New Year's Eve surpises on the porch

This almost 1.5" mygalormorhae (?) was up the wall on my porch in Bastrop Co. late New Year's Eve.

 

A virtual "swarm" of this Rain Click Beetle (Scaptolenus)came suddenly to my lights around midnight.  They are very pungent smelling

 

One Nest Box, Three Species Reared in One Season

I cleaned out the yard nest box today.  I finally was able to the see the layer cake of nests that were built within it that as far as I know successfully produced three families of birds, each of a different species between February and early July

Here is a side view of the nests.  On the bottom, constructed of mostly tree mosses, is that of Carolina Chickadee, just above that is a thin band of grasses etc. which represent the nest of hybrid Tufted Titmouse (this will appear better in the last photo) and finally the trashy nest of Carolina Wrens which filled the box.

Here a view of the Carolina Wren nest with an egg that never hatched...note the snake skin portions

  All three nests shown as layers...This nest box always produced a lot of birds...But only this one...Two others I have rarely have nests.  It has to be a matter of location.

Asters of Utley: Mecca for Insects of November

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Agrius cingulata in Port O'connor Aug. 26, 2012

This moth is on a painted 1x4" for size comaprison but out of reach.

Texas Persimmon Harvest Time

Enjoyed by Texans and Texas critters for thousands of years, the endemic Texas Persimmon is now at its peak for your favorite recipes or just eaten as is.  That is if you can beat a whole lot of other species to the dark sweet fruit does which not stay on the tree long once it ripens.   I enjoyed half a dozen this evening but left plenty for the fox and raccoon people.

Zebra Heliconian, Utley Texas

These animals are just going ballistic in the past few days...Between these and Gulf Fritillary my wild passiflora vines are now just about gone

Bastrop State Park Survey Photos for Aug. 2012

 

 

Can you Identify this toad :-)

The circular area is where a pine once stood, but the fire burned it down even through the root system....However check out the well baked mud wasp nest that surved the inferno..Must be  it was a hollow tree.

This Cottonwood and Flame Sumac are well over six feet tall, this area was barren in March.  There are zillions of cottonwood trees here, there were zero as far as I know before the fire.  There is  even a Black Willow to the left and no water nearby.

The forest of Pokeweed has set fruit everywhere. If only they were grapes.

Depiste the dry conditions, there are lots of wildflowers.   Blue waterleaf is found in damp soils and it is thriving in the ash enriched soils near the toad ponds

Houston Toad Pond

Long-tailed Skipper and American Lady nectaring on Gayfeather.

Long-tailed Skipper

Firey Skipper on Gayfeather

Aquatic color

I do not remember the name of this pastel flower....Copper Mallow?

A family of Black-bellied Whistling ducks

This is a cucurbid I do not know, not sure if it is native.