Caretaker's note: Due to colony collapse disorder (CCD), bee populations are declining nationwide. watersto_jennystone caretakers are glad to see healthy populations of bees on the land. However, their competition with hummingbirds over the sugar water in the hummingbird feeders has caused concern for the hummingbirds. The bees are attracted to the color yellow. To deter bees from taking over the feeders, caretakers swab a bit of olive oil on the yellow feeding ports of the hummingbird feeder.

Caretaker's note: An edge is a boundary between a grassland and a woodland. An edge effect occurs when one species predates on another within the edge. For example, predatory species (feral cats, cowbirds, fire ants) will move into the edge of the woodland up to a 100 yards or more. watersto_jennystone's goal in reducing edge effects is to maintain a contiguous dense canopy that is undisturbed with trails or excessive clearing.

Caretaker's note: It is popular for landowners in the Texas Hill Country to remove Ashe juniper. This tree is locally called a "cedar". Myths abound about this much maligned native species. Some believe that the Ashe juniper steals water from other nearby trees and plants. In fact, all trees and plants compete for limited ground water resources. The Ashe juniper is beneficial for many wildlife species: for food, cover and shelter. Poor land management practices over many generations, like overgrazing, have allowed this species to thrive and become aggressive.

The Ashe juniper is a first succession plant, that can grow where almost nothing else can in poor conditions. The thin leaves drop to form soil. Ashe juniper should be managed, but not totally eradicated. This tree is critical to the survival of the endangered Golden-cheeked warbler who uses strips of the easily peeled bark to build its nest. Diversity is a useful goal in any wildlife area and Ashe juniper should never be totally removed. See: Untwisting the Cedar: The myths and culture of the Ashe Juniper tree for more information.

Caretaker's note: This is a sign that the fire ants are less numerous than before and under control. Have not seen (or felt) chigger bites for 10 years before.

Caretaker's note: The large 15 ounce feeders do better in the deep shade. Also experimented with city chlorinated water instead of rain water and the feeding solution seemed to last longer.

Caretaker's note: Cowbirds are a predatory species on songbirds previously discussed in a 2005 Journal entry. A few have been seen in the spring during nesting season but efforts to find them and shoot them failed. This 2007 photo shows the young cowbirds being introduced to a water source by their adoptive parents, the cardinals. Cowbirds are so named because they tend to be found near cattle operations. Historically, they adapted their predatory behavior to follow buffalo as they roamed to new grazing areas.

Caretaker's note: Here are some resources from Texas Parks and Wildlife to help landowners deal with cowbirds.

• Cowbird Description
• Cowbird Training Class - Trapping cowbirds requires training and certification.
• How to build a cowbird trap (PDF)

Caution is encouraged in trapping cowbirds, because it is possible to introduce even more cowbirds with a decoy than one might have naturally without the effort.