Joann Merritt's Essays
Destination: Crawford’s Ridge
April, 2006
MISSION: Verify breeding status of Fulvia Checkerspot Butterflies for Midland County
As Sybil arrived at the Merritts early Thursday morning, April 13th a secretive Yellow-breasted Chat was chattering in the canes and mesquite thickets. Since Sybil had never seen a Chat I explained that this largest of the warblers was more often heard than seen and was like a ventriloquist playing Hide-and-go-Seek with us. He would make many weird calls, such as whistling “I’m here”, then taunt us with a scolding “Fooled you, I’m over here” all the while staying low in dense brush. To prove me wrong this “buffoon of the briar patch” as Kay McCracken calls him in Birding Southern Texas, immediately popped up in full view with the sun shining on his namesake yellow breast. Jim Henderson once remarked that he had a Chat in his yard which prompted John Galley to comment “Oh, with whom?”. Well, I had a chat with Sybil, that’s whom, but I doubt if she believed what I chatted about. Even so, this was a good sighting to begin our days journey to Crawford’s Ridge.
We had traveled a mile or so when we stopped on the north service road of I-20 near The Horseshoe to investigate an unusually large flowered pink mallow growing in the median. We were greeted by the sweet scent of a thousand Chocolate Daisies plus 20 or more species of wildflowers including the tall Texas Vervain and some native grasses which made it such an enchanting place I imagined I could hear soft chimes made by purple Sand-Bells (Nama hispidum). A few days later Don & I found a rare for Midland Antelope Horns milkweed plant (Asclepias asperula) in bloom. O.K., now we’re really going to Crawford’s Ridge.
Only a few miles from our destination we made yet another stop to check for signs of nesting Kestrels at the Valley View Community Center, the only old country schoolhouse still standing and in use in Midland County. A female Kestrel flew from the eaves at the southeast corner but no bird entered or exited the unconfirmed nesting site they used last year. I’m asking Midnats who drive by this place to please stop for a few minutes to watch the activities of the Kestrels. (A few days later Don and I saw a female fly from the small opening at the front of the building.) If you’ve ever attended a country school such as the one Don & I went to at Cotton Flat, it will bring back schoolday memories - some good, perhaps some bad!
Finally we entered Crawford’s Ranch where the greening effects of Midland’s last rain were fast disappearing. Around the first bend we stopped, looked and listened to songs and calls of Scaled Quail, Canyon Towhees, several species of sparrows, Curve-billed Thrashers and - WHAT WAS THAT BIG DARK BIRD??? There was not one, but two Crissal Thrashers which caused us to exit the car. Sybil carrying her snake tongs and I with my walking stick carefully made our way through the Saltbush, Lotebush, Mesquite and Salt Cedar pasture. We were rewarded by seeing both Crissal Thrashers, who are usually on the ground in dense cover, as they flew about the immediate area to perch atop first one bush and then another. Even when looking toward the sun, their profile was unmistakable. The word serendipity comes to mind as we were actually there to find a Fulvia Checkerspot Butterfly and it’s host plant. However, we had a nice surprise when 5 Saltbush Sootywinged Skippers skipped around the - what else? - Saltbushes!
It was high noon when we finally reached Crawford’s Ridge to begin our stated mission. There’s quite a bit of Pink Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja sessiflora) growing there and we quickly found two Fulvia Checkerspots, one worn and one fresh, but we did not find any eggs or caterpillars on the plants to confirm breeding for this species. We SHALL return to try again.
Crawford’s is a wonderful place this spring, not in the abundance of wildflowers but in the abundance of unusual sightings. Bill Edwards expects us to find a Varied Bunting next, so let’s not disappoint him! As always, Midnats are grateful to J. D. and Dorothy for allowing us to explore their ranch.