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One of the more mysterious winter birds of the region is the Sage Thrasher. Have you ever stopped and scanned a brushy hillside for birds greeting the morning sun? Have you ever sat near a desert waterhole waiting for the birds to get their daily drink?

Four species of grebe can be found in the region. Have you ever watched grebes dive?

The first Cassin’s Sparrow song of the year is a blessing to eagerly await. For most of the year Cassin’s sparrows are secretive. But in the spring, the male sings a melody that rises and falls, going up the scale as he flies up, going down the scale as he comes down. This behavior is known as “skylarking.” In Midland County, Texas, the Cassin’s sparrow’s skylarking song is a sign that spring is on the way.

The favorite pet of many people on the Llano Estacado and in the Trans Pecos is the box turtle. What makes these turtles wonderful and admirable neighbors?

If you’re in Trans Pecos Texas or the southern Llano Estacado you’re bound to see a javelina, more likely a whole family of javelinas. What do you know about these interesting creatures?

Little piles of dark earthworm castings sprinkle the soil after a rain. During dry spells earthworms wait, deep in the soil, encased in a shell made of their mucous and the dirt. After a rain, they feast on decaying organic material during the time of moisture and void the processed material, castings, on the surface.

Rain is so amazing – the native grasses turned brilliantly green in a single day! Often, up to forty species of wildflowers begin blooming within a week of the rain.

There are a thousand stories about mesquite. Some people hate it and poison it with chemicals. Some people love the wood for its rich, dark hardness and use it for gun butts, clocks, tables, or rolling pins, or for the flavor it adds to grilled foods.

The song of a Cactus Wren is a clattering roll with quick beats without melody. The sound carries farther than other sounds and has a hollow echo that reverberates in the heat of a summer afternoon.

At the time of European settlement in West Texas, the mourning dove may have been the only dove species living in the area.