Osprey

Osprey, Pandion haliaetus

A raptor that prefers live fish, Osprey are commonly found near shorelines and banks throughout most of North America and South America during different times of the year. They are large with slender bodies and narrow wings. They have a distinct marked kink in their wings creating an M-shape when seen from below.

Distinctive M-shape similarly seen when flying.

With a lifespan of around 20 years, Osprey may travel more than 160,000 migration miles during their journey from the Americas, with breeding grounds in North America and wintering grounds in South America. Unlike other hawks, osprey have a reversible outer toe and barbed pads to held them catch their prey of fish; however, if a Bald Eagle is nearby, it may chase the Osprey and force it to drop its catch. Similar to other raptors, Osprey were seriously endangered until the ban of DDT in which the Osprey has since made a remarkable comeback.


Note: As I said I would earlier, I'll post my decision here. The next post will be for a month hiatus, but as I will hopefully have some new animal and plants to share later, I will continue posting. In the meantime, while I'm on hiatus, I will be resharing some old posts on Google+, and with over 415 posts on this blog, there is no telling which ones I'll choose!

Mexican Olive

Mexican Olive, Cordia boissieri

Sometimes known as Anacahuita, Mexican Olive is a small tree that historically grew no further north than the lower Rio Grande Valley counties. It has successfully been grown as far north as Austin, but the colder winter cause some die-back, and it cannot tolerate a colder climate as the roots will freeze. Mexican olive has large, evergreen dark leaves with constantly blooming showy, white trumpet-shaped flowers with petals resembling crepe paper. In addition to being a great hummingbird plant, butterflies frequent the blooms and birds, deer, and cattle enjoy the fruits and leaves. While the fruit is edible for humans, they are not considered palatable and are not recommended to be consumed in large quantities. Although regular watering is necessary for establishing, Mexican olive is drought tolerant and needs little care after establishing making it a popular choice for highway planting.

Laguna Atascosa

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

Laguna Atascosa is a National Wildlife Refuge located on the coast of far South Texas. Established in 1946, the refuge encompasses more than 97,000 acres of freshwater wetlands, coastal prairies, mudflats, and beaches - a convergence of temperate, subtropical, coastal, and Chihuahuan desert habitats. The refuge includes the more recently acquired Bahia Grande Unit and the South Padre Island Unit.

Sunset along Scum Pond Trail of Laguna Atascosa

It is a designated Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) which, along with Rancho Rincón de Anacahuitas in Mexico, hosts at least 100,000 shorebirds annually. Within the National Wildlife Refuge System, Laguna Atascosa has the most recorded species of birds. In addition, it hosts the largest population of ocelots within the United States with a current estimate of 50 ocelots. Other unique species within Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge include the Aplomado Falcon, Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle, and the Redhead Duck, part of the reason for its original establishment. More common species that can be found at the refuge include the Texas Horned Lizard, Couch's Kingbird, Plain Chachalaca, American Alligator, Brown Pelican, and the exotic Nilgai. With such a variety of species present and many endangered, the refuge is a center for conversation and recovery efforts for many.

Couch's Kingbird

Couch's Kingbird, Tyrannus couchii

Found in southern Texas into Mexico, Couch's Kingbird is a medium-sized songbird similar to the Tropical Kingbird, best distinguished by song. Couch's Kingbird prefers thorn forests, brushy clearings, and tropical forests, but can be found in suburban areas. They are a permanent resident within its range although some individuals may move south during colder winters. Their diet may include small fruits, but is mainly insects which they catch by watching from a perch. Little is known about their breeding and nesting behavior, but is assumed to be similar to the Tropical Kingbird.

Brown Pelican

Juvenile and Non-breeding Adult Brown Pelicans, Pelecanus occidentalis

Brown Pelicans, the darkest plumed of the pelicans, are large, stocky seabirds found along warm sea coasts and rarely inland. Unlike other pelicans, the brown pelican dives from the air to obtain its food, the force of impact stunning small fish which are easily scooped up. While the fish are small, brown pelicans typically eat approximately four pounds of fish a day including menhaden, herring, mullet, silversides, and minnows, although those on the west coast rely heavily on anchovies and sardines. The juveniles retain their overall brown appearance until around 3 to 5 years of age to which their plumage turns to a white head and neck, but with a brown nape and neck gained during breeding season. The Brown Pelican both congregates in large flocks and nests in colonies. The females generally lay 2 to 3 eggs with incubation shared by both parents. To keep the eggs warm, the parents use the skin of their feet, essentially standing on the eggs. Unfortunately, this contributed to their near extinction in the 1960s and 1970s as DDT thinned eggs cracked under the weight of the incubating parents. Thankfully, the Brown Pelican has since made a strong and stable return with the most current IUCN status of 2012 listing them as Least Concern.

Plain Chachalaca

Plain Chachalacas, Ortalis vetula

The Plain Chachalaca can be found in the far South Texas and is the only member of the family of guans, currasows, and chachalacas, a family which contains approximately 50 species with many of endangered status due to hunting. They are most often found in small groups of 3-5 individuals with a preference for scrubland, thickets, and forest edges. They are non-migratory and known for their loud call, especially during breeding season. Unlike most other galliform birds, the Plain Chachalaca is mostly arboreal earning it the common name Mexican Tree Pheasant. They have been known to feed upside-down to pick the ripest fruit from a tree, but will also feed at seed feeders. The precocial young can fly short distances within a week of hatching and cling to tree branches as soon as they dry.

Note: While not the best photo, there are more than five within the photo and at least one visible by tail feathers. With luck, I can provided an updated, better photo in the future.

Texas Horned Lizard

Texas Horned Lizard, Phrynosoma cornutum

The Texas Horned Lizard is the most common horned lizard within Texas, but it is a threatened species. While once found throughout most of Texas, it is nearly gone from the eastern third of the state. It can be distinguished from the other two species of horned lizard found within the state by its prominent horns, the two center spines longer than the others, and by the two rows of fringed scales along the sides of the body. While sometimes known as a horny toad due to their toad-like body, they are actually a species of lizard. They will inflated their body when frightened adding to their toad-like appearance, but this is a prelude to its most famous defense: squirting up to 1/3 of its volume of blood out of a pore near its eye.

Texas Horned Lizard at Laguna Atascosa.

Texas Horned Lizards feed on a variety of arthropods, but the majority of their diet, up to 90% of it, is composed of harvester ants. As with many species, there seems to be a number of factors contributing to the decline of Texas Horned Lizards, some of which are more directly tied to harvester ants. These include pesticides reducing harvester ant populations and prolonged periods of extreme drought causing harvest ants to become dormant which, as a major source of food, impacts Texas Horned Lizards. In addition, as horned lizards often bask on gravel and pavement, there is likely an increase of roadkill with the increase of roads, and the number of potential predators, especially feral animals, has likely impacted Texas Horned Lizards. The pet trade also has had a major impact in past. Legislation within Texas and Oklahoma has resulted in the Texas Horned Lizard being protect by law. There is also more awareness of their population thanks to projects like Texas Horned Lizard Watch and encouragement from the Oklahoma Wildlife Diversity Program to report sightings and other observations of Texas Horned Lizards.

American Alligator

American Alligators, Alligator mississippiensis at Laguna Atascosa.

One of only two species of Alligator, the other found in China, the American Alligator thrives in the water of southeastern states from North Carolina to the Rio Grande in Texas. While most often found within the freshwater of slow-moving rivers, alligators can also be found in swamps, marshes, and lakes. They are carnivorous, reach maturity when reaching 1.8 m (6 ft) in length, and are recorded to live around 50 years in the wild and up to 80 years in captivity. The sex of hatchlings is based on the temperature of the nest with all being males if temperatures are 33.8°C (93°F), all females if at 30°C (86°F) or below, or a mix of both if the nest temperature falls between. With the help of state and federal protection, habitat preservation efforts, and a reduced demand for alligator products, the American alligator has gone from an endangered species to a thriving population of over one million as of present day.


Note: Apologies for the lack of post on Tuesday! It was not intentional, but rather an honest mistake of exactly what day it was (not Monday, as I kept thinking). Don't worry, I'm good now! ;)