June is a special time at Waterwood. It ushers-in the July 4th
fireworks (planned for July 5th this year), and there's patio and
backyard BBQs and pool parties. But even more thrilling, June at
Waterwood is nature at its best.

Next to seeing an eagle or a flock of several hundred White Pelicans
flying over Lake Livingston, another awesome bird sighting
opportunity is the Purple Martins at The Villas. Locals have only a
few more weeks, perhaps days, to go see and hear the Purple Martins.
Very soon now, their babies will be expert flyers and they'll be
flying north. And after wintering in The Valley and in Mexico, they
won't return to their homeland, The Villas, until next March.

These talkative birds, when they're not chattering to each other
incessantly from sunrise to sunset about silly things, are flying,
and what a sight to behold. Almost all shoulder and wing, these
little birds are animated F-10 flyers. When you watch several
Martins gliding toward you at breakneck speed, and turning on a dime,
you know they're showing off and having fun. The Villas, at the very
end of Pebble Beach Drive, is fast becoming known as the best place
to watch and listen to these lively, happy birds. They exude fun-
filled silliness, even when they're humorously squabbling with the
Chipping Sparrows next door to them.

The Martins have unique housing requirements; they perfer double and
triple-deck condominiums on a very long pole. This summer, they
hatched another brood at Waterwood, perhaps 200 or so, almost
doubling their population. Last year, The Villas' human residents
responded to the Martins' increasing need for more housing by
erecting more condominiums. But, the Martins are asking for more
subsidized housing, perferably in "move-in" condition next March.

Waterwood Watchdog promised the Martins she'd put a call out for
housing assistance. The problem, though, isn't a shortage of
housing, but rather, location, location, location. Martins refuse to
raise their babies in the wrong neighborhoods. Well-meaning humans
falsely assume "If I erect it, Martins will come". All too often,
humans will allow a once great-looking Martin house to go unused and
to deteriorate over the years because of failure to clean-out an old
sparrow nest. If a Martin house has been empty for more than two
years, you can be sure it doesn't meet their rigid standards. The
pole may be too short (think squirrels, racoons and snakes here), it
may be dangerously near trees where predators can hide (think
red-tailed hawks here), there may be no nearby body of water
(think supper - mosquitoes and other low-flying waterbugs), or maybe
there's too many obstacles for beginner flyers (trees) and not enough
meadow where tall, unmowed grass habors thousands of dragonflies,
bugs and butterflies. These birds need plenty of scrumpious
delicasies for a-couple-hundred wide beaks. Many backyards just
simply don't have all the unique conditions that Purple Martins
demand.

So, if you or someone you know has an empty, unused Purple Martin
condominium, consider donating it to the Villas. Call Waterwood
Watchdog (891-5089) and she'll pick it up and deliver it to The
Villas' residents. The donated house will be erected by a Villas
resident who will buy a pole, concrete, and hardware to erect your
house this winter, with permission of the land owner.

When the Martins leave town, there's still more to see and hear at
Waterwood. Up to a cricket concert? The ravine south of Fairway
Three is your best bet; performances start at nine and last until
after midnight. The best frog concert, at 10 PM, after a good rain?
The bog near the intersection of Latrobe and Doral is a good place,
but the best concert takes place at Tournament Village (undeveloped
subdivision between Fairways Ten and Eighteen).

Love of nature, in fact, is the deciding factor between those who can
tolerate the remote, sometimes inconvenient lifestyle at Waterwood on
a full-time basis and those who can't. Those who can't tolerate
living here for too long claim the eight-mile Parkway is a long,
boring drive, while long-timers who love living here claim it's the
most beautiful drive in East Texas.

And, you may ask, what is the deciding factor between the old-school
residents and the new-school residents? "The Fence" just off Route
190 wins this distinction, hands-down. Old-school folks believe the
fence should be painted because it's "ugly". New-school folks,
however, say the fence has an exquisite distressed antique look that
brings an old-world charm to Waterwood. Beauty is, afterall, in the
eyes of the beholder, and Waterwood has plenty of examples to prove
that platitude is true, time and time again.

Not mentioning deer would be a grave ommission when sharing tales of
Waterwood's wonderful environmental heritage. Need we ask who's been
pruning all the Junipers into lovely, curvacious female forms? Need
we ask who's been eating deer-resistant plants, such as English Ivy
and Mexican Heather? And if you've wondered why Waterwood doesn't
have a single Indian Blanket wildflower, a plentiful wildflower in
nearby Walker County, need you be told why?

Residents here chuckle when sightseers ask, "Where can I see deer?"
While we're sharing strategies for how to keep deer out of our
backyards, sightseers are begging to see them. June is the time of
year when many fawns are born; they're well-hidden and don't travel
with the herd. But next month, we'll see an increasing number of
fawns joining herds. The most dependable and best place to watch
herds of deer is Fairway 15 (the dead-end of Augusta Court), daily
from 6 to 8 PM.

June is also the time of year to look for snakes seeking cool hiding
spots for the summer months. It's too late now, but next winter is a
good time to eliminate those wonderfully cool, hiding spots. Canoes
that aren't used, wood piles, upside-down buckets, retaining walls
with holes, junk in the garage, an abundance of ground-hugging shady
plants, and low-level decks are great snake-hiding places. And if
you've got a swimming pool where frogs hang-out, it's best to check
the basket daily to rescue frogs, otherwise a garter snake will make
your pool his new territory.

To see wildlife pictures taken in Waterwood, click on
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/waterwoodwatchdog/
then click on "Photos", and select the nature album.
To include your wildlife picture in this album, email
Waterwood Watchdog at terrier77340@... with your email
attachment and a description of the photo.

Next month, Waterwood Watchdog will be back to her normal growling
self.