Spring begins Wednesday, March 21.

Galveston Island Featherfest March 29-April 1 Published March 15, 2007    Timed to coincide with the annual spring migration, FeatherFest March 29-April 1 could see as many as 300 species as they travel through the area. Art, history and nature will all be combined in this visit to one of the premier birding locations in the United States.     Contact: Galveston Island Nature Tourism Council Morton Voller (409)392-0841.     Visit: www.galvestonfeatherfest.com     E-mail: vollernature@juno.com

Texas Tropics Nature Festival March 29-April 1 Published March 15, 2007    Chachalaca, Green and Ringed Kingfishers, Great Kiskadee, long-billed Thrasher, Altamira Oriole, Green Jay and Olive Sparrow are just a few of the highlights from planned field trips to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge and Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park March 29-April 1.     Guided tours, seminars on cultural and natural history and migrating butterflies to boot! Great trade show.     Contact: Texas Tropics Nature Festival P.O. Box 790, McAllen, 78505 (877)MCALLEN.     Visit: www.mcallencvb.com.     E-mail: ttnf@mcallencvb.com.

Hummingbirds of the Texas Hill Country program Feb. 26 Submitted by Sharon Corley Published Feb. 15, 2007 Photo courtesy Texas Parks & Wildlife    Mark Klym, with Texas Parks and Wildlife, will speak on Hummingbirds of the Texas Hill Country at the Monday, Feb. 26, meeting of Texas Master Naturalist-Hill Country Chapter in Kerrville.     A graduate of Lake Superior State University in Michigan, Klym received degrees in Biological Science and Fisheries and Wildlife Management. He "followed the hummingbirds to Texas" in 1999 to work with Texas Parks and Wildlife where he is currently the coordinator of the Texas Wildscapes and the Texas Hummingbird Roundup programs. He is the coauthor of the recently published book Hummingbirds of Texas by Texas A&M Press.     Klym's program will look at hummingbirds that can be found in Hill Country, why they're here and the dynamic relationship between our native plants and these wonderful birds.     A hummingbird is a hummingbird, right? Not entirely! The Texas Hill Country has recorded 16 species of these amazing aerialists. Some can be found here year round and others are pleasant surprises the rare times they do show up. What hummingbirds do you have in your garden? What do they need in their habitat?     The meeting will be held at Riverside Nature Center, 150 Francisco Lemos Street in Kerrville, beginning at 7 p.m. There is no charge and the public is invited. For more information on this program contact Betty Gardner, 830-896-5117 or bkgardner@stx.rr.com.     To find out more about Texas Master Naturalist-Hill Country Chapter go to http://www.hillcountrymasternaturalist.org.

Whooping Crane population continues to soar Published in the on-line edition of the Courier Feb. 1, 2007    AUSTWELL, Texas ­ The tallest bird in North America has something special to "whoop" about. The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge today announced Jan. 22 the highest numbers of endangered whooping cranes are wintering in Texas in approximately the last 100 years.     U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Whooping Crane Coordinator Tom Stehn completed a census flight Dec. 13 and accounted for 237 whooping cranes. The current population exceeds by 17 the previous high of 220 whoopers present in the fall of 2005.     The increase in numbers is due to extremely good nest production last summer. A record 62 nesting pairs fledged 49 chicks on their nesting grounds in Wood Buffalo National Park, Canada, as reported by the Canadian Wildlife Service.     The young cranes were old enough to fly by mid-August increasing their ability to escape from predators and their survival. The record population of 237 includes a record 45 young cranes that have completed their first migration to Texas. Especially notable are seven whooping crane pairs with two chicks each. Although whooping cranes normally hatch two chicks every year, usually only one of the youngsters is able to survive.     "The presence of seven families with two chicks each is especially exciting since it surpasses the previous high of four sets that occurred way back in 1958," said Stehn. "This is a special year for the birds."     "The whooping crane continues to tell the story of what we can accomplish when we all work together in partnership to save a species," said Dr. Benjamin N. Tuggle, Director of the Southwest Region of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. "Many people in North America first learned of the plight of the whooping crane in grade school. It is especially gratifying to lead efforts to protect the species and to be able to report that this success story is continuing!"     The population in Texas reached a low of only 15 birds in 1941, before efforts were taken to protect the species and its habitat. The population has been growing at four percent annually and reached 100 birds in 1987 and 200 birds in 2004.     However, the whooping crane population continues to face many threats, including collisions with power lines in migration, limited genetic variability in the birds themselves, loss of crane migration habitat, and winter habitat threatened with loss of productivity due to reduced fresh water inflows, chemical spills and sea level rise.     The only natural wild population of whooping cranes nest in the Northwest Territories of Canada in summer and migrate 2,400 miles to winter at the Aransas and Matagorda Island National Wildlife Refuges and surrounding areas.     Their winter range stretches out over 35 miles of the Texas coast about 45 miles north of Corpus Christi, Texas. Wintering whooping cranes use salt marsh habitat foraging primarily for blue crabs. Unlike most other bird species, whooping cranes are territorial in both summer and winter and will defend a