What!

What!

What a surprise for me when I went out to the grasslands this morning. It was 70 degrees when we took our morning walk at the house. However when I reached my chosen mesa later in the morning I was sorry I had only worn my lightweight shirt. I almost came home. But since I…

Water hole

Water hole

Ah, the summer heat has arrived! Many of you may have a favorite water hole to get refreshed. We have a small pond in our back field that will hold water. Certainly it will not last the summer if there is no rain. However we do provide water for the critters at a couple different…

Seems cool?

Seems cool?

Well, it will seem cool in hind sight when the temperature reaches the forecasted high of 101 on Wednesday eh? Just saying. Although as we were out working in the field after lunch today it quickly seemed hot. 😉 Now that I have seen the leafhopper characteristics, I should check out the planthoppers sometime. Maybe…

Tied down

Tied down

Where is that rain? This was a really weird critter that caught my eye in our garden pond. Oh my what was it? I had no clue other than it was a larva of some sort. Thanks to my entomologist it was narrowed down to a Horse Fly (Tabaninae) larva. Further investigation led me to…

Wanted: Dead or not alive

Wanted: Dead or not alive

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…

Personal space

Personal space

When photographing the critters, it pays to go very slow as you approach. Sometimes they will stay put, but more often than not they leave. There are lots of missed shots when going in for the close shot. 🙂 Hey we all have a personal space right? Weird, Rare, and Everywhere Keep looking! The more…

Snack Time

Snack Time

I took my walk before lunch and stayed out longer than I thought I would. I was in our field so there was no worries about getting too hungry. 😉 Snacks are always close at hand. Selecting Plants for Pollinators by Ecoregion Research Reveals The Creepy Way Greedy Gulls Decide What to Eat Keep looking!…

Lucky

Lucky

Mitchell County is currently listed with severe drought conditions. However, they had gotten some much needed rain on the morning before we arrived at Lake Colorado City State Park. Now here comes the really cool find because of the rain. Apparently they only come out after a rain! I observed this one as it was…