Birder’s Lounge

I saw this scene in one of my gardens today. Gross!! Yet I was oddly fascinated. This is a Southern Bee Killer (Mallophora orcina), one of a group of insects called Robber Flies. He was dining on this hapless honey bee, and didn’t seem to mind me standing one foot away with my camera. Read the rest of this entry »

This is the second in a series of articles based on my trip to the Fort Worth Nature Center & Refuge. We had a fairly constant companion while enjoying the shaded pavilion at the marsh boardwalk. It was this Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens): UPDATED 7.22.08: Thanks to Laura for her comment suggesting that this might be an Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe). I’ve checked around and the consensus is that Laura is right. Thanks!

I have to admit that I had to work pretty hard with my various field guides to identify this bird. That’s embarrassing - I should probably know this one. What would be more embarrassing is Read the rest of this entry »

I spent a lovely day with a new friend at the Forth Worth Nature Center & Refuge. It was a hot, July day, but we spent the better part of it at a shaded pavilion located off the shore of a marsh area. It was fantastic! This article will be the first in a series, since I have so much to share from this one trip.

This is a Pipevine Swallowtail (Battus philenor), commonly called a Blue Swallowtail. Gorgeous! Apparently the larvae feed on plants that Read the rest of this entry »

If lizard love makes you squeamish, then this article is not for you! Sometimes when I watch The Discovery Channel or the National Geographic Channel, I get a little embarrassed when they show various animals of the wild kingdom procreating. Well, I’m officially over that as far as the Green Anole (Anolis carolinensis) goes! Read the rest of this entry »

Have you ever been fooled by one of these beautiful moths? At first glance, you might think you are looking at a hummingbird. This is a White-lined Sphinx (Hyles lineata), commonly called a Hummingbird Moth. Read the rest of this entry »