Welcome to my nature blog! I love sharing my photos of North Texas! I will keep looking out and hope you do too.
Comments welcome. Thank you, Mary
There are several non-native thistles that have been spreading in Texas for a number of years. Most thistles you will see on the grasslands are native. They are great plants that are used by many pollinators. I have previous shown you the Painted Lady butterflies that uses our native thistles for a host plant. Good…
Warning: There is a photo of a dead mammal to follow. I had read that our opossums fluorescence with UV light. In fact, I have been waiting for just such an opportunity to shine my UV torch on one, alive or dead. So alive was preferable, but I don’t often see live ones at night,…
So we always have a wonderful time. And sometimes the heart rate might race a bit. Of course, we had to see! Now this guy really made Jeanne’s heart race. She said it curled up in a tangled ball and shook it fist (ie tail) at her before they both parted ways. However, I had…
It is always nice to be back home. And in the spring so much has grown. Additionally it is interesting to see which plants appreciated the late winter and spring rain schedule nature provided. So many animals appreciate the Prairie Parsley (Polytaenia nuttallii) from bees to butterflies and more. Also it is the host plant…
What a lovely day to be in the field with Jeff Quayle! Jeff has been doing a plant survey for the owner of Chalk Mountain Ranch south of Glen Rose for several years now. Jeff organized a field trip and I was lucky enough to join the group. I didn’t get home until 6pm, but…
It was First Wednesday at the LBJNG. Ok, it really isn’t the first Wednesday of the month, but it was necessary to move the outing to a different date because I had other plans next week. Indeed, a great group! And furthermore, another fabulous day on the LBJ grasslands! 1,000-Plus Years of Tree Rings Confirm…
Going out with other folks can lead to increasing one’s knowledge. And thanks to Suzanne, I now know what the stub of the plant was in the post East Side. Unlocking secrets of the honeybee dance language – bees learn and culturally transmit their communication skills Keep looking! The more you know, the more you…
So many wonders to find on the grasslands! In win for butterflies and loss for Texas Republicans, feds move to protect rare plant This Strange Ancient ‘Fossil’ May Not Have Been Left by Any Living Thing The Predatory Slime Mold From The Last of Us Isn’t Actually a Fungus – It’s Weirder Keep looking! The…
Turning at the small grotto, I worked my way along the east hillside above the ravine. This was one I wanted to watch for a moment, the Spotted Cucumber Beetle (Diabrotica undecimpunctata). Its little antennas were so wiggly. At the end of the seedhead, it stayed only a moment longer. Then it headed back down….
The Clouded Sulphur emerged on January 21. Of course I was ready for it since the chrysalis changes colors as you saw in yesterday’s post. So with cat out of the bag, it was time to release it! Spring will be here before you know it. Of course today feels more like winter. We even…