March 4, 2020 by mattbuckinghamphotography

Mixed Seasons, Mixed Emotions

A Pine Warbler forages for caterpillars, grubs, and other invertebrates among the leaf litter.

This January seemed to have it all. From lingering fall color to nights in the 20s and days pushing 80. The diversity of climatic conditions brought with it a diversity of photographic subjects. For my first photographic outing of the New Year I was joined by my pal and frequent photo companion James Childress. We went to one of our favorite bird photography haunts in Nacogdoches County. Here I turned my lens to a handsome White-throated Sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) perched before a large Arrowwood Viburnum (Viburnum dentatum) in a full display of “autumn” foliage. Some of these sparrows spend the winter in East Texas, and as the days lengthen and the temperature warms, they will return to their breeding range in the northern U.S. and Canada.

White-throated Sparrow

Our next subject was a resident bird, though many are unaware of its presence as a low density breeder in the Pineywoods. The White-breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) is a lovely bird that inhabits mature hardwood and pine-hardwood forests, and forage by scampering up and down tree trunks and large branches, often flicking off bits of bark in search of tasty insects hidden beneath.

White-breasted Nuthatch

A week later James and I returned to this wonderful patch of woods. We were intent on targeting a Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) that we had spotted during our previous outing. The thrashers’ propensity to lurk in dense thickets of vegetation presents a real challenge for capturing a good image. I hoped to capture one on the ground, as it is my experience they spend much of their time here, flipping through dense leaf litter in search of food.

James and I pursued the individual below as it made its way through a dense understory of Florida Maple and Carolina Laurelcherry saplings. We weren’t having much luck getting a clear shot through the undergrowth and downed branches, so I opted to advance ahead in the direction that the bird was moving, and position myself low on the forest floor with a clear shot of a clearing into which I hoped it would pass through. I waited and watched through my viewfinder as it approached. Finally it hopped into the clearing and paused just long enough for me to capture a few frames of this furtive mimic among the fallen maple leaves and emerging wood sorrel.

Brown Thrasher

Not far from the thrasher I spotted a young male Pine Warbler (Setophaga pinus) foraging among the leaves. It would routinely hop about, capture some juicy grub, and fly to a more protected perch to enjoy its prize.

Pine Warbler

Pine Warbler

Deeper into the woods I was surprised to see the bright white blooms of Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis). This year there were already some in fruit on January 25. This is notably earlier than I typically see them emerge, which used to be around the second week of February but seems to get earlier and earlier each year. The Bloodroot is one of my all time favorite wildflowers, and I’ve featured it in many past blog posts. It is one of those magical components to an ephemeral vernal flora that make spring such a wonderful time to be out in the woods.

Bloodroot

The next week Carolina and I returned to meet with a professor at my alma mater (Stephen F. Austin State University) to discuss a research project. After my meeting I met up with James again and we set out to see what we could find. While James and I had our eyes focused on the branches, Caro stopped us dead in our tracks to point out a snaked stretched out near an old stump. It was a nice Eastern Coachwhip (Masticophis flagellum), soaking in some of the unseasonable warmth.

Snakes may be the single most hated, feared, and misunderstood group of animals on the planet. The reason may be in some small way evolutionary programmed, however the vast majority of this animosity comes from misconceptions and ideas that are not grounded in truth. It is a shame, too, because as a group snakes are beneficial to us in so many ways – from pest eradication to cancer treatment. It is important that those of us who understand the true nature of these special animals spread the word, and work toward dispelling the myths that surround them, even if it is and always will be an uphill battle.

Eastern Coachwhip

Eventually the coachwhip retreated to the refuge of a downed tree. It was there we spied a little Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) perched among the tangle twigs. These are one of our most familiar area birds. Despite this, I have very few images of them, so on this occasion I decided to snap a few.

Carolina Wren

I say mixed emotions in the title, because though I enjoyed the diversity of subjects and conditions, I can’t help but feel concerned by what seems to me to be a trend of more erratic weather patterns. Granted, the weather in Texas has rarely been stable, but I have noticed a trend of greater frontal temperature variations and each year Spring seems to come just a tad earlier. Climate change is one of the most controversial, divisive issues we’re facing today. I don’t pretend to know the intricacy of this process, nor to have the solution, but I am certain that it is important, and certainly warrants our attention. I hate to think of some future scenario where something precious is lost, and we could have done something to prevent it but didn’t.

December 31, 2018 by mattbuckinghamphotography

Autumn in the Pineywoods

East Texas Waterfall

As I write this, on a cold and rainy day at the end of December, all but a handful of brave trees have cast their leaves in preparation for the darkness and cold that winter brings. Days like this it’s easy to long for the milder days and brilliant colors of fall. This year was a particularly beautiful autumn in the Pineywoods, with many species putting on displays of color that I had not seen for some time. To fight off the gloom of this winter’s day, I decided to live vicariously through my memories as I chronicle my autumn explorations here.

We’ll start on my birthday. At the start of October, the days have become shorter and the temperatures begin to cool. October has always been one of my favorite months here in Texas. The colors begin to turn, and the climate is mild. Cool enough that it is pleasant to be outside, yet warm enough that many winter-adverse species such as reptiles and insects are still active. A number of interesting fall-blooming plants are also on display in this month of the Hunter’s Moon.

On my birthday we set out to find a few such plants. The first that we came across was the Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora), also known as the Ghost or Corpse Plant. This interesting fungus-eating plant is a member of the blueberry family, of all things. It does not produce chlorophyll like most traditional plants, but rather obtains its energy and nutrients from the mycorhizzal fungi of tree roots. In Texas they may begin to bloom in late August or early September, and I have seen them as late at January (late in the sense that it is at the end of the blooming season for this species). The flowers’ superficial resemblance to a pipe as inspired stories in Native American folklore, including the idea that these plants mark the graves of old chiefs, and provide them a vessel with which to smoke from the afterlife.

Indian Pipes

Growing near the Indian Pipes, in the shade of American Beech was a rare treat, Tall Rattlesnake Root (Prenanthes altissima). Though it may line the roadsides further east, it is known from only a few isolated locations in extreme eastern Texas. Here it grows on steep hillside springheads and the banks of springfed streams in mature hardwood forests.

Tall Rattlesnake Root

Ample rains in September fueled a profusion of fungi, whose fibrous filaments draw moisture from the earth and feed on the ample detritus beneath the leaf litter. Fungi are fascinating, beautiful organisms. They lead most of their lives hidden below ground, but grace us with a spectacular display when their fruiting bodies form. Perhaps my favorites are the many varieties of coral fungus. Each is unique, and contain an intricate maze of protrusions that seem crafted by some avant-garde architect.

Coral Fungus

Many species of fungus are quite toxic to humans, but there are some that are said to be delicious. I personally have never been brave enough to try wild mushrooms. It seems like for every edible species there is a lethal, or at least debilitating look-alike. One species that is favored by foragers is the Indigo Milk Cap (Lactarius indigo) which an be found in hardwood bottoms in late summer and early fall.

Indigo Milk Cap

Fungi come in a staggering array of shapes and colors. They are also fun to photograph, and lead the mind to find interesting angles and compositions with which to present them.

Fungi (I believe these are chanterelles)

Fungi

Autumn also signals the beginning of the salamander breeding season in East Texas. In mid-October conditions were right for Marbled Salamanders (Ambystoma opacum) to make their annual breeding migrations. Unlike most members of the family Ambystomatidae, which breed in the water during late winter and early spring, the Marbled Salamander breeds on dry land, and the females lay their eggs under woody debris within dry vernal pool basins. They will then guard the eggs as they wait for winter rains to fill the pools and disperse and hatch their offspring. By doing this they get a leg up on the competition, so to speak, which comes in the form of other amphibian larvae that won’t begin to develop for another couple of months.

Marbled Salamander Male

Marbled Salamanders are one of relatively few amphibian species that are sexually dimorphic. The males (pictured above) have bright silvery white dorsal patterns while the females (pictured below) have duller silver to coppery markings. The males also display a swollen cloaca at the base of their tail during the breeding season.

Marbled Salamander

In late October Caro and I spent a damp autumn day in the woods with our friends James and Erin. It provided a chance to capture more images of interesting fungi, like these Earthstars, which look like little puff balls wearing tutus.

Earthstars

We also observed a number of insects like these seemingly affectionate Six-spotted Flower Longhorn Beetles (Strangalia sexnotata).

Six-spotted Flower Longhorn Beetles

We also found a few Rainbow Scarabs (Phanaeus vindex), a spectacular beetle that I highlighted in a previous blog post.

Rainbow Scarab

And then there were the Indian Pipes. We found hundreds in a remnant Longleaf Pine savannah, pushing up through the dense carpet of needles and cones. It became somewhat of a game seeing who could spot the most. Per usual, Caro won by a landslide.

Indian Pipes

One October day I received a call from my wife that she had found a recently hit Gray Fox next to the road. Being eccentric biologist types, we decided that we wanted to try to get its skeleton for study and admiration. So we called James and Erin, who own a large tract of land, and asked if we could set it out there to decompose. Being a couple of biologists themselves, they gladly agreed and we loaded the fox carcass in the bed of my truck and set out on the half-hour or so journey to their farm.

Just after we arrived, I heard my wife call out, “Look at this!” No surprise really, as she has an uncanny talent for spotting creatures, plants, and any other thing that remains invisible to most. She had found a large adult female Carolina Mantis (Stagmomantis carolina), hiding among the goldenrod blooms near the Childress cabin.

Carolina Mantis

Of course, in our haste to make our morbid delivery I had forgotten my camera. Fortunately James was kind enough to lend me his. We approached the scene and I tried to formulate a plan on how to best photograph this spectacular insect. As we drew near we noticed the carcasses of Common Eastern Bumblebees (Bombus impatiens) scattered about the ground, dismembered and drained of their juices. Oblivious to the danger, there were several more bees nectaring on the goldenrod just inches from the mantis. So I found a good angle and waited to see if I might capture some action. I set the lens on a bee that was slowly creeping closer and closer to this devourer of pollinators. The bee brushed against the mantis’s leg, yet still the predator remained still. Its head slowly cocked and it’s antennae twitched ever so slightly. Deliberately and methodically it crept toward the ravenous bumble bee. Its movements were almost imperceptible. I captured the image below as it zeroed in on the bee and prepared its strike.

Seconds after I captured this image the mantis did strike, though I only managed to record a blur of green. It missed, and the bee flew to a distant part of the same plant to continue feeding. Later we would see the mantis in the middle of devouring another unfortunate Bombus impatiens, though we missed the strike. In all it would seem that this ruthless hunter his doing quite well on the goldenrod she has staked claim to. She remained on that withering goldenrod well into December.

Seconds from Disaster

A few days before Halloween, Caro and I set out to look for signs of fall along backroads and deep in the forest. Colors were beginning to change, with vines like Virginia Creeper and Poison Ivy putting on a brilliant display. Elms, hickories, and even some red maples were beginning to lose their chlorophyll while baldcypress was nearing peak color. Monarchs are passing through en masse, and were joined at fall blooming plants by Gulf Fritillaries, Buckeyes, and American Ladies.

In the late afternoon we came across a stunning Canebrake Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) taking in the Sun’s fading warmth. It was one of the lightest snakes I’ve seen, with narrow bands of almost pure white along its chevrons. I would put it at a bit under three feet in length, a decent size. And like most of its kind that I’ve encountered it rattled only briefly, and was incredible docile and non-aggressive throughout our interaction.

Canebrake Rattlesnake

After spending some time with this spectacular denizen of the deep woods, we were able to turn up a couple of Marbled Salamanders and Southern Leopard Frogs adjacent to a series of ephemeral wetlands. I then noticed a large fallen tree, its branches arching above the forest floor. While admiring the verdance of the mosses and Resurrection Fern coating the bark, I glimpsed an unusual creature swaying back and forth. It was a huge Megarhyssa atrata (a type of giant ichneumon) busy probing the chambers of horntail wasp larvae with her ovipositor. She lays her eggs in the soft flesh of these larvae, where they will hatch and consume their host as they develop. This downed tree was literally swarming with Megarhyssa atrata and M. macrurus. Though they may be “creepy” looking, these large insects are harmless and fascinating.

Megarhyssa atrata

In early November we set out to look for Long-lipped Ladies’ Tresses (Spiranthes longilabris) a rare orchid of fire-maintained Longleaf Pine Savannahs. A species of the coastal plain, they reach the western extent of their range in East Texas. Uncommon to rare throughout their range, in Texas they are known from only a handful of sites in the Big Thicket.

Long-lipped Ladies’ Tresses

Another East Texas rarity is the Kidney-leaved Grass-of-Parnassus (Parnassia asarifolia). To my knowledge, they only persist along a single drainage in the Pineywoods.

Kidney-leaved Grass-of-Parnassus

A favorite past time of Carolina and me is wandering around Ellen Trout Park here in Lufkin. There are usually a variety of interesting things to be seen, including several resident Great Egrets (Ardea alba).

Great Egret

The star attraction of the park, however, is a pair of Bald Eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) that nest there each year. It wasn’t so long ago that Bald Eagles were nearing extinction, but a variety of factors including the banning of DDT and Federal regulations like the Endangered Species Act and Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act brought them back from the brink.

While most of East Texas’s species suffered greatly from the construction of large reservoirs, this is one of a few species that has actually benefited. The damming of the major rivers of the region created tens of thousands of acres of suitable habitat for the large raptors. In East Texas, Bald Eagles prefer to nest near the top of large pine trees adjacent to large water bodies. I composed the image below to capture the essence of this habitat.

Bald Eagle

By late November, fall color had begun arriving in earnest. One one of our frequent evening drives, I spotted the stereotypical Pineywoods scene below along the backroads.

Florida Maple (Acer floridanum) generally displays a brilliant golden yellow during autumn. This year they put on quite a show on slopes and along riverbanks.

Florida Maples

In some areas Florida Maples can be found growing alongside Red Maples (Acer rubrum). In the fall, Red Maple comes in a variety of colors, including yellow, orange, and red. In the image below it held up to its namesake, and provided an excellent contrast to the bright yellows of the Florida Maple next door.

A Meeting of Maples

The Pineywoods of East Texas are known for their towering forests. While breathtaking in their own right, the abundance of trees blocks the horizon, and there are not many places in East Texas that offer broad views of the landscape. There are a few exceptions on high ridges, however, like this spot east of Nacogdoches. Here the crowns of pines and a diversity of hardwoods creates a beautiful fall palette of greens, oranges, and yellows.

Bird’s Eye View

Many species of butterfly remain active well into the fall. One of the most common is the Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae). We often see them nectaring alongside other species on fall blooming wildflowers like these asters.

Gulf Fritillary

In late November, Carolina and I made our way north to explore the forests of Cherokee and Smith Counties. Here we found countless beautiful scenes, of which I attempted to capture just a small fraction of their brilliance with the images below.

Dressed in Gold

Autumn Exposure

During this day trip, we visited Tyler State Park for the first time. The State Park system of Texas protects a multitude of important and interesting natural and cultural features. The park was beautiful, with ample fall color among mature mixed pine-hardwood forests and infrastructure created by the Civilian Conservation Corps.

I generally avoid including man-made elements in my images, however the road through the state park seemed to be asking to be photographed. I captured the image to remind me of one of my favorite past times – driving quiet back roads in fall…

The Road to Autumn

…and hiking in the autumnal forest. If you look closely in the image below you can see a hiker’s footbridge beneath Flowering Dogwoods with foliage aflame.

Tyler State Park Trail

The color of the day was definitely orange, a deviation from the standard yellows and occasional reds typical further south. The Red Maples in particular were glowing. We enjoyed our time in the park, and will likely be making a repeat visit soon!

Autumn’s Orange

Maples in the Midstory

Some autumn scenes display a more subtle beauty. I captured the scene below in the floodplain of the Neches River. The Inland Sea Oats blanketing the ground had turned brown. The bark of Sugarberries added contrast while the fall foliage of distant elms added a splash of color.

All that Remains

Perhaps the most spectacular fall scene would not reveal itself until December, when I went to visit a waterfall recently discovered by my friend Scott. This waterfall is hidden deep forest in an area where steep ravines funnel water, whose power carves shallow canyons into the erodible mudstone of the Wilcox Formation. The slopes that grade down to this stream are decorated with the golden autumn foliage of American Beech and likely harbor a vernal flora rich in peripheral species of the great Eastern deciduous forests.

There are few things that bring me more joy than a walk in the autumn woods, and though the season has turned, it’s hard to fret too much. Winter resident birds have arrived and salamanders have begun to breed. Though winter may seem the bleakest of seasons, there is lots of life for those willing to look. So for now, I will look forward to the winter and spring, and say, “until next time, autumn!”

December 4, 2018 by mattbuckinghamphotography

An Evening on the Neches

Looking out into the vast Neches River bottoms, I couldn’t help but wonder what secrets they might hold. Stories of feuding families, perhaps. Maybe some untold conflict between early settlers and the Caddo Nation occurred beneath the cathedral like crowns of Willow and Overcup Oak. Perhaps a Jaguar once called this place home, stalking White-tailed Deer that came in the autumn to gorge themselves on the bounty of acorns that rained from the oaktops.

A dense fog only added to the mystique of this place. It rose from the bottoms flooded by the overflowing Neches. This day there would be no story to tell, as I stood quietly in awe, watching distant tree trunks gradually vanish into the mist. There was a quality of light that evening that I had never encountered before, and doubt that I will again. The cool, humid air pulled steam from the swollen river that seemed to glow as if bathed in the evening light. The sun battled a thin veil of clouds, remnants of an autumn storm, and occasionally gained the upper hand, piercing the gray.

Autumn has treated the Pineywoods well this year, and I have a wealth of images and stories to share. And I will, in a future post. This evening, however, deserved its own treatment. From here I will let the photos speak for themselves, and hope that their viewers may feel some semblance of the magic that I felt that evening.

Neches River bottoms in the fog

The Neches RIver

Overcup Oaks dressed in their autumn foliage

Overcup Oaks hang low over a flooded Neches River

Fall color on an island in the Neches

The flooded Neches pours into the bottomlands

The steely waters of the Neches at dusk

An ethereal mist rises from the Neches

The banks of the Neches River in a dense fog

The fog begins to lift, revealing distant flooded oaks

November 28, 2018 by mattbuckinghamphotography

Finding Paradise in the Bandera Canyonlands

Hill Country Waterfall

It’s a pilgrimage that many Texans undertake at some point – to see the fall colors of Lost Maples. Despite living in Texas for over 20 years and extensively exploring all corners of the state, it was a trip I had yet to take. This year we finally decided to see what the fuss was about. It would turn out to be an adventure, filled with frustrations and rewards.

Carolina and I left early and made our way to the Bandera Canyonlands, a term used by the nature conservancy to describe the region in the western Hill Country that contains a labyrinth of canyons carved through the limestone over millennia by springfed streams.

We arrived at the Love Creek Preserve in the early afternoon. We were granted special permission to visit this preserve which has limited public access. The Love Creek Preserve is another example of the substantial conservation efforts of The Nature Conservancy in Texas. Here they succeeded in protecting over 2,500 acres of excellent Hill Country habitat, home to rare plants and animals and numerous Texas endemics. The preserve also protects several spring-heads which feed tributaries to the Medina River, which ultimately feeds the Edward’s Aquifer. The Nature Conservancy truly has protected some of the most spectacular places in the Lonestar State.

It was a sunny day, and being early in the afternoon, the conditions were not ideal for photography. I took my gear along anyway, as one never knows what they might encounter in a place such as this. I carried my camera atop my tripod as I descended the precarious canyon walls with little difficulty. I then rock-hopped my way across a wide stream without incident. Then, after casually stepping on an innocuous boulder I somehow lost my footing and went down hard. I was extremely unhappy, as Carolina can attest, but not hurt. Then I looked at my camera, laying lens first in the cobble adjacent to the stream. I feared the worst. Miraculously my camera and lens survived unscathed, but my neutral density filter and circular polarizing filter had both been cracked. I could live without the latter, but the polarizer is a crucial bit of gear for photographing fall color. I was disheartened, to say the least.

I tried not to let this bad news dampen my enjoyment of the small canyon that we had set out to explore. Just being in such a place – taking in it’s sights, smells, and sounds, is a joy and a privilege that I feel fortunate to have experienced. And as the sun drew closer to the top of the canyon walls I was able to capture a sunburst through the leaves of a Bigtooth Maple that quivered in a gentle Autumn breeze.

Hill Country Canyon

As the daylight faded, we bid farewell to Love Creek, for the time being at least. Our base camp, so to speak, for the trip was the Cool River Cabin, located on the Native American Seed farm near Junction. Native American Seed is a fantastic company that grows a huge assortment of native plants and offers seeds and root stock for sale. They rent out the cabin, which is actually a three bedroom house with two porches and a full kitchen! It is a short walk from the Llano River, and contains scenic views and abundant wildlife. I highly recommend staying here!

The next morning we set out to the Caverns of Sonora. It was one of the more extensive cave tours I’ve taken in Texas cave country, and we marveled at the subterranean formations. After exploring the caves we spent some time at the Eaton Hill Nature Center in Sonora. We discovered this little gem by chance, and thoroughly enjoyed the exhibits which include several live rattlesnakes.

As the shadows grew longer we found ourselves at South Llano River State Park. A good portion of the park remained closed due to the unprecedented flooding experienced by the region just a month before our visit. There was still plenty to see, however. Not long after entering the park we were greeted by a large Nine-banded Armadillo (Dasypus novemcinctus) foraging in a mowed area adjacent to some dense brush. It was quite focused on its pursuit of dinner, and barely took a second to lift his head long enough for me to fire off a shot. Armadillos are one of our more entertaining mammals, often allowing for a close approach due to their generally poor senses. When they do finally realize that there is a perceived threat too close for comfort they will suddenly stop their activity, and bolt off, bounding erratically toward the safety of denser brush.

Nine-banded Armadillo

We came upon a group of Woodhouse’s Scrub Jays (Aphelocoma woodhouseii) scouring a juniper thicket as the sun vanished behind the distant hills. These intelligent, expressive birds are a joy to watch as they examine their surroundings. They seem to display genuine curiosity and approach problem solving with some semblance of enjoyment. Until recently these were considered Western Scrub Jays, but were split due to genetic evidence that suggest they, as well as the California Scrub Jay, Island Scrub Jay, and Florida Scrub Jay are distinct species.

There was very little light to work with, and I took the image below at 1600 ISO and 1/200 second. The resulting image was grainy and softer than I would have liked. I debated trashing the image, but decided that I liked the texture and colors on the bird, so I tried to clean it up through post processing. I ended up with an image that i was happy with. As digital photo processing technology continues to advance, I find myself saving more and more images that I would have otherwise thrown away.

Woodhouse’s Scrub Jay

That night, I posed the idea of traveling the three hour round trip from our cabin to a Best Buy in San Antonio to buy a new polarizing filter, and Caro agreed. I am very fortunate to have a wife that encourages my passions so. We returned “home” that evening around at around 11 o’clock, with a new polarizing filter that I hoped would help my lens bring out the colors of the canyons.

The next day broke to gray skies. We were up and out early, packing our things and bidding farewell to the Native American Seed Farm. Our first destination would be Lost Maples State Natural Area. This iconic park is extremely popular from mid October through November, particularly on the weekends, which just happens to be when we arrived. We learned, as we watched vehicle after vehicle pour in, that it had been a less than stellar year for the maples in the park, apparently affected by the heavy rains a month prior. Many of the leaves had simply turned brown and fallen from the trees. The park was certainly beautiful, as we hiked along droves of other leaf peepers, but it did not provide that spectacular autumn color that I had hoped for.

Lost Maples gets its name for the relictual populations of Bigtooth Maple (Acer grandidentatum) that persist in the area. Once more widespread throughout the region, as the glaciars retreated and the climate in the region warmed and dried, the maples were pushed to moist canyons along sprinfed streams and rivers.

The State Natural Area is not the only place to protect remnant groves of Bigtooth Maples however. After spending a couple of hours hiking popular trails, we decided to return to Love Creek. On the way we explored a few county roads to see what we might see. The morning was cold, with temperatures never leaving the 40s. The last thing I expected to find was a snake, however that’s exactly what I expected when we saw a group of Black-crested Titmice going crazy just a few feet off the ground. They were chattering incessantly, crests raised, hopping from branch to branch staring directly at the ground. Shaking off the cold I approached, and saw a gray and yellow striped serpent stretched out across the ground.

It was a young Baird’s Rat Snake (Pantherophis bairdi), not something I had expected to find here at the eastern edge of their range on such a cold November day. They are restricted in range to the Trans-Pecos and western Edward’s Plateau of Texas, and adjacent northeastern Mexico. They are one of our state’s most beautiful snakes, in my opinion, displaying shades of steely gray, yellow, and orange. Despite the cold, this individual was feisty, and once disturbed never backed down from his coiled defensive posture.

Baird’s Rat Snake

After spending some time in the company of the splendid reptile, we continued onto Love Creek the sheltered canyons here were displaying spectacular color not seen at Lost Maples. We marveled at the shades of orange and yellow that glowed like flames brightening the otherwise dreary day.

Bigtooth Maples at Love Creek

My friend David Bezanson of the Nature Conservancy told us where we could find a waterfall that drained the crystal clear springfed water of one of the many canyons that cut into the preserve’s limestone bluffs. It was like an oasis in otherwise semi-arid country. Mosses and Maiden-hair Fern clung to the rock, kept perpetually moist by spray from the falling waters. I could imagine the water at the base of the falls stayed cool, clear, and deep even during the height of summer.

Each angle of the falls provided some unique perspective. The contrast of the aquamarine waters, the bright green ferns, and the yellows of overhanging witch hazel and orange of distant maples painted a scene that seemed almost impossibly beautiful.

IMG_6522ab

Venturing into the narrow canyon that fed the falls, we found a lush forest that seemed out of place in this region that is knocking on the desert’s door. Towering trees shaded a thick layer of leaf litter that blanketed scattered boulders and smaller rocks. Beneath this leaf litter we found several Western Slimy Salamanders (Plethodon albagula). Another relict of cooler time, the central Texas populations of P. albagula are isolated from the the main portion of the species’s range by hundreds of miles, with the nearest known populations occurring in southwest Oklahoma. Genetic analyses may reveal that this disjunct population is in fact a species unto itself.

Western Slimy Salamanders

The trees here are remarkable as well, and include several other disjunct, relictual species like American Basswood, Chinkapin Oak, and Witch Hazel. They join the Bigtooth Maples, Lacey Oak, Texas Red Oak, Texas Mountain Laurel, Texas Redbud, and more to create a diverse, layered, closed-canopy forest.

As we ventured deeper into the canyon we found the stream’s source. Water was literally pouring out from the base of a massive limestone cliff, nourishing verdant Maiden-hair Fern, and what I imagined to be a profusion of spring wildflowers. The water here is home to an endemic species of neotonic Eurycea. It was humbling to see the literal source of so much life.

Water pours from the base of a limestone cliff, fueling a lush, diverse canyon

Deeper into the preserve we found a wider, drier canyon fed by a different spring. Here the maples were absent, but Texas Red Oak (Quercus buckleyi) provided a splash of color to the scene. I was truly blown away by the beauty of this place, an area unlike any other in the world. I don’t proclaim to know if Heaven exists, but in my book, the Bandera Canyonlands are about as close to Heaven on Earth as one can get.

Bandera Canyonlands

October 1, 2018 by mattbuckinghamphotography

Ouachita Mountain Magic

Target Species:

Ringed Salamander (Ambystoma annulatum)

Rich Mountain Salamander (Plethodon ouachitae)

Rich Mountain Salamander

We could barely see. Columns of air that cooled as they rose up the mountainside created a fog so dense that trees less than a hundred feet away were completely invisible. Orthographic lift is a common occurrence here, as evidenced by the dense coats of lichen and moss coating nearly every tree trunk. I was happy. To some nature lovers happiness is a wide open mountain vista, or an endless beach breaking brilliant blue waters. But to me, it is a forest in the fog. We were high on Rich Mountain, a long mountain ridge in the western Ouachitas, an ancient range that runs from east to west in western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma.

Most of my blog posts thusfar have focused on the biodiversity of my home state, Texas. But for this one we take a journey to our neighbors to the north. I first visited the Ouachitas over 15 years ago on a backpacking trip with a college friend. We hiked the first leg of the Ouachita Trail, and I was instantly hooked. I have made many trips since. Most of these have focused on finding the Ringed Salamander (Ambystoma annulatum), an enigmatic, elusive salamander endemic to the Interior Highlands. As Carolina and I set out from the Pineywoods of East Texas this late September day, I thought back on these trips, and how, despite my considerable efforts, I had still yet to see an adult Ringed Salamander.

We made our camp on Rich Mountain near a sign warning of bear activity in the area. I have read that American Black Bear populations in the Ouachitas were increasing, but I wondered how often encounters occur. Later this very trip we would come to find a large pile of scat that we both believed to be from a bear, complete with a long red cord from someone’s garbage.

The north-facing slopes of Rich Mountain harbor lush, rich forests not unlike those further east in the southern Appalachians. Here a diverse canopy of oaks, maples, hickories, basswood and Cucumber Magnolia towers above an understory of pawpaws, redbuds, and dogwoods. Familiar Appalachian plants like Jewelweed, False Solomon’s Seal and Rattlesnake Root line the roadsides that wind up the mountainside and a lush carpet of ferns flanks the numerous small streams and springs that run from the rocky hillsides.

Rich Hardwood Forest

These forests are home to a diversity of salamanders, many of which are found nowhere else on earth. One such Ouachita endemic is the Rich Mountain Salamander (Plethodon ouachitae), of which we found many. This species has three distinct variations, one on Rich Mountain, one on Winding Stair Mountain, and one on Kiamichi Mountain. Pictured here is the Rich Mountain variant, which I find to be the most attractive. We would also find several Winding Stair Mountain variants before the trip was over, but I neglected to photograph them. Recent rains and orthographic lift events created perfect damp conditions for salamanders, and nearby we also found Southern Redback Salamanders, Western Slimy Salamanders, Many-ribbed Salamanders, and Ouachita Dusky Salamanders.

Rich Mountain Salamander

There are a number of salamander species endemic to only certain isolated portions of the Ouachita Mountains. These include, along with the Rich Mountain Salamander, the Fourche Mountain Salamander and the Caddo Mountain Salamander. I did not have the opportunity to photograph the latter two this trip, though I hope to return to do so in the near future. This type of isolated endemism is common in older mountain ranges like the Ouachitas and southern Appalachians, where one species may occupy only a single mountaintop. Millions of years ago, when the mountains were higher and the climate cooler, a wide expanse of habitat created which allowed salamanders to thrive over expansive ranges. But as time wore on, these mountains weathered and the climate warmed. Broad dry valleys formed between peaks, in essence creating islands of populations on the portions of higher peaks where suitable habitat remained. These populations were now unable to access one another and as a result gene flow between populations was interrupted. As a result what was once a larger population slowly began to evolve into separate, distinct species in isolation.

From the top of Rich Mountain, in the evening after the day’s fog has burned up, it’s possible to see for miles and miles in every direction. The distant peaks and valleys looked like some turbulent undulating sea. Caro and I spent our evenings here, basking on warm rocks as the sun dipped low in the distance. Here we bid farewell to the day before returning to camp to prepare dinner and recover from our wanderings.

Ouachita Mountains

Ouachita Sunset

On the highest, most exposed ridges of Rich Mountain, a forest of gnarled, stunted dwarfs occurs. Here White Oaks, Black Tupelos, and hickories which may tower 100 feet or more in the rich valleys at the base of the mountains, occur in miniature. These old growth forests contain trees, like those pictured below, that are hundreds of years old but may only reach 10-20 feet in height. Their growth is stunted due to a variety of factors, including the exposure to relentless winds, winter ice storms, and frequent fogs. In some areas two-hundred year old White Oaks were only six or seven feet tall, and occurred in extremely dense thickets that seemed reminiscent of blueberry thickets in the Far North. These peculiar miniature forests we noted by early travelers to the region, including Thomas Nuttall.

Stunted White Oak Forest

Though still early in the season, fall colors were beginning to show at the higher elevations. The classic fall-blooming goldenrods were out in force, and Black Tupelo, Sassafrass, and even some hickories had begun to display their fall foliage.

Fall Palette

The Ouachita Mountians have a lot to offer, and we enjoyed taking in all that we could. The real reason for the trip, however, was to try and find an adult Ringed Salamander – something I had failed to do during many previous fall trips. Unlike most members of the family Ambystomatidae, which breed during the first warm rains of late winter and early spring, the Ringed Salamander breeds in the fall, similar to the Marbled Salamander. However where the Marbled Salamander breeds and deposits its eggs on land, Ringed Salamanders breed and lay eggs in the water – for the most part, at least. I have observed on a few occasions, Ringed Salamander eggs laid under leaves and logs in dry pool basins. While previous trips had turned up thousands of larvae and eggs, the adults continued to allude me.

The Ringed Salamander is one of our most enigmatic salamander species, and in my opinion one of our most beautiful. Despite being abundant in some areas within its narrow range in the Interior Highlands, which include the Ozark Plateau and Ouachita Mountains, it is extremely difficult to observe, with very brief periods of surface activity in the fall and spring. They emerge en masse following heavy fall rains and migrate to their breeding ponds. It seems like they leave the ponds very quickly after mating, and quickly return below ground. In some areas there are also breeding events in the spring, though often on a much smaller scale.

When we arrived in Ringed Salamander country there were still puddles on the ground, which I took to be a good sign. We went directly to the first of the breeding ponds, nestled deep in the woods. Wandering to the pond I wondered how these large amphibians survive here. It is not a rich, moist forest like those caudate-rich slopes of the southern Appalachians and elsewhere in the Ouachitas, but rather a rocky, dry woodland of shortleaf pine and various oaks that seemed to send its rainwater to the heart of the mountain just as soon as it hit the ground.

Ouachita woodland near a Ringed Salamander breeding pond

There were some interesting wildflowers blooming in the area. Beyond the goldenrods and asters I spotted this lovely Appalachian Blazing Star (Liatris squarrulosa) and watched as dozens of pollinators visited over a few minutes.

Appalachian Blazing Star

I had high hopes as we set about exploring the first pond. There were recently laid eggs in the water – a good sign. Carolina and I split up and scoured the area. Under a large, flat rock that looked perfect for a salamander, I spotted a large, breathtaking Copperhead (Agkistrodon contortrix). These pit vipers are common throughout much of their range, but that does nothing to diminish their beauty, which is hard to beat. It is hard for me to imagine wanting to kill such a beautiful thing, but unfortunately it is an all too common occurrence. This snake showed no aggression toward me, but rather spent its time trying to escape. I placed it for a moment on top of the rock under which it was sheltering, and after a few quick photos guided it back to its entrance and it quickly disappeared once more.

Copperhead

We continued searching around the pond for what must have been an hour when I heard Caro call out “I got one!!” I was overwhelmed with excitement and sprinted toward her, nearly tripping over several boulders in the process. When I arrived, however, she looked disappointed. She showed me a small male that was at death’s door. It had lost nearly all color and its eyes had clouded over. Barely able to move, it was not long for this world. Seeing my first adult Ringed Salamander in this condition certainly put a damper on the mood. We left the pond, with the hope that the next might prove more fruitful.

We visited four more ponds, all with the same result. Many with eggs but not an adult in sight. My spirits were sinking fast, and a familiar sense of failure that I had experienced in all my previous trips to the region was starting to take hold. I try to remain positive in these moments, and think on all of the wonderful gifts the trip had already provided. But our day was not done. We went to one final pond. It did not look as promising as the previous sites, but I did not intend to leave any stone un-turned, so to speak. So I scoured the area to no avail. Before leaving I peered under a long log that stretched from the pond’s surface about 20 feet or so up the slope that graded into the water. I immediately saw a loose cluster of eggs beneath the log at the waters edge. I then turned my attention up-slope to the opposite end of the log. Nothing. But just as I was preparing to set the log back I noticed a series of bands of yellow and black just beneath the murky water’s surface. It was a tail. I had finally found an adult Ringed Salamander.

Ringed Salamander

It’s hard to imagine a more beautiful sight. Though its colors are more similar to Spotted and Tiger Salamanders, the Ringed Salamander is actually more closely related to Smallmouth and Flatwoods Salamanders, as evidenced by its smaller head and mouth. They can grow quite large, and this female was over seven inches long. Ringed Salamanders breed in ephemeral depressions and fishless ponds. I have even read speculation that they once bred in large “buffalo wallows”. I can’t help but raise an eyebrow at this claim, but considering that some believe that the Ouachitas were named for a Choctaw phrase meaning “country of large buffaloes” in response to the herds of American Bison that roamed the surrounding valleys, perhaps the concept is not so far-fetched after all.

This beautiful female would be the only individual that we would see. There were more ponds I had hoped to visit but the road soon became impassable. It was a very special encounter for me. Finding this species takes a concentrated, planned effort, and in this region it seems to be restricted to remote, difficult to access locations. Perhaps these are the factors that contribute to the allure of the Ringed Salamander, or perhaps its the magic of the Ouachitas. Whatever it may be, finally encountering this species, along with the many other special moments we experienced during the weekend, left me with many fond memories that I will cherish forever.

January 17, 2018 by mattbuckinghamphotography

Fall into Winter: November and December Recap

Fall color along a forest stream

We’re in the heat of winter here in the Pineywoods, and I’ve got a backlog of posts to catch up on. Soapwort Gentian ended up being the last species checked off my list in 2017. Though I would not see any more of my “target species”, my November and December were still filled with incredible biodiversity and natural beauty.

In mid November Carolina and I met up with our friend Skip Pudney in the Big Thicket. We were hoping to photograph the rare orchid Spiranthes longilabris in bloom. While we did find a single plant, the true show was put on by the invertebrates – pollinators taking advantage in a flush in late season flowers. We noticed several Yellowjacket Hover Flies (Milesia virginiensis), Ornate Bell Moths (Utetheisa ornatrix), Common Buckeyes (Junonia coenia), Blister Beetles (Epicauta sp.) and more.

Yellowjacket Hover Fly

Ornate Bell Moth

Common Buckeye

Blister Beetle

By mid-November the leaves had begun to change. This was a good year for fall color in East Texas. The leaves of deciduous trees begun to change color in the falls when the days are sunny and the evenings are crisp. These cues, along with the shortening photoperiod trigger a chemical reaction within the leaves. Production of chlorophyll halts, and slowly this green pigment begins to break down and is rendered clear. As the green fades, other colors such as carotenoids and anthocyanins, which have been active in the leaves all along, now become dominant, and the forest turns from green to brilliant hues of yellow, orange, and red.

In late November I spent a foggy morning photographing the maples, oaks, hickories, and elms of a rich hardwood stream bottom.

Fall color in the fog

Hickories and maples provide the yellows in this fall forest

I then went on to a steep bluff over the upper reaches of the Neches River, where the Red Maples lived up to their name.

Fall color on a bluff over the Neches River

While I find broad views of a fall forest to be especially beautiful, the subtle beauty of fall can be observed up close, like in the leaves of poison ivy, as seen below…

Fall color in poison ivy

…and in the layers of Florida Maple leaves on branches draped around the trunks of pine trees.

Florida maples display their fall colors.

In early December much of East Texas was hit with an uncharacteristic snow storm. In over 20 years in the region, I have only seen snow a handful of times, and of those only a fraction actually stuck. This was one of the finest in recent memories. In East Texas fall color lingers well into December, and the result was what looked to be a battle between fire and ice.

Fire and Ice

Deeper in the forest, the landscape appeared a winter wonderland.

Pineywoods Snowscape

My Winter Wonderland

Snow in the Beechwoods

Dressed in White

Having grown up in Chicago, I experienced harsh, snow-filled winters in my childhood. It was good to spend some time walking and playing in the snow again – like reuniting with an old friend. I think that for Caro it was even more special, as she seldom saw snow in her native province of Entre Rios, Argentina.

Carolina in the Snow

Later in December we visited a longleaf pine savannah shortly after a prescribed fire. Here we saw fresh cones on the torched leaf litter…

Borne of Ashes

…and a freshly germinated seedling rising from the ashes. With luck, this tiny seedling will grow into a stately tree in this longleaf pine savannah. Perhaps it will one day harbor the cavity of a Red-cockaded Woodpecker, and Bachman’s Sparrows and Brown-headed Nuthatches will sing from its boughs while Louisiana Pine Snakes and Wild Turkey patrol among its roots.

New Beginnings

Within the longleaf pine savannah we found Riddell’s Spike-Moss (Selaginella corallina) growing in the crevices of exposed boulders of the Catahoula Formation. S. corallina is a primitive vascular plant that is typically included with the “fern-allies”, and despite its name is more closely related to ferns than mosses. It has an interesting disjunct range, with one population in central and east Texas, northwestern Louisiana, western Arkansas and Eastern Oklahoma, and another in Alabama and Georgia. I seldom encounter them in East Texas. When I do, it is generally growing off the faces of sandstone outcrops or in areas of deep sand.

Riddell’s Spike Moss

Ridell’s Spike Moss

After exploring the savannah we ventured to the bluffs along the Neches River. Here we found patches of fall color lingering in the American Beech trees on the bluffs’ slopes. American Beech is one of the last trees to turn in the fall, and they brighten the otherwise gray December forest. In the photo below the Neches River is visible in the distance.

The Bluff’s Edge

In late December our friend Scott Wahlberg, Carolina, and I spent the day scouting salamander locations for the spring. Though the conditions for finding a salamander weren’t ideal, we did turn up a single, apparently gravid, female Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum).

Spotted Salamander

Toward the end of December James and I spent some time looking for birds in a local park. There I was able to capture an image of a Swamp Sparrow (Melospiza georgiana) in the dense underbrush along the margins of a pond using James’s new 600mm lens (more on that in the future). These striking sparrows are “skulkers” – small birds that prefer dense cover. I was lucky to get a shot of one as it momentarily paused in its dense domain of tangles.

Swamp Sparrow

I was also able to photograph a Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata) there. The birds that winter in East Texas are members of the “myrtle” race, so named because they are one of the few birds that will regularly eat wax-myrtle berries.

Yellow-rumped Warbler

On December 30, Carolina and I found a Broad-banded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata confluens) while exploring the bottomlands off the Neches River. The temperatures hovered just above freezing, and the snake could barely move, yet it was alive and well. After taking a few photos we left it to weather the cold, as it and its kind have done for countless generations.

November 10, 2017 by mattbuckinghamphotography

Christmas in November

Soapwort Gentian

Target Species: Soapwort Gentian (Gentiana saponaria)

One of our country’s more enigmatic plant genera is Gentiana. Spring may be more often associated with wildflower blooming, but many of the brightly colored species of this genus bloom in the fall, and in the case of Gentiana saponaria in Texas, into the winter. The genus is also unusual in that many of its flowers do not open, remaining forever in a bud-like state, despite having fully developed sexual organs hidden within the closed petals.

Soapwort Gentian

Gentiana saponaria is one of a suite of species that reach the southwestern extent of their range in extreme Eastern Texas. In Texas it is very rare, probably occurring in five or less populations. While elsewhere within its range it might occur in prairie remnants and moist woodlands, in East Texas they seem to be confined to a few mature forested seeps nestled within longleaf pine savannahs. Associated species include Pinus palustris, Magnolia virginiana, Nyssa biflora, Acer rubrum, Platanthera ciliaris, Veratrum virginicum, Eutrichium fistulosum, Osmundastrum cinnamomeum, and more.

County-level distribution of Gentiana saponaria. Yellow counties indicate that the species is present and rare.

Soapwort Gentian has been on my radar for several years now. Very few pictures from Texas exist, and I suspect that reflects that very few people have seen this plant in Texas. Being at the periphery of its range, suitable habitat in East Texas is likely at a premium. Despite their preferred habitat appearing to be relatively common in Deep East Texas, this plant persists at only a handful of sites. It is likely that there are other factors influencing its distribution that we don’t fully understand.

Soapwort Gentian

The perpetually closed nature of this gentian’s blooms has always intrigued me. It is likely pollinated primarily by bumble bees and large beetles, which are strong enough to push their way through the closed petal lobes. It may also, however, be pollinated by tiny beetles that are small enough to work their way between the tiny gaps at the tip of the blooms. Throughout its range the flowers of Gentiana saponaria vary from white to electric blue to purple. In Texas, the buds are lime green as the develop, and as the flower matures it turns sky blue. Then, as it fades, it gradually turns to deep purple and ultimately tan before it withers. My friend and author of Wild Orchids of Texas, Joe Liggio likened the blooms to a cluster of Christmas lights, a fitting description if you ask me.

Soapwort Gentian

The genus Gentiana has long history of utilization for its medicinal properties. The root has a multitude of purported uses including as an remedy for snakebite, digestive issues, and a variety of other ailments. Compounds from the roots have proven to be anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, and beneficial for the treatment of liver disease.

Soapwort Gentian

To see this plant, I communicated with some contacts with the National Forests and Grasslands of Texas. They pointed us in the right direction, and the first weekend of November Carolina, our friend Scott and I set out to look for them. We found dozens of plants scattered along the upper reaches of a baygall within a fairly extensive rolling longleaf pine savannah. The baygall is partially fed by a small springfed stream. The plants were growing along the banks of the stream and in the drier portions of the baygall.

Soapwort Gentian

After spending some time at this site, we explored some other baygalls in the area. After striking in several areas, we found a handful of plants at what we suspect is a new location for this species in Texas. I sent the information to the Forest Service, and they confirmed that it had not been previously documented in that area.

Soapwort Gentian

An added bonus of searching for wildflowers in autumn is the fall foliage, set ablaze by the annual process where leaves break down chlorophyll to reveal their other brightly colored pigments. Though it was still early in the season, that day we admired the changing colors of elms, maples and hickories. Perhaps most striking were the fronds of Cinnamon Fern within the baygalls, that looked more like flickering flames than once lush Pteridophytes. Though there are a few more species that may bloom into December, photographing Gentiana saponaria essentially brings a close to the East Texas wildflower season, and I can definitively say that I went out on a high note.

Autumn in the Baygall

A Naturalist's Journey

My Quest for Biodiversity

Fall Color

Mixed Seasons, Mixed Emotions

Autumn in the Pineywoods

An Evening on the Neches

Finding Paradise in the Bandera Canyonlands

Ouachita Mountain Magic

Fall into Winter: November and December Recap

Christmas in November