Prairie Notes #231- Look to the Skies
Prairie Notes are monthly photo/journal observations from Tandy Hills Natural Area by Founder/Director, Don Young. They include field reports, flora and fauna sightings, and more, mixed with a scoop of dry humor and a bit of philosophy.
They are available free to all who get on the FOTHNA email list.
Look to the Skies
Prairie Notes #231
March 1, 2026
1) Look to the Skies
2) Field Report - February
3) New Species Report - February
4) Birding Walk w/ Tom Stevens - New Date
5) 18th Annual Trout Lily Walk w/ Sam Kieschnick - Today!
6) Newsworthy & Noteworthy
7) PrairieSky / StarParty Report - New Season!
8) In Memoriam: Carol Ivey
9) Prairie Proverb - Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara
1) Look to the Skies
With 3 weeks of winter still to go, the natural area is still looking very winter-ish. Not a lot of blooming things to photograph, aside from Trout Lilies. (Lots more on them below.) So, as I often do this time of year, I look to the skies for inspiration, even though the sun sets far south of Tandy Hills this time of year.
Have you ever noticed that, the skies above Tandy Hills are the prettiest in town. Well, they sure were in February 2026, anyway. No bias here. <wink> I missed a few when it was freezing outside but here are a few of the sunsets I witnessed. Some of them almost mirror the colors of our soon-to-be-blooming wildflowers.Take that pic above from February 1st, for example. The colors are reminiscent of Purple Paintbrush (Castilleja purpurea) which will be emerging soon.
Another reason to look up in winter is birds. We got bird fever, big-time, right now. Check out the Murder of Crows and the Great Horned Owl below. And do not miss the Birding Walk w/ Tom Stevens, on March 15. Finally, next time you are downtown, DO look up at the prairie wildflower mural atop Sundance Square. It’s remarkable.
As always, thanks for reading these Prairie Notes and supporting Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area. Your donations are welcome HERE.
DY
2) Field Report - February
We had more crazy weather in February. Very cold one day, spring-like the next. Or as one pundit said, “The sky is upside down today.” Insects are on the move again. I saw several species of butterflies after a very warm week in mid-Februrary. There were also observations of, Coyotes, Greater Roadrunners, Hawks, Crows, lots of Fungi, and a handful of very early spring bloomers.
Much progress was made in February on removing invasive species. Our hard-working and talented crew of contract laborers and volunteers continue to transform key sections of the natural area. In fact, they have removed more invasives in the past year than in the past 20 years. We salute them!
But all that really matters is that the amazing little, Trout Lilies are blooming and spring will be officially sprung on March 20th. The first one was observed on February 7th. A few days later more than 100 were observed in one colony. Hopefully, they will be blooming on March 1st when Sam Kieschnick leads the 18th annual Trout Lily Walk. (See #5 below.)
I stumbled upon a murder of American Crows on February 1. They had been chasing the Great Horned Owl that was found later by Keandre Rush.
3) New Species - February
This place just keeps on giving, month after month year after year. The species count increased from 2557 to 2569 in February. The most notable was a Great Horned Owl observed by Keandre Rush, our resident bird expert. He had seen the Owl being chased by Crows a few days before his sighting and returned a few days later to search for it. And by golly he found it! It was the first to be photographed at any of the FW area natural areas. We also have documented several new and bizarre-looking species of fungi, slime molds and lichens thanks to, lynnwchen. See them all at the Tandy Hills iNat Project Page HERE.
Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), observed by, Keandre Rush. Surprisingly, this is the only one recorded on iNaturalist in all FW natural areas.
4) Birding Walk w/ Tom Stevens - New Date
NOTE: The birding walk, previously scheduled in February, had to be rescheduled due to very muddy trails.
The new date is March 15, 2026, for the birding walk with local ornithologist, Tom Stevens. RSVP for this special event at <info@tandyhills.org>
Tom Stevens is an ornithologist and applied ecologist working as Post Doctoral Associate for the University of Missouri. As an undergraduate at TCU he surveyed the Tandy Hills Bird community in 2007 and 2008. He went on to get his MS and PhD at TCU, studying the impacts of wind turbines on grassland birds in North Texas as a Master's student, and then studying the impacts of urbanization on wildlife Dallas's Great Trinity Forest as a doctoral candidate. He is currently researching how management practices like prescribed fire impact grassland bird communities working with the University of Missouri, the Missouri Department of Conservation, and the Missouri River Bird Observatory.
You can read his thesis on the birds of Tandy Hills on the About page HERE.
5) 18th Annual Trout Lily Walk w/ Sam Kieschnick - Today !
The 18th Annual Trout Lily Walk w/ Sam Kieschnick is coming up on March 1st @ 4 PM. (18th!!! Where did the years go???) The main colony that we visit most years had several large trees fall into it after a January storm. Our work crew spent a few days clearing them away. Lo and behold, more than 100 Trout Lilies popped up a few days later. Sam always draws a big crowd for his insightful walks and talks at the speed of botany. Don’t miss it!
6) Newsworthy & Noteworthy
>>>>>>> On February 18th, the City of FW Park & Rec Dept. (FW-PARD) held a focus group for and with photographers titled, Photographers in Parks. The meeting was for individuals or businesses that take photos in Fort Worth parks for income. The invitation read, in part:
“Some of our popular parks, such as Tandy Hills Natural Area and Trinity Park, are being "loved" to the point of destruction. Join City staff for a discussion on how to encourage photography that "leaves no trace" and is in compliance with ordinances that require photographers to obtain a permit for commercial photography. This is your chance to weigh in on the solution and next steps. Join the discussion on how commercial photography can continue in parks without harming them. Your feedback and ideas are welcome! Hope to see you there!”
The overall goals are to help more photographers be aware of the impacts they are having on our parks, how to deal with permits and more. According to the announcement that was sent to many of the photographers who work at Tandy Hills:
“Our parks are more than beautiful backdrops. They are living, breathing spaces, home to native plants, wildlife, and the memories we create together. To ensure our parks are protected from overcrowding, trampling, and overuse, we are updating our photography permit policy. Your input will help guide our photography policy and permitting process. Whether you are a full-time pro or a passionate hobbyist, your feedback is essential to shaping a process that works for everyone. Your voice will help us balance the needs of the photography community with the vital mission of land conservation.”
Unfortunately, only a few photographers attended the meeting that was led by Michelle Villafranca, FW Park Operations & Natural Resource Planner and Debbie Branch, District Superintendent at FW-PARD. Their presentation was superbly done as was the discussion among the attendees. FW-PARD staff received some useful comments and suggestions to help guide their revised policies. Although the presentation is about all the FW parks, it was focussed on Tandy Hills partly because of the many issues we continue to have here. More on this story as it develops.
>>>>>>> At least 52 people attended the Sundance Prairie Mural (Up Close!) on February 7. (We had to go up in two groups of 25). A cognoscenti of the local prairie people, native plant folks, master naturalists and other thrill seekers, climbed the stairs up to the roof of Westbrook Building to see and touch the world's largest prairie mural. The artist, James Prosek, was there to answer questions and bask the glow of appreciation. What a rare treat it was!
>>>>>>> A new group of hikers known as the, Trail Bosses, took a chilly, early morning hike at Tandy Hills on February 22nd. They are an all-inclusive group of outdoor lovers who enjoy starting the day on the trail. They hike every Sunday at 7:00 AM on trails throughout DFW, with bonus hikes and pop-up meetups along the way. All genders, races, paces, and experience levels are welcome. Their motto is:
“Trail Bosses: Built on the belief that the outdoors is for everyone. Everyone. Every age. Every journey. We show up. We push forward. We support each other from the first mile to the last. Same path. same purpose.”
Good vibes, fresh air, and community - see you on the trail! That’s the kind of spirit that we like to see here. Kudos, ladies!
7) Prairie Sky / Star Party report - New Season
The Fort Worth Astronomical Society (FWAS) will be back on March 21st, 2026, for the 12th straight year at Tandy Hills. See the 2026 schedule, HERE. Fort Worth Astronomical Society president, John McCrea, has the forecast:
“For our March 21st star party, we will still have familiar winter constellations. Some of the most familiar are Orion (The Hunter) with Canis Major (The Big Dog) to the east with its brightest star Sirius. Above and to the left are Castor and Pollux of the constellation Gemini (The Twins). To the west of Orion is the bright red star Aldebaran of the constellation Taurus (The Bull) and the Pleiades (The Seven Sisters) just a little further west. North and west is the lopsided pentagon shaped constellation Auriga (The Charioteer) with its brightest star Capella (little goat).
The sun will set at about 7:41 PM (DST) on the 21st of March. The moon will be a 3-day old waxing crescent in the Constellation Aries.
The winter hexagon will be in the south/southwest, and is an imaginary line between Sirus, Rigel, Aldebaran, Capella, Pollux, and Procyon.
The planet Jupiter will be brightly shining in the South/Southwest in the constellations Gemini (The Twins). Uranus will be further west, but still in Taurus. Venus will be on the western horizon in the constellation Pisces. The bright star hovering around the southern horizon is the star Canopus of the southern hemisphere constellation Carina (The Keel). If you were in Sydney, Australia, you would find 71o above the horizon.”
8) In Memoriam: Carol Ivey
Like many of you who knew her, I was shocked and saddened to read about Carol Ivey's passing in mid-February. Starting in 2007, Carol was one of the artists who participated in and helped organize, plein-air painting at Prairie Fest. Her husband, Herb, was on the festival organizing committee. Carol was also one of the featured, Prairie Artist of the Month in the March 2024 issue. More recently, Carol was frequently seen painting at Tandy Hills, even bringing her art students here to paint. She also collected dried plants from Tandy Hills to paint still lives in her studio. Yes, as you can see from the photos below, Carol was an amazingly talented painter and also a beautiful and generous human being. Godspeed Carol.
9) Prairie Proverb - Venerable Bhikkhu Pannakara
“We are not a lover of nature, or a fan of nature, we ‘are’ nature. We are as much nature as the trees in your garden and the bees on your picnic.”
Photo by, Dan McCue
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Prairie Notes© is the official newsletter of Friends of Tandy Hills Natural Area, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization. All content by Don Young except where otherwise noted.
