Lake Travis

 

 

HDR Images of the Lost Maples

 

 

 

Lost Maples State Park

History: The lost maples State National area covers 2174.2 acres in the Bandera and real counties, north of Vanderpool on the Sabinal River. It is an inspirational mixture of sheer limestone cliffs, deep canyons, dense woodlands, and numerous clear streams. Archaeological evidence shows that the area was used by prehistoric peoples at various times. In historic times, which began with Spanish exploration and colonization efforts in the 17th century, the Apache, Lipan Apache, and Comanhe Indians ranged over the land and posed threat to settlement well into the 19th century.

Much of the park's limestone bedrock is exposed on elevated terrain, which has a shallow, discontinuous cover of dark gray stony clay (Eckrant series). Most valley bottoms have deep, dark brown silty clay (Krum series) or clay loam (Pratley series). Deposits of gravel, sand, and loam (Orif-Boerne association) lie within a few hundred feet of the Sabinal River. All of these soils have free calcium carbonate throughout their profiles and are moderately alkaline. Despite a high clay content in most cases, poorly drained soils are too inextensive to be mapped. When conditions are right, the Maple trees put out dazzling show of fall colors. Unfortunately this year the conditions were not optimal. Late September and October were too warm. We did not get a good frost until November. Too late to force out the intense colors.

Among the trees are American Sycamore (Platanus occidentalis), Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum), Black Walnut (Juglans nigra), Pecan (Carya illinoinensis), Green Ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), Black Willow (Salix nigra), Chinkapin Oak (Quercus muehlenbergii), Lacey Oak

(Quercus laceyi), Texas Red Oak (Quercus buckleyi), Juniper, Florida Basswood (Tilia caroliniana) and Bigtooth Maple (Acer grandidentatum) (the latter of which was discovered far removed from any maple forest, and thus gave the area the name "lost maples"). The maple colors well in some autumns; the Texas red oak gives an impressive autumn display almost every year. This park is most crowded when the fall colors peak in November. Evidence suggests that the maples that give the park its name are relicts: remnants of a larger, more widespread

population that flourished during the cooler and wetter climate of the last glacial period. Today, soils and microclimate control their present distribution.

More pictures....

Pensive Poodle

Celebrating Sandy's Big One!

Eastern Tiger Swallowtails Return to the Hill Country

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) is a species of swallowtail butterfly native to North America. It is one of the most familiar butterflies in the eastern United States.

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail was once considered to be a single species, but is now divided into three species; the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis), the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and the Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio appalachiensis). These three species are very similar to one another, and can be hard to tell apart. The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail has a wingspan of 7.9 to 14 centimeters (3 to 5.5 inches). The adult male is yellow, with black "tiger stripes". There are two morphs of adult females, a yellow one and a dark one. The yellow one is similar to the male, except there is a patch of blue on the hind wing. In the dark morph, the yellow areas are replaced by dark gray or black.^[2]

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail can be found in much of the eastern United States. It is generally common throughout its range, and can be found in various habitats, such as woodlands, woodland openings, woodland edges, fields, open areas, rivers, creeks, roadsides, gardens, urban parks, and city yards.

The female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail lays her green eggs singly on host plant leaves. Young caterpillars are brown and white, mimicking bird droppings. Older caterpillars are green, with two black, yellow, and blue eyespots on the thorax. It is also spotted with light blue on the abdomen. The caterpillar will turn brown just before pupating. It will reach a length of 5.5 centimeters (2.2 inches). The chrysalis varies, from a whitish color to dark brown. It is usually patched with green and other dark markings.

Taxonomy

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail was formerly considered to be a single species with a vast range into northern Canada and the eastern United States. It has now been divided into a total of three species; the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail, which is found in Canada; the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, which is found in the eastern United States; and the Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail, which is found in the Appalachian Mountains.

Some taxonomists place the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, along with the other tiger swallowtails, in the genus Pterourous.

Description

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail has a wingspan of 7.9 to 14 centimeters (3 to 5.5 inches). Adult males are yellow, with four black "tiger stripes" on each fore wing. The trailing edges of the fore and hind wings are black with yellow spots. On the inner margin of the hind wing, there are small red and blue spots. On the underside of the fore wing margin, there is a yellow bar that is broken up into spots. This broken bar is present in both sexes.

There are two morphs of adult females, a yellow one and a dark one. The yellow morph is similar to the male, except that the hind wings have an area of blue between the black border and the main yellow area. In the dark morph, the yellow is replaced with a dark gray to a black color. A shadow of the "tiger stripes" can still be seen on the underside of some dark females. The dark form is more common in the southern portions of the range, especially in areas also inhabited by the poisonous Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), which it seems to mimic.

Similar species

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail has two similar species in its range: the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail and the Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail. They can be hard to distinguish from one another.

The Canadian Tiger Swallowtail is usually smaller. The yellow marginal bar on the underside of the fore wing is not broken up into spots. On the underside of the hind wing edge near the abdomen, there is a black stripe. This stripe is thicker in the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail. Intermediates between the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail and the Canadian Tiger Swallowtail are known to occur.

The Appalachian Tiger Swallowtail is larger than the spring brood of the Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. Appalachian females do not have a dark form. The blue-and-black area on the underside of the hind wing is reduced.

Range and distribution

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is found from southern Vermont down to Florida west to eastern Texas and the Great Plains. It is generally common throughout its range. It is rarer in southern Florida and absent from the Florida Keys. There is an isolated population in Mexico.

State butterfly and insect status

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is the state butterfly of Alabama, Delaware, Georgia, and South Carolina, and is the state insect of Virginia.

Habitat

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail can be found almost anywhere deciduous forests occur. Some of its common habitats include, woodlands, woodland openings, woodland edges, fields, open areas, rivers, creeks, roadsides, gardens, urban parks, and city yards.

Flight period

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail is seen from May to September in the northern portion of its range, from April to October in the middle portion, and from February to November in the southern portion. There are two broods in the north, and three in the south.

Adult food sources

The Eastern Tiger Swallowtail uses a wide range of food sources. Most adults prefer to nectar on sturdy plants. Males are attracted to mud, damp gravel, and puddles, extracting sodium from these sources. Males can often be seen in large congregations puddling, especially in the spring. Adults have also been seen feeding on dung, carrion, and urine.

More Buzz

The Hummers Abound

Rain :)

Will the Parties Ever End?

The big Jump

More Swimming in the Rain

The rain doesn't stop Natalie. Even though it is raining, the temps are in the low 80s and the pool is 83!!!! Just like summer up north. Who cares if it's raining :)

Daddy Long Leg Clusters

This year the cellar spiders have been gathering in clusters in mass quantities. Most likely due to the major rainfall we have received since last September. This is one cluster that seems to like the corner on the porch above the bedroom door.

The cellar spider or daddy longlegs (Pholcus phalangioides), also known as the skull spider due to its cephalothorax looking like a human skull, is a spider of the family Pholcidae. Females have a body length of about 9 mm; males are slightly smaller. Its legs are about 5 or 6 times the length of its body (reaching up to 7 cm of leg span in females). Its habit of living on the ceilings of rooms, caves, garages or cellars gives rise to one of its common names. In Australian homes, they are considered beneficial because it is sometimes believed they will kill and eat the venomous Redback spider.

This is the only spider species described by the Swiss entomologist Johann Kaspar Füssli who first recorded it for science in 1775. Confusion often arises over its common name, because "daddy longlegs" is also applied to two other unrelated arthropods: the harvestman and the crane fly.

Pholcus phalangioides has the habit of shaking its web violently when disturbed as a defence mechanism against predators. They can easily catch and eat other spiders (even those much larger than itself, such as Tegenaria duellica), mosquitoes and other insects, and woodlice. When food is scarce, they will prey on their own kind.

Because they originally came from the tropics, these spiders do not seem to be aware of seasonal changes and breed at any time of the year. The female holds the 20 to 30 eggs in her pedipalps. Spiderlings are transparent with short legs and change their skin about 5 or 6 times as they mature.

Day 2 at the Big Build

It's day two on Natalie's trip to Austin. Unfortunately the rain from Alex continues. So we went to get pedicures and manicures. In between swimming in the pool. There was only one really big storm today that scared us out of the pool. It poured for about thirty minutes. There was so much rain the roof began to leak. Ugh!!!!

Day Two of Bee Pictures

More Buzz at the Big Build

Diving at Anderson Mill

International Tour II

The International Tour II is soon to begin. But this tour has a twist. Dave will be travelling with a portable pizza oven on the truck. At each stop he will have pizza party - too fun. This only proves he lives in an alter universe.....