Today was a very nice day even if it was a bit breezy. The temperature certainly made up for the wind.
Yesterday was equally as nice. And I headed out to the LBJ grasslands. The cedars are starting to take over at this unit. Maybe it will be a good prescribed burn season for the Forest Service.
Feathers laid in my path. These were the only ones so perhaps the bird was just molting.
As I walked along, an erosion area was evident. I better check it out, eh.
Along where the edge dropped off, I found this white crustose lichen (Chaenothecopsis species). It is fairly common in this habitat along with Cladonia species and mosses.
The cedar needles looked giant compared to a Cladonia lichen!
Indeed, this green stuff peaked my interest. Was it just baby plants coming up?
Cutting one in half, I could see a layer of algae. At least I thought it was. It was pretty tiny with the green squamules less than three millimeters.
So I decided to collect it for further study!
In fact today, I did just that. It met the criteria for Normandina pulchella in the Verrucariaceae family! I was quite pleased when it keyed out. That does not always happen. Do you see the black globs between the squamules (the green thingies)?
So I put a glob under the compound scope and it was cyanobacteria as I suspected. Apparently, the Normandina often hangs out with it. Buddies!
Additionally, the cyanobacterias had buddies as well. No clue what they are, but definitely interesting.
Happy New Year’s Eve or just Happy New Year’s (depending on when you read this ;-)! I hope the New Year brings abundant happiness and good health for all.
Keep looking!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know
Your feathers reminded me that I needed to share my find the other day in our woods. I came across a cardinal wing feather then a second and a third. I looked around to see if there were more parts and then I saw it. The bottom half of its bill! The bottom bill is really freaky looking. Of course I brought it back for showing.
I thought everyone did that Mary. 🙂
And today I found remnants of another cardinal that may have been lunch. 3 tail feathers and several breast feathers were on the ground down by our horse barn. It is possible but not likely it was the same bird. Only if it was a Coopers who flew off and took it across the creek into the woods. Just thought this was odd that I have found two pieces of cardinals lately, no others.
You should see my collection of stuff I haul back and set on our porch.
Great detective work – such a tiny lichen
🙂
Very nice to see the lichen and their friends!
Hiding in plain sight. 😉
Happy New Year! Here’s to a new year of adventures!
Hear, hear!
Your feathers reminded me that I needed to share my find the other day in our woods. I came across a cardinal wing feather then a second and a third. I looked around to see if there were more parts and then I saw it. The bottom half of its bill! The bottom bill is really freaky looking. Of course I brought it back for showing.
Thanks for sharing your story…now everyone knows I am not the only one that brings stuff home. 🤣🤣🤣
I thought everyone did that Mary. 🙂
And today I found remnants of another cardinal that may have been lunch. 3 tail feathers and several breast feathers were on the ground down by our horse barn. It is possible but not likely it was the same bird. Only if it was a Coopers who flew off and took it across the creek into the woods. Just thought this was odd that I have found two pieces of cardinals lately, no others.
You should see my collection of stuff I haul back and set on our porch.
Hey Mary would you like a porcupine skull?
Kathy, No thank you. I would have thought you would be saving the skull for Owen. I would love to see some photos though.
Fascinating! I will have to be better about looking these under a microscope. What key/books do you use for lichens?
My main key is “Keys to Lichens of North America “ by Brodo. Available on Amazon.