syrinx

red robin

birds of texas: american robin. first sighting in the back yard ground level water source as I returned from behind the fence with the camera. Took a few looks at me to see whether I was a moving object or part of the house, finished drinking, and flew off, but not before I snapped a few shots, including this one.

tags: birds robin photography texas native nature american

red dragon

fly...taken back when the monarchs were migrating, over at the xeriscape demonstration garden.

tags: dragonfly photography nature

dancing in the forest

This oak tree seems to be dancing with its branches waving in motion to some unheard music. The Native Plant Society went on a field trip and this was one of the various species spotted along the trail. Some folks actually knew what they were and didn't have to resort to aesthetic metaphors to describe them...

tags: photography oak nature

...apparently drove this tree through the limestone that covers much of the surface of the land (and the land under the surface) in these parts.I might have related this story before, but back on election day, I made a presentation to a group of middle school (6th grade) robotics class students about climate change and native plant gardening, and used a slide with two mushroom shapes - one of an atom bomb, one of an oak tree crown. The point made was the rate of change - rapid or slow, and the kind of change - destructive or creative. And the changes in climate over the last 100 years due to human activities and what can be expected in the next 100 years...

tags: climate change creation dylan nature forces creative inspiration robotics thomas

I am proud to say that my 2 dogs have been trained to never do harm to the critters that wonder into our property. In fact a very interesting dynamic has happened. By training them to guard the birds that come to the feeders the birds have figured out that they are safe to feed, bathe, play, and pollinate in the yard when the dogs are there. Bonnie and Fergus can sit right up to the feeders and the birds flock around them safely.

tags: dogs nature harmony