Passport to Texas

This is Passport to Texas

One story in the November issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine definitely computes. Editor, Louie Bond.

69—I call it the nerdiest story we’ve ever run. You know, this is just a real different story. It’s about the evolution of computer use in our agency. In the years between 1974 and 1884, a group of pretty radical biologists here got together and decided they were going to map the vegetation of Texas. Well, Texas is a mighty large state. And, I don’t know if you r listeners are quite as old as I am, Cecilia, but back in the seventies, when you ran a computer program, you had to bring in boxes of punch cards, and that’s what these guys did. But they were working win NASA; this is top level, top science, it took them ten years to complete. And now here we are in 2010, and they’re redoing it using technology that looks like the Jetsons compared to the Flintstones when you compare what they’re doing now to what they did then. And Rae Nadler-Olenick does a masterful job in telling the story of these pioneers. And now the new young guns, who are taking their place with new technology, at the end of it will have this comprehensive map of vegetation and geological wonders across Texas they’ll be able to use for a base for science for years to come.

Thanks Louie.

That’s our show… with support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to preserve native habitat in Texas

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

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This is Passport to Texas

The early bird not only gets the worm, but also the money shot…that is if the bird is also a photographer…and understands that morning and evening light are best for picture-taking. Our state park guide Bryan Frazier offers some tips for clicking the light fantastic.

49—For outdoor photography, the best advice I ever heard is, shoot light first, and whatever it falls on. People get caught up in an object or a tree or a landscape or a landscape, or wildlife there in the photo, and that’s great, but if there’s not good light on it—it’s a bad photograph no matter how you look at it. Morning and evening are traditionally known as the best lighting times, and they are without question. But that doesn’t mean you can’t get a great photograph in the middle of the day. If you’re able to set that up—use things like a lens hood that will help shape what you’re doing with your light source. As long as you’re able to have an identifiable light source, you can usually get a pretty good shot. So, change the way you approach your photos; look for light first, especially if you’re able to set up a shot in advance. Look for that good lighting source, and then whatever happens to come into view, it will be that much of a better photograph.

Thanks Bryan.

Share your wildlife photographs on our Facebook page at Facebook.com/texasparksandwildlife

That’s our show for today…with funding provided by Chevrolet…building dependable, reliable trucks for more than 90 years. For Texas Parks and Wildlife, I’m Cecilia Nasti.

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This is Passport to Texas

Calling a brown-headed cowbird a cowbird, is a misnomer as far as biologist Marsha May is concerned.

05—I think they should be called bison birds, and not cowbirds, because they evolved with the bison.

The bird’s inclination to lay its eggs in other birds’ nests can potentially cause the decline of species with small populations, such as the endangered Black-capped Vireo. Additional species are also affected.

19—Woodland species are now being impacted by brown-headed cowbirds, because we’ve fragmented the woods. Previously those woodland species were protected by the woods. Now that it’s fragmented, the cowbirds are getting into that habitat, and they’re parasitizing birds that have never historically been parasitized before.

The cowbird is in the blackbird family. The male has a black body and brown head, while the female is mottled brown and gray. Now that you know what they look like, with certification, you can intervene on songbirds’ behalf.

11—You can actually become certified in Texas to trap for cowbirds, and that’s mainly during the breeding season, between March first and May thirty-first. And, mainly you’re trying to trap the females.

Find certification information at passporttotexas.org, and get ready for spring cowbird trapping.

That’s our show… we receive support from the Wildlife Restoration Program… funded by your purchase of shooting and hunting equipment.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

The brown-headed cowbird migrated with bison across the Great Plains. Because it’s hard to raise a family on the road, cowbirds laid their eggs in other nests; host birds unwittingly raised their young.

The problem with the cowbird eggs is that normally they’re big eggs; they hatch earlier than the host eggs do; and they’re very vocal and hungry and beg for food.

Biologist, Marsha May, says the cowbird hatchlings out compete the host’s offspring for food and starve them out, putting a dent in the population of that species. Back when bison roamed, cowbirds didn’t have quite the same impact.

Black-capped vireos, which are an endangered species now, evolved where if they were parasitized by a brown-headed cowbird, they would leave that nest and re-nest – start a new nest. Well, if the cowbirds had already moved through, that would have worked.

Without bison, cowbirds hang with cows. Because cows are fenced in and don’t migrate, neither do cowbirds.

They’re parasitizing all the birds in that area – their nests – and they’re having a major impact on some species like the black capped vireo, because the black-capped vireo keeps re-nesting and that’s wasting a lot of energy, and if it’s constantly being parasitized, then no young will be reproduced at all that year.

We’ll have more on cowbirds tomorrow.

That’s our show… we receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program… funded by your purchase of fishing and hunting equipment and motor boat fuels.

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

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This is Passport to Texas

Fall is when television series air new shows, and Texas Parks and Wildlife’s PBS television series is no different. The new season begins this month; series producer, Don Cash has details.

63—Our show has been going for a little over 20 years; I’m not sure exactly how many. But what we’ve been doing every year is really focusing on conservation, and land use and land management, and taking care of what we have here in Texas. This season is going to be no different. We do a little hunting and fishing—we’re really not a hunting and fishing show—but when we do it, we’re going to sneak in a little education, let people know how these resources are doing and how hunting and fishing actually helps manage some of those resources. We’ve got a lot of different things coming up. One of the things we’re going to have this year that we’ve been having the last few years, are short features on our Lone Star Land Steward award winners. And these are people who are just doing phenomenal things with their land. One of the things we’re going to do is a youth duck hunt on the Katy Prairie. Part of what these kids get in the course of a weekend, is hunting ethics and land ethics, and a part of what they’re teaching these kids is conservation of this land. You can catch the TV show on Texas PBS stations, so don’t miss it.

Thanks Don.

That’s our show… we receive support from the Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration Program…working to increase fishing, hunting, shooting and boating opportunities in Texas…For Texas Parks and Wildlife…I’m Cecilia Nasti.

TPW TV: New Season Begins Play Now | Play in Popup | Download