My name is Butch R. Bird, but my friends call me Shrike.
Take a flight with me.
I'm a Loggerhead Shrike, the gray-and-black bird folks call the “butcher bird.” I've watched about 18 acres of tired hay field turn back into a living prairie. Climb aboard (figuratively; I'm small) and I'll show you around.
Howdy, visitor!Here's the short version. This land used to be a pasture and hay field packed with King Ranch bluestem, an exotic grass. Not much for a hungry bird to hunt. On March 12, 2018 it was drill-seeded with 19 native grasses and wildflowers as part of Texas Parks & Wildlife's Pastures for Upland Birds program. It was the first PUB project in McLennan County.
Since then, people have logged more than 100 species here on iNaturalist. Snakes, sunflowers, snow geese, a famous star-shaped fungus... and maybe, just maybe, me.
Where shall we fly first?
Flight 1: The Story
From a King Ranch bluestem hay field to a prairie full of life. Fly through the years with me.
Fly there →Flight 2: Field Guide
Grasses, wildflowers, birds, snakes, bugs and one very famous fungus. Close-ups of who lives here.
Fly there →Shrike's Notebook
Field notes in my own words. Start with our plan for patch burning: fire, with an exit for the animals.
Fly there →Visit / Tours
Tours by request. Spring wildflowers, fall grasses, and what to bring.
Fly there →Partners
Texas Parks & Wildlife's Pastures for Upland Birds program, the grant that made this prairie possible.
Fly there →Get Involved
Log what you see on iNaturalist, and keep an eye out for volunteer days.
Fly there →Aerial view: before
A hay field of King Ranch bluestem. Tidy from the road, but a slim menu for birds, bugs and pollinators.
Aerial view: today
Native bunchgrasses, wildflowers, a pond, and a lot more company. Still a work in progress (more on that in the Story).