Government Canyon State Natural Area - Texas Parks and Wildlife

Heard any strange sounds coming from the hills lately? With how much rain we've had, it might be some of our local amphibians! With standing water in very short supply at Government Canyon, most of the frog and toad species here are limited to short breeding windows in small and rapidly receding bodies of water. However, three of them make their homes deep within the limestone crevices of our karst and cave habitats, and have adaptations to match.

On a humid night in late April, amid the “peep peep peeps” of many cliff chirping frogs, Ranger Ryan heard the distinctive “WAH!” of one of our least-known residents: the barking frog. The call seemed to be pretty close by, and after stumbling around in the dark, the culprit was found, seemingly guarding the entrance of an unknown karst feature! While not a true “cave,” this hole was about 10 feet deep and 6 feet across. Two more barking frogs were found clinging to the walls inside, along with a dozen or so cliff chirping frogs and western slimy salamanders! All three of these species are so well-adapted to life on land that they do not need standing water to breed; they simply lay their gelatinous eggs deep within a rocky crevice, guarding them until they hatch. The tadpoles go through their entire larval stage and metamorphosis within the egg, emerging as miniature versions of their parents!

Fun fact: The cliff chirping frog, scientific name Eleutherodactylus marnockii, was first described to science right here in Helotes in the 1870’s! Herpetologist Gabriel Marnock, for whom the frog is named, settled in a farm house that still stands to this day right off of Scenic Loop Road. The historical marker in front of the home mentions his contributions to the study of reptiles and amphibians.

Have you heard tapping noises on windows only to find a bird attacking the glass? Or perhaps you were like us and found bird p**p surrounding your vehicle's mirrors even after a wash, and you could not figure out why until you finally caught sight of the culprit: a male Painted Bunting , arguing with his reflection. In honor of the little bird in the first photo, this Wildlife Wednesday is going to be, first, about birds and reflections, and second, the Painted Bunting (PB for this post).

As many know, we are in the midst of migratory season for birds heading north, followed closely by nesting season. Birds who have lived peacefully in larger groups all winter, fiercely defend against intruders of all kinds, real and only thought to be real. Unlike humans, birds do not realize that their reflection is only an image of themselves. They believe they are looking at another bird entirely, and the body language of a bird approaching headfirst like a reflection, screams aggression. After battling their reflection, some birds will come back time and time again to drive off the intruder. The best way to stop this is by removing the reflection - covering the mirror, hanging an outdoor curtain, etc.

Luckily, fighting their reflection is not what the PB is best known for, as these birds are so notoriously brightly colored that many have been mistaken for someone's escaped pet tropical bird, and were traded for as pets in the 1800s. In our area, we rarely even see their color dull when molting, because, unlike most songbirds who molt while in their nesting grounds, the western population of PB's waits until migration waypoints to molt on routes to their winter home in Central America.

If you would like to see a PB here at the Canyon, you do not need to venture far as they are quite common around the Visitor Center, as well as the Discovery Trail and Frontcountry Trails.

As always, we would love to hear about your experiences in the comments! To learn more about the painted bunting, please visit https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/paintedbunting/

📷Photo credits to JB Photographs on Reddit

Young birders can join us on May 16 at 9 am for a Nest Quest. Kids will learn how to identify common birds and practice with binoculars on this ranger-led bird walk. All ages are welcome, but this activity is best for 6-10 year-olds.

Complete details: https://tpwd.texas.gov/calendar/government-canyon/birding-programs/nest-quest

Tuesday, May 12th, UPDATE - All trails, except for the Protected Habitat Area, are OPEN. Trails may be tacky in shaded areas, so watch your step.

Trail Update @ 6:00 AM Monday May 11th:

Trails are currently closed.

Heavy rain overnight on top of our soils that are easily retaining moisture from recent rains. We will periodically be checking trail conditions & providing updates.

White Prickly Poppy (Argemone albiflora) is found throughout the southeastern United States, from Texas to Florida and north to Virginia in grasslands and disturbed areas. The delicate 4-6" flowers are far from prickly, but if you examine the blue-green leaves you'll see the reason for this plant's name.

Native peoples have used this plant medicinally, but the plant is toxic so any use must be cautious. Historic uses by the Comanche include using the sap to remove warts, treat cold sores and other skin problems. The flowers can be used to make a concoction to treat congestion from the cold or the flu.

Happy Mother's Day from Government Canyon!

Happy Resource Ranger Thursday! Last week, Ranger Ryan got a "worm's eye view" of recharge occurring underground. This week, Ranger Lindsey and long-time volunteer Kyle scoped out part of this process from above as water infiltrated the soil and made its way below ground on a section of the San Geronimo Creek.

Further down stream, water bubbled up from small seeps and springs in between sections of dry creekbed and created temporary homes for tadpoles, dragonfly larvae, and vegetation. It was a reminder of how complex and awesome the water cycle is! Next time you take a drink or a shower, we hope you'll take a minute to appreciate the journey that water went on to make its way to your faucet!

Wednesday, May 6th - All trails are now OPEN (except for the seasonally closed Protected Habitat).

Happy Wildlife Wednesday! While they have since migrated away from us, we are going to feature the Mississippi Kite ("MK" for this post), in honor of the awesome flock that visited us for a short period of time.

Government Canyon is lucky enough to call many birds of prey home year-round, including vultures, caracaras, and red-shouldered hawks, but we also serve as a popular overnight waypoint for impressive flocks of the migratory MK each year. We are actually one of the later stops for these long-distance travelers, as they overwinter as far south as Argentina, before making their way up to their breeding ranges in north and southeastern Texas and Oklahoma, then spanning mostly throughout the southeastern states. They usually make quite the racket, hunting insects, reptiles, amphibians, and small birds through the air, using dramatic swoops and dives, before often eating while in the air.

As interesting as some might find their migratory habits, their social lives are even more fascinating. As you might have guessed from how they migrate in flocks, the MK is more social than many birds of prey, starting from the time when they hatch. Raptor chicks are usually competitive, bordering on aggressive with each other, but MK nestlings are known for preening each other and arranging their nests together. After leaving the nest, most MK's live in colonies, fighting amongst themselves very little, and breeding pairs will sometimes even allow a 1-year-old kite to help build and then care for their nests. These nests are often built slowly, and usually very high in trees (up to 100 ft!), but do not let this laid-back attitude toward their own kind or toward nest-building fool you - MK's are well known for hassling any humans or other animals for coming anywhere near their nests, and they use their excellent skill at flying like acrobats to do so!

As always, we would love to hear your stories and see your pictures in the comments! To learn more about the awesome Mississippi Kite, please visit https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/species/kites/

📷 Photo r credits to Byron Stone and Marky Mutchler

The diverse native plants of south-central Texas have always offered food, medicine, fiber, and other gifts to people who know how to use them.

On Saturday, 5/9 at 9 am you can take a hike with a Ranger to discover some ways earlier human inhabitants of Government Canyon used plants we can still find here today. As we hike, we'll identify plants and incorporate some hands-on activities.

More details about this Nature's Gifts hike: https://tpwd.texas.gov/calendar/government-canyon/natures-gifts_4