A Cooper's Hawk perched on a tree branch with one leg raised and its beak open, panting to cool off in the summer heat.

Raptor’s Rest — Beating the Texas Heat

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With temperatures constantly being over 100ºF (37.8ºC) the entire month of August — except for one 99-degree (37.2-degree) day — I have noticed that the raptors in our area have been spending more time in the shade. Even some vultures … Read More

A three-image collage of Texas flowers — pale violet Texas baby blue eyes with a honey bee on one bloom, a coral-red prickly pear cactus flower among spiny blue-green pads, and tall purple mealy blue sage spikes with an American bumble bee in flight.

MNOtably Floral

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The time has come for another edition of Flora ABCs. This week, Terri’s Flower Hour #44 reaches the letters M, N, and O. No matter where one goes in springtime in Texas, one will always be presented with a diverse … Read More

Bald cypress trees along the Frio River at Garner State Park, Texas, their reddish trunks lit by golden light and reflected in still green water.

Best Ever: Nineteen Years Behind the Lens

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Lens-Artists Challenge #409: Best Ever Images This week, our guest host for the Lens-Artists Photo Challenge is Steve Hyde, of Steve Hyde Photography Blog. Celebrating World Photography Day on August 19th, Steve thought this would be a perfect opportunity for … Read More

Fall foliage at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge, with Prairie Flameleaf Sumac in shades of red, orange, and yellow and the white, feathery plumes of Roosevelt Weed rising in the background.

Yellow Hues at Balcones Canyonlands

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Whether you go on a long hike or a short walk, the sights at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge will always please you. In the fall, you have vibrant colors from the Prairie Flameleaf Sumac (Rhus lanceolata) and Roosevelt Weed … Read More

An American Oystercatcher with a black head, brown-and-white body, pale pink legs and a long red-orange bill walks head-down across wet sand on a Texas barrier island beach, searching for food.

The Oystercatcher and I — A Quiet Morning on St. Joseph Island

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We love spending time on the beach, especially when you can find a remote area where the only other animals are wild. Whenever we go to Port Aransas, Texas, we make time to cross the channel and enjoy quiet times … Read More

A Green Heron stands on a weathered log at the water's edge, enjoying the morning sun before beginning its grooming routine.

Morning Grooming

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Every morning, while sitting on the deck, I never know what is in store at the pond. Yesterday, for example, a couple of snapping turtles surprised me with their attempts at mating — I had never seen snapping turtles here … Read More

Red-bellied Woodpecker clinging to the side of a small blue bird feeder, stretching its beak toward a seed port, with green foliage blurred in the background.

An Acrobat at the Feeder

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In my ongoing struggle to keep squirrels off a bird feeder (yeah, probably a lost cause), I can report that for four days now I have not seen a squirrel attacking the feeder in its new location. Instead, I have … Read More

Female Smoky Rubyspot damselfly with a metallic green thorax and blue-green abdomen perched on a pale twig at Hornsby Bend, Austin, Texas.

Two Sides of the Smoky Rubyspot

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On Sunday morning, I met some master naturalist friends at Hornsby Bend Bird Observatory. Our intent was to photograph birds, but we got sidetracked by the insects. In a couple of different locations during our walk, we saw several Smoky … Read More

A single Gulf Fritillary photographed from above with its bright orange, black-marked wings fully spread across a large orange zinnia.

Front-Porch Fritillaries: Orange on Orange

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When we visited East Texas a few years ago, we stayed in a place with a front garden full of flowers. Sitting on the porch each morning, we were always delighted by the constant traffic of butterflies. One in particular … Read More

A Striated Heron stands on wet, leaf-strewn mud at the water’s edge, its gray-and-cream streaked plumage and yellow legs catching the light as it fixes on the shallows. Ibirapuera Park, São Paulo, Brazil, 2023.

The Same Heron, Two Continents Apart

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Back in December 2023, I wrote about my first Striated Heron, spotted while we walked through Ibirapuera Park in São Paulo. On weekends, the park’s 390 acres (158 hectares) fill with thousands of people, so I was surprised to find … Read More

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