On Passiflora incarnata
White Morph - Larger than Snowy Egret but smaller than Greater Egret. Blue/Black Legs
White Rock lake, East Lawther Dr
Photo 1:
Papa At His Nest
This is my first Baltimore Oriole nest. Both parents were coming & going & you could hear faint cheeps coming from within the nest.
Photo 2:
Baltimore Oriole Nest
Best shot I got of the nest. Sad to see all the fishing line, plastic, ribbon and confetti that was used in the construction of this nest.
@joecoolbrew @aguilita @scardif @gcwarbler or anyone else that opines. Thots here? Is it just a Savannah without a yellow streak above its eye? The breast almost look's like a Baird's but I think that would be a major long shot plus thinking the side streaking and the bill seem wrong. But just want to make sure.
Check out this beauty!
Day # 4 - ECRTMN Weekly "Let's Get Outside!" activity suggestion: Make at least one iNat observation every day.
Good or bad, this grass population is increasing in the open area between the yard fence and the stock tank.
Had such a wonderful afternoon at the nature park -- great weather so I had to escape the computer work for a bit. :)
Leon Creek North Hausman Rd Area
City Nature Challenge 2021 Day 1: Dallas - Fort Worth (DFW). Observing at the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA).
2021 City Nature Challenge: DFW
Individual on left in second photo.
Unknown mustard quite different than shepherds purse though large population here
White Rock lake, creek between the lower spillway steps and the lower spillway proper
Unusual Turtle
White Rock lake has 2 species of cooters, river cooters and texas cooters. I often have a hard time knowing which is which and run them past a couple of turtle experts. So it is not surprising that some turtles show evidence that interbreeding may be going on. This one has characteristics of both species. It is an older male with a shell turning a reddish color with an intricate network of dark markings on the shell. This is called reticulate melanism. So interbreeding may have been going on for a long time.
Cooter hybrid (Pseudemys concinna x Pseudemys texana)
@sambiology is there a selection for this hybrid, does one need to be created?
This was run past Viviana Ricardez
Feeding on Green Antelope-horn Milkweed
This individual seems to have died of natural/non-human causes.
Brand new baby white-tailed fawn. First fawn we have seen in our yard this spring. I suspect it was born last night or this morning. Mama keeping a close watch on it.
Had to stop by the vet to get some medicine for the cats, and on the way, I stopped by a few little recreational parks. Surprised to see some of these critters there!
Came across a group of 5 recently fledged and very curious Black-crested Titmice. Note the fleshy gape. This is the only titmouse species in this area and youngsters are common this time of year. They lack the solid black crests of adults and can be confusing for new birders and are sometimes thought to be Tufted Titmice, a species some 40-50 miles east of here.
Ate my sack lunch at this little drainage ditch/creek in Grand Prairie. Lots of critters out today! :)
Went over to Smith-Wilemon Park in Fort Worth. Historically, I bet this was a really cool place -- now, it's a bit overrun with invasive species and kids smoking weed. :-/
I didn’t realize the larva was still in there. :-( The gall had the size and appearance of Amphibolips confluenta, but it was very hard and dense ... not spongy.
Very hard, found many of them on the ground under Blackjack Oaks (Q. marilandica). In trying to find the ID, I came across an observation on BG that is identical in description and appearance.
www.bugguide.net/node/view/507510
Think this is different species than our usual. Based on recent observations and conversation with @kimberlietx
Numerous fasciated flower heads.
UNT albino squirrel spotted SW of Hurley Admin. Building and N of Willis Library. April 12 9am
Very high, loudly calling immature Red-shouldered Hawk. The pale crescents in the primary bases are an excellent field character for this species. The species specific vocalizations were heard before I spotted the bird high over my yard. Looks like it is also in molt to adult plumage. Heavily cropped images since bird was just a tiny speck way high.
I think they were courting ❤
Leucistic
Young adult as shown by shorter tail and yellow rather than rosy underparts.
Appears to be a teneral form (newly emerged state) Common Whitetail. Note (faint) abdomen markings -- brown with discontinuous pale strips. Female? -- marking on wings is still transparent and weak
Remind her to check on this weird plant in another week or so
I have some video of it eating its own shedding skin, too. Not judging, though...
Conclusively ID’d with help from the Illustrated Flora of NC Texas, Sullivan 1985, and consultation of genus specialist J. Stanford.
Not sure of the difference between Star of Bethlehem and Crow Poison. Am also noticing horizontal structures on the concave side of the leaf (see second photo). Not sure what those are for. @sambiology can you enlighten me? 8-)
Spotted some nature on the way to the restroom.