A Green Jay with a lime-green back, lemon-yellow belly, and blue-and-black head forages along the forest floor among fallen twigs and leaf litter at the National Butterfly Center.

A Green Jay for Earth Day: Treasures of the National Butterfly Center

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I spent five days around South Padre Island and Mission, Texas, last week. One place I wanted to visit was the National Butterfly Center. I was not sure what I would find, but knowing the Center is right on the … Read More

Two Common Green Darner dragonflies (Anax junius) mating in a heart-shaped “wheel position” on a reed stem, their reflections mirrored in the still water below, at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, Texas.

Lucky Shots: Caught in the Act

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Lens-Artists Challenge #393: Lucky Shot Patience is unlikely to be what one relies on for lucky shots. Rather, you need to be in the right place at the right time. All the shots here were unexpected captures. I’ll tell you … Read More

Close-up of a White Winecup (Callirhoe involucrata var. lineariloba) flower bud tightly wrapped in bright green sepals, with soft pink and white petals just beginning to emerge, photographed at ground level at Berry Springs Park & Preserve, Texas.

A Cup of Morning

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On a recent morning walk through Berry Springs Park & Preserve, I kept stopping in my tracks. Scattered across several open areas of the park, clusters of White Winecup (Callirhoe involucrata var. lineariloba) were putting on a quiet, understated show … Read More

Panoramic view along FM 170 in Big Bend Ranch State Park showing a vehicle on the road in the middle ground, colorful mineral-rich mountain faces displaying yellows, greens, and rust-orange tones, the dramatic Flatiron peaks rising in the background, and sparse Chihuahuan Desert scrub in the foreground beneath a bright blue sky with wispy high-altitude clouds.

Nature’s Own Wall: The Case Against a Border Barrier in Big Bend

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The plans for a border wall across Big Bend Ranch State Park and Big Bend National Park continue to face strong opposition in Texas. The project has encountered significant resistance from residents, landowners, and both Democratic and Republican officials in … Read More

Sunlit woodland trail at Copperfield Nature Trail in Austin Texas framed by large tree trunks in the foreground, winding dirt path and footbridge in the middle ground, and bright open forest clearing in the background.

Foreground to Horizon: Layered Nature Photography

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Lens-Artists Challenge #392: Framing Your Shots: Exploring the Foreground, Middle Ground, and Background When Patti set the theme for this week’s Lens-Artists Challenge, I wanted to capture new photos that put her excellent guidance to the test. She wrote, “This … Read More

A Yellow-Crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) stands alert in shallow marsh water surrounded by aquatic vegetation, its gray plumage and distinctive yellow-and-black crown visible as it slowly advances toward better fishing ground.

Stalk, Strike, Swallow — Twenty Minutes with a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron

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A few days ago, I headed out to Berry Springs Park & Preserve with a couple of friends to photograph birds and wildflowers. The wildflower blooms were a little sparse this trip, but the birds more than made up for … Read More

Honey bee in flight approaching a Texas Bluebonnet flower, Central Texas wildflower macro photography

Corbiculae and Cobalt

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“The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams.”Henry David Thoreau Spring seems to be in full force in Austin, Texas. Not only are the city and surrounding areas getting covered with wildflowers, but pollinators have also started to … Read More

Paved hiking and biking trail through winter Texas Hill Country landscape with limestone rock outcrop, bare trees, and long shadows, Brushy Creek Regional Trail, Round Rock, Texas.

From Saddle to Shutter: A Winter Ride Through Brushy Creek on the S23

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Lens-Artists Challenge #391: Phone Photography So, this week, Tina leads the Lens-Artist challenge with a theme that should be lots of fun for everyone. As Tina says in her post, “phone photography … has come such a long way these … Read More

Juniper Hairstreak butterfly on Redbud tree

Chasing the First Pollinators of Spring in Central Texas

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As winter loosens its grip and the first trees break into bloom, one of nature’s quietest spectacles begins — the return of the pollinators. This featured image was captured at Balcones District Park in Austin, TX, where an Eastern Redbud … Read More

A shallow, rocky stretch of the Rio Grande flows through a wide channel bordered by golden dried grasses and reeds, with a rugged volcanic mesa rising against a clear blue sky in the background. A sandy island of sparse dry vegetation sits mid-river, splitting the current into riffles. Photographed along FM 170 (El Camino del Rio) in the Big Bend region of West Texas.

Wild Water, Ancient Land — The Rio Grande Along El Camino del Rio

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If you’ve ever driven FM 170 in West Texas — also known as El Camino del Rio, the River Road — you already know it’s one of the most breathtaking stretches of highway in the entire country. This shot was … Read More

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