rowdius's Journal

I needed a quick bison photo for a project, so we made a flying trip over to Caprock Canyons SP, and then jetted over to the NM/TX line to scout for another project.

Lots of miles and not a lot of time to look around.

The rented lens is working well though.

Took a quick trip to the western edge of the Llano Estacado for the IPS trip. I didn't get all of the species I needed, but it was a really nice trip. Saw a ton of Swainson's hawks, pronghorn, and more.

133 miles
53 observations
22 species

I've been stuck in the office lately. I know there's plenty of things to look out just outside of my office, but I'm itching to get back on a couple of my projects. The llano estacado is a big place, and I need to get out in it ASAP if I am going to have enough material to finish up all of the things I want to do.

Back to the office though.

Every hour or so, I try to wander around a little bit to keep sane. These observations are just from that. The Toxostoma curvirostre are such great and curious birds. If I leave the exterior door and my office door open, I'll sometimes look up to see a thrasher peeking in on me.

Of course Quiscalus mexicanus are everywhere. I actually like them. I know that makes me weird.

Of the three rabbits/hares we have here, I probably have more photos of S. audobonii than any other. They're right out side the office (though so are L. californicus and I can't help but waste a few minutes watching them.

I think yesterday was the first time I've seen the Haemorphous mexicanus around. I'm sure I've just not been paying enough attention.

Anyway, my break is over; back on my head.

The Llano Estacado is a landscape shaped by fire. Grassland needs grazers and fire to remain grassland. We shot the bison, smothered the fire, and created our brush troubles. We'll save cattle for another post. If we want to restore the prairie, we MUST restore fire.

Prescribed burning has been used for a few decades now, and both the art and the science of it improves each year. We know prescribed fire restores prairie. We know prescribed fire prevents wildfire.

Lubbock Lake Landmark conducted a prescribed burn on 25 June 2018 for a prescribed burning training, and for prairie maintenance.

The burn unit was ~34 acres on the north end of the preserve.

That is certainly a small fire by rangeland standards, but it represents perhaps a 10th of the preserve. The land stewards at LLL have used prescribed fire for many years now, and this rotation of fire throughout the preserve is a perfect small scale example of how the Llano Estacado could look with proper stewardship.

On the day of the fire, both black-tailed jackrabbits and Texas horned lizards were observed in the black following the burn.

Before

Conditions:
Surface winds: ~4-9 SE
Transport winds ~7-9 SE- S
Mixing Height ~11,000 ft
1 HR fuel moisture 1: 6%
1 HR fuel moisture 2: 9.8%
RH: ~24-30%
Temp ~78- 86 F

Twenty-Four Hours Later

The associated observations were 24 hours after the burn, following a 0.04 inch shower.

There were a ton of western kingbirds ( Tyrannus verticalis) in the burn unit As well as rabbits, mockingbirds, killdeer, and a ton of harvester ants.

Photo points:

If I have time, I'm going to try to follow this up in the coming weeks.

*I am not associated with LLL in any form. While I was a participant in the prescribed burn training, I am just a naturalist out observing on my own time.