Newsletter title

May 2014

In This Edition

Migration

—Nicholas DelGrosso

Bison spring grazing by Nicholas DelGrosso

All life has a beginning, middle, and an end and every living thing migrates through these phases. The purpose of life is to propogate the species and be useful. Even the Bison is subject to this dictum. For the Bison it starts on a cool April day, on an expansive green prairie filled with new beginnings. The cow and the matriarchal herd is the heart of the calf’s new beginning. Both the cow and the prairie are the calf’s mother because they both provide sustenance.

Bison nursing by Nicholas DelGrosso

Just as the prairie nurtures the calf the calf nurtures the prairie, the Bison’s hoofs churn the earth, the wool transports seeds, and the feces enriches the soil to provide more grass for future generations.

Bison portrait by Nicholas DelGrosso

But every new beginning has an end! It may be on a cold icy winter’s day in the dark of a breaking dawn, but even that end is a new beginning for the bison. Its silent carcass will provide food for scavengers like the Turkey Vulture and Coyote.

Bison Carcass by Nicholas DelGrosso

Its bones will provide calcium for the prairie rodents.

Bison Carcass by Nicholas DelGrosso

New grasses will be fertilized by the remains of its deteriorating carcass and the young of prairie nesting birds and animals will be kept warm by remnants of its dispersed wool. In the end it’s a shell of its former self, but it is still being useful. One wonders if the Bison’s spirit has memories of its former glory as its spirit walks over the hill leaving its carcass decaying on a warm spring day to become part of the prairie.

Bison walks by Nicholas DelGrosso

 

Prairie Watching: A Spring Day at a Favorite Wildflower Spot

—Dwight Thomas, Ph.D.

As I was driving into the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve on May 10, 2014, I stopped along the road at one of my favorite wildflower spots in the Preserve. There were no Bison in sight, and I knew they were in the North pasture, so I got out of my car with my camera to get a closer look. As always here, I was rewarded with stands of various wildflowers in bloom.

The spot is located about a half mile west of the intersection of County Road 4220 with County Road 4201. The prairie rises about ten feet at this location because of an outcrop of some erosion-resistant layers of sandstone. I’m sure you know where this is. There is a large pond on the south side of the road, and this is the first change in elevation you encounter after entering the Preserve from the South at the memorial plaque. This rise in elevation provides a good view of the pond and wide vistas in all directions. The outcrop of tan sandstone layers provide an interesting change of scenery from the surrounding plains. Although this rise is not a major change in elevation, it is enough to create different side-by-side micro-environments. Above the rise, the soil is rocky, thin and dry; below the rise, the soil is thicker and wetter. There may be some soil chemistry differences and micro-climate differences as well, but the plant species that are present certainly reflect the differences.

Coreopsis by Dwight Thomas

On that day, the vegetation seen below the rise was primarily grass, but above the rise, there were several species of native plants in bloom. The most numerous plant in bloom was the Green Milkweed (Aesclepias viridis Walt.). There were thousands of them here and throughout the Preserve. But the most attention-getting plant in bloom with its bright yellow flowers was Coreopsis (Coreopsis grandiflora, Hogg ex Sweet), growing from the cracks in the rocks. Coreopsis is known to be a hardy plant and this spot shows how it can live in a most inhospitable place. This was the only place that I saw Coreopsis in bloom on that day; Coreopsis can usually be found throughout the Preserve during May, so this is just a taste of what is to come. I am sure that this was the same plant that I had stopped and looked at last year and maybe the year before.

Wild Alfalfa by Dwight Thomas

Alongside the Coreopsis was the blue-flowered Wild Alfalfa (Psoralidum tenuaflorum (Pursh) Rydb.). These two species made a colorful presentation. As I looked farther north, I could see an abundance of the Wild Alfalfa blooming — it is one of those plants that seems to blend into the surroundings when seen while moving at 40 miles/hour. Then I could see an abundance of tufts of white to light yellow flower spikes standing about a foot tall. These were the Death Camus (Zigodenus nutallii Gray ex. Wats.). Again I had not noticed them until I stopped and walked into the prairie. Several Bumble Bees were visiting these flowers. These plants contain several poisonous alkaloids, so I was surprised that the Bees were visiting them — apparently the poisons do not affect Bees. And intermixed with the other plants, I found many Poppy Mallow (Calirhoe alceoides (Michx) Gray) plants. It was growing almost flat on the ground with the white flowers that are tinged with pink standing just above ground level. Then, I saw more white-flowered spikes — the Prairie Larkspur (Delphinium carolinianum Walt.); these were just scattered sparsely with the promise of many more as the season warms.

Death Camus and Prairie Larkspur by Dwight Thomas

For a Botanist, this is an especially rewarding and pleasant spot because as the seasons progress, the present wildflowers will be replaced with new ones. Seeing wildflowers bloom in succession as the season progresses is sort of like seeing old friends show up for a visit. I have stopped here many times and had an equally rewarding visit with the old friends who show up a little later in the year. For example, in June, the Clasping Coneflowers (Dracopis amplexicaulis (Vahl) Cass) spring forth in a mass of yellow ray flowers surrounding the dark brown disc flowers. Usually, Lemon Mint (Monarda citriodora Cerv. ex Lag.) grows intermixed with the coneflowers making Monet-like displays of yellow, brown, and light purple. This mix also makes a pleasant aroma and attracts a variety of pollinating insects. The Coneflowers and Lemon Mint are mostly found in the thicker soils below the rise and especially on the south side of the road. Then in September and October, the Dotted Blazing Star (Liatris punctata Hook.) begins to bloom with its purple spikes. These are found growing in the rocky outcrops alongside the Coreopsis, which have progressed to seed heads. I could already identify the Blazing Stars from their vegetative growth, and I am looking forward to seeing them in bloom this Fall. See the photographs in The Docent News, Prairie Watching: Yellow Wildflowers, July 2013; Purple Wildflowers, August 2013; and Historical Perspective Through Art, January 2014.

Poppy Mallow and Green Milkweed by Dwight Thomas

So you can see why this is one of my favorite wildflower areas in the Preserve. Even in winter, this place is scenic. I came through here once when the snow had drifted across the road and only a narrow lane had been plowed through. See applicable photographs in Tallgrass Prairie Docent Newsletter, Snow Day at the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, August 2010. Next time you are driving into the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve, pause to look at this very interesting spot.

Peregrine Falcon, (Falco peregrinus)

—Nicholas DelGrosso

Peregrine Falcon Stoop by Nicholas DelGrosso

The Peregrine Falcon is built for speed, it has all the attributes of a high velocity fighter jet and is just as lethal. Its body length is 13 to 23 inches and its long pointed wings have a span of 29 to 47 inches. Females tend to be about 20-percent larger than males. Its whole body structure is torpedo-like; blunt rounded head, short neck, and sturdy shoulders that taper to a moderately long tail. When you look at a Peregrine Falcon you are looking at the fastest bird in the world, it is the epitome of power and speed. In traveling flight it breezes along at 25 to 34 mph and can reach cruising speeds of up to 69 mph. But when it stoops, a downward dive of a bird of prey, it demonstrates that it is truly a long-winged master of flight. Peregrines dive at a 30- to 60-degree angle and can start their stoop 5,000 feet away from their prey, at 150 m.p.h. they tuck their wings and extend their shoulders, assuming a diamond shape, they alter their aerodynamics much as a fighter jet. When they reach 200 m.p.h. they pull in their shoulders and extend their heads to become a missile.

During these stoops Peregrines have been clocked reaching speeds in excess of 200 m.p.h. before impact. The Peregrine’s nostrils are equipped with a series of baffles which allows the bird to easily breathe during these powerful dives. If you look closely at a Peregrine in flight you will notice another adaptation for speed, they instinctively hold their legs close up to their body to prevent drag. The Peregrine’s legs are like the retracted wheels of a plane making it more aerodynamic. With all these adaptations the Peregrine is like a missile knocking its prey out of the sky. From the preys perspective these strikes come out of nowhere. Speed Kills! Because of this aggressive hunting technique Native Americans have associated the Peregrine with aggression and martial prowess. The Mississippian Culture (c. 800 to 1500 AD) used the Peregrine as a symbol of aerial power and buried high status men in burial costumes representing the fiercness of raptorial birds.

The Peregrine Falcon has had a long association with man. Its hunting prowess and prey selection of ducks, grouse and other medium-size birds made it a highly valued bird for falconry and this connection can be traced back more than 3,000 years to the nomads of the central Asian steppe. The Peregrine Falcon was even the bird of choice for medieval kings and nobles of Europe.

This bird inhabits every continent in the world except Antarctica. There are nineteen accepted subspecies of Falco peregrinus worldwide. The subspecies we are concerned with is Falco peregrinus anatum; also known as the American Peregrine Falcon or Duck Hawk. This bird was once common across North America from Canada and Alaska to northern Mexico. There were large populations along the east coast and James Audubon painted this raptor for his Birds of North America.

Peregrine Falcon by James Audubon

Today it is mainly found in the Rocky Mountains and for the most part is technically extinct in eastern North America. Populations that do exist in the east today are probably hybrids as a result of reintroductions and captive breeding of birds from elsewhere. Dr. Thomas Cade from the Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology and his associates were the principals responsible for attempting to reverse the extinction of the eastern Peregrine Falcon populations. They were the first to notice that the birds were not hatching young falcons and this was having adverse effect on recruitment. By studying several hundred active aeries in the late 1950s and early 1960s they discovered that the eastern population was declining. After ruling out the obvious they discovered that the surviving birds had large amounts of DDT in their bodies. This inhibited females from laying adequately calcified eggs which resulted in fewer young being hatched. The eggs were easily broken during brooding because of the thin shells. By captive raising birds from existing stock in the west and releasing them in suitable habitat in the east they re-established the eastern population. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring also warned about the effect of DDT on ecosystems. Because of Dr. Cade’s success the Peregrine Falcon was removed from the Endangered Species List in 1999, some forty years after bringing the Peregrines plight to public attention.

It is fortunate that the plight of the Peregrine was diagnosed and corrected before we lost this handsome bird. The back and the long pointed wings of the adult are usually bluish black to slate gray, the wing tips are black, and the tail is long and narrow and colored like the back. The top of the head and a moustache along the cheeks are black and they stand out like a beacon because of the pale sides of the neck and throat. The cere and feet are yellow but the beak and claws are black.

Juvenile Peregrine Falcon by Nicholas DelGrosso

Juvenile birds are browner with a bluish cere and orbital ring and can easily be confused with the Prairie Falcon. Juveniles also have a dark brown back and heads while their chest has dark stripes. Prairie Falcons have a lighter brown back and head and a brownish moustache with a whiter lightly streaked chest. Look for these difference when differentiating juvenile Peregrines from Prairie Falcon and remember they are the same size, roughly sixteen inches long.

It is rare to see a Peregrine Falcon in Oklahoma but, as with other things, lightening does strike. Over the last thirteen years three Peregrine Falcons have been seen at the Tallgrass Prairie Christmas Bird Count. I saw one last year flying high over the rim of a deep draw, flying with powerful wing beats searching for prey. The Peregrine migrates through Oklahoma in small numbers. Ebird’s bar charts show them passing through from January through April and again from September through December. The ones we are most likely to see are probably coming from their summer range across north central Canada, heading to their winter range across the southern coastal United States, Mexico and South America. The name peregrine means wander. The name is an apt description for this bird; it has one of the longest migrations of any North American bird. Some tundra-nesting falcons winter in South America flying 15,500 miles in a single year. If you are interested in viewing maps of the migration of individual falcons tracked by satellite telemetry this can be done at Environment Canada.

Peregrines do not nest in Oklahoma but in their summer range on the tundra they prefer nesting on a high mountain ledge often overlooking a lake or stream. Not all Peregrines nest in the pristine wilderness, some have adapted to man, nesting on high building ledges in Montreal and New York. They fly the cityscape canyons searching for that iconic nemesis of city park statues, the ignoble pigeon. The Peregrine fund even displays a nesting pair of falcons who inhabit the downtown city skycaps of Boise, Idaho.

To see a peregrine in the wild is to see the boldest, most capable and self-possessed bird in the world. Check the migration maps this fall and get out to see Peregrine Falcon, it will inspire you with awe and admiration such as no other bird can.

First Animal Reintroduction in North America

—Bill Alexander

By 1888, the bison population in North America had fallen to below 550 animals, from a population of an estimated 30 to 60 million at their peak. This dramatic decline led to the creation of the American Bison Society (ABS) in 1905 by Theodore Roosevelt, William T. Hornaday, and other conservationists and sportsmen who were concerned that the bison would become extinct.

In 1901 President McKinley created a Wichita Forest Reserve from parts of the Comanche-Kiowa-Apache Indian Reservation in what is now southwest Oklahoma. A few years later in 1905 President Roosevelt renamed this reserve as the Wichita National Forest and Game Preserve, which would become the nation’s first big animal wildlife preserve. The ABS pushed for protection of the bison in their natural habitat, and convinced the New York Zoological Society to offer 15 bison from the Bronx Zoo to the newly designated Wichita Game Preserve. Congress appropriated $15,000 for this re-introduction to occur. After fencing of the preserve pasture was completed, the bison were shipped to a railhead in Cache, Oklahoma, arriving on October 11, 1907, just over one month before Oklahoma became a state.

When the six bulls and nine cows arrived in Cache, the Comanche chief Quanah Parker was among those at the train station to watch this event. The Native Americans were excited to see the animal being returned since the bison had been essential to their life on the plains. It was another seven days before they could be transported to the refuge by wagon.

On October 18, 1907 a crowd of several hundred watched as the bison were released on the preserve. Take a close look at the picture to see the wooden crates that the bison were transported in from Cache to the Wichita Game Preserve. Possibly the small wooden crates worked for these animals since they were used to being in a confined Zoo area. Today the Wichita Preserve consists of approximately 60,000 acres with a bison herd of around 650 and a reintroduced elk herd of approximately 800.

Single-use picture courtesy of the Museum of the Great Plains, Ref: 74P1N29

The herd on the Wichita Game Refuge is one of the herds used by Tall Grass Prairie to help reduce cattle DNA from the herd, which occurred when cattlemen cross bred bison with cattle in an effort to create hardier cattle. The Tallgrass Prairie Preserve bison herd began with the Ken-Ada Ranch donation of 300 animals in the fall of 1993. This herd grew to a managed herd size in 2013 to 2,668 bison by fall roundup, when it was culled back to a wintering herd of 2,135 plus an additional 153 dinkers to be sold in July to start the 2014 season.

Picture credit: Ref: 74P1N29. Permission is granted by the Museum of the Great Plains for this one time, non-exclusive use of the image. Any subsequent use will require new permission from the Museum of the Great Plains.

Tallgrass Prairie at the Tulsa Garden Club

—Dwight Thomas, Ph.D.

On Monday, May 5, 2014, Anita Springer and Dwight Thomas gave a talk about the Tallgrass Prairie and the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve at the Tulsa Garden Club. Tulsa Garden Club meets at the Tulsa Garden Center in Tulsa. About 30 Tulsa Garden Club members were present for the talk at their meeting. Refreshments were served, and the center piece on the refreshment table consisted of an assortment of potted plants that were flowering surrounded by pots of different grasses. These were arranged artistically and prepared especially to fit the Tallgrass Prairie theme.

Anita began the talk with a history of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and, using projected photographs, took the group on a tour of the Bunkhouse. Then Dwight continued the talk with a projected photographic tour of the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve. He showed grassy fields, Bison, weather, Deer, and Wildflowers. Most of the talk centered on the wildflowers that can be found in abundance at the Preserve, because the group was The Tulsa Garden Club.

The talk was well received by the group, prompting a number of questions that extended our opportunity to spread the word about the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and the work that is being done to protect and preserve the Tallgrass Prairie ecosystem.

Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Coyote?

—Caryl Pearson

In 1974, I was guiding horseback trail rides in the Moraine Park area of Rocky Mountain National Park. One sunny afternoon I had fourteen people behind me as we were winding through some attractively spaced Ponderosa Pines when a coyote appeared to my left and proceeded to jog-trot in line with me, at a distance of about forty feet. All my riders could see him, and they could not help but voice their amazement — and in some cases, fear. Many of our guests hailed from large Midwestern cities, and had very little experience of mountains and wildlife. One man asked if this was a wolf — nope, just a coyote, I told him with what I hoped was a reassuring note in my voice. A woman farther back was worried we might be attacked. Highly unlikely ma’am; he’d much prefer to lunch on a couple of golden-mantled ground squirrels. Another woman commented on his beautiful coat, noting the grizzled gray and tawny accents; I warmed to her immediately. I talked about the coyote’s intelligence and resourcefulness, and how this particular coyote probably had a fairly stress-free life, living in a national park where no shooting or trapping was allowed.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/30/Coyote_in_Alaska.jpg

I found it interesting that just when the questions ran out and I had pretty much completed my spiel, the coyote faded into the brush as the trail began to ascend. I was still waiting for my favorite question, usually voiced by some thinking person when a wild animal was doing something unusual. Finally it came, from a boy about eleven years of age: But why was the coyote coming along with us? He never even looked at us. That, my lad, is one of the fascinating mysteries of nature, I told him. Perhaps he was curious, or maybe he just wanted a little company — but until we learn to speak coyote, we’ll never know. And here’s one thing to keep in mind: the coyote is one of the smartest animals on earth, and the more intelligent the species, the more variable the behavior of its individuals.

I read an article online about a woman that had been treed by several coyotes, and had been stuck in the tree for over two hours before they finally moved off and she could climb down. If she only knew how easy it would’ve been to shoo them off…, but people do funny things under the influence of fear. I have learned from my own wilderness experiences that fear is not a solid wall — it can be pierced with the help of logic. Fear is a feeling, and feelings should be honored, but that doesn’t mean they have to rule every action and decision. You can be feeling afraid and still take intelligent actions based on good decisions. Wild animals, even small ones, can sometimes trigger a very primal type of fear. But you don’t have to completely give in to it. Even pretending you’re not afraid can work. This is easier when your pride is at stake. A certain incident in Hawaii when I was neck deep in the water and thought I saw a shark comes to mind; I was very dignified as I made my way back to the crowded beach — no flailing or screaming — but part of me wanted to. As my sainted mother used to say, Fake it ‘til you make it.

So hike and ride with confidence in coyote country, and enjoy the sight and sounds of this amazing creature. I personally will be saving my fears for grizzly country.

I have a friend who is deathly afraid of coyotes, and any other wild animal larger than a fox that’s running free. I found this out when I asked her if she wanted to come with me to find a certain trio of wild pigs that was becoming notorious in the hills of Los Altos. The largest of the three had even chased a couple of joggers down the Wildcat Loop trail. One jogger told the newspaper that she’d broken her speed record with the pig cantering and snorting right on her heels. It turned out that a hunter had killed a female pig in another area of California, then discovered a litter of piglets; he was able to catch three, took them home and raised them up. But as is often the case with wild animals, they wore out their welcome when they got too big and started tearing up everything in sight.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/85/Wild_boar_female_with_her_young_sus_scrofa.jpg/800px-Wild_boar_female_with_her_young_sus_scrofa.jpg

It was pretty easy to track the pigs, and when I started up a game trail that had obvious sign at the bottom — tracks and perfect snout prints in the mud — it wasn’t long before a hairy rump showed itself not far ahead. Tina was lagging behind and I yelled back down the hill Hurry up, I see one!, thinking she was as excited as I was. I might mention here that this young woman was not afraid to handle any sort of exotic reptile at her job. As I decided to go on ahead to keep the pig in sight, I happened to see a perfectly intact deer skull under a scrub oak. I shouted, Hey, I just found a skull! Up the hill came her quavering reply, Is it human? I think it was at that point that I realized she wasn’t acting like her normal confident self.

When she finally caught up to me, and we were sneaking up on all three pigs which were now rooting in some grasses under the oaks, I whipped out my camera and started photographing them. I looked around to say something to Tina, and she was several yards behind me, in the process of climbing a tree. Later on, twilight came upon us as we were making our way back down the trail. A coyote began to yip and howl not far away — to me, a beautiful, haunting sound. But my friend’s eyes widened and her voice got shaky — she was trembling. I said, Ok, Miss Reptile Tamer, what is the matter with you?. She said, Well, wild animals running around really scare me, especially coyotes. I asked her if she’d ever had a bad experience with one, and she said no, but she’d heard a few stories. I said, What is it about them exactly that scares you? She answered, I’m not sure, but I think it’s just knowing that they could attack and eat me. I tried to stifle my laughter, but didn’t quite succeed. She looked at me with reproach as I said, What, like when you put on your Minnie Mouse costume? Then I stopped laughing and said, Look, that is not going to happen. I’ll tell you what I tell adults and kids on my tours: if you are worried about a coyote in any way, if you think he’s too close or watching you intently and you feel uneasy, stand up tall and while facing him, wave your arms, stomp your feet and yell. Even if there is more than one coyote around you, I guarantee they will all disappear like leaves in the wind. One kid asked, What shall we yell? I said, Oh, anything will do, as long as it’s loud and forceful; you could try, Take your pointy ears and scram., or maybe, Go find a rodent. Another kid piped up, How about, ‘humans taste like chicken’? I said Not if you think the coyote speaks English. Seriously, you are not their natural prey, not even close. And they are way too smart to waste their energy trying to take you down, when there are rodents and bugs and berries and lizards to eat.

[Among some cannibal tribes, humans are known as Long Pig on account of the taste. Editor.]

Docent Coverage Of Season Days

—Andrew Donovan-Shead

Docent Coverage of Season Days Docent Coverage of Season Days Summary

Other Places to Visit

Here we provide some links to other places worth visiting.

Tallgrass Prairie Preserve Visitor’s Center Latitude & Longitude

Here is the latitude and longitude of the Visitor’s Center that you can give to visitors for entry into their GPS navigation device.

Back Issues

Some printed back issues of the Docent Newsletter, to February 2009, can be found in the two green and one blue-black zip-binders, stored in the Perspex rack by the file cabinet in the office of the Visitor’s Center.

All back issues are available electronically via the links shown below. All newsletters prior to December 2007 are available in Portable Document Format (PDF), which means that you will need Adobe Reader installed on your computer to read these files. All newsletters from December 2007 onwards are in HTML format that is easily read using your web-browser.

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Selected Topics Index

This persistent index of selected topics should make finding articles of interest easier. The list will grow as I move further into the past and it will grow as I add interesting topics from each new newsletter. Iris McPherson lent me the paper copies of the newsletter from the very early years of the docent program; I ran them through a scanner equipped with a document feeder, saving them as PDF files, then added them to Back Issues section above. Let me know of any dead links that you discover. Also, please lend me any paper copies of the newsletter that are missing so that I can scan and add them to the list of back issues.

Newsletter Publication

Deadline for submission of articles for inclusion in the newsletter is the 10th of each month. Publication date is on the 15th. All docents, Nature Conservancy staff, university scientists, philosophers, and historians are welcome to submit articles and pictures about the various preserves in Oklahoma, but of course the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve in particular.