The Lift Station Tour 02-25-2007

February 25, 2007
The Lift Station Tour:

I have this walking tour that I take through a combination of Greenbelt/Power Cut and Water Lift Station properties that winds behind my subdivision. I have been doing this for over 2 years now. This season I decided to use Google Earth
( http://earth.google.com ) an unbeliveable free mapping and species management program! I have located my area, mapped our the walking path and I will add species seen and locate their areas for each expedition. Here is today' map.

The area is a primarily hardwood forest remanant with some pretty heavy trail and path cutting activity in the past. Areas have been used ny local kids for Paintball wars, hideouts, treehouses and bike/ATV riding trails. The first walk is down a canopy shaded walk to the lift station. At the Lift station if you take a right you will walk into an open trail area bordered with forest on both sides. A right will take you down a forested path near and skirting the bayou area.

The most productive habitat is to the left. I have found a huge Texas Red Bud Tree (Cercis canadensis var. texensis) that is in full bloom at this time and it is the primary Nectar Source in the area. I hung out by it for an hour or more hoping to see Elfin butterflies. None today, unfortunately. I expect that some will be seen as we saw one last year but were unsuccessful at capturing it.

There are some flowers in bloom. I have identified many of them using my favorite WildFlower Fieldguide -- Wildflowers of Houston and Southeast Texas by John and Gloria Tveten. It is a great guide and I use the web for any flowers that just happen to slip by the Tvetens.

The prime nectar sources today are: Rubus trivialis or the Southern Dewberry. It is a kind of wild blackberry that is well defended with thorns. It grows vinelike on the ground and is quite capable of tearing up unprotected skin! It attracts most of the skippers such as this Erynnis species (most likely Erynnis horatius) and I have seen the Pygus communis hovering or landing on it.

The very biddest draw is the Cercis canadensis var. texensis or as it is commonly called The Red Bud Tree. There is a single specimen right at the lift station and it draws very well as long as it is in bloom.

Species seen(S) or Vouchered (V) today:

• Libytheana carinenta - Nymphalidae - Snout Butterfly (V)
  
• Pyrgus communis - Hesperiidae - Checkered Skipper (S)
  
• Anaea andrea - Nymphalidae - Tropical Leafwing (V)
  
• Eurema lisa - Pieridae - Little Yellow(V)
• Colias eurytheme - Pieridae - Clouded Sulphur (V)
  

Time: 1:00 - 3:00 PM Temperature: Mid 60's - Partly Cloudy - windy

Bob