Oh my we got a little bit of rain this afternoon. I certainly was not expecting the rain. Our big total was .09″. However, Jeanne near Bowie got a whopping .9″. How an inserted zero makes a difference, eh. LOL Don’t get me wrong, I did appreciate what we got. Furthermore, I’m sure the plants did as well.
Jeanne read the article in yesterday’s post on the tarantulas. And she got a big one today! That is Wayne’s hand on the opposite side of the screen.
This morning I decided to go to the LBJ grasslands. This was my first flower as I stepped out of the car! It is Bitterweed (Helenium amarum)! A common flower that can be found the roadsides, open fields and woods and disturbed areas. Each ligules is three lobed and the leaves are linear or filiform.
Doveweed or Croton (Croton) was also plentiful next to side of road.
Did you notice this bug on the above photo? It is the Cotton Fleahopper (Pseudatomoscelis seriatus). Second one I have seen and on different plants. Therefore they must be fairly common. So this made me wonder if the critter was here all along. And then they were noticed on cotton, thus the common name. Sure enough, the Cotton Fleahopper has many native plant hosts.
As I proceeded down a trail, the Basal St Andrew’s-Cross (Hypericum hypericoides ssp. multicaulee) was blooming! Indeed, always a delight to find!
Is it a heart or a face or (fill in the blank)? I will let you decide. 🙂
The gall creatures had been busy on the Post Oak! Interesting how the creatures get the tree to make a home for their babies (larva). Furthermore, a pretty one at that!
A “nest” of tiny mushrooms!
Green American Beautyberries!
However on another branch of the same plant, the berries were turning to their signature purple!
Certainly a standout with its lovely lavender flower, the Low Ruellia (Ruellia humilis)!
Looking down inside, the ants were busy! Indeed, the ants needed to be fast as the flower will fall off by late afternoon!
I saw the well camouflaged critter on the croton then you gave us the zoomed in version and wow on both the plant and the fleahopper. Love all the closeups!
My first thought as I scrolled to the knothole photo was Barn Owl face.
I told you about my Orchard Orioles. Well turns out there were 4 of them and I had only seen 3 so far. I assume these are sibling fledglings. 3 looked like the adult female and 1 was getting some orange color. Then oh my goodness, in flashed an adult. But out again so fast that there was no photo taken. And my memory is telling me it was not an Orchard Oriole because it seemed more orange than red orange. Like an adult male Baltimore. But I can’t say until it shows itself again. Got my fingers crossed it comes back.
Yes I can see orangutan also.
Well after looking at the books I think the 4th bird that was getting some orange also showing darkening of a hood, may be a juv Baltimore Oriole and interesting that it showed up at the same time as the possible adult. There is a larger white bar on the wing of that juv than the Orchard juvs. And Sibley shows juv males getting a black front face and this one was not. Later I will post it on iNat and hope I can get verification.
It is interesting that after a drought we suddenly greened up and have plentiful persimmons that are really pulling in the birds. And the Cedar Elms are really putting on the seeds and that seems to also be a draw. It is nice to have these food sources right outside our window, like living in a bird blind.
Wow, huge tarantula! Interesting dinosaur article.
What a great tarantula Jeanne!! Lovely things as always Mom. My beauty berry from your house seems like it is going to live
Yeah for the beautyberry!
I saw the well camouflaged critter on the croton then you gave us the zoomed in version and wow on both the plant and the fleahopper. Love all the closeups!
My first thought as I scrolled to the knothole photo was Barn Owl face.
I told you about my Orchard Orioles. Well turns out there were 4 of them and I had only seen 3 so far. I assume these are sibling fledglings. 3 looked like the adult female and 1 was getting some orange color. Then oh my goodness, in flashed an adult. But out again so fast that there was no photo taken. And my memory is telling me it was not an Orchard Oriole because it seemed more orange than red orange. Like an adult male Baltimore. But I can’t say until it shows itself again. Got my fingers crossed it comes back.
Wonderful birds you are having….my fingers are crossed for you too! I can see the barn owl 🙂
Love the tarantula. Tiny mushrooms are beautiful. Good pic of them. Knothole face made me think of an orangutan.
I can see the orangutan too!
Yes I can see orangutan also.
Well after looking at the books I think the 4th bird that was getting some orange also showing darkening of a hood, may be a juv Baltimore Oriole and interesting that it showed up at the same time as the possible adult. There is a larger white bar on the wing of that juv than the Orchard juvs. And Sibley shows juv males getting a black front face and this one was not. Later I will post it on iNat and hope I can get verification.
It is interesting that after a drought we suddenly greened up and have plentiful persimmons that are really pulling in the birds. And the Cedar Elms are really putting on the seeds and that seems to also be a draw. It is nice to have these food sources right outside our window, like living in a bird blind.
So nice that you got so many nice birds showing up! And I saw the Baltimore Oriole got confirmed on iNat! yeah!