…all over the place? They are known as snout butterflies (photo: Bruce Marlin) because they have a prominent elongated mouthpart (labial palpi) which give the appearance of the petiole (stem) of a dead leaf. Wings are patterned on black-brown with white and orange markings. The fore wings have a distinctive squared off, hook-like (falcate) tip. […]

The effects of July’s 100 degree plus temperatures were evident everywhere; bird-life slowed down, water is receding, and fire danger is rising. The birds aren’t singing as vigorously as it takes too much energy, and besides, most have now finished raising their young and defending their territories. Three out of four nesting bluebird pairs abandoned […]

As the July moon sets early in the western sky, the birds all across the area are hastily feeding their nestlings; juveniles are learning to forage for food; and the adult birds are molting to prepare for migration. The Swainson’s Hawks in the nest at Dyess have changed noticeably. Gone is the downy white fluff, […]

It’s hard to give a title to a mixture of pictures. Most pictures are what John and I photographed the last week of June and the first week of July. You’ll find an update on the Swainson’s Hawks, Mississippi Kites, Bewick’s Wrens, Lark Sparrows, and other avian assortments. Each picture depicts nature in progress. I […]

Several nestlings (birds still in the nest) and juveniles (birds that have left the nest but are not fully grown) are now appearing around our area. Parents are bringing bugs to the begging youngsters at an incredible pace. Bug after bug, anything that moves is snatched up and deposited down the youngsters’ throats. Blue Jays, […]

The exciting news this week was the arrival of two hungry all-white fluffy nestlings! John’s photos record the male Swainson’s bringing breakfast, a low altitude reconnaisance flight, and a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher escorting the hawk away from its nest at the golf course. This week the male has brought food to the female and their young […]

I thought Dad Swainson’s had a cushy job: sitting around and watching the missus incubate the eggs, bringing her some food from time to time, preening, and basically being the king of his territory. Boy was that a misconception! John and I watched a Northern Mockingbird thrash the Swainson’s at Dyess with lightening speed; dive-bombing […]

There are other critters that “nest” this time of year. Because we’re Audubon we like to look at birds but John has captured some other critters in the nesting season. A few coyote pups were seen outside their den perhaps waiting for mom and dad to return with food. If you’ll click here, you’ll see […]

Wildflowers are blooming. Have you noticed? Masses of golden Plains Coreopsis (Coreopsis tinctoria) were nestled in a low spot out on the golf course at Dyess. Then I spotted this Golden-fronted Woodpecker with a deformed or broken bill. You hardly ever notice nature’s imperfection because nature is not very kind to the weak, the deformed, […]

One day last week I documented these Bewick’s Wren eggs in a nestbox at Dyess. I noticed one egg appeared slightly bigger. Was this an illusion or was it actually bigger? After perusing the internet for pictures of cowbird eggs, I came to the conclusion that this egg was a Brown-headed Cowbird’s egg. As everyone […]