Signs

Signs

 Signs give us information. Signs can tell humans information. A sign like this can give a warning and shows some shooting fool has been in the area. Signs are important sources of information for nature as well. This Post Oak leaf is a sign that a mammal is in heat. I’m sure the male critter…

Fish skeleton

Fish skeleton

The Eryngo looks like fish skeletons. Especially if you turn it on its side. Three earthstars! Not sure why this is red, blood or fungus? I don’t know. It is on a dead Live Oak. I found this cool white fungus when I turned over a fallen branch. Closer view. Black finger fungus. At least…

Four hours…

Four hours…

Four hours is how long the snow came down.  We did our first walk about 11am. The wind was out of the west so Gracie only got snow mostly on one side of her. This big snow drift was at our back door LOL. It was the only place I saw any snow on the…

Larva out on a cold day

Larva out on a cold day

What was this larva doing out on this cold day? It was only in the lower 40’s, but at least the sun was out eh. Yesterday’s stinkhorn was breaking it ties to the grass. I found a second one near by today. It seems to be in rougher shape.  Keep looking!  

Gulliver

Gulliver

Yucca seed pod all empty. Milkweed (Asclepias) seed pod and a few seeds left. Spring Beauty, makes me think spring will be here soon: after we get snow Sunday(?) …LOL Greenbriar leaf. The grass looks like it is trying to tie it down. So is this Stalked Lattice Stinkhorn (Lysurus periphragmoides) a bit like the…

Headache?

Headache?

Poor girl hit our sliding door. Jim got the first photo. This is a female Yellow-shafted Northern Flicker. You can see that she does not have a mustache like the males. The mustache is black (for a yellow-shafted)  that starts at the base of the beak and runs under the cheek. She has the yellow-shafts…

Only a short walk today

Only a short walk today

 I kinda of got sided tracked with various things. One was a real cool moss. I will share it tomorrow.  A white-wing dove feather that I found along the fence. More of the feathers. It is interesting because this is the same place that I found the Mourning Dove feathers a few weeks back.  The…

More from yesterday

More from yesterday

 Here are the rest of the sights from yesterday’s adventure. These Devil’s Toenail fossils were arranged by nature. It looks like something I would do. Nature and I must think alike. Ha Ha! This was a nice mound of a squamulose lichen on the limestone hillside. Gracies stands above the grotto with running water. This…

Splendid day

Splendid day

 It is always a great day when I get to go to the grasslands. And today was no exception with the perfect weather! This plant was my goal to see today! It is called Big-root Cymopterus (Vesper macrorhizus or the old name Cymopterus macrorhizus).  Only one was found blooming today and it was pretty small….

Birdy!

Birdy!

 Had some nice birds today. No this is not a bird, but it is evidence that the Loggerhead Shrike was hunting in the area late yesterday or early this morning. I saw the shrike yesterday, but there were no field crickets cached then. Today there was. Must have been a cricket day for the shrike….