TGIF...Ya just gotta love'em!

Most likely I am in the minority, but I still happen to like those old familiar lovebugs. You might even say I love them.

I remember as a kid holding out my arms, closing my eyes (and hopefully my mouth) and just letting them “fly right through me”. If they landed on you, it was cool, you could just watch them crawl around for a while and then they would be on their way.

No bite, no sting, no smell, no mess and no yucky germs. All of us kids knew that this one thing was harmless; our parents had put the stamp of approval on lovebugs. I must admit, though, that this is the same generation that actually let us go outside barefoot all summer long.


Lovebug pairs (Plecia neartica) on Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans)

Recently, I am finding out that many people either love these little guys or they hate them. Not much middle ground here. As a licensed driver in the state of Texas, I am not always thrilled with them, but I can certainly co-exist with them.

People complain that they are a nuisance… well, of course, they are a nuisance when we barrel down the road at 70 mph running into them by the thousands. Somehow, I always felt for the lovebug and hoped I was not solely responsible for the demise of their entire population. (Obviously, not the case.)

They cannot be avoided, so during lovebug season we wash our car, windshield, headlights and front grill more often. Also, we can drive slower or drive at night when the lovebugs are not out. I hope to get some “fan mail” about this: I have not ever personally heard of someone’s car overheating due to lovebugs.

By 1940 reports from Galveston claimed they were well established along the Texas and Louisiana coast. Lovebugs might have arrived by boat through the port of Galveston or migrated from South America.

Lovebugs spend most of their life in larvae form, their larvae help aid plant growth by recycling organic plant matter. Twice a year many southern states see an over abundance of lovebugs, however, they have not migrated to the northern states due to the colder temperatures.

Lovebugs do not harm crops, animals or humans. I think our parents were right, so I will continue to give lovebugs my stamp of approval. Honestly, as far as a prolific invasive species, I think we got very, very lucky. TGIF!

Lovebug (Plecia nearctica)
Size: ½ inch
Features: Black with red or orange area on top of the thorax. Smoky colored wings. Generally seen as a pair, male and female flying together.

May I see some ID please?

Many creatures employ some form of protection; after all, it really can be a jungle out there. Sometimes their methods of protection are quite obvious, while other times not.

When I spotted this “Mr. Yuk” green caterpillar, in all of its glorious spiny-ness, I thought it had “Do Not Touch!” written all over it. Going with my gut instinct, I took a few photographs and my newfound friend and I mutually parted ways.



Finding out the true identity of Mr. Yuk might be a challenge, yet it’s all part of the fun. Most libraries and bookstores carry nature field guides that range from broad to very specific locations and species.

The library is a good way to “try before you buy”. Various guides are set up differently and you might have better luck with one that you enjoy and feel comfortable using.

I tend to gravitate towards the guides with lots of pictures, otherwise, I become very frustrated attempting to decipher Latin with only an index of scientific names to go by. If I knew the name, why would I be looking in the field guide?

Generally, I am just trying to get a picture of a creature and do not take the time to look it up while in the field. Hopefully, if I get a good enough record of it, I will be able to identify it later.



If you are not taking pictures, it is just as easy to make a simple sketch and write a few notes in a small notebook, this will assist your memory later. Sometimes the kids like to do this also. I take notes on wildlife that I cannot possibly get a picture of because I still love seeing and hopefully identifying it.

Another option is an online search. In this case, because Mr. Yuk is a bug, my first choices would be BugGuide.net and What'sThat Bug?

Two quick things to explain: 1) If you or your child has an avid interest in bugs, you can spend hours on these sites 2) Before requesting an identity for your bug, take time to look at the site archives. Chances are you might figure out the ID on your own.

Obviously, there are dozens and possibly hundreds of sites; this is simply where I choose to start. I have also been known to desperately type in “black and red bug + Texas”. It worked... but that is another story I will save for later.

FYI: Mr. Yuk is actually the caterpillar, or larvae form, of the Io Moth. I find it absolutely fascinating that after metamorphosis Mr. Yuk will look like THIS!

Also, the gut feeling was right. This particular caterpillar has two types of spines. One will produce a stinging sensation and the second set can actually puncture and remain in the skin.



Io Moth (Automeris io)
Caterpillar: Bright green with distinctive red and white stripe.
Adult: Two inches in length.
Will spend winter in a cocoon and emerge in late spring/early summer.
Io Moth: 2 -3.5 inch wingspan, considered one of the smaller silkworm moths or Saturnids.
Features: Adult moths have eyespots on their underwings.
Io (Eye Oh) is a female character in Greek Mythology.

TGIF... the envelope please!

TGIF! And now… the moment we have all been waiting for. The envelope please… and the winner is… the Tricolored Heron!



The Tricolored Heron is dark heron with white underparts. With absolutely stunning coloration, this heron is always in style. This raving beauty is identified by a long slender neck and long yellowish bill with a dark tip. Although a graceful bird, it often wades “belly deep” hiding yellow legs underneath the water.




The Tricolored Heron (Egretta tricolor) is often confused with the Little Blue Heron (Egretta caerulea), I may have made this exact mistake, but for now, this is my story… and I am sticking to it!

Height: 24-26 inches
Wingspan: 36 inches

Snowy Egrets make for a Snowy Exit!

Rambling aimlessly on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, just after crossing the toll bridge from Galveston Island to Freeport, I see a large flock of Snowy Egrets roosting right along the roadside.


Pulling off the road quietly, getting out of the car slowly and quietly, walking to a good, clear spot… oh so quietly. I certainly do not want to disturb them. They are in their own little world, in their own habitat.

Yes! I get one shot; zoom in closer for a second shot, “click”, all is good. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, a couple of cars whiz loudly down “my” road and all of my nicely posed Snowy Egrets make for a quick Snowy Exit!





Well, at least these guys stuck around for another photograph.

I can’t tell if they were incredibly brave, or if they just looked up from their preening, completely confused asking: “Hey! Where did everybody go?”

How is that for anthropomorphizing?
New word for me. Defined as: to ascribe human form or human attributes to an animal, plant or object.

Snowy Egret (Egretta thula)
Height: 22-27 inches
Wingspan: 38-45 inches
Identifying features: Long slender black bill.
Black legs with bright yellow “slippers”.

Due to their fine feathers, especially during their nuptial plumage, they were hunted relentlessly during the late 19th and early 20th centuries by commercial plume hunters.

A is for Alligator! Or one BIG Lizard!

American Alligator (Click for larger view - if you dare!)

The American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) is a semi-aquatic reptile native to Texas. The name alligator comes from the Spanish word "el lagarto" which means lizard. WOW!! That's one big lizard! Alligators have been reported as long as 19 feet, however, a large adult is usually closer to 10 or 12 feet long.

Alligators in Texas can be found in rivers, lakes, canals, marshes, swamps and bayous. However, don't rule out any body of water, I have seen them in livestock ponds and heard of them taking up residence in golf course ponds.

Because alligators are reptiles, they are considered to be a cold-blooded animal. This means an alligator is limited to how much it can control it's own body temperature. On warm days you may spot an alligator lying out on a log or a river bank "sunning" itself. At other times, an alligator will be completely submerged with only it's nostrils and eyes barely above the water.



It appears the general rule concerning an alligators diet is... any animal it can catch, is an animal that it will eat. Prey includes fish, softshell turtles, snakes, wading birds, otters, raccoons and occasionally white-tailed deer. ALWAYS keep pets away from any body of water that might contain an alligator. They may appear to be sleeping, but an alligator is always aware of it's surroundings and can move extremely fast when it decides to.

Alligators and humans: According to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department alligators rarely attack humans. It is suggested to stay at least 30 feet from all alligators that you may see and never to attempt to feed one. It is reported that most alligators that might pose a problem are ones that have been fed by humans. This causes an alligator to associate humans with a free meal and to lose their fear of humans, which are their only predators.


There are a number of areas to view alligators, all of these photographs were taken at the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge. I have a very healthy respect for alligators, large and small, these photographs were taken with a long telephoto lens! Brazos Bend State Park is also home to an untold number of alligators, I have numerous photographs from this park that are currently on hold for a project, but I will post them when I can.



This is the boardwalk that I was on for the alligator picture above. At the far left you can see part of an interpretive sign that gives information about, you guessed it, alligators. The small wooden structure is a conveniently located wildlife blind. I turned around to take this last shot as we were all headed quickly back to the car due the black storm clouds rolling in.

TGIF... Thank God It's Flyday!

Unidentified Dragonflied Upper Gulf Coast (Click for larger view)

I know of very few people that are not thrilled to see Friday roll around. In our current society, the work week and the school week for most of us ends on Friday... Whoo Hoo! In honor of such a momentous occasion, I will be sharing some of my favorite pictures each and every Friday.

However, there's a twist. It is now officially (at least on this site) known as "Flyday". A coveted guest appearance on Flyday is open to any animal that has two or more wings.

The original reason behind this blog was to share many of the images that I continually filed away to never-never land (aka: external hard drive) without ANYONE else seeing them. Flyday is a chance for these wonderful winged creatures to really show their stuff.

There is one thing I must admit up front... I already have a favorite. Dragonflies! In my own personal opinion, dragonflies rule and my image files are overflowing with dragonfly pictures due to this bout of favortism. Come on be honest, all of us have favorites, well, except your own mother if you have brothers & sisters.

You know of people who are REALLY into birds or butterflies or even snakes. Well, I just happen to like dragonflies. Nothing fanatic, though. I will try my best to be non-partisan during the (s)election process. TGIF!!!

Beat with an ugly stick? No way!

Recently a friend sent a picture of a walkingstick that she saw on her property near Bastrop, Texas. I have to admit that I have always thought walkingsticks were some of the coolest insects around. However, I have not seen very many of them and I attribute this to the fact that they honestly do look like sticks. A pretty good camouflage trick... if you are in a tree just look like a twig!

Well, the interesting thing about this particular walkingstick is that it looked more like a limb or even a tree trunk. It looked HUGE! Not sure this one could camoulage itself if it tried.

A quick look at Bug Guide let me know that, yes, Texas is indeed home to a species known as the Giant Walkingstick. Why does this not surprise me? The Giant Walkingstick (Megaphasma dentricus) grows up to 7 inches long and is the longest insect in the United States.

Please understand, there is nothing wrong with the original picture. In fact, it was very good and I certainly plan on posting it. However, as a photographer I am a collector... I collect images. This means that I have a burning desire to take my own picture of a Giant Walkingstick. So, I will continue my research (in order to improve my chances of locating one), then off to Bastrop in search of said large insect.

One reason that I am writing about this now is because I believe life is in the journey, not the destination. Whether or not I find a Giant Walkingstick is not the point. Not only will I enjoy the search, but I will also enjoy the planning, the research and the anticipation of the trip. I will definitely enjoy visiting with an old friend and then we will both enjoy telling stories (probably for years) about the ones we found or about the one that got away! I promise to let you know.