Summer has been busy on the deck and backyard. To attract Painted Buntings, I purchased a new bird feeder and food that the store clerk assured me was suitable for buntings. Well, so far, I have not seen one here, … Read More

Happy World Snake Day! Here in Texas, there is a common saying that helps determine whether a coral snake is venomous or not. It is all based on the sequence of the red, black, and yellow stripes. In the photo … Read More

Of all places I go, I would never have expected to see a Queen butterfly (Danaus gilippus) enjoying the nectar of Gregg’s Mistflowers (Conoclinium greggii) near the entrance of a grocery store. It was utterly oblivious to passers-by and even … Read More

As I was looking out the dining room windows a couple of hours ago, I saw a Cooper’s Hawk (Astur cooperii) fly to the ground. I grabbed my camera off the dining room table and went outside to the deck. … Read More

While walking the grounds of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center a few years ago, I witnessed several pollinators doing their job of carrying pollen from flower to flower. However, little did I know that I was going to have … Read More

This past weekend, I visited the Travis Audubon Baker Sanctuary for the first time. It was a Master Naturalist event hosted by another chapter in Austin. The sanctuary is located just 14.5 miles (a little over 23 km) from home. … Read More

It has not been too long since I had a post about Great Blue Herons. This bird is worth featuring again, especially when all photos here were captured just a couple of hours ago outside my backyard. It all started … Read More

There is a well-known rookery at Murphy Park in Taylor, Texas. Although the park is around 120 acres in size, the rookery is located in a relatively small lake. The big attraction is the sheer number of egrets, herons, and … Read More

An advantage of having a pond behind our house is that I can spend ample time observing the wildlife that comes here, and there is plenty to learn from them! I am featuring the Green Heron (Butorides virescens) this week. … Read More

Just as I did a year ago, today it’s time to shell-ebrate World Turtle Day (May 23). This year, I focus on the Red-Eared Slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) or Red-Eared Terrapin. These are a subspecies of the pond slider (Trachemys … Read More