Archive for the ‘Flora’ Category

It has been awhile since I’ve penned a post here at Birder’s Lounge, and it is nice to be writing again. Like this Great Blue Heron, I have been waiting patiently – the heron, for a chance at an evening meal, and me, for a chance to share some photos and some thoughts. This heron, BTW, was standing in what had to be frigid water, since it was about 40 degrees that day! I actually thought I saw him shivering…but maybe it was my imagination. Or my empathy. Read the rest of this entry »

What better time to write about the fruit of an Osage Orange (Maclura pomifera) than during baseball’s American League Championship Series? This photo shows that the fruit of an Osage Orange tree is closer to the size of a softball than a baseball, but I don’t have a cool autographed softball to use for comparison. This baseball is autographed by former Yankee, Dave Winfield – and his old team had a great game tonight! Instead of an “inside look at baseball,” we’re going to have an inside look at a “horse apple.” Read the rest of this entry »

Fruit on Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana)

This is a closeup of the ripening fruit on my Texas Persimmon (Diospyros texana) tree. I purchased this tree at a native plant sale about a year ago, and I am delighted to see it already producing so much fruit! If you’re reading this, you might be wondering if the fruit is edible. Yep! They are sweet and tasty – and I’ve documented what they look like inside and out in a series of photographs. Read the rest of this entry »

Ruby-throated Hummingbird and wasp

Now is the time of year when native plants shine, because they’re doing fine while non-natives may be suffering from the summer heat. I have a 3 year-old native plant garden that has really matured and is doing fantastic. It’s home to all kinds of wildlife, and is a perfect theater for nature’s daily dramas. Read the rest of this entry »

Caddo Park at Lake Lavon

I spent a day helping some of my Texas Master Naturalist friends improve the hiking trails at Caddo Park on Lake Lavon. The park had been closed to the public for a long time, but is now open again. I took my “little” camera along to photograph the wildflowers and anything else I might see. Here ‘goes!

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Indian Blanket (Gaillardia pulchella)

Boy, have I got a treat in store for you! I’ve got lots of pictures from my day at the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary, in McKinney, Texas. I took the day off because the weather was beautiful, and I thought I might have the place to myself on a weekday. As it turned out, I was wrong about having the place to myself, but I was gladdened to see so many others enjoying Nature! Read the rest of this entry »

Spring is such a beautiful time of year – I love to walk around my gardens to see plants waking from their winter slumber. The new buds and blooms bring the bees and butterflies. I’ve even got frogs, eggs, and tadpoles! I’ve got a lot of pictures of “spring at my house,” so I hope you enjoy. Read the rest of this entry »

I know that it is still February…but it is sure starting to look and feel like spring around here!

I took a walk yesterday afternoon, because it was so beautiful outside that I couldn’t stand another minute indoors. The American Robins (Turdus migratorius) were out in droves. I sat under a tree, watching them run around on the ground, only to have them twice be scattered by a raptor of some kind, swooping through the trees. Read the rest of this entry »

As I walk through the woods, I often “see things” in the trees. This is akin to how some people “see things” in the clouds, or on the face of the moon. (I see a rabbit in the moon, but that’s another story.) Read the rest of this entry »