Flying Around

Listen at dusk and at night for the rolling, seemingly endless call of the Chuck-will’s-widow. For months, I have been searching for the sound I've been hearing at a distance. It's loud and its voice carries. Finally, I can put a name to the bird sings ALL night long so when he's on a roll, we have to keep our windows closed. Also, flying around our bird feeder lately is this lovely little House Finch. I love its red plumage. And above all, the most amazing sight I've seen was a wild Mama Black ShoulderPeacockand her little peachicks. Earlier this week, she and her chicks were in the road near my house. I of course stopped and patiently waited as she and all her chicks crossed the road. Such an adorable sight. Especially the last one who straggled a bit behind and then hightailed it across the road.

Birds and Butterflies

It's that time of year again. For the last month, Austin and the Hill Country has seen an influx of butterflies - all colors but mainly the Monarchs. I've also seen a lot more activity at the bird feeders. Hummingbirds, cardinals, doves, cowbirds, chickadees. I was pleasantly surprised to the see the return of Mr. and Mrs. Painted Bunting. Seems like it's early for them but we're happy to see them. I also periodically hear our neighborhood peacock but no sightings yet.

Dangerous Drought

We're experiencing the one of the worst droughts in central Texas history. Everyone is being encourage to conserve water and energy. Our gardens are non-existent. Our yards are brown and the grass it so dry it crunches when you walk on it. Wildlife is desperate for water as all the creeks are dry. I have to fill our bird baths every day because the deer stop by for drink. Worse, our home has well water and we don't have any fire hydrants in our neighborhood. Due to the dangerous drought conditions, the chances of wildfires are high and if one were to start near our home, we could very well lose everything. That fear resonated this past week when a wildfire consumed 600 acres not too far from our home. The drought conditions are so bad that a the sparks from a welding torch caused such mayhem! We need rain. If you have some, send it our way.

Mexican free-tailed bats

One of the best things to do in Austin this time of year is heading down to the Congress Avenue Bridge at twilight to watch the largest urban bat colony of over a million Mexican free-tailed bats emerge from their roost within the bridge. At dusk they venture out for their nightly hunts and spectators gather to watch the spectacle. It truly is a sight to see. Unfortunately the severe drought is forcing the bats to hunt earlier and further for insects. Thankfully experts report that one year won't break them.

Flying Around

I spotted a scissor-tailed flycatcher flying around on one my hikes this week with the pups and also on my ride along Creek Road. Oddly enough, this bird comes by its name honestly as it actually "catches" flies and other insects.

On the Trail

Today my dogs and I hit the trails nearby on two separate hikes and had a blast. This morning was much cooler and the dogs ran to their heart's content. This evening it was super hot, the dogs were dragging, and we spotted a coyote which totally freaked me out. I of course panicked and ran in the opposite direction. The dogs, strangely enough, never even picked up its scent. The rest of the hike was spent looking around frantically. I really must get some pepper spray. Maybe coyotes aren't even a threat but I'm not taking any chances. Same goes for tarantulas and snakes.

At the Birdfeeder

© ashockenberry

Ah, we have a new visitor, the Brown-headed Cowbird. This bird is really interesting as it is one of the few birds that does not build its own nest but instead uses other bird's nests. And, it leaves its eggs for the other birds to foster. Imagine that! Oftentimes, the "foster" parent doesn't recognize the cowbird's eggs as being different than its own or is unable to "roll" the eggs out of their nest. So, the foster is facing with risking its own eggs to raise the cowbird's. And, the cowbird produces many more eggs than a typical bird with many partners versus having just one mate.

At the Birdfeeder

My favorite bird, the Painted Bunting, has returned to our place. I love watching the male (as shown above) flitting about our new birdfeeder, patiently waiting his turn to feed. The rainbow colors of his feathers are breathtaking. I also love the female's beautiful green feathers.

At the Birdfeeder

We're getting lots of colorful birds this week. Painted buntings, red cardinals, and a green bird that I finally identified as a red-eyed vireo (above). I have yet to see the wild peacock that I keep hearing but my neighbors assured me that it exists as they spotted it in one their trees yesterday. And finally, I saw the sweetest little fawn yesterday who was probably only hours old. It was so tiny with big spots and could barely walk. Precious.

What happened to the Wildflowers?

This has not been a good spring for the wildflowers. Bluebonnets are rare these days. We hoped to get a change of scenery and see if we could find a few on the Willow City Loop outside Fredericksburg where it's rumored to have the best display of Texas wildflowers. We loaded up on bikes on Sunday and arrived just in time for the coldfront and we were sorely disappointed. Harry's was closed (biker bar and BBQ) and there were no wildflowers in sight. We did see a few birds but the only bird that really stood out was the red-tailed hawk we saw flying along the ridgeline.

Photo taken by © Don Holland, Oregon, April 2007

At the Birdfeeder

I spotted a male and female Northern Bobwhite, otherwise known as "quail", this morning at my feeder along with a couple of cardinals and plus our old friend, a golden-fronted woodpecker that loves to peck away on the telephone pole.

The male has a black and white stripe. I still think it's cute that birds stay together as couples and raise a family. Quails tend to live and travel in "coveys" for survival, warmth and well probably just plain ole companionship. Quails are gamebirds which is strange because they really are tiny yet plump. The male I spotted this morning was pretty awkward. He foraged the grass for seeds that fell from the feeder and then flew up to a limb and tried to figure out how to get to the feeder. He couldn't so he plopped back down on the ground. Although quails are prominent in this region of Texas, this morning was the first time I've actually seen one near my place.

Beep Beep!

Hmmm. This roadrunner doesn't even remotely resemble one of my favorite cartoons of all time. Instead, it looks more like a really skinny chicken. The Greater Roadrunner is an interesting bird that I often spot on walks and also at the Veloway. It coos instead of beeps. It feasts on small insects, lizards, and birds so be wary of these fellas around your birdfeeders. They also can run up to 18 miles an hour so I wonder if it really can "outrun" a coyote.

Texas Spiny Lizard

I found one of these fellas lounging in my home office. It's pretty creepy looking isn't it? My husband immediately fell in love with it (he also thinks tarantulas are cool). I'd much prefer to admire such creatures from a distance or even a portrait not in such close proximity.

Photographer: LA Dawson
Texas Spiny Lizard, Sceloporus olivaceus from Austin, Texas

Soaring above

The last few days have been windy enough for the turkey vultures to soar about just drifting on the wind. Although, I'm usually repulsed by this ugly bird especially when I see it feasting on road kill, it's really beautiful to watch it soaring overhead. They can soar for hours without even flapping their wings. Amazing. Even my dogs watch the vultures as they dip closer and closer to the ground. I'm sure me and my dogs are a comical sight just standing and watching with eyes to the sky.

Coyotes and Woodpeckers

Last night I awoke to loud barking, yelping and howling sounds of a band of coyotes. Apparently they were running in a pack chasing something. They started in our backyard and ran back and forth. Their vocals were amazing even if I couldn't quite appreciate them at 3am. I guess they were enjoying the clear night. I'm also surprised that our local coyotes travel in packs. I've always heard that coyotes were loners like in Wiley Coyote. Usually you only see one but here we've spotted them in threes. And judging the sound of their howls, it really sounds like they have an entire choir.

Today the sun is shining, the trees have leaves, and birds are flying all around. So far I've spotted a male and female ladderbacked woodpecker, a male and female cardinal, Western scrub jays, mockingbirds, and other birds that I haven't yet identified due to distance and tree cover. Spring is here spring is here!

Bluebonnets and Goldfinches

Spring is here. I spotted several patches of bluebonnets and also the cutest American goldfinches this week. Soon, we'll have huge fields of wildflowers.

Turkey Season

How weird is it that I had my first sighting of wild turkeys during turkey season? Well, hopefully they're safe here in my neighborhood although with the likes of some of my neighbors, I would'nt bet on it.

Maybe I need the coyotes

I ran the same trail today that I heard the coyote on last week and finished a few minutes slower. I felt better on the run but I've got a long long way to go before I feel good. The trail really is nice - it's so close to my office and home and it's perfect for training. 3-mile loop, 5-mile loop. Run or Ride or Both. There was only one horse/rider and mountain biker on the trail today. So much better than Town Lake!

Name that tree, name that plant

Last week we consulted with an arborist and landscape designer to help us identity plants that are in and would work within our landscape as well as identity and prioritize issues. Since we're both from other areas (East Texas, Boston, MA), we have had a lot of difficulty identifying the plants, trees, shrubs and flowers on our land. Within a few minutes, the designer rattled off everything he could see. Sure beats referring to a book! Stay tuned.

The Beautiful Purple Martin

I finally spotted the much anticipated Purple Martin at my feeder. It's so weird how obsessed I am with birds, vegetation and wildlife. I think it's because I always knew what things were in my part of the world but now that I'm in Central Texas, I don't recognize anything. Soon I'll be able to call this part of the world home. :)