S
Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall
Guest
- Thread Author
- #1
I’ve continued making observations for the 2026 Texas Pollinator Bioblitz this weekend. It’s like I went camping, only I stayed home, with all the walking, stalking and talking? No talking. I just took pictures but that does not rhyme.
I even climbed a hill, the only one around here.
After the incredibly windy day Friday, it was more pleasant to go look for pollinators and the plants they pollinate this weekend. But the wind had bashed a lot of the few plants that should still be blooming. For example, I’d really looked forward to getting pictures of Snow on the Mountain on my walk today, but I had a hard time finding any whose flowers hadn’t blown off.
Mostly little sticks, poor things.
Anyway, I’m doing okay finding things to contribute. Right now I (Sunasak) look like quite the little blitzer. However, the real hardcore participants include Texas Parks and Wildlife staff and people with good cameras who need to process their images. By the end, I’ll be more in the center.
Anyway, at least it’s gotten me out of the house. The only other stuff I’ve done is feed various animals. Spice messed up the water trough AGAIN and the rest of the horses have found the cockleburs. Apache feels it’s his duty to take over from Drew, so he requires daily work. I don’t think he minds the added attention!
It’s my duty to collect burs
The teased look is glamorous, I think.
The number of butterflies I’ve seen is larger than I expected. The Gulf Fritillary family is still busy laying eggs on passion vines, so they were easy to get good photos of.
What a beauty.
There are many tiny Ceraunus Blue butterflies yesterday, but a good number of others, too.
Another fritillary
Little Yellow
Ceraunus blue
From yesterday
From today
White checkered-skimmer
Tawny Emperor
Clouded Skipper
Of course, butterflies aren’t the only pollinators. I found plenty of bees, wasps, and other insects (which may or may not be pollinators).
Apache Paper Wasp
Another kind of paper wasp
Wooly bee fly
I can’t tell them apart
But they are cute
Bumblebee
Coarse-backed red paper wasp
Perhaps Hunter’s Little Paper Wasp.
Mud dauber!
Honey bee
Rabid wolf spider, smiling
Differential grasshopper or another one
Definitely a leaf-footed bug
Katydid who wanted my coffee
I did find a good number of plants, but not many great plant photos. This is not a good time of year for pretty plant images. It’s a good thing I know what a lot of plants look like when they’ve gone to seed!
Pokeweed, our one specimen
Texas snakeweed
Post oak leaves blown down by big wind
Carolina Snailseed
Snow on the prairie with flowers
Giant reed
Small flower ground cherry
The only rain lily in bloom that I saw
I also have to report on birds, even if they aren’t part of the Bioblitz. On Friday, with all that wind, I only had 11 species, but it was a bit better yesterday with the arrival of much cooler weather and my little buddies the White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows. Today has been quite good, with over 40 species so far (I’m writing in the early evening). The best part is that I got some photos, including a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that Merlin didn’t register.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Another view
Male Scissortail Flycatcher
Northern Mockingbird
Vultures enjoying their breeze
Black Vulture on the lookout
Not a bird.
The sparrows feeding
Eastern Phoebe
Another Phoebe
I’ll spare you the dog adventures this weekend. They were sort of unpleasant, but in the end, they’re all fine. I hope you are, too, or at least heading that way.
I even climbed a hill, the only one around here.
After the incredibly windy day Friday, it was more pleasant to go look for pollinators and the plants they pollinate this weekend. But the wind had bashed a lot of the few plants that should still be blooming. For example, I’d really looked forward to getting pictures of Snow on the Mountain on my walk today, but I had a hard time finding any whose flowers hadn’t blown off.
Mostly little sticks, poor things.
Anyway, I’m doing okay finding things to contribute. Right now I (Sunasak) look like quite the little blitzer. However, the real hardcore participants include Texas Parks and Wildlife staff and people with good cameras who need to process their images. By the end, I’ll be more in the center.
Anyway, at least it’s gotten me out of the house. The only other stuff I’ve done is feed various animals. Spice messed up the water trough AGAIN and the rest of the horses have found the cockleburs. Apache feels it’s his duty to take over from Drew, so he requires daily work. I don’t think he minds the added attention!
It’s my duty to collect burs
The teased look is glamorous, I think.
The number of butterflies I’ve seen is larger than I expected. The Gulf Fritillary family is still busy laying eggs on passion vines, so they were easy to get good photos of.
What a beauty.
There are many tiny Ceraunus Blue butterflies yesterday, but a good number of others, too.
Another fritillary
Little Yellow
Ceraunus blue
From yesterday
From today
White checkered-skimmer
Tawny Emperor
Clouded Skipper
Of course, butterflies aren’t the only pollinators. I found plenty of bees, wasps, and other insects (which may or may not be pollinators).
Apache Paper Wasp
Another kind of paper wasp
Wooly bee fly
I can’t tell them apart
But they are cute
Bumblebee
Coarse-backed red paper wasp
Perhaps Hunter’s Little Paper Wasp.
Mud dauber!
Honey bee
Rabid wolf spider, smiling
Differential grasshopper or another one
Definitely a leaf-footed bug
Katydid who wanted my coffee
I did find a good number of plants, but not many great plant photos. This is not a good time of year for pretty plant images. It’s a good thing I know what a lot of plants look like when they’ve gone to seed!
Pokeweed, our one specimen
Texas snakeweed
Post oak leaves blown down by big wind
Carolina Snailseed
Snow on the prairie with flowers
Giant reed
Small flower ground cherry
The only rain lily in bloom that I saw
I also have to report on birds, even if they aren’t part of the Bioblitz. On Friday, with all that wind, I only had 11 species, but it was a bit better yesterday with the arrival of much cooler weather and my little buddies the White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows. Today has been quite good, with over 40 species so far (I’m writing in the early evening). The best part is that I got some photos, including a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker that Merlin didn’t register.
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Another view
Male Scissortail Flycatcher
Northern Mockingbird
Vultures enjoying their breeze
Black Vulture on the lookout
Not a bird.
The sparrows feeding
Eastern Phoebe
Another Phoebe
I’ll spare you the dog adventures this weekend. They were sort of unpleasant, but in the end, they’re all fine. I hope you are, too, or at least heading that way.