Joann Merritt's Essays

Wild Things That Make A Naturalist’s Heart Sing
Salt Lake Road
February, 2004

The term “Wild Things” is used in the sense of being natural, native, or uncultivated as well as in describing a MIDNAT’S excitement when viewing these things. Looking through notes from last June’s trips to Salt Lake Road and Crawford’s Ridge made me anxious for spring to arrive, but as I read somewhere “If there were not winter there would be no spring.”

Anyone speeding down Salt Lake Road would miss most of the Wild Things that should be celebrated. The dense stands of Basket Flowers hid smaller less showy “Baskettes” of flowers such as Rock Milkwort (Polygala Tweedi) that Burr had last seen growing here during Midland’s rainy 80s. In Wildflowers of the Davis Mountains, Warnock describes this Polygala as “Not easy to find but worth all the effort to see the beautiful architecture of the flowers.” Low-growing Snake Herb (Dychoriste linearis) was abundant and is the host plant for Vesta Crescents. Many small blues and sulphurs as well as large swallowtails, Variegated Fritillary, Monarch and Queen Butterflies gladdened our hearts even though we didn’t find the 30 species seen by Sybil and Allen the previous day. It was fun to see a Family-sized Lubber Grasshopper that was big enough to make a good meal for some Avian family. I wonder if a bird could have carried the Lubber away or if they would have to eat it there - take out or dine in?

A Quail flew off a nest right under our feet, startling us so much that we couldn’t determine if the bird was a Bobwhite or a Scaled Quail. The nest containing 8 eggs was in a shallow depression under thick overhanging stems of a native plant, which made it hard to see. Scaled Quail are more numerous in the area, but I’m thinking it belonged to a Bobwhite because A Field Guide to Western Birds’ Nests states “Bobwhite nests are seldom found except by accident, for the birds will not flush until nearly stepped upon.” That nest was an accident waiting to happen as it was mere feet from the edge of the pavement. In a low spot where the mesquite were fairly large, a handsome black and white Eastern Kingbird added emphasis to the lovely green pastures cape, as did a woodpecker carrying his black and white ladder on his back - to be used as the construction site? Then a male Bullock’s Oriole flew to his hanging nest in the same mesquite tree. The nest was woven with dark horsehair, which was great to see because long strands of plant material and plastic Easter grass are its usual building material these days.

These are the special Wild Things Sybil and I experienced that afternoon of June 2nd and our hearts sang at each sighting.