Passport to Texas

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife and the Wildlife Restoration Program

Whooping cranes are coming back to Texas.

Whooping cranes generally start arriving in Texas around mid-October or so; and by mid-November, most of them have reached the Texas coast. In the area in and around the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, just north of Rockport.

Lee Ann Linam is a biologist with Parks and Wildlife.

In the 1940s, the Texas population of whooping cranes was about fifteen or sixteen birds. Last winter we had two hundred and thirty six in the population that came down to Texas. So it’s been a slow but sure success story for whooping cranes.

Linam says they hope to see that number jump to two hundred fifty this season. Texans between Dallas-Fort Worth and the edge of the Panhandle through Central Texas are asked to keep an eye to the sky beginning mid-October for whoopers in migration.

Because we’re very interested in learning what habitat areas they use in migration, and understand more about those, and the rate of their migration.

But don’t look for a huge flock.

Usually it’s family groups – two or three, or maybe groups of sub-adults that might number about five or six – but just small groups of very large white birds.

Find links to more whooper information at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show…with support from the Wildlife restoration Program… providing funding for the Private Lands and Habitat Enhancement Program.

For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

Ask invertebrate biologist Mike Quinn how he spent his summer and he’ll tell you…

Since July twenty-fourth it has been living and breathing spiders.

For weeks after a giant spider web was discovered at Lake Tawakoni State Park, east of Dallas, the media, public and scientific curiosity worldwide was insatiable. Quinn collected spider samples and took them to Texas A&M for identification.

I turned them over to Alan Dean and John Jackman, resident spider experts. Alan identified the spiders that I had collected as falling into twelve families. The most common spider with the scientific name Tetragnatha guatemalensis, or the Guatemalan Long-jawed spider.

Typically, spiders aren’t social. So what would make nearly a million spiders put aside their differences to build several acres of web at Tawakoni?

They usually don’t get in that kind of density unless there’s a whole lot of food available to them.

Thanks to rains at the park, there was plenty to eat. A nearby pond served as an all-you-can eat buffet.

The web buzzed with the sound of all these insects in there. And my understanding is that [available food] probably induced the spiders to congregate in high density.

Find more information about the giant web on the web, at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show… For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

A Big Web at Lake Tawakoni State Park Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

You are days away from the best outdoor festival around – Texas Parks and Wildlife Expo, at Parks and Wildlife headquarters in Austin.

Expo is held the first weekend in October, held from nine to five and it’s free.

Expo Director, Ernie Gammage, says attendees are bound to find an outdoor activity to capture their imaginations.

The idea is to come to Expo, and find your passion: What are those things that really seem to be fun to you, and then go out and explore them.

Your outdoor adventures needn’t end with Expo.

At almost every activity, a visitor can pick up what we call the 101 Guides, which is a very basic little brochure about that next step. Are there fishing clubs? Are there magazines? Where can I find information on the web or in the library? Where are places to go? And you can pick all of that up at Expo.

Bring the family, but leave skateboards, bikes, Rollerblades and your pet at home. Expo is best experienced on foot, and without Fido.

If you and your family are looking for something to do that can open a whole new world of the outdoors and togetherness for you – come on down to the Expo.

Find links to Expo information at passporttotexas.org.

That’s our show for today – Remember: Life’s Better Outside — For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TPWD Expo: Finding Your Passion Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Passport to Texas from Texas Parks and Wildlife

For twenty-two years the Texas Parks and Wildlife television series has aired on PBS stations statewide. This month, series producer, Don Cash helps us kick off the new season.

First week of October we start off with actually a show about becoming a game warden. We followed a game warden class the entire six months; and it’s a really interesting and entertaining look at what goes into becoming a game warden.

Coming in with thirty-four other strangers…it’s just, I mean, overwhelming. C’mon Caroline! Push it…push it…push it…push it. Whoever just groaned is going to love this. One…two… three. Good Job!

The second week of October, Abe Moore has got a really fantastic story on the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, which is extinct – maybe. The third week in October, we have story called fishing the late shift. And, it’s about night fishing, and people who fish at night.

It’s just easier for me to catch fish at night. It’s just fun. I catch some catfish and bass, mainly.

We end the month of October with a story on the Spring Trackers. It follows a couple of biologists with the department as they travel the state and study and monitor and count the springs that are in Texas and try and learn a little more about these wonderful resources that we have.

Thanks, Don. Visit passporttotexas.org for a complete listing of stations airing the series.

That’s our show for today…for Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.
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Texas Parks and Wildlife on PBS and Cable
Stations and Air Times
Times and dates are subject to change, especially during PBS membership drives.

• Amarillo, KACV-TV, Channel 2: October–March, Saturday 6 p.m.
• Austin, KLRU-TV, Channel 18: Monday, 12:30 p.m.; Friday 5:30 a.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. KLRU2, Cable 20: Tuesday, 11 p.m.
• Bryan-College Station, KAMU-TV, Channel 15: Sunday, 5 p.m.; Thursday, 7 p.m.
• Corpus Christi, KEDT-TV, Channel 16: Sunday, 12 p.m.; Friday, 2 p.m.
• Dallas-Fort Worth, KERA-TV, Channel 13: October–March, Saturday, 6 p.m. Also serving Abilene, Denton, Longview, Marshall, San Angelo, Texarkana, Tyler, Wichita Falls and Sherman.
• El Paso, KCOS-TV, Channel 13: Saturday, 3 p.m.
• Harlingen, KMBH-TV, Channel 60: Sunday, 5 p.m. Also serving McAllen, Mission and Brownsville.
• Houston, KUHT-TV, Channel 8: Saturday, 3:30 p.m.; Friday 1:30 p.m. Also serving Beaumont, Port Arthur, Galveston, Texas City and Victoria.
• Killeen, KNCT-TV, Channel 46: Sunday, 5 p.m. Also serving Temple.
• Lubbock, KTXT-TV, Channel 5: Saturday, 10 a.m.
• Odessa-Midland, KPBT-TV, Channel 36: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.
• San Antonio and Laredo, KLRN-TV, Channel 9: Sunday, 1 p.m.
• Waco, KWBU-TV, Channel 34: Saturday, 3 p.m.
• Portales, New Mexico, KENW-TV, Channel 3: Sunday, 2:30 p.m.
• The New York Network, NYN, Thursday 8:30 p.m.; Saturday 2:30 p.m. Serving the Albany area.

Cable

Texas Parks & Wildlife can also be seen on a variety of government, educational and access cable channels in the following communities: Abilene, Allen, Atlanta, Boerne, Collin County Community College, Coppell, Del Mar College, Denton, Flower Mound, Frisco, Garland, Irving, McKinney, North Richland Hills, Plano, Rogers State University, Texarkana College, The Colony, Tyler, Waco and Wichita Falls. Check your local listings for days and times.

TPWD TV -- October Highlights Play Now | Play in Popup | Download