Jester - February 2022 by Peel, Inc.

Jester Estates

Official Publication of Jester Homeowners Association, Inc. February 2022

Volume 17, Issue 2

President’s Corner Hello Jester Neighbors, I hope everyone had a good holiday! Regretfully, Covid19 is still a threat to the health of our community. Please stay safe and well, and hopefully we will see the end of the pandemic soon. As some of you may be aware, there was a fire at a house on Jester Blvd a few weeks ago. Fortunately there were no injuries to any person and the fire was confined to only one house. Fire is a serious danger to our homes and neighborhood. Please make sure you have working smoke detectors, and schedule your FireWise evaluation if you haven’t already.

Watch fo r details o n the upcomin g HOA m eeting. Details ha ve not be en finalized, but it will either late be in February or early March. W atch the J ester Faceboo k page an d/or Nextdoor for update s.

There have been repeated thefts of the JHOA signs reminding drivers to stay within the 30 mph speed. Although the signs are not excessively expensive, it does cost money, time and effort to replace. If you see someone taking the signs, please call 311 and report the theft to police. Or if you know the theft is by a juvenile, kindly notify the parents. Again, be advised that if recorded speeds on Jester are repeatedly above 30 mph, the unsightly and inconvenient speed bumps will be reinstalled.

GREEN TIPS

There have been complaints about the use of fireworks in the neighborhood. This is illegal within the city limits of Austin. Austin is undergoing drought conditions and fireworks can easily start a fire. The police will be called when others become aware of the use of illegal fireworks. Please respect your neighbors and DO NOT set off fireworks in Jester.

by Dale Bulla • dale-bulla@pobox.com

The next JHOA Board meeting will be in late February or first days of March. The exact date will be set closer to the meeting to enable full Board member participation. The date will be posted on Jester's Facebook page at least a week before the meeting. This meeting will be conducted by Google Meet. You can reach out at ericcohan@ gmail.com for the link.

Many of us lost trees last year so now is the time to update our landscapes. Even though oak wilt is in the area, it has not shown up in our neighborhood yet. If you are new to the area, Oak Wilt is an incurable disease that attacks mainly red oaks and live oaks. Both of these species are in the “red oak family.” So, do not trim oaks after the end of February, which is when the sap beetles start to become active. Sap beetles can spread a fungus that is also spread by failure to properly clean pruning tools. It can also spread by interconnected tree roots that cause it. Once a tree is infected, it lasts only about three months. The city of Austin has lost over 10,000 trees so far and many more will be lost. https://austintexas.gov/page/ oak-wilt-suppression

Our property management company will be sending out dues statements, election of Board members and links to Jester Homeowner Association's Annual meeting set for March 8, 2022. Please be on the lookout for the notices since it will be delivered by the U.S. post. Included in the mailout will be a letter from the JHOA Board asking nonmandatory residents to please join the JHOA. Just over half of the 911 Jester homes are mandatory members or voluntarily pay Jester's modest $85 dues on an annual basis. Therefore we have limited financial means to improve and beautify Jester Estates. If you are a nonmandatory member please join the HOA and contribute to keeping Jester Estates a wonderful and secure neighborhood. Everyone stay safe and well, Eva Wisser Copyright © 2022 Peel, Inc.

No Oak Wilt In Our Neighborhood YET, So Plan Ahead!

Continued on Page 4

The Jester Warbler - February 2022

Jester Estates

The Jester Warbler - February 2022

Board of Directors

Jester Estates

www.JesterHOA.com

President Eva Wisser.................................................................. eva@jesterhoa.com Vice President Eric Cohan.................................................................eric@jesterhoa.com Treasurer Phil Ponebshek.......................................................... phil@jesterhoa.com

Teenage Job Seekers

Landscape Committee Chair Margaret Hutchinson.........................................margaret@jesterhoa.com

Baby

Social Committee Chair Safety Officers

Anderson, Layla*+..............•........... •.....................................................512-496-6536

Phil Ponebshek.......................................................... phil@jesterhoa.com Architectural Control Committee Chair Ron Herzfeld............................................................. ron@jesterhoa.com

Sit

Yard

Name

Carol Philipson........................................................carol@jesterhoa.com

Sit

Pet House

Teresa Gouldie........................................................teresa@jesterhoa.com

Sit Work

Phone

Anderson, River.............................. •.................................... • ..............512-502-2073 Beach, Annika.....................•........... •.......... •.........................................512-839-0387 Ferrens, Ashley ...................•........... •.....................................................512-767-3003 Fricke, Samantha+ .............•........... •.......... •.........................................512-948-2717 Gerrie, Jack.........................•........... •.......... •.........................................210-290-3842

Firewise Officer

Gerwels, Emily............................... •.....................................................512-795-9270

Carol Philipson....................................................... carol@jesterhoa.com

Gilliam, Ava*+....................•........... •.......... •.........................................512-633-3664

Board of Directors

Hayes, Alice.................................... •.......... •.........................................512-952-0512

Charles Wolchansky............................................. charles@jesterhoa.com

Hull, Carter*+.....................•........... •.......... •.........................................512-963-3254

Restrictions Violations Committee Chair Cyndi Means ........................................... cyndi.means@goodwintx.com Jester Club....................................................................... 512-794-8867 ................................ jesterclubmanager@yahoo.com, www.jesterclub.org

Kellar, Allison.....................•........... •.....................................................512-909-1009 Moore, Kaitlin....................•....................... •.........................................512-739-7652 Orton, Claire......................•........... •.....................................................512-346-0434 O'Toole, Emily...................•........... •.....................................................512-917-9397 Pantaleoni, Nicholas...........•........... •.......... •.........................................310-200-6006

Homeowner's Association Mgmt - Goodwin Mgmt

Parouty, Ava........................•........... •.......... •.........................................512-298-9160

Cyndi Means............................................. cyndi.means@goodwintx.com

Popps, Adrian................................. •.......... •......................... • .............512-960-7305 Reed, Emery.......................•..................................................................512-592-2141

Office: 11149 Research Blvd, Suite 100 Austin, TX 78759

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 203310 Austin, TX 78720-3310

Shafer, Owen.................................. •.......... •.........................................512-786-2378 Schoffler, Isabella* .............•........... •.....................................................512-804-8047 Thibodeaux, Medeline........•........... •.....................................................512-619-0291 Trautman, Colin.................•........... •.......... •.........................................512-342-2422

Newsletter Information

Editor Hope Teel........................................................... hopeteel@gmail.com Publisher Peel, Inc.......................................www.PEELinc.com, 512-263-9181 Advertising........................advertising@PEELinc.com, 512-263-9181

Ware, Sonoma....................•..................................................................512-796-4013 Werth, Amanda* +.............•........... •.......... •.........................................217-398-2833 *-CPR Training +-First Aid Training

If you would like to add your name, send email to tgouldie@gmail.com with the jobs that interest you,your age and phone number (MUST be a teenager).

ARTICLE SUBMISSIONS Interested in submitting an article? You can do so by emailing hopeteel@gmail.com or by going to: www.peelinc.com/articleSubmit.php. All news must be received by the 12th of the month prior to the issue.

The Jester Warbler - February 2022

Jester Estates Continued from Cover Page

What can you do? First of all, plant diverse tree species so that the disease won’t spread through a monoculture. Yards that have mainly red oaks and live oaks are a prime target for the spread. There are many good oak alternatives that are native and well adapted here. The ones below are all in the “white oak family.” These oaks are resistant to Oak Wilt. Some good options are Monterey Oak or Mexican White Oak, Chinquapin Oak, Bur Oak, Lacey Oak and Vacey Oak.

Wildlife Habitat

Here are some additional resources: https://texastreeplanting.tamu.edu/ ViewAllTrees.aspx?let=O https://travis-tx.tamu.edu/about-2/horticulture/ get-expert-gardening-advice/ http://texastreeid.tamu.edu/content/idByLeaf/ Winter is the time to plant trees. This gives them a chance to get their roots established before the heat of summer. If you are planting oaks this year, consider those that are Oak Wilt resistant. Your neighbors will thank you.

The Jester Warbler - February 2022

7104 Winterberry Drive

Jester Estates Recycling Reminder Hope Teel Colt Neighbors, just a reminder that it is imperative that there is NO Styrofoam or plastic bags found in the blue recycling or green compost bins. Plastic film and/or bags can be recycled at HEB and at Randall’s. Styrofoam can only be recycled at certain locations including the Recycle & Reuse Drop-off Center located at 2514 Business Center Drive, Austin, Texas 78744 or Hometown Recycling located at 1602 Bench Mark Drive, Austin, Texas 78728. The latter is only about 15 minutes from Jester and you can avoid I-35! Thank you to our neighbor, Carol Philipson, for the reminder.

BUSINESS CLASSIFIEDS PIANO LESSONS: I am a Jester Estates resident with a flexible schedule. I can teach in your home or mine. Please contact me for more information. Thank you! Degrees in music education from UT-Austin; 12 years of private piano lesson teaching; 4 years of elementary school music teacher experience; References available upon request. Tess McKenna (512) 630-7982 | tess_mckenna@utexas.edu

Classified Ads

Business classifieds (offering a service or product line for profit) are $65, limit 40 words, please contact Peel, Inc. Sales Office @ 512263-9181 or advertising@PEELinc.com.

LANDING YOUR

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EMAIL: ADVERTISING@PEELINC.COM

AD HERE

Continued on Page 4 The Jester Warbler - February 2022

Jester Estates

Clever Corvids by Jim and Lynne Weber

Crows, ravens, and jays are members of the Corvidae family, or corvids for short. Medium to large perching birds with strong bills and feet, and feathers that are predominately black or blue, they are bold, curious creatures, and are found in a wide range of habitats. Corvids are known for their high degree of intelligence in the bird world, especially crows and ravens. Crows have performed as well as monkeys in psychological tests, and most employ intelligence in their daily routines, such as dropping nuts onto hard surfaces (like roads) to crack them. Ravens can recognize groups of different sizes up to seven, and often show problem-solving insight when posed with an intriguing new task. Corvids are very social birds, with most living in extended family groups year-round. Groups give the birds an ability to guard one another, and those posing as sentries can warn other birds and wildlife when predators such as hawks and owls are near, sometimes mobbing them and chasing them away. While corvids are noisy birds with loud, often screeching calls, they are also excellent mimics of other birds, and those in captivity have been shown to mimic human speech. During the winter, when food can be scarce and the weather harsh, corvids aggregate in large groups at abundant food sources and roost together to stay warm at night. Found primarily east of the Balcones Escarpment in our area, the American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) is an all black, thick-necked bird with a straight, heavy bill and a short tail that is squared off or rounded at the end. Their loud cawing gives them away, and many times you will hear them before you see them. Highly adaptable, they will live in any open space that offers trees for perching and a reliable source of food. The Common Raven (Corvus corax) is a very similar-looking all black bird, larger but more slender, and with a wedge-shaped tail. It is found mainly in the Edwards Plateau west of the escarpment and in far West Texas. An acrobatic flier, one adult was observed flying upside-down for more than a half-mile, and young birds are often seen dropping sticks and diving to catch them in mid-air. While there are two species of jays in our area, they overlap only slightly in range. The Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma woodhouseii) prefers the oak woodlands of the Texas Hill Country while the Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) inhabits the prairies and grasslands in the eastern part of town. Gorgeous azure blue above with a slate gray back and light gray breast, Woodhouse’s Scrub-Jays lack the head crest and black barring with white patches on the wings that distinguish them from the Blue Jays. Both species of jays have a mischievous streak, stealing other birds’ cached food and chasing off smaller birds to steal sunflower seeds and peanuts at feeders.

American Crow

Blue Jay

Common Raven

In the wild, corvids are long-lived birds, often reaching over 15 years of age. During their lives they clearly learn to act intelligently, and we have yet to determine how intelligence replaces instinct. The more we observe and record their behaviors, the more we can appreciate and enjoy these clever corvids! Send your nature-related questions to naturewatch@austin.rr.com and we’ll do our best to answer them. If you enjoy reading these articles, look for our books, Nature Watch Austin, Nature Watch Big Bend, Native Host Plants for Texas Butterflies, and Native Host Plants for Texas Moths, all published by Texas A&M University Press. Woodhouse Scrub Jay 6

The Jester Warbler - February 2022

Jester Estates

The Jester Warbler - February 2022

Jester Estates

Prevent Oak Wilt – Don’t Prune Oaks Feb 1st – June 30th Information provided by Travis County Transportation & Natural Resources

Red oaks, including Spanish (now Buckley) oak, Shumard oak and blackjack oak, are very susceptible to oak wilt and play a key role in the disease’s transmission. Oak wilt is caused by the fungus Ceratocystis fagacearum, which spreads its spores from “fungal mats” that form under the tree’s bark. These mats have a sweet, fruity smell that attracts insects, especially the sap-sucking nitidulid beetle. After feeding and breeding on the fungal mats, these beetles fly away covered in fungal spores. As they visit other oaks, they spread the fungus through open wounds in the bark. The nitidulid beetle is only about the size of a pinhead, but is capable of flying as far as a mile away. While red oaks are the most susceptible to oak wilt, all oaks can become infected. Oak wilt has claimed the lives of thousands of trees in Central Texas and beyond. Majestic oaks play a large role in this region’s beauty and identity; it would be hard to imagine the Hill Country without them. They are an iconic part of many local businesses and neighborhoods, providing shade, beauty, and higher property values. Following simple preventive measures can go a long way towards stopping the spread of this destructive disease. From February through June, avoid all pruning or cutting of oaks – this is the high season for oak wilt transmission. Any wounds that occur from construction, vehicles, wind, etc., should be painted as soon as they’re discovered – ideally within ½ hour of being cut – with commercial tree wound dressing or latex paint. That includes freshly cut stumps and surface roots. Pruning is least risky during the coldest winter days and extended hot periods in mid to late summer. Any time you prune though, the Texas Forest Service recommends painting all wounds and sanitizing pruning equipment between trees using denatured methyl alcohol (shellac thinner), isopropyl alcohol, or a general purpose household disinfectant such as Lysol, Listerine or Pine-Sol. Household bleach is not recommended.

The Jester Warbler - February 2022

Fungal mats usually form on standing trees, but can also develop on logs, stumps and fresh firewood cut from infected oaks. Make sure to remove and either burn or bury infected oaks to prevent mats from forming, and never store unseasoned wood from infected trees near healthy oaks. The second way oak wilt can be transmitted is through the roots. Live oaks tend to grow together in dense mottes with interconnected roots, so the fungus can be transmitted easily among them. Oak wilt is occasionally transmitted through red oak roots as well, but the movement is slower and occurs over shorter distances than with live oaks. Root transmission can be prevented by cutting trenches four feet deep between infected and healthy trees, but by far the best option is to prevent infection in the first place. So make sure NOT to prune oaks between February 1 and July 1, and ALWAYS paint wounds on oaks no matter what time of year it is. For more information on preventing and treating oak wilt, please visit texasoakwilt.org, the website of The Oak Wilt Information Partnership, a project of the Texas A&M Forest Service, the Forest Health Protection branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service and the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin.

Jester Estates

The Jester Warbler - February 2022

Jester Estates Return of the Hummingbirds

Submitted by Jeremy Hull and Johanna Arendt, Travis County Balcones Canyonlands Preserve

The distinctive hum of wings and a small dark green flash zipping by is often the first thing you notice when a hummingbird is around. The tiniest of all birds, hummingbirds are super fast, energetic, and great fun to watch in your backyard or while on the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve. The two most common hummingbird species you will see in Steiner Ranch are the black-chinned and the ruby-throated hummingbirds. They are easy to attract to your home garden, and since they typically show up in very early spring, now is a great time to put your nectar feeders out. They will be hungry after their long migration north, and will appreciate the extra food. See the inset below for some feeder tips. Feeders can provide great entertainment, especially when they are put near a window or on a porch where they are easy to see. But the best source of nectar for hummingbirds is actually native flowering plants, which also benefit from the hummingbirds’ pollination services. Hummingbirds prefer flowers that are tubular in shape, have a lot of nectar, and are brightly colored – especially red or orange. The Wildflower Center has a list of 30 native hummingbird plants for Central Texas, which can be found on their Collections page: https://www. wildflower.org/collections/ A few of our favorites are red yucca, tropical sage, Texas lantana, Turk’s cap, lemon beebalm, and rose pavonia (pictured below). Besides nectar, hummingbirds also eat insects including mosquitoes, gnats, fruit flies, and aphids, so they’re a very charismatic form of pest control. Join us for our next Wild Neighbors webinar on February 18th to learn more about these fascinating birds with Dr. Tania Homayoun from Texas Parks & Wildlife. Check out our Facebook page for the link to sign up (https://www. facebook.com/traviscountybcp) or email Johanna.arendt@traviscountytx.gov. You can also get lots of hummingbird information from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology (https://www.allaboutbirds.org/) and the National Audubon Society (https://www.audubon.org/news/hummingbird-feeding-faqs). For more information about the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve, please visit https://www.traviscountytx.gov/tnr/nr/bcp. Tips for Hummigbird Feeders • Make your sugar-water mixture one part sugar to four or five parts water. Bring the solution to a boil, then let it cool before adding it to the feeder. • Only use refined white sugar – not honey, artificial sweeteners, brown sugar, etc. • Do not add red food coloring to your sugar-water. • Thoroughly clean and refill you feeders once a week, and more frequently during warm weather.

Black-chinned hummingbird on Turk’s cap. Photo by Heather Valey.

The Jester Warbler - February 2022

Submitted by Jordan Johnston

Our landscapes are shifting to a different season. Many of our lawns, shrubs and trees have already started to transition into a slower pace of life. As you have probably already seen, many trees will shed leaves as they move deep within to conserve energy and focus on root growth below the surface. Many turf and ornamental grasses will turn brown as they go dormant. During this slower landscape season, we still need to be diligent in our management of landscape areas. Unfortunately, there are weeds out there that like this cooler wetter season and like to grow in our flowerbeds and lawns. Fortunately, you can fight back! By using different management tools you can protect your lawns and beds so they are ready for spring. Some preventive measures to take to protect your landscape during this season. • Use of hardwood mulches in your beds. A layer of mulch in your bed acts as a natural barrier to prevent seeds from germinating. It also acts like a blanket to protect your plants roots during cool days and nights. • Reducing, or turning off irrigation. With your plants and turf going dormant, they are burning less fuel and don’t require as much water. The rain we do get this time of year is typically enough to sustain your plants and grass. When we water this time of year we are encouraging the growth of the weeds we don’t want! • Keep a weather eye out for freezing temperatures – Especially “Hard Freezes” where the temperature drops below 28 degrees for over 4 hours. You will want to bring in any potted plants and cover up those that are less hardy.

• Hand pull the weeds before they start to produce seed heads. By removing the weed before it produces seeds you can reduce the opportunity for the weed to germinate again in a different location of the landscape. • Applying a post emergent herbicide to your landscape. This product is designed to target specific weeds and ignore your turf grasses.

• Put them in an easily accessible spot so they are easy to clean and refill.

Winter Landscape and Irrigation Tips

Some prescriptive measures you can take if you are noticing weeds in your landscape area.

• Place your feeders less than five feet or greater than 15 feet away from windows to reduce the risk of collisions.

• Prepare to see and hear hummingbirds fighting amongst themselves over the territory around the feeder.

Residential Landscaping Tips

• Reducing, or turning off irrigation. By doing this you remove one of the key elements weeds need to grow. Rose pavonia photographed by Kaitlin Lopez

Jester Estates

The Jester Warbler - February 2022

Jester Estates PO Box 1148 Round Rock, Texas 78680

The Jester Warbler - February 2022