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
Yesterday’s finds were great. The orchids were the highlight of the day’s adventure, but certainly not all. The following are some of the other highlights. It just blows me away that the remains of these creatures lived some 145-100 millions years ago and that most all of our area was under the sea. Mussels and…
This cool and cloudy day meant the insects were not moving much so easy shots. American Bumble Bee (Bombus pensylvanicus) was right where I left it when I returned four hours later. And again it was still on the gayfeather at 3pm. Harvestman (Leiobunum vittatum) was cooperative as well. Pearl Crescent (Phycoides tharos) Common Meadow…
The Blue-faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum ambiguum) is a colorful fellow. The male sports the blue eyes and the red with black rings on the abdomen. The female has brown over gray eyes and the abdomen is tan with blackish incomplete rings mostly. A delightful find! This Crab Spider (Thomisidae) waiting for a meal on Eryngo (Eryngium…
It was a slow start to this morning, literally. LOL The common garden snails (Cornu aspersum) can move at a lightning speed of .029mph. Not sure if the above two snails are that species but they were not moving very fast. Correction: The one without a shell is a slug not a snail. Snails…
Every day, twice a day, the local Canada Geese fly by first one way, then back. The flock has grown from just two in the spring to about 35 now. Eryngo (Eryngium leavenworthii) Meshweb weaver spider and insect prey A hundred is my guesstimate of the millipedes on my backporch. Closeup Corn Earworm (Helicoverpa zea)…
But no photo 🙁 First one I have ever seen one here at our place. So it was pretty exciting. Of course, my phone was in my pocket when it was disturbed and flew. Bold Jumper (Phidippus audax) looks like it is ready for Halloween? This Banded Argiope (Argiope trifasciata) is a male. He is…
Yesterday, after we climbed out of the creek bed, we walked along the top of the mesa in the prairie. So the following are a few things that capture my eye on the top of the mesa. Gayfeather (Liatris mucronata) with a Meshweb weaver (Dictynidae) web under the blooms. Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae) on Gayfeather. We…
Today, we went back to find the head waters of this unnamed creek we had been exploring for the last few weeks. You know, the same one in “up a creek” post, but ran out of time to continue that day. Success today! Barely got going and came across several of these beautiful Lecanora species…
Yesterday, I said that I might be able to find an answer on the little white bug on the Maximillian Sunflower. I think I got it. Here it is again so you don’t have to go back to previous post. It is an Ensign Scale (Ortheziidae). Family was as close as I could get. There…
Every year the Native Plant Society of Texas recognizes organizations and individuals. The Shirley Lusk Memorial, honors a citizen scientist for collecting and preserving Texas native plants for public education by providing outstanding contribution of herbarium voucher specimens. Jeff Quayle is recognized this year for his collection of over 1000 herbarium specimens stored at the…