texas wildlife: Homeless in Cibolo, Texas
- 08/04/13 12:25 AM
I made two Cibolo families homeless this morning before I even had my coffee. I knocked down two wasps' nests with water from the hose first thing this morning because supposedly they can't see very well, although by the time I got into the back yard the sun was up. They had built two nests on the walls under the roof of the covered patio. A wasp stung me a couple of months ago when I was innocently watering a plant, which was not pleasant; but I didn't retaliate. Now the nests are a lot larger and my handyman needs to … (2 comments)
texas wildlife: Trying something different and seeing something new
- 03/03/13 01:03 AM
This winter hasn't turned out to be particularly harsh, and there are lots of berries and seeds still left for birds to eat. But we didn't know that back in January, so for the first time we hung a bird feeder out on the back porch. It's a net bag filled with thistle seeds, and it has attracted quite a following.
We had never seen these birds in our garden in Cibolo/Schertz before, and I identified them as lesser goldfinches. There seem to be at least five of them visiting the bird feeder, and it has to be refilled every … (9 comments)
texas wildlife: Hawk soars in the skies over San Antonio, Texas
- 08/01/11 02:42 AM
As you may know, Texas is undergoing a severe drought and heat wave. The approach of tropical storm Don toward the Texas gulf coast this weekend got my hopes up that we would get some significant rain in San Antonio, but it was not to be. The wind came up and there were some promising clouds that looked as if they would build into thunderheads, but they drifted away before anything could develop. This red-shouldered hawk is taking advantage of the stiffening breeze to glide above the woods to spot some prey. The unrelenting drought has forced all the wildlife in … (7 comments)
texas wildlife: Red dragonfly brightens up a gloomy day
- 01/16/11 09:57 AM
I found a photo of a red dragonfly I took a couple of years ago: Since the weather in Schertz/Cibolo is still overcast and dreary, it's nice to be indoors working at my computer today. I will need to pull a lot more weeds once it clears up. It's even better to be inside when I have some photos of one of my favorite insects to look at. They remind me that soon spring will be here and I'll be able to see dragonflies in my garden again.
What else can I tell you about dragonflies, my favorite insects? How about some basics? - They belong to the order Odonata, which means "toothed ones." - There are 2,874 species of dragonflies worldwide, of which only 316 inhabit the United States. - The largest modern-day dragonfly is the Australian Giant Petaltail, with a wingspan of up to 6.3 inches. The dragonfly above, perching perilously close to the spider web, is somewhat smaller than that! Someday when I go to Australia I'll look for his giant cousin. … (11 comments)
These photographs of hummingbirds silhouetted against an evening sky were taken when a thunderstorm had just finished rumbling away. There were three of them, doing their aerial acrobatics and trying to prevent each other from getting to the feeder. Hummingbirds don't flap their wings like other birds--they move them in a figure-eight formation. This is why they are the only birds capable of flying backwards.
… (14 comments)
texas wildlife: Friday's Fotos: an often overlooked insect on a delicious plant
- 10/16/09 10:48 AM
The gray, or common, hairstreak butterfly is not an unusual sight in south Texas. But since it's rather small and somewhat inconspicuous, you may not have noticed it before. I found this one sipping nectar from the equally inconspicuous flowers on our common basil plant.
I like the subtle contrast of the aqua-blue and brown zigzag and the jolts of orange against the gray. Also notice the little tails at the ends of the wings and the banded antennae. And don't butterflies have cute faces? We don't use chemicals in our yard (except on fire ant mounds as a last resort), … (9 comments)
What appear to be orange fur or feathers on this bordered patch are actually scales. Butterfly scales are like shingles and are both transparent and iridescent. The scales come in a huge variety of shapes and sizes.
A sulphur feeding on the buddleia. Its wings practically vibrate with color against the sky! Unlike many other species, the sulphur caterpillars and adult butterflies don't secrete toxins gathered from the host plant. This makes them more attractive to predators. Fortunately, they're pretty … (15 comments)
Green lynx spiders jump on their prey, including "crop pests" like bollworms and some types of moths, rather than spinning webs to snare them. Unfortunately, they also like to dine on bees! So this family will need to be relocated to the front yard, where they can live in the lantana or Asian jasmine instead of my bee-bait plants. … (14 comments)
texas wildlife: Heard any scritching, squealing, or thumping noises up on your roof or in the attic?
- 02/20/08 01:44 AM
Today, get out your binoculars if necessary and walk around your house. Look up at the eaves and the edge of the roof overhang and the roof itself. See any holes? You might have a furry little family in your attic. Even if you haven't heard any noises, they may have entered on the other side of the house from your bedroom and you can't hear them. There are two reasons you don't want critters dancing on your ceiling: they might be the kind that chew on wiring (rats and squirrels), and they might start stinking up the place with their droppings (raccoons). You see, I … (8 comments)
I made two Cibolo families homeless this morning before I even had my coffee.
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