A Grassland Bird Survey

Grasshopper sparrow, one of the study birds in our survey

Notice the yellow on the wings and head.  Also the breast is not streaked.

While it may be hard to believe living here in West Texas, grasslands are one of America’s most quickly disappearing ecosystems.  Over-grazing of sheep, cattle and goats combined with changing weather patterns and recent droughts in the west, plus erosion and the crowding out of native grasses by invasive species are a big part of the problem.  Commercial development of grasslands also takes a toll.  And then there is the booming oilfield.

Setting up the nets

The Borderlands Research Institute (BRI) and graduate students at Sul Ross State University have been monitoring the decline of migratory bird populations of the Chihuahuan Desert and the Big Bend Region.  At least two of these birds, Baird’s and grasshopper sparrows, are considered to be keystone species as their numbers are declining and they depend on healthy grasslands to thrive. 

Baird's sparrow, another bird in the study

Notice the streaked breast.

Untangling the birds from the nets can sometimes be a delicate process.

Two Sul Ross graduate students, working on thesis projects, are monitoring avian biodiversity and these two keystone sparrows. David and I plus many of our classmates in Ornithology, have been assisting the graduate students.

Not a study bird, many savannah sparrows were caught in the nets.

This one is none too happy about it either -- getting a nip is just one of the hazards.

Part of the research has been taking place on the Mimm’s Ranch in Marfa.  The ranch is an ideal place for this study as the owners are committed to a long-term project of shrub clearing and seeding in order to reestablish native grasses and the grassland habitat. Presently it is not known exactly how or even if the invasive exotic grasses are used in the diets of Baird’s or grasshopper sparrows. The study on Mimm’s Ranch may someday answer many questions and help improve the survival of these birds.

Setting up nets in the wind is a challenge

Much of the project has consisted of banding these two sparrows. But transmitters were placed on some captured birds to follow their movements in order to learn about their winter survival and habitat use.  David and I helped with setting up nets to capture the birds and then helped flush the birds into the nets so they could be banded.  The graduate students did the banding, but we got to see the birds up close, help record data and then release the birds.

Graduate student, Fabby, hands a bird off to David for release.

A typical research day started at 7:30 at the ranch headquarters, meaning an early rise for us as we had about a 30 minute drive.  After a quick briefing at the headquarters we would help gather the equipment, load the trucks then head out to the study areas.  Nets were untangled, moved across the fields and set up. Then a large horseshoe was formed, and we would all wave our sticks both high and low to drive the birds into the nets. 

Forming the horseshoe

Usually there was at least one bird in the net and several of us would help the graduate students with the bird by recording banding information while others would move the net to the next spot.  This process went on for several hours with a break for lunch.

Measuring beak length

Measuring wing length

Birds were also weighed, checked for fat reserves, and feathers examined 

Other researchers worked with us tracking some of the birds that had been fitted with transmitters.  As it is migration time, a lot of effort has been made in the last several weeks to recapture these birds and remove the transmitters.  The birds are having a hard enough time surviving as it is and migration is quite an extraordinary feat without having to carry extra 'luggage.'

Grasshopper sparrow - examining wings 

Since this is a winter survival and habitat use study of grassland birds, the research just wound down before spring break.  One of the graduate students is finishing her research this year, but another one will continue his study for another year.  Probably others will follow as it may take many years to get answers for these young researchers.  Science is a slow process and it is always ongoing.  We learned a lot and it feels good to have assisted in this research in some small way.

Last freeze before spring???

Gamble oak leaf still hanging on - new leaves will be coming soon

View from 'the saddle' about 3/4 of the way up the Mt. Livermore trail

Except for that freezing fog back in January, it’s been a pretty mild winter here in West Texas.  In fact, February fooled us into thinking spring was almost here.  But we had a little ‘artic air’ down here last week and it was very cold – down into the 20’s.  All the recently bloomed out trees suffered a setback, but that often happens in these parts.  So, maybe this was the last freeze? Well it is West Texas and I'll not be wagering on it.  In March, anything can happen.  Just please spare me those dust storms.  Rain, however, would be most welcome…

David resting his ankle while gazing at Mt. Livermore

The girls take off on the Mt. Livermore trail

David and I had a challenging hike a few weeks ago.  We went to the Nature Conservancy’s Davis Mountain Preserve on a Mt. Livermore hike.  “Baldy” as she is often called, is not a particularly hard climb, but a good 10 miles long, very steep in places and more than 2,000 feet in elevation gain.  Often the winds blow at very high speeds near the top and the trail is precarious up there, so it is not advised to summit during high winds.  No one has been blown off the top yet, but there have been some close calls.

We also hiked with Cameron &Cathy (new Alpine residents)

 and Tara, volunteer coordinator for The Nature Conservancy.

The day started off beautiful, sunny and just a little windy.  We hiked along with some middle school students that were on a field trip from a private school in Austin.  Only girls were allowed on this trip and some of them had never been on such a challenging hike. About half the group were off on a race to the top (such is youth) but we brought up the rear, encouraging the stragglers and showing them how to deal with steep portions of the trail.

Burned area near top of Mt. Livermore from 2012 fire.  Many Ponderosa

 pines were destroyed in this fire but new seedlings are beginning to grow.

David’s right ankle has 5 screws in it from a long ago injury and early on in our hike he twisted it enough so that it was bothering him. About 3/4 of the way from the top we made the decision not to summit.  Winds were steadily getting stronger, with some strong gusts so we weren’t even sure we would be allowed to go all the way up.  We had been ‘on top of old Baldy’ several years ago so it wasn’t a huge disappointment.  But we cheered the girls on and happily the winds died down enough that it was possible to reach the summit.  All but three of the girls made it to the top!  It was a happy and tired little group when all was said and done.

Wetlands at Balmorhea State Park

There are birds in every direction!

A week later, our Ornithology class had a birding field trip to Balmorhea State Park and surrounding areas.  We were happy to find that the pool is finally open again.  Repairs are finished!  However, we did not go swimming as birding was our mission and besides it was still quite cool for a swim.  The water is spring fed and always feels cold so I’m going to wait for a day that it is at least 85 degrees.  Probably won’t have to wait too long…

Spring-fed stream just above Balmorhea Lake

The birding trip was so much fun.  We saw yellow-rumped warblers, lesser and American goldfinches, spotted and eastern towhees, belted kingfishers, killdeer, a loggerhead shrike, red-tailed hawks, black and eastern phoebes, savannah and song sparrows, white-crowned sparrows, a road runner, cardinals, flickers, a red-naped sapsucker and ruby-crowned kinglets and orange-crowned warblers. And this was just in the woods and grassland right around the pool! 

A roadrunner checks out the birders

As we wandered farther going to both Balmorhea Lake and Sandia Wetlands, we saw many more birds, predominately waterfowl.  I won’t name all the different kinds of ducks and shorebirds but let’s just say it was a great day for birds!  We finished it all off by having a very late lunch at a Mexican restaurant in Balmorhea.  Maybe all that birding made me extra hungry, but the food was really good.  We will have to try this again a little later in the season – birding, followed by a cooling swim in the pool and some good Mexican food.

Floaties?

Our school semester is going well.  David is taking Conservation Biology as well as the Ornithology class so he is staying busy.  After working so hard last semester, I’m enjoying just taking one class.  That and trips to Odessa keep me occupied enough. 

Most of our class went on the field trip

Another thing we have done this semester is to help with a graduate student’s research project to survey Grassland Birds on a ranch near Marfa.  We have assisted with capturing and banding sparrows and I will devote my next blog to pictures and stories of that experience.

A West Texas Mountain Laurel

The leaves are more gray than green - adapted for the desert I guess and

they are much smaller and not nearly so plentiful.  But they still smell great!

Cactus growing in wood near Mt. Livermore