Oriel

Several years ago I thought I saw a Baltimore Oriel but later decided it must have been an Orchard Oriel. This week however, I was pleasantly surprised to see a Baltimore Oriel, which isn't all that common in our area.

Spring sprouts a renewal of awe!

Each time I visit the woods, I discover a little something that was not there before. Dripping moss and wet white-rock meet a quick flow of trickling translucent water; innumerable creatures and plants dance about. Our culture is in a pathetic state these days, where children sit and stare at a screen all day or text more than they talk with parents...how sad it is that people miss out on the simplest aspects of nature.

Of course I didn't have my good camera

Every now and then I get a glimpse of a Barred owl in a concentrated area of the woods. I came upon it in the evening but did not have my DSLR with me. I managed to get an ok shot but am disgusted that I missed an opportunity for a great shot.

This guy could see dark figures looming above the water so he rushed over and quickly ascended before realizing that it was a human and her dog staring at him.

I love spring, especially when it's wet!

I'm always surprised at how green everything becomes in spring. Why I don't know, since it happens every year! Everywhere I look the beauty of nature waves at me.

Spring is here!

I can't deny that I'm disappointed that it did not snow this winter but I am happy spring weather is here! We finally got some much needed rain. I walked through the woods after it rained and the peaceful forest was dazzling and gave me a chance to clear my mind.

I found this pretty little flower growing in the creek bed. I came across several shrooms as well.

The wild onions and garlic were quite bountiful! I picked some and used them for cooking.

A little Ice

No snow in TX this year but as usual, ice managed to hit us. It's amazing how something as simple as ice can look so beautiful.

Late Morning Coyote

This brazen coyote casually wandered through the pasture at 11am. I managed to grab my camera and took these from the porch, sans monopod. He stopped and just looked at me like I was no big deal. I would have gotten closer but the dogs spotted him and took out after him.

snipe & sandpiper

I was pleased to have spotted this little snipe, nibbling along the shore...it's amazing how well they blend in with the shoreline. Just as I approached the snipe, a rather noisy yellow-legged sandpiper came cruising in and landed right by the snipe. My timing was perfect; the sandpiper stayed only for a minute and then took off, squawking loudly.

Pelicans

I had an interesting sighting of American White Pelicans. This is the first time I've seen them in TX.

Christmas gone already

Christmas came and went so quickly. I made about a million cookies this season.

Christmas shrooms

OK, so I like mushrooms. I found some oyster mushrooms (yes, a chef's fungi paradise) climbing up a dead pecan tree. The magnificent honey colored shrooms combined with the morning sunlight was truly spectacular.

Persimmons....everywhere

I've always marveled at how rich the color of persimmons become when paired with a blue autumn sky. I was told that after a frost these little globes lose their acidic, astringent flavor; not so! I tried making rugelach with them and it was blaaaaaaaaa.

Fall treasures

There's something nostalgic about fall. The change from hot smelling, sun-baked weeds and noisy bug filled forests to the sweet smell of bois d'arc apples, decaying leaves and the calm sound of chirping birds, makes for a bittersweet sensation. I miss the long summer evenings but am anxious about color, holidays, and crisp air.

What stinks???

Hmmm, watch out for daytime skunks.

Quiet May evening yields rarity

I was able to get quite close to this American Bittern. Notice how the bird tilted its beak and head upward, to mimic the grass.

New Lens!

After 12 months of lusting after Canon's 400mm 5/6 L lens, I finally broke down and bought one! I am eagerly looking forward to photographing wildlife with this heavy piece of equipment.

Reptiles, Amphibians.....

I just happened to see this little red ear, chilling along the edge of the pond so I pulled out my pocket mirror to see what he'd do when he saw his reflection.

Later I discovered a (blue?) racer sunning itself amongst some dying yucca plants. Sunday evening I spotted a rather obese skink, sunning itself high in a hackberry tree.

Beaver

I knew about the illusive beaver who frequented our pond for several months, but I only saw it one evening in November and after that, occasionally noticed signs that it enjoyed our swamp willows. Finally it decided to show itself! I disturbed it one dreary afternoon and watched it slide off the bank into the water, and dive down out of sight.

I managed to hide amongst some trees and waited for the beaver to finally return. It glided over and shook itself off before lumbering onto the bank. I was within six feet of it, but with brush and leaves between us, I could not capture a clear picture of it on land.

I sat there and observed it for about 20 minutes, and listened to it joyously munch away. When a light rain began to fall the beaver decided to take a swim, but I caught him sitting out in the open a few minutes later, eating more willow.

Mushroom hunting in Texas

For all of you who are thinking hallucinogenic mushrooms here, it's time to put down the ipod or remote and read about morels. Many of you have been morel "hunting" before and know how tasty these unique fungi are, but for those of you who have never heard about or eaten one, you don't know what you are missing.

We found about 30 morels this spring. We dipped them in seasoned flour and fried those babies up! Discovering just one...then two...then a clump of 8 growing together..then more, in a spot which has never yielded morels before, was exhilarating to say the least.