TGIF...bonita rojo!

Cardinal Meadowhawk Big Bend Country

Beautiful red! I know better than to attempt to write in Spanish, however from the start of this site I said I would “relax” on my English grammar and that will certainly apply to my Spanish grammar as well.

This week’s coveted Flyday feature is the Cardinal Meadowhawk. Dragonflies can be tricky to identify, so this is my best guess.

On a trail near the Rio Grande Village in Big Bend National Park, this dazzling dragonfly landed on a nearby reed and stayed long enough for just five clicks of the shutter.


Because dragonflies are my admitted favorite, I can put extra images and get away with it.




P.S. My Spanish is not as bad as you might think; if the conversation happens to be about food, I can talk for hours on end! TGIF!!

TGIF...Bad Reputation?

Texas Tea Party or a Rough Crowd?

These guys tend to get a bad rap most of the time, so it is only fair to feature them on Flyday. As scavengers vultures are associated with death and decay. Yet, without vultures acting as nature's clean up crew Texas would be a very messy place... literally.

This party appears to be all black vultures, however I have often seen turkey vultures infiltrate their ranks.

In the future, I would like to include a post with more in depth information. Hopefully, I can dispel many of the misconceptions surrounding these helpful scavengers; including my own.

Texas Parks & Wildlife has a video segment to enlighten all of us in the general public. TGIF!!

TGIF...A simple decision.

Great Egret (Ardea alba)

This week’s lucky TGIF winner is a Great Egret in flight. Chosen as a TGIF feature only because I like the “feel” of this image.

It is not always easy to define what draws us to a particular image. I tend to like images that are more complex than they appear at first glance. They will tug your attention back for a second (and third) look and the more you look, the more you see. The classic shots of photojournalism will do this.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, I also like images that capture your attention with their pure simplicity. A stark and simple composition can often appear magical. Obviously, this photo cannot be confused with classic photojournalism; therefore, it is safe to assume I chose it for simplicities sake.

Simply a large white bird against an aqua blue background, photographed with a slight motion blur yet, somehow this image speaks to me. TGIF!!!

Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Height: 37-41 inches
Wingspan: 55 inches
Identifying features: Yellow bill, black legs and black feet.

Which way did he go?

Raccoon tracks on a raccoon highway?

Spotted lots of these paw prints running up and down the boardwalk at one of my favorite parks. Even though I arrived very early in the morning, rush hour was over and done with.

Raccoons are basically nocturnal, so I can only assume that they partied all night long while the rest of the world was sleeping soundly.

I have plenty of stories to tell on some of this state's most mischievous raccoons, but that will have to be a whole 'nother post.

TGIF... from outer space?

This week's lucky TGIF winner is the robber fly! This fly was found near Terlingua, Texas… although it looks like it just flew in from outer space.

Not such a far-fetched notion, considering Terlingua is a bonafied ghost town that is within close proximity (in a West Texas kinda way) to the mysterious Marfa Lights!


Click for larger image.

The robber fly looks quite ferocious, and as a midair hunter of all types of insects, it actually is ferocious.

Adults use their piercing-sucking mouthparts to inject their saliva (a neurotoxin) into their unfortunate prey. The bristles on a robber fly's face help to protect it when an insect tries to defend itself.

Although the long extension on the back end of the robber fly is often mistaken for a stinger, it is actually an ovipositor used when laying eggs.


Robber fly with meal

I have read that the robber fly can inflict a painful bite, but they say that a person has to “handle it improperly” in order to provoke it. I imagine, as is the case with many insects, if you don’t bother them… they won’t bother you. TGIF!!!

Max gets a makeover!

While rambling through the Texas Hill Country we saw spiders, lots of spiders. My favorite was a black and yellow Garden Spider that built its web right next to the front door of the cabin. Because of the close proximity, we were soon on a first name basis…we decided to name him Max.

Garden Spider

“You know, I think Max is even bigger today than he was just yesterday.” Such a comment, from a hiking buddy who admittedly does not like spiders, simply went in one ear and out the other.

Later that afternoon, I noticed that Max had a friend over for a visit. However, upon closer observation it became all too clear… Max was molting. Yes, molting. Quick, think junior high science. There was the new Max right next to the old Max!


In order for most spiders to grow, they must go through the molting process. Basically, a new body or exoskeleton forms underneath the current exoskeleton. When the time comes the current and the soon to be old exoskeleton splits open and this allows the spider to crawl out. Did anyone follow that?
Questions?


While good old Max was in no position to argue, I took portraits of his makeover from all angles. Front, back and side... man, what a poser. Spiders are extremely vulnerable after molting; they cannot readily move or protect themselves until the new exoskeleton dries and hardens.


Luckily, within approximately 30 minutes Max is looking much more like his old self.

Hang in there BUDDY!!!

The elusive Giant Walkingstick

The elusive Giant Walkingstick was most definitely eluding me. Could such a critter be camera shy? The Texas Hill Country is an entomolgist's dreamland. I saw dragonflies, damselflies and butterflies… no walkingstick.


Damselfly Unidentified

I saw crickets, grasshoppers and a praying mantis… no walkingstick.


Praying Mantis

I saw spiders, beetles and bumblebees… still no walkingstick.


Green June Beetle (Cotinis nitida)

I looked high and low, deep and wide, and even day and night. By this point, I would have been satisfied with the not-so-giant walkingstick. I had given up hope on big ole granddaddy walkingstick… so where was little grandbaby walkingstick?

Well, I must admit that it was great fun searching and I certainly added to my repertoire of bug images. I guess just like most things, you count the positives and head back out there next season… so here’s looking forward to next year's “walkingstick season”.

Alas, as promised, here is the original image that sent me on this journey in the first place.


Giant Walkingstick
Bastrop, Texas

Rain, rain go away!

Sometimes even the best-laid plans just don’t pan out. Take, for example, my trip to Bastrop... where I was to search high & low and deep & wide for the Giant Walkingstick.

Plans were made; a date was set and when the much-anticipated day finally arrived… the heavens poured! Another date was set and much to my dismay… more rain. One more date set and (you guessed it)… even more rain!

Now don’t get me wrong, rain (without heavy flooding) in July is not something that I or any Texan will truly complain about. Plants, animals and humans all need water during these scorching hot summer months. It is really only a simple inconvenience.
Texas Rain Info (scroll down for map).

Although the Bastrop trip is temporarily on hold, a different trip is planned for this weekend… if it does not rain! My destination is the banks of the Guadalupe River, just above Canyon Lake. A mere 60 miles or so west of Bastrop, right in the middle of the Hill Country, so the search for the Giant Walkingstick is still on!

On a completely different note, I am finding out that not everyone is as enamored with bugs as I tend to be. I really can’t pretend to be 100% shocked. I learned a long time ago that you cannot please everyone; however, on this matter I can at least compromise.

It just so happens that I have plenty of scenic and/or landscape shots that I can add to this site. I will not promise less bugs… just more images without bugs. Of course, if you could zoom in really, really close I bet you would still find a bug or two.


Spider Lily (Hymenocallis)
Upper Gulf Coast