Why We Celebrate Rain Around Here

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

A much needed widespread, soaking rain fell overnight and into this afternoon. I took a much needed day off from a walk today. In case you haven't noticed, we do tend to celebrate some of the small things in life here, like rain. Water, after all, is one of the four necessary requirements (water, food, shelter, space) in a habitat.

The water level in the oxbow lake on Leon Creek was higher than I had anticipated it would be this past Monday (April 1, 2013). In spite of the lower than normal rainfall this year, the water table seems to be remaining reasonably well saturated.  Where there is water in Bexar County, there will likely be a diverse range of fauna:

Following the rain today, I suspect this small lake is now a little bit deeper.

• The first two photos are a small slider turtle that has climbed fairly high up a branch that had fallen into the water.
• The third photo is a male Gadwall. Its mate was just a little too far to the side to get both in the photo.
• The fourth photo is an "armada" of slider turtles, some with only their heads sticking up out of the water.
• The fifth and sixth photos are an American Coot on the left and a Pied-billed Grebe on the right.
• The seventh photo is a closer view of the Pied-billed Grebe.
• The eighth through tenth photos are the American Coot.
• The eleventh through fourteenth photo are a male Black-bellied Whistling Duck. He apparently wasn't planning on going anywhere anytime soon as he pulled his right leg up and tucked it out of sight against his body.
• The fifteenth photo is the male Black-bellied Whistling Duck with its mate to the right in this photo.

The Tale of Two Buckeye (Butterflies)

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

On my walk along the Leon Creek Greenway yesterday (April 1, 2013), I encountered and photographed three Buckeye butterflies. The first was perched on top of a rock with its wings folded. This is easily identified as a Buckeye even with its wings folded, as the characteristic eyespot and pair of orange squiggly lines are clearly visible on the forewing:

I encountered the other two later in my walk. Both were perched on the ground with their wings spread. Again, I immediately recognized both as Buckeyes. The first of these two is a Common Buckeye. These are the ones typically seen here in Texas and throughout much of the U.S.:

The second of the two I also immediately recognized as a Buckeye. The eyespots and pair of orange squiggly lines of the genus Junonia are quite obvious. But this one didn't quite look like any Common Buckeye I have ever seen before. Granted, in quite a few butterfly species there can be a surprising range of variation in individual appearance. However, this Buckeye was one of the most beautiful butterflies I have ever seen, quite literally stunning:

There are, in fact, three species of Junonia in the United States. The Mangrove Buckeye, Junonia genoveva, only live in the coastal areas of Florida. The Common Buckeye, Junonia coenia, can be found almost anywhere in the U.S. except the Rocky Mountains.

The third Buckeye is the one I encountered here. This is a Tropical Buckeye, Junonia evarete. These Tropical Buckeye rarely wander north of the Mexican border, but have occasionally been reported in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona. This is no April Fool's joke. I can now report having seen and photographed one here in Bexar County.

Slipping Into the Timeless

Monday, April 1, 2013

Leon Creek Greenway, Buddy Calk Park Trailhead
downstream around the oxbow lake and back

Today's photos:

Looking back through my archived posts, I realized I haven't walked this section of the Leon Creek Greenway since the end of August. It doesn't seem like it has been that long ago at all. It feels like it could have just been last week, even though so much has happened since August.  Being close to Nature alters one senses, including the sense of time, in a positive way.

If the photos posted here had been all I had taken on this walk, it would have been a satisfying experience, but once again, this is only a general impression of the experience. There is so much more, but that can wait 'til later. The experience never grows old. It is timeless, after all.

• The first photo is a close up of a Lazy Daisy flower. There must be an interesting story about how the Lazy Daisy got its name, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere. And that surprises me because Texans are (notorious) master storytellers.
• The second photo is a Dewberry flower. This must be a good year for Dewberries. I couldn't have asked for better or a more dramatic lighting than was illuminating this blossom.
• The third photo is a Common Buckeye butterfly. There will be more photos of the Buckeyes in an upcoming post.
• The fourth photo is the top of a Retama shrub with its recently set leaves glowing in the sun. The Retama is also known as the Paloverde.
• The fifth photo is a branch of a Huisache in full bloom. The Huisache are also having a very good year.
• The sixth photo is a Roseate Skimmer dragonfly skimming over the oxbow lake. There were quite a few of these skimmers flying over the lake, but none were perching.
• The seventh and eighth photos are a slider turtle. This one does not have the red stripe on its head that is supposed to be the definitive characteristic for the red-eared slider species. One of these days I need to meet with a herpetologist to see if I can get a positive identification for the various sliders I have photographed in Bexar County.
• The ninth photo is a Checkered White butterfly. This is the only one of the numerous Checkered Whites that paused long enough for a portrait.
• The tenth photo is a cluster of Prairie Verbena. There are more of these verbena in this section of Leon Creek than I have found anywhere else in Bexar County so far this Spring.
• The eleventh and twelfth photos are Dewberry flowers. In the tenth photo, a Mason Bee in the genus Osmia is gathering nectar. In the eleventh photo, what appears to be Sweat Bee in the genus Lasioglossum is on another Dewberry blossom.
• The thirteenth and fourteenth photos are snails. The shells of these snails litter the landscape. It's nice to see a couple of them alive. The best I can tell, these are Striped Rabdotus.
• The fifteenth and sixteenth photos are overviews of the trees and vegetation growing along the banks of the  creek just downstream from the Babcock Rd bridge. The two photos overlap with the sixteenth photo about a half frame to the left of the fifteenth photo.

A Season of Possibilities and Challenges, A Sunday Special Edition

Sunday, March 31, 2013

A Season of Possibilities and Challenges

"You do not need to know precisely what is happening, or exactly where it is all going. What you need is to recognize the possibilities and challenges offered by the present moment, and to embrace them with courage, faith and hope."  -  Thomas Merton

Spring always brings a multitude of possibilities. These possibilities come with all the challenges required to realize them. The quote from Thomas Merton, I think, provides the best perspective, not only for this time of year, but for all of one's life.

This set of photos are more wildflowers glowing in the sun with all the bright colors of Spring. They were taken on my walk along the Mission Reach of the San Antonio River last Monday (March 25, 2013):

• The first photo is Mealy Blue Sage.
• The second photo is Texas Indian Paintbrush.
• The third and fourth photos are skipper butterflies on Mealy Blue Sage. The skipper near the top of the flowers in the third photo appears to be a Fiery Skipper. The one at the bottom of the flowers and in the fourth photo has very distinct wing markings, but there are apparently a fairly large number of skippers that have similar markings.
• The fifth photo is Texas Indian Paintbrush.
• The sixth photo is a cluster of Texas Dandelions.
• The seventh photo is Prairie Verbena
• The eighth photo is a Dainty Sulphur butterfly on a Lazy Daisy.
• The ninth photo is a close up of a Texas Dandelion flower with a Ladybug climbing through the petals.
• The tenth photo is a Slender Greenthread.
• The eleventh photo is Scarlet Sage.
• The twelfth photo is Pink Evening Primrose growing in a patch of Bluebonnets.

A Tree Filled With Cedar Waxwings

Friday, March 29, 2013

I didn't make it out for a walk today, but I never seem to be lacking photos to post. As a matter of fact, as I have pointed out on numerous occasions, living in the Olmos Basin all I have to do is look out the window or walk out my door and I can find more than enough to photograph.

So, there had been a very large flock of Cedar Waxwings camping out at the top of the pecan tree in my backyard for almost two weeks. The first photo below only shows about a fifth of the total flock. The best I can estimate there were between sixty and ninety waxwings all together.

I went out early Monday morning (March 25, 2013) and took this series of photos as they were just beginning to fly off for the day. It's a good thing I did. They didn't return in the evening and haven't been back since: