Winter Wonderland

     A light snow dusting accents an already beautiful landscape. The Red Hills rarely enjoys a deep blanket of snow but whatever graces the land is appreciated. Even a light white blanket gives a nice contrasting perspective. While more precipitation is hoped for by the rangeland, wildlife and ranchers, every little amount helps to replenish soil moisture going into spring regrowth. 

A quiet sunset helps paint beauty in the waning hour of daylight.

A Great Blue Heron guards his pond at dusk.

The Red Hills seems at its best when highlighted by snow.

A drive through the Red Hills in winter is especially fulfilling.

Cattle and ranchers keep right on grazing and working through the winter months.

Ranchers and most prairie wildlife would prefer no trees
on the rangeland; but, they can provide some variety to landscape pictures.

A ride on the Gyp Hills Scenic Byway west of
Medicine Lodge can be a winter delight.

The Bees' Needs

    That pollinators are important to humans cannot be overstated. Most of our fruits, nuts, and vegetables are a result of animal pollinators such as bees. Honey bees as well as native bees comprise the most of the pollen-carrying workforce in nature as well as for many agricultural crops. There are an estimated 20,000 species of wild bees worldwide according to the National Wildlife Federation. They count about 4,000 native bee species in North America. While honey bees, which are not native to North America, utilize pollen for hive food, their plant propagation effort is accidental just as it is for native pollinators. They pick up pollen on their legs and body while visiting flowers and distribute it to other flowers during their nectaring adventures. In a sense they are unknowing employees of plants. 

     In our own little patch of earth, I plant and promote pollinator plants including the very showy Purple Prairie-clover. Observations from this past year proved this plant to be a favorite of not only our local honey bee colonies but wild bees and wasps as well. There have been some research and concerns about honey bees competing with native bee populations for food and space. I pay attention to this possibility in my own fields. Anecdotal observations have limited value in science but I find these interactions interesting. Here are a few examples of the love affair these insects have with this beautiful plant.

A Honey bee already carrying a packet of pollen 
approaches a Purple Prairie-clover flower .

Bumble bees love clover flowers.

A Scoliid wasp takes its turn.

Not a pollinator but a predator, this robber fly waited
patiently to snatch a honey bee.

A Scoliid wasp nectars at this White Prairie-clover.

A honey bee shares this plant with several other
pollinators including Halictid sweat bees.

Three native Halictids enjoy this clover flower.

A healthy prairie supporting a wide variety of native plants is the
best food table for native pollinators. A healthy prairie supports
species which flower at different times through the year which is
a critical need for our native insects.

Biking the Outback Blacktop

     For most bicycle enthusiasts, any time you can get out is good. But there are some times of the year when it can be truly rewarding for those that pay attention to critters on the road. Sure, there's lots of DOR (Dead on the Road) to observe; but, there's also opportunity for seeing some other very interesting live creatures. This is particularly the case for the blacktops and back roads of the Red Hills. In this interesting land and at the right time of year and temperatures, you might find all of the various creepy crawlies seen in this post. On one recent late afternoon, the blacktops were alive with life. Bicycling has many benefits for the body and soul but one in particular is the slower pace of travel and the proximity of pavement that allows for better perception of life in the Kansas Outback. 

Some days on the more remote back road blacktops of the Red Hills, there is hardly
any car/truck traffic which makes for a safer trip. With the right weather
and temperatures, finding critters can be very fruitful.

September and October is the fall movement time for Texas Brown Tarantulas.
At the right times, dozens can be seen on any particular road trip.

Of eight legs available, this poor tarantula had one bad one.

Probably the creepiest critter of the outback is the Giant Desert Centipede.
This 8 inch one was keeping company with the tarantulas.

Don't let this thing crawl up your leg!

  

Many of these road creatures may not be your idea of a hand pet,
but, a juvenile Prairie Rattlesnake is certainly off limits!

And bicyclists can get on some of the gravel roads and just enjoy the scenery too!

Herpin' the Hills

     The Red Hills of Kansas support nearly 2/3rds of the 102 species of amphibians, reptiles, and turtles known to occur in the state. This rich fauna is second only to the very diverse region of southeast Kansas. It also harbors several of the state's sensitive species. 

     The region attracts herpers of all ages who chase after all things slithery, slimy and scaly.  Kids especially enjoy these critters. This is especially true for those who have been taught to appreciate and enjoy them. There is reason for some caution--two venomous snakes do occur here. But, if one is careful and knows how to distinguish the rattlesnakes, there is little risk.  There are recent records of a third venomous species, Western Diamondback Rattlesnake, near the state line ;but, this species is very uncommon here. It is unfortunate that some people learn from elders to be unnecessarily afraid of some of these animals and miss out on some fascinating wildlife and adventures.

      Groups such as the Kansas Herpetological Society http://ksherp.com/ have sponsored field trips to the Red Hills but there are many individuals who like to travel the backroads of this Kansas Outback at various times of the year to look for these critters. With many herps emerging from winter hibernation in early spring, April and May are popular periods to look under rocks and on roads for herps. In the summer, prime herping times are relegated more to the nighttime with many of the snakes in particular being nocturnal.  And with all the earlier rains this year, the toad population is at peak levels. It is a great year to be herping in the hills and other regions of Kansas as well.

      An excellent website for learning more about Kansas herps is the Kansas Herpetological Atlas http://webapps.fhsu.edu/ksherp/default.aspx administered by Sternberg Museum of Fort Hays Kansas State University.

The Ornate Box Turtle is the official state reptile of Kansas and a common
animal in the Red Hills.

The Kansas Herpetological Society has sponsored several field trips
to the Red Hills. Gracious landowners share their nature's bounty.

The Coachwhip is very fast as well as very interesting looking with
that distinctive scale pattern. 

The Eastern Collard Lizard looks ferocious and for a good
reason. It can inflict a painful bite with those strong jaws!

The Long-nosed Snake is one of the more colorful
animals of the Red Hills--and appropriately reddish.

The Red Hills region offers ample opportunity for surveys and special
studies as evidenced by this crew of students from Fort Hays State University.

The Western Massasauga Rattlesnake shown here is smaller than the Prairie Rattlesnake.
Both occur in the Red Hills and add a degree of excitement to the Kansas Outback.

Excitement exudes from a kid catching
that first Texas Horned Lizard.

Woodhouse's Toad is one of the most abundant amphibians
in the Red Hills as well as a very popular wild "hand pet." 

A Common Garter Snake has snatched a Plains Leopard Frog
in a wetland in the hills.

Find a friend and visit the Red Hills for an adventure of herping the hills of the Kansas Outback. Enjoy life!

Pollinator Party

     With all the rains in the Red Hills this year, the prairie wildflower show is spectacular. And all the pollinator insects are enjoying this bonanza. Many different insects are attracted to nectar from these flowers. They include butterflies, moths, bees, wasps, and beetles but sometimes there are other visitors as well. Come to the Red Hills for this wonderful, natural exhibit of plant and animal life. 

Lots of insects love Lemon Beebalm but none more than bumblebees.

These recently emerged Widow Skimmer dragonflies are not
pollinators but decided to hang out on some Blue Wild Indigo.
(Thanks Roy Beckemeyer for the ID.)

A Variegated Fritillary butterfly loves on the
Butterfly Milkweed.

A Checkered White Butterfly also enjoys
Butterfly Milkweed with the Variegated Fritillary.

These scarab flower beetles are also important pollinators.
Even this Wavy-leaf Thistle has plenty to offer.

A Regal Fritillary Butterfly perches on a Common Milkweed. Milkweeds
are very important food sources for Monarchs and other butterflies.

The scarab beetles also love the
Prickly Pear Cactus flowers.

Several butterflies mob this Leadplant.

This Orange Sulfur Butterfly nectars on
Plains Sunflower. 

A Variegated Fritillary likes Plains Sunflowers too.

Lots of insects use and pollinate Plains
Sunflowers including Painted Lady Butterflies.

This pretty true bug (Hemipteran) is
Apiomerus spissipes. Not sure if it has
a common name. Feel free to offer one.

This Flowerloving Longhorn beetle is doing as its name implies.
Prairie Coneflowers are very showy this year.

     For more information about native, pollinator plants, visit the Kansas Native Plant Society website 
(www.kansasnativeplantsociety.org) and its excellent Facebook page. 

Red Hills Voices from the Past

          I am afflicted with an insatiable appetite for history. 

In past blogs, I've posted about the very ancient history of the Red Hills in describing hundred million year-old fossils from the Cretaceous Period found in sandstone and shale deposits. For this post,  I'm skipping nearly all that geologic time frame straight to the age of humans. While emphasizing the early settlers and eventual ranching culture, I offer some insight to the hardships and perseverance of early pioneers as well as some obvious joy in early living in the Kansas Outback.

     The earliest humans of the Red Hills were plains tribes who fought over the rich hunting grounds of the area. In "Empire of the Summer Moon," S. C. Gwynne describes some of the travels of the Comanches into this area. Perhaps it was one of Quanah Parker's warriors who painted these pictographs on the ceiling of one of its caves.

         A marker identifies the final resting spot of a native American just
southeast of Ashland in Clark County.

The Lodi Cemetery southeast of Medicine Lodge
  bears gravestones from some of the first white settlers
of Barber County. 

The earliest birthday found in the Lodi Cemetery. 
Some distant relative obviously replaced and updated
the original headstone. Nicely done!

                               

Dora Reaves was less than a year old and one of the
earliest burials in Lodi. Was she one of the Jewish settlers
who came to this area as well as other parts of Western Kansas
during the 1880's? Jews from the east and Europe attempted to
make livings in a land very inhospitable at the time to humans
with severe droughts, floods, and winters through the 1880s. Google
"Kansas Jewish settlements" for some very interesting history! 
And see the reference at the end of this post.

           

Many Civil War Veterans homesteaded in Kansas. J. W. Rhodes
ended up in Barber County and eventually in the Lodi Cemetery.

The extreme weather that contributed to the Jewish settlements failures also put an end to the Comanche Pool. Still standing is most of the original commissary of this organization at Evansville in Comanche County. This was an organization of ranchers who pooled their herds in the open range in the early 1880's. As many as 80,000 head were grazed through the growing season in a huge area of 4,000 square miles in primarily Barber, Comanche and Clark counties in Kansas and extending into Woods County, Oklahoma. Scan the internet for more on this amazing early day open range grazing effort and see my reference at the end.

             

Thomas and Charles Watt met violent deaths from local
open range advocates when they were carrying a load of
barbed wire across southern Barber County. These graves
are in a very remote tract of red dirt prairie.

A local resident views the last standing headstone in the Nescatunga
Cemetery southeast of Coldwater, Comanche County. Many small
communities sprang up and flourished--for a while. Then they slowly
died or were moved at the mercy of railroads, county seat battles
and many other reasons of hard living in this country.

                                   

This homestead and settlement of several structures reside on a
ranch near the Medicine River. Reports are that it was still
occupied in the 1950's.

Some locals used the accommodations of area caves to distill spirits. These are remnants of
a still from, you guessed it, Still Cave in Barber County. First settlers searched for nearby water sources to build their first shelters which were dugouts into hillsides. Many times
springs from caves were highly desirable for homestead sites. Later, after a year or two,
these pioneers might find materials for log and rock cabins.

This rock cabin was reportedly owned by a former President, probably
Calvin Coolidge as per a local resident. It's in a very remote area north of the Medicine River
in a very secluded canyon next to a spring. 

Of all the violent deaths witnessed by the Red Hills, perhaps none are as
heart-wrenching as Rosa who died fighting a wildfire.  
A thoughtful rancher friend donated this
memorial near Thompson Creek in Kiowa County.

                                             

The cowboy heritage runs deep in the red soil of the Kansas Outback.
This is a more modern day depiction of this respect in the
Sun City Cemetery.

The people and places of the Red Hills offer endless opportunity for study and adventure. Reading on-line and library research is a great way to start. Going to some of these places completes the passion. For more extensive history of the Jewish settlements and the Comanche Pool, reference http://kancoll.org/books/harris/sod_chap09.htm . (Thanks to Dennis Angle for the reference.)

Locations of some sites not available due to consideration for private property rights. The Lodi and Sun City cemeteries are both accessible.