Photo Essay
Scurry County (TX) Wildlife
Photography by Joe Carter
Joe Carter taught biology courses at Western Texas College for 30+ years. He often gave programs to civic groups, as well, illustrating his shows with his own photographs. Mr. Carter is a superb observer - he notices quirks of behavior, subtleties of detail, and delves into the intricacies of the landscape.
Related essay: Scurry County Daytrip
Click on each image to see a larger version; use your browser's "Back" button to return to this page.
Predator calling became an art of landowners seeking to protect their livestock. Mr. Carter learned the techniques, and sometimes is able to call in more than one coyote at a time. Predator calls make sounds like wounded prey, so predators come to check out what is happening. This coyote is not sure where the sound is coming from, so he is wary.
As a coyote moves in the direction of the sound, their posture reveals their alertness. The coyotes "tippy-toe," moving lightly, ready to whirl at the first indication of something awry, knowing that sometimes things are not what they seem.
This coyote intently gazed up at the bluff where Mr. Carter hid, watching for any hint of movement to help it determine the exact location of the sound and the story behind the sound.
When a canine is excited, the hair on its back stands up. They will cock their head this way and that, seeking slightly different perspectives as they study the detail of the landscape, seeking their prey.
Mississippi Kites arrive in West Texas in April and stay until September. They specialize in cicadas and grasshoppers for food. Tall trees are their preferred nesting sites, and are often found on golf courses and along streams. Mr. Carter spotted one on an electric line and photographed it preening.
The kite stretched one wing down and out. One foot came off the line as it ruffled the wing feathers. It may have been stretching the wing muscles, or letting the sun's warmth penetrate all of the feathers.
It seemed to stretch its leg as well Was it sore, and stretching to increase the blood flow to the sore side? Or was it merely enjoying the morning and "basking" in the sun, enjoying the warmth.
It did not stretch the other side of its body. As the wing came back into place, it looked away and then flew off.
Blacknecked stilts nest on bare soil near water. When their nest is approached, the adults fly around the intruder, "screaming" at the top of their lungs, and swooping near the intruder in a bluff to chase it away.
Mr. Carter recorded several passes of the stilt, capturing its beak in various stages of its vocalizations.
When the stilt's mouth is wide open, the sounds are the loudest. (To see more photos of black necked stilts demonstrating defensive behavior go to this essay.
Stilts usually feed for an hour or two in the morning, wading around in shallow water seeking aquatic insects and crustaceans.
In late September 2007, Mr. Carter found a yearling hognosed snake not much bigger than a quarter in the middle of a dirt road. It coiled up at his approach. To see more hognose behavior go to this essay.
Mr. Carter watched as it began to crawl away. It lifted its head (possibly to see better) and flicked out its tongue so it could "taste" the air to further evaluate its predicament.
Hognosed snakes can fill their head and neck with air to make their head appear larger - possibly to resemble a rattlesnake, so it will be left alone.
Mr. Carter looked along the dirt road and found another snake trail in the sand. This trail was 2-3 inches across and straight, so the snake was using a "concertina" method of locomotion - lifting the scales of its belly and moving them forward to pull itself along the ground, instead of the "s motion" where a snake uses the coil of its body to give it purchase in the soil push itself forward. It probably was the track of a bullsnake.
In the shadows of a mesquite, Mr. Carter noticed raccoon tracks. Notice how the back foot landed almost in the same place where its front foot had been.
In another area a kangaroo rat had scampered around in the sand. Its long tail dragged this way and that. At one place it rested its tail in the sand, leaving a "J" shaped impression in the sand. Small footprints are also visible. Was it alone as it circled about, or where there two meeting and discussing territory?
Another snake track crossed the road, but notice how the track disappeared where the ground was covered with small pebbles. This snake was even bigger across and probably was a big rattler (the snake with the largest body circumference in the region.)
On the same morning of the hognose snake and tracks in the sand, a box turtle hid in its shell at Mr. Carter's approach. Can you count the rings in one individual scute? To do so gives an observer an approximation of the age of the turtle. Sibley staff counted 12. Notice how each ring has a different width. This is an indication of how much the turtle grew in one year. The narrow rings reflect years of less food (drought) and the larger rings reflect years of more food (more rain.)
Texas spiny lizards are arboreal (live in trees) and are usually found in live oaks and other larger trees. To find this one in a sandy soil habitat with isolated mesquite trees only 10 feet tall was a surprise. Texas spiny lizards are not found on top of the Llano Estacado and are more common further east. Mr. Carter plans to further observe the sandy land habitat and see if the lizards are a common feature of the landscape, or if this was an isolated occurrence. If it was a one-time occurrence, then the lizard was traveling cross-country, seeking out new habitat.
In a live oak near a rocky bluff, dozens of butterflies were found on two different September days. Were the butterflies present only because the location was warm and gave excellent protection from stormy weather? Or was there something on the tree that brought them there, such as aphid honeydew? No aphid honeydew was found on close examination. What other explanation could explain why the butterflies were using this one particular oak, and not others along the rocky bluff? Sibley staff identified the butterfly as a Tawny Emperor, a species that uses hackberry trees for its larvae. Hackberry trees were nearby.
This wood nymph was tattered and torn. This species prefers forested situations, so it too was in the proper habitat. Was there something on the cliff face that attracted the butterflies, such as a small tinaja (pool of water), or a small seep? Or was there something else hidden from sight (something dead and rotting - which often attracts butterflies?)
A small skipper rested on the bloom of a skeleton plant. We hope that someday a more experience butterfly observer can tell us what species it is - we think it might bea Julia's skipper.
Scaled quail usually remain on the ground, but one adult will often perch in a tree while the covey (its young) are feeding below, so that predators do not sneak up on the group.
Scaled quail (also known as blue quail) "zip" across open ground, their shoulders thrust back with their momentum.
Bobwhite quail also utilize lookouts to protect their coveys.
As the Mr. Carter neared, the bobwhite began inching down the mesquite, checking for the quickest way down and the clearest escape route.
Oh what the heck - just fly!
In the sandy lands habitat Mr. Carter admired the Indian Grass, an uncommon grass for the habitat. It is an "ice-cream" grass that is readily grazed, so in overstocked ranch country it has disappeared from the landscape. He looked a little closer - do you see what he saw?
Mr. Carter moved around so what he saw was backlit.
It took Mr. Carter some time and effort, but he eventually crept close to his target. Hundreds of grasshoppers were present on the September morning in the sandy soil habitat, but this was the only species he could approach close enough for a good look.
Dragonflies were swarming that same day - everywhere he looked were dragonflies, and not a drop of water was to be seen. He was a half-mile from a creek, so were the dragonflies flying that distance to search out food, or were they dispersing, heading for new territory? Variegated Meadowhawks are found in almost every habitat in West Texas and sometimes are seen in mass dispersal.
Checkered Setwing dragonflies are also seasonally abundant. Scurry County is near the northern edge of their known range. Notice its upraised tail as it perches. John Abbott's Dragonflies of Texas was only published in 2005 and amateur "odonatologists" are constantly adding more to the data that Mr. Abbott had available. Check out his website, Odonata Central and participate in "citizen science" at its best! A second volume of the book was published this year (2007).
This is probably a female Neon Skimmer. Males are brilliant red.
This is obviously a Saddlebags - but Sibley staff are unsure whether it is an immature Black, or a female Red. These two species of Saddlebags are quite common in West Texas.
The same dragonfly, with its tail bent down.
Notice how the same dragonfly perches with its front two legs wrapped around the back of its head.
Burrowing owls utilize prairie dog holes for their nests, but will also utilize other holes in the ground, and sometimes dig their own. The males remain in the region during the winter, but the females and juveniles head south. Burrowing owls from further north sometimes overwinter in West Texas, too. They eat insects - grasshoppers and beetles, for the most part, but will feed on mice, birds, and more, if the opportunity presents itself.
As mentioned above (in reference to grasshoppers) Mr. Carter became fascinated with Indian Grass. The seedstalks reach 6 feet in height in the sandy soil of Scurry County.
A photograph of its base reveals the green leaves, and the red stems of the seedstalks.
These are the buds of the blooms of Indian Grass.
The bloomstalk opens its branches, slightly. Notice the bright pink anthers of the blooms!
The seeds have a single long awn, and a seedhead looks fuzzy.
One seed in Mr. Carter's palm shows the miniature barbs on the seed that enable the plants to attach to passing animals.
Where the leaves attach to the stems of the Indian Grass, bright red nodes are seen. Is there a specialized role for the nodes - such a possibility is demonstrated by the color.
The node of the stem is surrounded by a hairy sheath.
Mr. Carter found other grasses in the sandy soil. This is the old seedhead of a species of Paspalum, with the seeds dropped to the ground.
Here the paspalum seeds are still attached.
Black Grama is a common grass of the region. It sends out long runners that sprawl over the ground in rainy years, but dies back to a small clump of leaves during the winter..
Green Sprangletop is common east of the Llano Estacado, but only shows up on the southern Llano in wet years. In Scurry County it is common in draws.
Mr. Carter was not able to identify this grass that he found down along the Colorado River in the shade of trees.
Hall's panicum grass was plentiful in 2007. It is a short lived species that germinates readily in wetter years.
Hairy grama (with the little beak past the down-hanging bloom head) is easy to recognize. It is an indicator plant of rockier soils.
This is the base of a little bluestem in September. Notice the hairy grama seedheads at the bottom of the photograph. Little bluestem is common both in the rocky soils and the sandy soils of the county.
Little bluestem is gaining popularity as an ornamental plant in regional landscapes. The beautiful fall colors of the plant endure well into the winter.
Little bluestem normally reaches three feet in height, but in 2007, often was found to be 4 feet tall.
The seedheads of little bluestem in close up and when backlit are beautiful.
Mr. Carter is amazing - how many people would notice the tiny hairs on the leaf of a sideoats grama stem?
Cane blueestem seedheads resemble the little bluestem seedheads, but the panicle is branched and a spray of seeds are seen.
In the sandyland soils of Scurry County, Partridge Pea, Cassia fascicullata. It is common further north and Scurry County is near the southern edge of its range.
Mr. Carter noticed the stipules on the partridge pea - the little barbs on its stems. The beans turn red before finally turning brown and opening late in the year.