Category: Nature Observations

Little Brown Spiders

Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Eric Neubauer

The wolf spider world never shuts down in Texas if you know where to look. About a dozen species from a number of genera mature over winter when they can hide among fallen leaves. They can be quite active at night during rare warm spells. They all look generally similar and are often hard to tell apart unless you know exactly what details to look for.

Here we have the obscure S. perplexa, which I’ve written about before. Turn it over and the white on black abdomen pattern makes identification easy. This is a juvenile male just one molt away from adulthood.

The other is Varacosa avara. I had found some a couple of weeks earlier and speculated they were this species mostly because of the strongly pinched carapace medial band at the posterior lateral eyes. This time it was another adult male, and I was able to confirm it from the spine lengths on the underside of tibia I thanks to a better image. The pinched medial band is a lot easier to see than the translucent spines, but the medial band pinching isn’t mentioned in the literature. Body lengths of both spiders are a little over 8 mm (a third of an inch).

Also seen was a much larger Tigrosa georgicola. The presumed female has been in about the same place for over a month. Previously she had retreated into her burrow as I approached but this time she held her ground. I didn’t attempt to capture her for photos since I already have a lot of photos of that species.

City Wildscape Gets an Upgrade

Sue Ann (Suna) KendallLeave a comment

by Carolyn Henderson

The mini wildscape at All Saints Episcopal Church in Cameron got some new plants and grooming, and the fight against the persimmons continues. 

Chad Cryer, Liz Lewis, Alan Rudd, and Carolyn Henderson planted six new Mexican Sage bushes, pruned back what was still blooming and scraggly, and took out a few more persimmons trying to pop up. Alan was gone by the time we thought to take photos.

The wildscape is still supplying food to butterflies, bees, and Texas Spiny Lizards which all showed themselves once it started to warm up. 

Grass pulling comes next. 

Lots of Bird Action at Wild Wings

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By Sue Ann Kendall

I’ve been making up for lost time at our Chapter’s little bird sanctuary, Wild Wings. Fall and winter are the best times to visit, anyway, since winter visitors may appear. I brought all my birding equipment for the past few weeks, so I could see all the little guys flitting around with my better-quality binoculars.

I also brought my real camera and telephoto lens, so here come the bird photos!

I got to watch a Red-shouldered Hawk and multiple Red-bellied Woodpeckers last week, but didn’t get many photos. I also enjoyed checking out the plants Gene has put in the beds, too.

Non-native tropical milkweed will be beautiful next spring and summer.

This week, Kit and I spent time at the sanctuary listening to the birds—we have heard 17 species via Merlin Bird ID this week, plus additional ones last week, so this will be a good month for our totals, which have been missing for a while due to our volunteers and their issues/schedules (I mean me).

This Tufted Titmouse on the rain chain did not judge me.

Sitting quietly in the sanctuary with all the feeders filled to the brim by our caretaker, Gene, lets you get some fine photos of whatever birds come to feeders, which means Carolina Chickadees and Tufted Titmice, and one Eastern Phoebe.

What’s in here?
A new perspective
This is high quality stuff
What are you looking at?
Phoebe! Phoebe!
My pretty tail!
Fun times with birds

The sanctuary also is home to many bees, as it’s near an apiary. The bees love the rain chain that drips into the bird bath. Look at all the bees!

They’re on the right.

We encourage visitors to the Wildscape to come on down for some peace, quiet, and birdsong.

Planting Native Grasses at the Wildscape

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By Sue Ann Kendall

All the preparations have paid off for our pollinator project at the Milam Wildscape. Our grant from the H-E-B Pollinators for Texas is going a long way toward creating just what our target species need.

The pollinators are waiting patiently for their new nectar and pollen sources.

Starting early on Saturday morning, volunteers got their hands dirty and planted many interesting native grasses and ground covers in the new prairie area.

Catherine Johnson explains what kinds of grasses have been planted.

This new section isn’t covered in plastic, because the grasses and ground covers should quickly fill in the space and eliminate unwanted volunteers.

The new area

All the different textures and colors of these grasses will provide a beautiful background for other annual and perennial natives.

Lindheimer muhly
With apologies, I can’t remember the names Catherine told me for these plants.

There are various new plantings elsewhere, thanks to all the creativity and hard work of our team.

New plants I. The giant planter
New items in the succulent area
working
Working
Taking a break
Kitty had to take a break, too
New redbud

Of course, a visit to the Wildscape isn’t complete without some pollinators. We hope their descendants enjoy all the new plants.

A tiny skipper
Painted lady
Bee and butterfly
Gulf Fritillary
Another fritillary
Gray looper moth
Honeybee digging deep
Resting carpenter bee.

There’s another workday next week, then the plants will settle in next month.

The Pollinators for Texas project is a collaborative effort with H-E-B and the Texas Master Naturalist (TMN) Program focused on enhancing native pollinator conservation across the state by promoting awareness, conservation efforts and creating sustainable pollinator environments. The initiative aims to engage communities in supporting pollinator-friendly practices through funding TMN chapter-led projects and programs.

A First for Me

Sue Ann (Suna) Kendall1 Comment

by Carolyn Henderson

I went home for lunch on Monday and was nicely surprised by a first sighting for me. A Northern Flicker was drinking out of my birdbath. I did not know what it was, so I worked on some photos to put on iNaturalist. I had to take them from inside my house through a window, so they aren’t perfect, but they’re clear. 

It’s considered a woodpecker, but it has dappled brown feathers with a red spot on neck and black markings. An it’s unique from other woodpeckers because it hunts its prey on the ground. Flickers prefer ants! This explains why it’s in my backyard. Fifty percent of its diet is ants. It also lets the ants crawl on it to rid it of parasites. I have an ant problem. Plenty for it to eat. Another difference from most woodpeckers is that it migrates. It can’t find ants in frozen ground.

I looked to see if anyone else in Milam County had reported one, and I saw the only other one was Michelle Lopez in 2024. She first heard it with her Merlin then she got some photos. 

I really enjoy finding new sightings. When I tried to get to a better window to take photos it flew away. I hope it comes back and eats lots of ants.