We’ve noticed some weird insect-related stuff going on around here. First, in the adjacent vacant lot to the west there’s a plethora of these little mud tubes. They’re hollow and they crumble to dust between your fingers, but they obviously once housed a living…something. These are the work of agricultural termites (also sometimes called desert… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 13)
Category: Nature
A Porcupine of Our Own
Alert Gazette readers will recall this post in which I recount a porcupine sighting in our neighborhood documented by someone other than myself. Debbie and I have not spotted a porcupine in the wild (other than roadkill), and it’s been kind of a disappointment. But that changed yesterday. We decided to try a new running… Continue reading A Porcupine of Our Own
The Three [Armadillo] Amigos
Alert Gazette readers will remember this video I posted about a year ago: That video documented a chance encounter with four young armadillos (and as the zoologists and/or Texans in the audience know perfectly well, the nine-banded armadillo mommy always gives birth to identical quadruplets) close to our house. Well, fast forward twelve months, and… Continue reading The Three [Armadillo] Amigos
Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 11) — The Invertebrate Edition
I hope you’re not tiring of these Neighborhood Nature posts, because I like doing them too much to stop. Or, really, I’ll stop when Nature does. Alert Gazette readers will recall that we’re wrangling a herd of black swallowtail caterpillars that have sprung to life in the parsley planted in a pot on our back… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 11) — The Invertebrate Edition
Neighborhood Nature (Pt.10)
I don’t know about where you are, but it’s pretty hot here at Casa Fire Ant. Temp on the left is inside the garage & on the right is outside next to a rock wall. Fortunately, the heat is not harshing our mellow too much as far as being able to enjoy some cool close… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt.10)
Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 9)
Caution: Snake photos below! The alarm went off around 5:00 a.m. last Friday. It’s not an actual alarm; it’s just in my head. Go ahead and laugh; you’ll be old someday, too. I managed to stay in bed for another fifteen minutes, knowing that the coffee would be ready in the kitchen by then. We… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 9)
Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 8)
Wherein a beautiful bird sits for an involuntary portrait, I retract part of my admiration for possums, we study the mysterious porcupine, and snakes are the reptiles of the day.
Snapshot Saturday…
…because Foto Friday was already spoken for. Plus, I’m a procrastinator. Here are some pictures I took. Where’s a pair of Wayfarers when you need them? The green tree frogs have been numerous lately (or perhaps there’s just one and he/she is someone ubiquitous). But it’s a bit rare to see one in the bright… Continue reading Snapshot Saturday…
Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 7)
Howdy, y’all! Today is National Intern Day and also National Chili Dog and National Chicken Wing Day, so we’ve sent the Gazette’s army of interns out for a junk food scavenger hunt. Fingers crossed that tomorrow is National Antacid Day. Boy, there’s a lot going on nowadays in the Wonderful World of Nature, so let’s… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 7)
The Miracle of Metamorphosis: Black Swallowtail Butterflies in the Making
Debbie and I have been monitoring the life cycle of black swallowtail butterflies, and it’s a pretty fascinating process. But, first… I started writing this accompanied by the dulcet tones of a just-now-repaired clothes dryer, and it’s a good feeling to know that we won’t need to employ the makeshift fan-in-garage approach (which, I will… Continue reading The Miracle of Metamorphosis: Black Swallowtail Butterflies in the Making