Joann Merritt's Essays

Not Quite Gone With The Wind
November, 2002

Sometimes even native Midlanders have trouble finding words to describe our West Texas mega winds and such was the case on November 9th when MIDNATS birded the countryside in the southeast part of the county. The weather conditions that day made it questionable as to whether the wind blew the Bluebirds to the birders or vice versa, however there is no doubt that the graceful Mountain Bluebirds made the winds more tolerable regardless of who was blown to whom. Their turquoise blue plumage was breathtaking when highlighted by the sunshine as they flew out to capture insects or perch in a mesquite tree.

A jewelry store in Midland Park Mall has a sign to entice shoppers “There is JOY in here” - likewise the bluebirds serve as a sign to entice MIDNATS “There is JOY out here” in Midland Nature Mall. Robert Tannahill expresses it best in his poem:

Let others crowd the giddy court
of mirth and revelry,
The simple joys that nature yields
are sweeter far to me.

A raccoon on the crossarms of a 30’ tall electric pole provided an amusing sight. Perhaps the raccoon was like grandson Clint who had climbed high in a tree then looked down and loudly proclaimed “Hey! I need somebody to make me come down”. Sensible MIDNATS did not attempt to influence the black-masked pole climber one way or the other.

Ever a resourceful field trip leader, Bill found a semi-protected place where those not prone to motion sickness could watch ducks and grebes surfing the whitecaps. Whirlwinds of sandpipers fed along the shoreline occasionally flashing white undersides as they whirled to a new location. Although we didn’t find the eagle that had been reported to be in the area we did see some raptors, one of which was a handsome immature Ferruginous Hawk that flew low overhead showing the dark “comma” at the bend of the wing as well as white upper wing patches as he wheeled and tilted.

Among various native plants we investigated was Pickleweed, or Hierba del Burro, which is described by Warnock in Wildflowers of the Guadalupe Mountains and the Sand Dune Country of Texas as glabrous (without hairs) succulent shrub with scale (reduced) leaves and tiny flowers that bloom in the axils of fleshy bracts. Someone in our group suggested the Pickleweed’s fleshy bracts looked like green segmented worms - not an exact scientific description but a visually correct one!

Tall clumps of Alkali Sacaton provided a windbreak for a ladybug who quickly became a tumblebug after leaving the protection of this grass. A type of succulent we decided was in the carpetweed family because of its growth habit, thrived in this gypseous soil. Each plant grows from a central root system and has very long sprawling stems forming round “throw rugs” that sometimes reach several feet across. Burr identified the specimen I brought to him as Sesuvium verrucosum which is indeed the carpetweed (Aizoacea) family.

When birds are scarce there are other things naturalists can explore but we’re hoping our good fall rains will provide food, water and shelter for the birds so that they will again be here in good numbers and species. When they do come they will be fully appreciated and enjoyed by all MIDNATS.