Stormy weather sends wildlife scrambling

By Viva Scott
and Dana G. Delgado

It had stormed violently the night before and Judy West ventured outside her lakeside home to survey the damage.

The inlet at Granite Shoals, like many areas in the Highland Lakes, was littered with debris. Swollen creeks had overrun their banks and carried everything in their path into the lake. It was a murky mess.

While inspecting all the smelly rubbish that lay jammed at the end of her pier, West saw something move. It was hard to see in all the muck but there was something there and it was alive. Getting a towel, West quickly returned and knelt to retrieve whatever was there.  

Amid the soggy clutter clung a hapless rat shivering and exhausted from its wild downstream ride. Gently, West pulled him out. He came willingly. Cleaned, warmed and nourished, the rescued rat got a new lease on life. 

West also rescued two young white-winged doves blown out of a tree and turned them over to a wildlife rehabilitator.   

Wildlife will usually do everything possible to survive in the face of peril from impending storms. Sometimes they are caught by surprise or overwhelmed and perish.

Time, however, has taught them many lessons to deal with nature’s fury. Birds will hunker down in dense foliage, hanging on to the underbrush or fleeing.  During hurricanes, many birds, particularly shorebirds, flock to areas like the Highland Lakes for sanctuary.  

For birdwatchers, it’s a prime time to observe birds not normally seen in the area.

Fortunately, most hurricanes occur in late summer and fall after most nesting. 

Many birds, however, are caught up in storm systems and blown far off course. Often, they are battered and too weak to survive. 

Others starve because they are unable to forage during the inclement weather. It is clear that many birds are killed outright by hurricanes.  

Long-term effects of hurricanes on birds aren’t necessarily all negative. Disturbances can be good for some species. Hurricanes clear new openings in woodlands, creating habitat for different species that require a brushy understory. Birds blown off course occasionally establish entirely new populations in different areas. Furthermore, hurricanes are part of the system in which birds evolve.

Of course, some native animals, like the opportunistic raccoons, do just fine — they even thrive amid the turmoil. With normal food supplies interrupted and shelters flooded, rats, snakes and other wildlife seek out safe haven, frequently in homes.  

Small mammals that find new shelter, while not poisonous, could carry dangerous diseases. Severe storms also bring out swarms of insects.  

Native plants too, have developed ways of dealing with the turbulence of storms. Palm trees will bend without breaking against fierce winds while oak trees, depending on brute strength, can withstand moderately high winds.

The destructive forces of nature, however, can wreak havoc on plant health through the spread of diseases. 

Strong winds, excessive amounts of rain and saturated soils provide favorable conditions for the spread and introduction of pathogens into new areas. Winds twist and break branches, damage leaves and injure fruits. 

Injuries to plants provide entry sites for pathogens, especially bacteria. Fungal spores are often carried long distances in the weather currents; so can disease-carrying insects that impair local plants.

While storms have an impact on wildlife through the spread of disease, unnatural migration and temporary population declines and shifts, they can also help end droughts, increase plant growth and refill freshwater reserves. 

Delgado is a Texas Master Naturalist. She and Scott are members of the Highland Lakes Birding and Wildflower Society and the National Audubon Society. E-mail them at viva.dana@yahoo.com.