WHAT'S NEW AT COMMONS FORD PARK?

“Rusty’s Perch” 

Bird Blind dedicated at Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park

On Sunday morning, June 23, 2019, family and friends of Rusty Osborne gathered near the prairie at Commons Ford Park to officially dedicate “Rusty’s Perch.”  The perch is a bird blind tucked away among the purple horsemint and orange standing cypress wildflowers on the northwestern end of Commons Ford Prairie.   The inspiring, peaceful space is dedicated to the memory of Rusty Osborne, a lover of nature and frequent visitor to the park before his passing in June of 2016.  A botanist by training and a lifelong lover of the natural world, Rusty so enjoyed spending time at Commons Ford Park, watching the birds, identifying the beautiful prairie flowers and walking the trails with family and friends.  

Family and friends meet in the park before visiting the bird blind.

As a crowd of family and friends gathered on the early summer morning to share in conversation and memories of Rusty, the dedication ceremony began with opening remarks by Sheila Hargis, co-chair of the Commons Ford Prairie Committee.  After providing a brief history of the bird blind project, Sheila introduced Cecelia Green who read a poem dedicated to her late husband.  Cecelia was joined in her reading by her son, Robin Osborne and her daughter, Lauren Osborne.     

After the reading, people dispersed and walked down the road to the bird blind.  Once at the blind, a plaque was unveiled.  All admired the blind, the beautifully constructed benches, the water storage tank and the drip.  Many photos were taken and there was much conversation between friends old and new.

  Plaque in the bird blind.

The beautifully constructed bird blind is a project recently completed by the Commons Ford Prairie Restoration Organization, a committee of Travis Audubon Society. The simple and elegant wooden structure provides a quiet, comfortable space for birders and photographers to spend time observing birds that are attracted to the drip for water and rest.  The 8 by 12 foot structure blends into the surrounding brush and landscape.  It has a metal roof for rainwater collection and gutters on the front direct water into an adjacent water storage tank. A tube from the tank carries water about 20 feet away to a gravity-fed drip and small basin where birds can drink and bathe.

Family and friends gather at “Rusty’s Perch” in the Commons Ford Prairie.

Even though the prairie and the park have Lake Austin frontage, which provides plenty of water for birds and other wildlife, a water drip and a bird blind provide easy accessibility to water for birds.  A small shallow basin offers a safe place for bathing and the drip provides much needed water on hot, dry days.  The blind also provides a great place for birders, photographers and park visitors to observe nature in action.

Robin Osborne, Cecilia Green and Lauren Osborne at the drip.

Many thanks to all of the Commons Ford Prairie Committee members for their work in creating such a beautiful space for wildlife.  Committee members include:  co-chairs Sheila Hargis and Ellen Filtness; members Andy Filtness, Mark Lyon, Deb Wallace, Lee Wallace, Janice Sturrock, Kirsti Harms, Terri Seigenthaler, Michael Sims, and Ed Fair, in absentia.  Funding for the bird blind was provided by the family of Rusty Osborne.  Thanks also to the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department for their assistance in the construction of the bird blind.  

As the last of the visitors were gathering up ice chests and binoculars and preparing to leave the park, someone spotted a blue grosbeak on a stalk in the prairie.  His striking blue color stood out and the female of the nesting pair sat on a branch below.  

Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park is part of the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department.  

For more information about Commons Ford Prairie and Park, click on the link below.  From the blog page, you can click on the Flickr link to see photo documentation of the impressive diversity of birds and plants at this beautiful park.

commonsfordpro.blogspot.com/

Rusty Osborne

Not Gone - For Rusty                    

The water.

Branches.

Coyotes crying.

Shifting of light.

Everything you planted.

Softness in the changing hours of day.

All you gave.

How to say the beacon one person becomes?

When visible widens to horizon 

      -where did you go? -  

we will still sit with you on the porch.

Gazing into dark, night birds marking the rim.

Through trees, watching for something to move.  

Stars blinking mystery.

In us as you are.

Comforted by layers, known and unknown,

Breathing curiosity, wonder, care,  

that fill the air you walked through,

took in delightedly, shared. 

How long to make a rock?

And here it is, in hand.

poem by Naomi Shihab Nye

photos-Lee Wallace
article-Janice Sturrock

Recent Educational Events at CFP: Learning about Monarch Butterflies and the Travis Audubon Master Birders Program

If you have been out on the prairie lately, you may have noticed groups participating in educational opportunities uniquely suited to the native environment established at Commons Ford Prairie. 

On October 13th, one of Dr. Amy Contillo's classes from St. Edwards University visited the prairie to learn about the monarch butterfly migration and its habits from Steven (Chip) Harris, a Commons Ford Prairie Committee member. The monarch butterfly migrates an amazing +2,500 miles from Canada to Central Mexico each fall. The insect passes through Central Texas in mid-October, where it is often witnessed in mass numbers looking for blooming, native wildflowers on which to feed. Chip explained the life-cycle of the butterfly to students, discussed the importance of the plants as a source of fuel, and caught and tagged one insect at the end of the tour. A tagging and tracking system for the monarchs has been in place for many years by Monarch Watch, an organization dedicated to the science behind the monarch life-cycle and migration. If the tagged insect is found later, the number on the tag will be traced back to records showing it was caught, tagged, and recorded at the prairie in October in Central Texas. Monarch Watch can then determine the movements of the butterfly, helping to understand the incredible migratory habits of this insect. 

Steven (Chip) Harris tagging a monarch butterfly. Tags can be obtained through MonarchWatch.org.

On October 21, Shelia Hargis and Ed Fair led a field trip for this fall's Travis Audubon Society's Master Birder Program (TAMBP). The Master Birder Program at Travis Audubon Society is designed to help participants increase their understanding of birds and their habitats, while also developing the skills and opportunities for sharing their knowledge and enthusiasm for birds and the natural world with others.

This year's group witnessed a Hepatic Tanger, which has been recently spotted at the prairie. Additionally, an Eastern Phoebe became friendly with one of the participants and Ed was able to photograph the bird in an unusual display of man-bird communion. 

Hepatic Tanger

Eastern Phoebe on a participant's cap

Travis Audubon launched their program in fall 2016. The training, similar to that of the Master Gardener’s Program, includes a series of in-class sessions, study assignments, several field trips, and volunteering and keeping up with continuing education credits for the first three years after completing the curriculum. The instruction is designed to focus on native habitat and vegetation, the distribution of bird species in the area, and conservation issues affecting those communities and species in Central Texas. Participants also receive special instruction on flight and bird behavior, anatomy, and migration.  

Master Birders participate in a recent field trip at CFP

Commons Ford Prairie Designated as a Monarch Watch “Monarch Waystation”

Commons Ford Prairie was recently designated a “Monarch Waystation” by the organization, Monarch Watch, a nonprofit educational outreach program based at the University of Kansas that focuses on the monarch butterfly, its habitat, and its spectacular fall migration.  Monarch Watch has one of the most widely known and respected “citizen scientist” monarch habitat projects in the U.S., with initiatives directed toward monarch tagging programs to track the insect’s migratory pathway.

The actions at Commons Ford Prairie support the City of Austin’s own initiatives aimed at helping this species in peril. In 2015, Austin signed the Monarch Mayoral Pledge through the National Wildlife Federation and is in the “Leadership Circle.”

http://www.nwf.org/Garden-For-Wildlife/About/National-Initiatives/Mayors-Monarch-Pledge-Signatories.aspx

Additionally, the City Council passed a resolution in May of 2015 to implement as best as possible plans to increase milkweed, the only plant on which monarch butterflies lay their eggs, on city property.  http://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=231467

The reason for the concern about the iconic insect is its decline over the past 20 years. Monarch Joint Venture, another organization devoted to the recovery of the species, provides data each year on the approximate number of the butterflies at their overwintering site in Central Mexico. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is exploring the possibility of listing the species as endangered.

The Commons Ford Prairie Committee is committed to creating and maintaining habitat for native birds as well as other native pollinator species important to the health of the prairie.  

Additionally, in April 2017, Commons Ford Prairie received a grant for free milkweed plugs from Monarch Watch as part of their annual grant program (value of ~$1500 to City of Austin).

Milkweed is the host plant for monarch butterflies. Part of the reason for the decline of the monarch butterfly is decreasing milkweed habitat and range. There are 36 species of milkweed in Texas (Texas Parks and Wildlife), and four species found in the park.  One species, Asclepias asperula (antelope horns milkweed), is by far the one most suited. The committee applied and received a grant of 500 free antelope horns milkweed plugs. The plants were provided by Monarch Watch through their nation-wide “Bring Back the Monarchs” Program. The mission of this program is to address changes in agricultural practices and development which decimated monarch habitat and to restore habitats for monarchs, pollinators, and other wildlife. The goals of this program are to restore 20 milkweed species, used by monarch caterpillars as food, to their native ranges throughout the United States and to encourage the planting of nectar-producing native flowers that support adult monarchs and other pollinators.

http://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-the-monarchs/milkweed/free-milkweeds-for-restoration-projects/

To participate in Monarch Watch’s Milkweed Restoration Program, applicants for restoration must demonstrate that they have a land management plan and that other nectar sources are either pre-existing or are included in the new planting. Commons Ford Prairie is a very good example of the conditions for which the program is looking. For more information on Monarch Watch visit www.monarchwatch.org.

Two members of the Commons Ford Prairie Committee, as well as one other volunteer, planted the milkweed plugs at several locations in the prairie in May. As a result of good rains in late May and early June, the plugs are thriving.

 In 2016, the Commons Ford Prairie Organization merged with Travis Audubon Society to ensure the prairie’s long-term sustainability.

Today, the 40-acre restored native prairie at Commons Ford Metropolitan Park supports an amazing diversity of wildlife and grassland birds. The prairie explodes in color throughout the spring and early summer and is teeming with hundreds of species of birds, butterflies, insects and other wildlife throughout the year.

Much remains to be done to combat a potential re-infestation of invasive plants, as was the case before restoration, and to augment growth through further native seed plantings. Through its Commons Ford Prairie Committee, Travis Audubon Society conducts bird, plant—and, in future—pollinator events at the prairie on a regular basis. Please consider visiting the prairie and supporting the continuing conservation efforts. 

Kids at Commons Ford 

June 2017 | Janice Sturrock

Seventy-five fifth graders from Valley View Elementary attended the “Kids at Commons Ford” pilot program, on May 18, 2017.  The program was developed as an educational outreach effort by the Commons Ford Prairie Committee, associated with the Travis Audubon Society.  Ten volunteers from Capitol Area Master Naturalists, Travis Audubon Society and other groups guided excited students on a day of exploration and discovery at Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park.  The 215 acre park is owned by the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department and provides several diverse habitats for outdoor exploration.  

Using tools like insect nets, bug boxes, binoculars and meter sticks, small groups of 9-10 kids assumed the role of scientists for the day as they hiked around the 40-acre restored prairie while observing and documenting birds, flowers, grasses, butterflies, lizards and more.  In addition to exploring and documenting their discoveries on the prairie, the students hiked through a wooded canyon where they observed tadpoles and black fly larva in the nearby creek.

Volunteer leaders assisted students in comparing the open prairie which consisted of 3-4 foot tall prairie grasses and flowers and very few trees,  with the wooded canyon trail which hosted tall Ashe juniper and live oak trees as well as rocky cliff outcroppings.  

The students from Valley View Elementary, located in the Eanes Independent School District, all live in the neighborhood near Commons Ford Park.  Students and parent chaperones enjoyed learning more about the prairie and the park.  Many students had visited the park before and all were encouraged to come back to the park with family and friends in the future.

The program was developed over the last 2 years and was modeled after the “Kids on the Prairie” program at Tandy Hills Natural Area in Fort Worth.  A colorful field guide was created for the program and provides an outline of content information for volunteer guides and an educational journal for students to record observations, descriptions, thoughts, drawings, time and date and weather conditions.

The purpose of the program was to provide students with an outdoor educational field experience to learn about components of a prairie ecosystem.  Students had fun in the outdoors while exploring and discovering the natural world outside of their classroom.  A poster depicting a prairie grass with underground roots over 12 feet long emphasized the importance of prairies in providing natural erosion control and providing a filter to remove pollutants from rain water as it percolates through the ground to the water table. Hopefully, students and parents will all learn to conserve and preserve that which we come to know and understand.  

The Children in Nature Network, a national organization promoting time in nature for children and families, has conducted research that shows that spending time in nature has positive effects on brain development for both children and adults.

Some may say that the highlight of the day was spotting the great horned owlets in the pecan bottom. Or maybe it was the opportunity to be in the park for the day, or seeing the incredible display of color on the prairie exhibited in wildflowers such as sunflowers, Indian blankets, wine cups and purple thistle; or a chance to see tadpoles in a pool along the creek, or discover black fly larva on the rocks under the flowing water, or the fun of sharing a day with your friends in the great outdoors.

St Edward’s students learn plant identification skills and the value of native prairies while conducting the annual Commons Ford Prairie vegetation survey

Dr. Amy Concilio of St. Edward’s University has joined the Commons Ford team to take the lead on vegetation surveys.  With a group of  eight undergraduate students and two Master’s students, she spent a week in early May conducting the annual vegetation surveys along nine transects established in 2011.  Most of the undergraduate students had no previous experience identifying plants, so they spent a few days learning about what characteristics are important to make note of when identifying grasses and wildflowers, how to use a dichotomous key, and how to sample vegetation using the transect method. 

It was a fantastic opportunity for them to get hand’s-on experience in ecological field sampling, and several of the students are now considering doing capstone research projects at the site. Most of the students had never been to Commons Ford and were blown away by many different grasses and wildflowers could be found in a native Texas prairie!  The students also had the opportunity to hear from Ed Fair about the history of the site and project. They are inspired and excited to share their new knowledge with friends and family, and hopefully contribute to conservation and restoration efforts of native Texas ecosystems!

Travis Audubon and the Commons Ford Prairie Committee thank Dr. Concilio and her students for completing the survey. We hope the students will continue to visit CFP and become avid birders, plant ecologists, or leaders in conservation for native prairies--or all three!