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CDRI Desert NewsFlash
April 2026
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Echinocereus coccineus, common name Claret cup.
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Hello! Happy Spring!
Spring has arrived unusually early this year, with temperatures climbing into the 90s, which we typically see at the end of May. For those who usually wait to plant their gardens until the last bloomers, such as Mesquite and Desert Willow, have leafed out in late April, that moment has already arrived. This spring is proving to be the most extreme yet.
On the positive side, everything is blooming all at once, and it looks beautiful. However, that's not how this season typically unfolds.
Stay tuned to see what comes next.
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Photo by Faith Hille Dishron. Arbutus xalapensis, Texas Madrone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arbutus_xalapensis
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Please join us at the Crowley Theater
Thursday, April 2, at 7:00 p.m.
for the Roger Conant Distinguished Guest Lecture
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when
James Cornett
presents
“Encounter with a Hungry Cougar”
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. * Free admission. * Light beverages and appetizers will be served.
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Conant Lecture to Welcome James Cornett
James Cornett will be at the Crowley Theater in Marfa, Texas, this Thursday, April 2, for the Roger Conant Distinguished Guest Lecture. The program will start at 7:00 p.m., with doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Desert ecologist Cornett will tell about becoming cornered by an aggressive adult mountain lion on a warm July morning in a remote mountain range in southern Arizona. The standoff lasted nearly forty-five minutes, with Cornett eventually escaping and surviving to share the frightening encounter with others. In his presentation, he will discuss mountain lion habits and behaviors, the potential threat these big cats pose to humans, and will provide a historical perspective on lion-human encounters.
Cornett’s humor and storytelling skills have made him one of our most popular guest lecturers. Over the past eight years, he has presented lectures on “Roadrunners” and “Ocotillo and Hummingbirds.”
For more information, please call 432-364-2499 or email lgordon@cdri.org.
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Too Early Tuesdays
Beat the heat by making plans to hike at sunrise! Gates open at 7:45 a.m. every Tuesday.
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Adopt a Highway Cleanup - April 23
Lend a helping hand to clean up the two-mile stretch in front of the CDRI gates along St. Hwy. 118. We’ll meet at the Powell Visitor Center on Thursday, April 23, at 9:00 a.m., and split into teams to pick up trash along the road.
We'll provide vests, trash bags, long-handled trash grabbers, bottled water, a snack, and a fun time. We suggest wearing a hat and sunscreen, also closed-toed shoes, and work gloves.
Please contact lgordon@cdri.org if you can help us meet our contract requirements (four cleanup dates during the year) with the Texas Department of Transportation.
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Agave Festival Marfa - Garden Tours June 5 & 6
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Agave Festival Marfa is scheduled for June 4 - 7 with a full lineup each day of talks, panel discussions, films, and tasting events.
The Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute (CDRI) will participate by providing guided garden tours on Friday, June 5, and Saturday, June 6, both starting at 9:00 a.m.
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Save the Date:
CDRI’s BBQ & Auction
Saturday, August 15
It’s going to be great -- especially with you there!
Tickets will go on sale on May 15.
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In Praise of Turkey Vultures
One of Nature’s Top “Sanitation Engineers”
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Editor's note:It’s spring, and we want to acknowledge the wildlife returning from the mountains and the birds migrating back to the region. One of our visitors mentioned last week that they had hit a Turkey Vulture that was in the road, but it seemed to have survived. You never know!
We kindly ask that you drive slowly enough to spot wildlife near or on the road, allowing yourself enough time to avoid hitting any animals.
If you encounter a vulture dining in the middle of the road, a gentle tap on your car horn can encourage it to move away. Keep in mind that they have large bodies and may take longer than you would expect to become airborne. Thank you!
This story was first published in the Desert NewsFlash in 2018. We hope you find it enlightening and that it brings much-needed respect to our feathered friends.
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In the sky island area of the Davis Mountains, we often recognize the arrival of spring by the presence of the Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura). These birds can be found year-round in the lower elevations of Presidio County, near the Rio Grande, just to the south of us. With a wingspan of 5 to 6 feet and impressive soaring abilities, they are particularly noticeable when they fly in groups, known as a “kettle,” circling high in the sky.
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Physical Features
Turkey vultures are named for their red, featherless heads, which resemble those of wild turkeys. They have dark brown, almost black feathers. When flying, the underside of their nearly six-foot wingspan has a whitish-silvery color. Although they may appear somewhat awkward when taking off from the ground, turkey vultures are graceful flyers that soar on thermals, often rocking from side to side while in the air.
Feeding Behavior
A turkey vulture is a scavenger and is unique among scavenger birds in that it cannot kill its prey. These birds search for carrion by soaring over open or partially wooded areas, closely observing the ground and the behavior of other scavengers. Turkey vultures have a well-developed sense of smell, which allows them to locate carrion. They can detect very faint traces of volatile gases in the air, even from hundreds of feet above the ground. Once they detect a potential meal, they fly in circular patterns to transition to a more focused visual search for their food source. Turkey vultures can smell carrion that is only 12 to 24 hours old, preferring "fresh" meat and avoiding rotting or putrefied carcasses. Additionally, they lack the strength in their feet to carry food, so they consume carrion at the site where they find it.
Eggs
Turkey vultures do not build traditional nests. Instead, they lay their eggs in various locations such as caves, rock crevices, fallen trees, hollow logs, and abandoned hawk nests, among others. A turkey vulture typically lays 1 to 2 eggs, which both parents take turns incubating for 30 to 40 days. After the eggs hatch, the parents continuously care for the chicks, rarely leaving them alone. They feed their young by regurgitating food. If the chicks are threatened while in the nest, they defend themselves by hissing and regurgitating. Fledging occurs around 9 to 10 weeks of age, and the young vultures often remain near the nest site until they are about 12 weeks old.
Call
Experienced birders can often identify a turkey vulture by its call. Unlike many other birds, turkey vultures do not have a syrinx, which is the vocal organ that allows birds to produce songs. Most of their vocalizations consist of a low, guttural hiss, which they make when they feel irritated or are competing for a better spot on a carcass. While in flight, they may also produce a low, nasal whine. Various websites have recorded their calls, which can be quite eerie and align with the turkey vulture's overall appearance, character, and role in nature. Click on the link below from All About Birds to hear their distinctive sounds. https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Turkey_Vulture
The only thing creepier would be if they could vocalize, “Good evening!” in a deep, resonant tone like Bela Lugosi's Dracula.
Socialization
Turkey vultures are monogamous, with evidence suggesting that pairs will stay together until one partner dies. They roost in large community groups, sometimes numbering 100 or more, typically at the tops of trees or on dead tree limbs. Their nightly ritual involves finding a suitable limb to settle on, adjusting their positions by flapping their wings, and regrouping with other birds. This behavior can continue until dusk, when they finally settle in for the night.
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Photo by Glenn Bartley - VIREO.
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Thank you for joining us and catching up
with us at CDRI. As we like to say,
From the best rural
Nature Center & Botanical Gardens
in Texas,
We wish you a happy spring
and happy trails!
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From left: Agarita, Lindheimer's Beeblossom, and Mountain Laurel. Photos by Faith Hill Dishron.
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Chihuahuan Desert Research Institute, P.O. Box 905, Fort Davis, TX 79734
432.364.2499
www.cdri.org
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