Archive for September 2008
September 17, 2008 | 
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If you’ve ever walked through a field full of these native Gaura plants, you would remember their delicious, sweet scent as well as their beauty. There are several species and hybrids of Gaura, but I think this particular one is (Gaura biennis). Also known as beeblossom, this plant is native to North America.1
- www.wildflower.org ↩
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This is the time of year when many birders gather together to watch for hawks. The reason for this is because hawks and other raptors, as well as many other species of birds, migrate during the spring and fall. The common term used to describe this is Hawk Watch, and you can learn all about it here. Read the rest of this entry »
I want to take this time, as hurricane Ike makes its way through Texas, to let everyone know about two bird and wildlife rescue/rehabilitation/sanctuaries that I admire and support.
The International Bird Rescue Research Center, based in California, focuses its efforts on birds and other animals injured by the all-too-frequent oil spills in our seas around the world. This non-profit organization, established in 1971, also helps birds and animals injured by the detritus of the fishing industry. I have not found any reports of oil spills along the Texas Gulf Coast due to storm damage, and I hope that the drilling operations an rigs are not badly damaged.
Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation is a non-profit organization located in Texas, west of Austin and north of San Antonio – near the city of Kendalia. It was founded in 1977 by Lynn Cuny, and has grown from a backyard operation to a highly respected sanctuary of 187 acres. Their commitment to wildlife stresses the need to keep the “wild” in wildlife. I whole-heartedly agree! Read the rest of this entry »
I introduced a new recurring theme and contest for Birder’s Lounge at the end of August. I thought it would be fun to post a number of images that I had not used that month, and challenge readers to identify the bird, plant, or animal. The point of the Inaugural Edition was to announce the idea in preparation for the first “official” ID Challenge (aka: ID Challenge-with-prize-for-winner!). I want to go ahead and list the answers to the daunting number of photos I posted – or at least, some of the answers! Read the rest of this entry »
Usually when a birder says that “fall migration has started,” he/she means BIRD migration. Indeed, fall migration HAS started and it is an exciting time to see all of the different birds making their way south. I have also heard of butterfly migration – specifically, monarchs. Last year, I had the amazing experience of witnessing hundreds of monarch butterflies crossing a lake.
I may be a little late on this, but I have just learned that dragonflies migrate too! Apparently, bird and dragonfly migration are remarkably similar. 1
- Princeton University (2006, May 12). Dragonfly Migration Resembles That Of Birds, Scientists Say. ScienceDaily. Retrieved September 10, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com /releases/2006/05/060511081713.htm ↩
