We’ve had a lot of rain recently here in the Texas Hill Country, and the combination of rain and warmer weather has brought on a seasonal nuisance in the form of ticks. And, apparently, we Texans have plenty of company in that regard. Last week, NBC’s The Today Show ran a segment on dealing with… Continue reading Got Ticks?
Category: Wildlife – Mammals
Checking in on the [wildlife] youngsters
It’s springtime and love is in the air. Also mosquitos, but that’s not what we’re talking about today. What we are talking about is the appearance of babies of various non-human species. We’ve been monitoring the progress of the red-shouldered hawk nestling that’s in a live oak tree down the street from our house. I… Continue reading Checking in on the [wildlife] youngsters
Pox in the Box -or- Skunk in the Trunk
Prey-specific wildlife traps work well unless the prey doesn’t understand the rules.
Our Neighborhood Bobcat
Alert Gazette readers will recall that I’ve previously written about the bobcat that frequents our neighborhood [see here and here]. Both of those reports arose from images captured on my trail camera, all of which were taken at night. I have never seen the bobcat during the day, although certain of our neighbors have reported… Continue reading Our Neighborhood Bobcat
Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 5)
Editor’s note: The Editorial Board here at the Gazette has grudgingly come to accept that rudimentary animations in the form of gifs — pronounced with a soft “g” — must be tolerated, much as one tolerates the annoying-but-inescapable social behavior of toddlers and politicians. That said, the Board has put strict limits on the use… Continue reading Neighborhood Nature (Pt. 5)
Home is Where the Nature Is
It’s been an interesting week or two around Casa Fire Ant, as we’ve had the opportunity to observe some rather unique natural phenomena without getting very far from home. Or, without even getting out of the house. Let’s start with that last thing, how about? I was sitting in the office working on some complex… Continue reading Home is Where the Nature Is
Better Believe It’s A Beaver
Alert Gazette readers will recall that two years ago, I documented my observation of what I was convinced was a beaver swimming in the creek behind our house. I was, unfortunately, unable to provide photographic evidence of the encounter, owing to a combination of my ineptitude and the vagaries of an older phone (but mostly… Continue reading Better Believe It’s A Beaver
The Mystery of the Disappearing Loquats
We have a loquat tree in our back yard. The loquat is native to China but has a widespread range; in the USA, however, it’s generally limited to southern states. We had never seen one before we moved to Horseshoe Bay, and even here they’re not very common, but we’ve grown fond of it. It’s… Continue reading The Mystery of the Disappearing Loquats
Armadillos R Us: A Trapping Update
Update (4/2/2020): Add one more to the armadillo count below; another one became an involuntary guest early this morning. And, yes, succeeded in waking me up at 3:30 a.m. in the process. People have been clamoring* for a trapping update from Casa Fire Ant, and I respond to nothing if not clamoring. Here’s a snapshot… Continue reading Armadillos R Us: A Trapping Update
Random Thursday (No…really!)
I can’t remember the last time I posted something to the Random Thursday category. Fortunately, my archivist is on top of things and tells me that it’s been (a) almost six months since I wrote a Random Thursday article, and (b) more than two years since I actually posted a Random Thursday thing on an… Continue reading Random Thursday (No…really!)