The Chaparral by Carol Cullar

This is the terrain through which monarchs migrate, and these images were taken while monarchs were migrating through last week. This terrain is typical "cuesta chaparral" which is a calcareous uplift consisting of highlands and bluffs associated with the Rio Grande River.

Chaparral is typically a matrix of approximately 22 plants characterized by deep taproots, narrow/reflective leaves, thorny brush: mesquite, creosote, cenizo, huizache, leather stem, spanish dagger, prickly pear cactus, tasajillo (pencil) cactus, pitaya cactus.

Variations in this typical chaparral habitat cover some 54,600 square miles (Tamaulipan Biotic Province)--roughly an area the size of the state of Illinois.

"Chaparro" in Spanish means "short." The term is particularly appropriate for this type of thorny brush. Cresote is one of the grandfathers of the earth and plants are known to be 11,000 years old in the Mojave Desert.

Typical wildlife of the region consists of javalina or collared peccary, wild turkey, whitetail deer, foxes, raccoons, skunks, badgers, bobcats, and puma. Snakes and lizards abound. We got several shots of the javalina and her 2 babies.

The yellow flowers in the picture above are Parralena (Dyssodia pentachaeta). We do not typically see monarchs nectaring on these flowers, but the whitebrush and sunflowers are also in bloom. They make the air rich and heady, with scents like honey. Small butterflies and other pollinators nectar on parralena, which has a particularly pungent, attractive odor that reminds me of how the ancient earth must have smelled before machines.

This is a lush region for a monarch. We've netted several hundred monarchs this last week; and they are without doubt the fattest monarchs I've ever seen! I'm told that monarchs are the only migratory animal that gains weight as it migrates. This is certainly the case this year.

As to water: the region is dotted with stock tanks, gullys (called arroyos here) and between two rivers (the Nueces River and Rio Grande). Protected from the wind and supporting taller shrubs and trees, the arroyos act as windbreaks for the migrants and hold moist air down among the branches where monarchs congregate each evening in loosly scattered 100s or 1000s. Dew forms. Even in the Chihuahua Desert during the fall sufficinet dew forms on low growing cactus and century plant leaves to supply water for coyotes, foxes, rabbits, etc. Certainly enough for monarchs.

Plant growth and blooming in the Chaparral Country is much more driven by rainfall throughout the year [than temperature]. This past summer saw an unusual El Nino pattern persisting until about July. This brought moisture in the form of Maritime Pacific flows across northern Mexico and the Chihuahua Desert thrived! The usual intense heat with temperatures daily around 106dF were ameliorated by occasional showers in the region and temperatures were more tollerable at 98 for a high.

This meant that plants thrived and bloomed. Even after the La Nina forces took over September also saw some showers and brought a resurgence of not only milkweed, but many nectar sources. The only way to describe the countryside, the uncultivated, wild chaparral/brush country is ALMOST EVERYTHING is blooming (whitebrush, cenizo, sunflowers, lantana are most visible)! But even the sweetly scented cresote is adding to the perfume in the air.

Vegetation in the Chaparral Country is less seasonally dependent than northern plants. We are not going to see a possible frost until December 14 (if then), and our last day of frost in the spring is usually February 14.

There was a roost this fall at Cunningham Ranch? Yes. Roost were breaking up and forming on Friday morning in at least 2 places along the Big Canal on the east edges of the ranch. My friend Kay Cunningham says we should have also checked the pecan bottoms down at the bottom of the bluff out of the wind.

Carol Cullar
Executive Director Rio Bravo Nature Center Foundation, Inc. Eagle Pass, Texas

The Chaparral
In Spanish, "chaparro" means "short." The term is particularly appropriate for the type of thorny brush.

A Baby Javalina
Typical wildlife of the region consists of javalina or collared peccary, wild turkey, whitetail deer, foxes, raccoons, skunks, badgers, bobcats, and puma. Snakes and lizards abound.

Typical Cluster Site
The Cunningham Ranch is about 18 miles north of Eagle Pass, Texas.

Images courtesy of Carol Cullar