Getting In On The Act

I had taken the last photo of the Cardinal and turned to continue along the trail when I happened to notice this Texas Spiny Lizard (Sceloporus olivaceus) looking straight at me from a tree on the opposite side of the trail:

The Texas Spiny Lizards spend most of their life in trees. I suspect this arboreal habitat might in part be an evolutionary adaptation to avoid becoming prey to the "large, ground-dwelling cuckoos," the Roadrunners, whose favorite food is lizards. As if the danger presented by Roadrunners isn't enough, this lizard must also avoid becoming dinner for the "large, ground-dwelling falcons," the Crested Caracara.

This set of photographs was taken along the Oak Loop Trail at Hardberger Park on Monday, October 21, 2013.

Approaching the Ineffable

Monday, November 5, 2012

Medina River Natural Area, El Camino > Rio Medina > El Chaparral Trails

Today's photos:

"I went to the woods because I wanted to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. I did not wish to live what was not life, living is so dear; nor did I want to practice resignation, unless it was quite necessary. I wanted to live deep and suck out the marrow of life… ."  -  Henry David Thoreau, Walden: or, Life in the Woods

Wildscaping, A Sunday Special Edition

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Wildscaping

"Conservation and stewardship are not spectator sports. …"

"… Texas needs an involved and educated citizenry willing to demonstrate their commitment to conserving and managing the natural and cultural resources of Texas."  -  Michelle Haggerty, State Coordinator, Texas Master Naturalist Program, Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Ms Haggerty wrote this specifically for a Texas audience. It applies everywhere, not just Texas. One must only substitute one's own local geopolitical area and it still applies.

Wildscaping is the creation of landscape, generally using native plants, specifically designed to attract a variety of wildlife. In a small but significant way, the wildscaping of yards in a neighborhood can help mitigate the effects of fragmentation of ecosystems that has resulted from urban development.

The Bordered Patch, Monarch and Queen butterflies and the Texas spiny lizard pictured here are only a very small sample of the wildlife that can be attracted to wildscaping in Bexar County.

These photos were taken this afternoon at the Texas Master Naturalist Wildscape Demonstration Garden on the San Antonio Riverwalk next to the intersection of Aubrey St and Old Gilbeau St just upstream from the Cesar Chavez Blvd bridge.

More information about Texas wildscaping can be found at this Texas Parks and Wildlife link.

Love Every Moment, An Introduction

Monday, July 2, 2012

Salado Creek Greenway, Oakwell Trailhead, south

Today's photos:

This was another day when I had to figure out the best time and place to squeeze a relatively short walk into a very tight schedule. As it turned out, the when, late morning, and the where, the Salado Creek Greenway, worked out very well.

It rained the evening before and earlier in the morning, so the creek was flowing just below bank full with a swift, steady current. All of nature seemed to be relieved by the rain after enduring a very dry month of June.

The biggest challenge for me on walks like today's is to break through the distraction of the day and enter into the moment. It is essential in situations like this to love every moment. Today, I was richly rewarded.

This is the first of a two part series. It serves as a mere introduction to what will follow in tomorrow's post.