chenderson's Favorites

First Bald Eagle nest in Milam County documented on iNat. Thanks to Catherine Johnson @catsanddogs, fellow ECRTMN, who has watched this nest for 5 years and showed it to me today. Nest with adult and chick.

At the alternate trail down to the salt lake Ann and I visited Thursday morning, we made another investigation and explored further, saw the lake of salt and other interesting things.
A highlight of the visit. Fellow salt lake visitors sharing the sighting of the feeding peccary with others and all quietly viewing the event. Awesome. The peccary was the star of the day!

Unusual visitor to the empty seed feeder outside my kitchen window.
2023 TX Pollinator BioBlitz Sunday Oct. 8 - Challenge B: Picture of a pollinator predator. These birds eat seeds and berries and a wide variety of insects.

Took the long way home from a Texas Watershed Steward workshop in Giddings to check on the status of a King's Highway historical marker and drive over the Middle Yegua bridge on CR 326 near my house. A stop on the way.
Zoomed in from a distance. I could not see the stock tank behind the trees from the road, but it is shown on Google Maps.

When we relocated this snake away from the house (and grandkids) it did as my snake book stated: hissed, flattened out, coiled it's tail, regurgitated a frog, turned upside down with its mouth open and played dead! We had a good science lesson with the grandkids!

Drove over to west Milam County to visit the site on this Great Texas Wildlife Trail site with my granddaughter, even though the website said it was temporarily closed. It was open to the public, however a hot morning to visit.
My granddaughter and I thought this was a moth in the truck grill at first. When she removed it, it was still alive and not until several moments later we noticed the characteristic legs of a grasshopper. Colorful wings fooled us.

Blooms waning.
I have followed this plant since December 12 of last year.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/102980874
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/103453220
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/104244652
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/104246548
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/104246548

Visited the Old Rockdale City Cemetery today for my first time ever. Old graves. Lots of sandy soil with sparse vegetation. Lots of lichen. This specimen on an iron gate post around a family plot.
Let's Get Outside ECRTMN weekly incentive - Visit a historic cemetery.

Made a solitary visit to the park as a part of our mega-physically distanced ECRTMN chapter's endeavor "Let's Get Outside!" It was a great day to be outside but would have been better with a few nature-minded companions at a safe distance.

Thought they were sparrows until I cropped the photos! Lots of them visiting the water puddle.

Stopped driving when I saw a hawk on the barb wire fence. Before I could get camera, he flew up to power line. Got a few shots before he dove after something on the ground. @mammelton provided our November El Camino Real TMN meeting program last Thursday but I sadly did not retain all the knowledge she shared with us on IDs. It was a great presentation.

On an El Camino Real TMN (socially distanced) excursion to iNat while investigating the physical status of the ECR wildscape and surrounding public area at the Milano Junction Memorial Garden with Catherine and Eric.
I read that the host plant for this butterfly species is Passiflora. The wildscape is engulfed by rampant passion vines to the detriment of other wildflowers.

Did not see the fly until I uploaded the photos. I ruined this guys dinner, I suppose.

My last addition to the 2020 Virtual Nature Venture challenge. I am just about iNat-ed out. Will probably wait till Monday to begin the NPSOT 2020 BioBlitz.

First day of virtual presentations for the 2020 Texas Master Naturalist State Conference. @sambiology made a fantastic presentation on moths this afternoon.

2020 TMN Virtual Nature Venture
Drawn to LED porch light