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

Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) perched on a bare branch against a pale sky, showing rufous wing and tail feathers, buffy underparts, and raised crest — National Butterfly Center, Mission, Texas.

A Flash of Yellow in the Canopy

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“It’s not what you look at that matters,it’s what you see.” — Henry David Thoreau Spring migration through South Texas brings surprises, and this Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) was one of the first birds to greet me during my … Read More

Close-up of a male Red-Winged Blackbird perched beside a green wire suet feeder at Garey Park in Georgetown, Texas, his glossy black body filling the frame and a flash of red and yellow showing on his folded shoulder.

Wings of Fire: A Red-Winged Blackbird in Full Display

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Since I first spotted a Red-Winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) many years ago, I have always wanted to see one with its wings thrown wide — shoulders flared, the scarlet epaulets blazing in the sun. It was not until last month, … Read More

A male Golden-Fronted Woodpecker perched on a mossy mesquite branch, body turned upward and beak tilted toward the sky, showing its bright golden-yellow forehead, buff-colored breast, and finely barred black-and-white back, framed by feathery green leaves.

Wearing the Sun: Meeting the Golden-Fronted Woodpecker

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My visit to South Texas continues to be a source of never-ending pleasures. Whether photographing the flora or fauna, there were plenty — and I mean plenty! — of observations to use. So much of what I captured was first-time … Read More

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