Exotics or native wildlife?

There have been some questions about whether we're just interested in native wildlife or whether we would accept observations for exotic/non-native species in this project. Please feel free to add exotic species observations as we can always use and sort these data in different ways.

Publicado el febrero 23, 2021 04:36 TARDE por taniahomayoun taniahomayoun

Comentarios

I found a dead Mockingbird in the backyard huddled in a corner poor baby

Publicado por skiplahoo hace alrededor de 3 años

I observed 1 dead mockingbird and 2 possible dead cedar waxwings on our property. We observed the mockingbird looking for food during the storm so I was sad to see he didn't make it.

Publicado por rockingyranch hace alrededor de 3 años

We found 3 dead birds (1 robin, 1 downy woodpecker & 1 white-winged dove) under our holly bushes after Storm Uri. Additionally, on one of coldest days, we noticed birds (bluebirds, mockingbirds) hopping and cuddling near the house; few times mockingbirds flew into garage. One mockingbird stayed in garage overnight, but despite leaving fleece bedding, water & crumbled crackers, did not make it by morning. We normally feed birds w/ 10-12 feeders; broke ice from water ponds and heated birdbaths daily w/ hot water during storm; have several berry bushes, needle trees/bushes, greenhouse & sheds for cover. Noticed "hundreds" of robins and red-winged blackbirds swarm our feeders & berry bushes during storm and may have disturbed the normal bird population at our home. We were able to keep up food tho started to run low towards end of storm and until able to get more feed and while stll freezing added amateur homemade bird suet. Did all we could to save every bird but wished could have done more. After storm and to date, a particular mockingbird is guarding some of the feeders and keeps birds away whenever able. I read birds will work around these behaviors, but wonder how we can help keep it equitable?! Thank you for being here to help us help our feather friends.

Publicado por lunahollen hace alrededor de 3 años

I am providing a link to the history of the cold outbreak generated by the National Weather Service. This summary can give one an idea of when the environment was most stressed by the cold air.

https://www.weather.gov/media/ewx/wxevents/ewx-20210218.pdf

Also, I want to include a link to NOAA's real time satellite images as a basis for this question: Did the cold air deplete the bacterial load in offshore waters to produce clear nearshore waters from Texas to Florida? I remember such an event in Mississippi Sound in the 1950s and it appears to be the case from this satellite image:

https://www.star.nesdis.noaa.gov/GOES/sector_band.php?sat=G16&sector=smv&band=GEOCOLOR&length=12

One other impact has to be on plants, especially non - native and invasive plants. Might those plants show signs of damage (as Live Oaks are doing now by their withered leaves) and give us a boost in our efforts to control such species as Ligustrum?

Publicado por billarbon hace alrededor de 3 años

There is a bat colony, in Temple, that lives under the HK Dodgen Loop bridge (near Cracker Barrel). I drove under the bridge and noticed what looked like quite a few dead bats on the ground. I saw maybe 30 although I can’t be sure of the number because I was driving.

Publicado por marty_vasquez hace alrededor de 3 años

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@baldeagle I guess I am going to surprise you with photos of our privets - including those huge trees the Cedar Waxwings in my observation so heavily browsed - showing their debilitated states:

Before

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/67655763

After, same tree:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/70784596

I am writing up a message to our group of volunteers now and will include photos that I think will demonstrate what we're seeing. Whether or not our privets are actual victims of the cold weather (and our remediation efforts) will be interesting to watch. We are normally, three to five degrees colder than Austin temperatures and may have remained below freezing for a longer period of time. Regardless, these many privets will be hard put to return to their previous robust condition very quickly, giving us additional time to consider our options and tactics for further management and getting a break from their prodigious seed production and distribution via avians .

Publicado por billarbon hace alrededor de 3 años

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@baldeagle I am reminded of the Privet that died in our lot after the freeze of 83-84, worse for us than this freeze. I've just added a group of Privet observations that we can monitor and watch for redevelopment. If these trees recover per your comments above, perhaps cutting and canning the trunks close to the ground will finish the trees off once and for all. This certainly gives us an opportunity to learn more and take advantage of weather impacts on our unwanted alien invaders. I am hoping for a leg up. BTW, I made the rounds today and can confirm Chinese Privets are already showing green leaf sprouts on their branches.

Publicado por billarbon hace alrededor de 3 años

@billarbon, let's keep an eye on those privets! So far my forays on the north/northeast side of Austin has turned up no lethal damage to them from the freeze. They look terrible, but they'll be ba-a-aack!

I'm trying to take advantage of the way the ice, snow, and bitterly cold temperatures knocked down the undergrowth to girdle as many as I can while getting to them is easy.

Publicado por baldeagle hace alrededor de 3 años

I just posted 2 pics of Fire Ant mounds here in Corpus Christi. I had 4 Fire Ant mounds in my yard. I was getting ready to kill them off prior to the Big Freeze. I went to cut the grass last week after the storm and found that 3 of the four were inactive. I stepped/disturbed the mounds and NO ANTS emerged. The one active mound.. I stepped on it and they were their normal grumpy selves and poured out of the mound.

Is anyone else noticing "DEAD/Inactive" mounds in their yards since the Big Freeze?

Publicado por bird-curator hace alrededor de 3 años

@bird-curator Your experience agrees with my recollection of the '82-'83 freeze that was worse here in the Hill Country than this February's freeze. Just before the big freeze, Imported Fire Ants had made their way into the Texas Hill Country and mounds were everywhere. After the big freeze, there were many fewer, no doubt that year aided by drought after the dry winter. From that experience I experimented each winter with Fire Ant mounds in my neighborhood by shoveling up mounds when I knew it was going to freeze hard - this during winters that were not as severe as the 82-83 deep freeze, but the effects were encouraging. After the first invasion of fire ants in the early 80s, there were mounds everywhere; afterwards, not as many, but, sadly, still here today.

Publicado por billarbon hace alrededor de 3 años

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