LLELA continues to receive an abundance of TLC from the dedicated people who put in hour after hour of hard work

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1 NATURALIST NEWS TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST, ELM FORK CHAPTER Page 9 Elm fork chapter members who attended Chapter Meeting on June 20, 2013 Photo by Owen Richards Crème de la crème pose for group photo made especially for the Meyers who have relocated to Florida LLELA continues to receive an abundance of TLC from the dedicated people who put in hour after hour of hard work MN Larry Brennan working on Green House at LLELA with Dr. Ken Steigman and Richard Freiheit. Photo Owen Richards

2 Page 10 VOLUME 14, ISSUE 7 LLELA cont d Black Jack Trail at LLELA. Work is moving right along with help of MN from Elm Fork Chapter. From Owen Richards

3 NATURALIST NEWS TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST, ELM FORK CHAPTER Page 11 Fungi at LLELA from Owen Richards

4 NATURALIST NEWS TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST, ELM FORK CHAPTER Page 12 Alex Lieban Clear Creek Natural Heritage Center at its greenest best.

5 NATURALIST NEWS TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST, ELM FORK CHAPTER Page 13 Ross s Goose; Chen rossii Joanne Fellows A tiny white goose with black wingtips, the Ross's Goose is like a miniature version of the more abundant Snow Goose. It breeds in the central Arctic and winters primarily in central California, but it is becoming more frequent farther east. Cool Facts Downy young come in two colors: yellow and gray. The two forms look identical once they get real feathers. Very rarely a Ross's Goose can be found that is dark-colored like a blue morph Snow Goose. These blue morph Ross's Geese are thought to be the result of hybridization with Snow Geese. Prior to the 1950s the Ross's Goose was confined to well-defined breeding and wintering areas, with few seen as strays. Since that time the species has been expanding eastward, both on the breeding and wintering grounds. The change in breeding distribution has resulted in more contact and subsequent hybridization with the Snow Goose. The female Ross's Goose does all of the incubation of the eggs. The male stays nearby and guards her the whole time. The female covers the eggs with down when she leaves the nest. The down keeps the eggs warm while she is away and may help hide them from predators. Ron and I found these three in a larger flock of Snow Geese while visiting Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge.

6 NATURALIST NEWS TEXAS MASTER NATURALIST, ELM FORK CHAPTER Page 14 HAVE YOU SEEN THE LATEST PICTURES OF MY GRANDKIDS? Y ep, my third brood of bluebirds is here to give me another thrill. After the first brood fledged on April 17, I was anxious to see if my children would birth a second family. And, yes, a second family was delivered, but to my disappointment (as well as to the parents') the eggs never hatched. Eventually, the 4 eggs disappeared from the nest, and shortly afterward another 4 eggs were laid with the clutch being completed on June 14. So my heart began to flutter again as I anxiously awaited the success of the third clutch. n June 28, the first baby arrived in our scorching 103 degree temperature. Oh dear. I dreaded to open the bluebird O box lid the following day for fear of witnessing a baked baby bird but, to my surprise, the baby was alive, but, baby #2 had not hatched. Oh dear. On the third day of 100+ temperature, again I was dreading to open the lid for fear of finding the first baby and possibly the mother melted in the box, but to my pleasant surprise (and relief), baby #2 had hatched and was fortunately surviving the furnace of heat. E ggs #3 and #4 never hatched. However, while monitoring the two newborns, I would bet money that they have grown faster and feathered quicker than normal and I'm not crediting the extreme heat. I'm surmising that, with two parents feeding 2 babies vs. 4 babies around the clock, those little newbies are getting a double dose of Gerbers...daily. They are fat little chicks! [The feathered chicks were photographed on July 5.] 1. June 14 (the 4 eggs) 2. July 3 (2 babies + 2 eggs) Grandkids are doing fine; thanks for asking. Dorothy Thetford MN Class 2001 (photos courtesy of D. and Alan Thetford) 3. July 5 (2 healthy babies w/feathers)

7 VOLUME 14, ISSUE 7 Page 15 VOLUME 14, ISSUE 7 FIELD NOTES IN FOCUS Endangered Whooping crane from the gallery of Larry Brennan Featuring Master Naturalist photographers flora and fauna as you see them

8 Texas Master Naturalist Elm Fork Chapter Texas A&M AgriLIFE Extension Joseph A. Carroll Building 401 W. Hickory Street Denton, TX Education, Conservation, Preservation, Restoration OUR MISSION... to develop a corps of well-informed volunteers who provide education, outreach, and service dedicated to the beneficial management of natural resources and natural areas within our community We re on the web Monthly Chapter Meetings 9:30 a.m. preceded by a social time at 9:00 a.m. on the third Thursday of each month. Chapter meetings are open to the public. Board of Directors PRESIDENT Susan Pohlen IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT Rob Roy VICE-PRESIDENT Van Elliott Next meeting July 18, 2013 Bill Utley, member of the Fort Worth Cactus and Succulent Society on Native Texas Cacti Meeting, August 15, 2013 Open House and Membership Roundup Location: Joseph A. Carroll Bldg., 401 W. Hickory Street, Denton, TX SECRETARY Judi Elliott TREASURER Jeri Marold CLASS REPRESENTATIVE Martha Peet MEMBER-at-LARGE Marian Kester COMMITTEES: Communication: Martha Peet, Monica Chaffin, Wanda Odum Board Meetings The Board meets each second Thursday of the month at 9:30 a.m. The Board last met July 11, Next meeting August 8, Board meetings are open to members. Projects: open Publicity: Jan Deatherage Training: By committee ADVISORS: Janet Laminack, Extension Agent Kelly Lauderdale, TPWD Never discourage anyone who continually makes progress, no matter how slow. Plato Dragonfly from Judy Gutherie