syrinx

but a queen nonetheless... and positively glowing

caught in my front yard...

tags: butterflies texas queen brushfoot

gulf coast penstemon

foxgloves have bloomed and gone, the penstemon now blooming in its place, with the purple coneflower just starting to open up next to it

tags: wildflowers texas native

Huisache --- gesundheit !!

This small to large tree with the fuzzy yellow blooms is putting on a show and the monarchs aren't too snobby to stay off it, even though there are other plants more attractive to butterflies right next door.
But the orange and black does look nice next to the bright yellow and green...
and the pollen makes the eyes sting and the nose water a bit despite the allergy treatment...

tags: plants monarch texas migration native huisache 2009

but not in my backyard, fortunately.
Big news in Texas this past weekend is reported with video and everything on our favorite local cable news and weather radar channel. (If that link is stale, there are meteor reports and video at BBC and Scientific American.)
Seems a meteor hit the atmosphere and surprised a lot of people.
I was oblivious, as usual. Though I did go up on the roof and put some leaf barriers on the gutters a little later in the afternoon.
In other non-news, I've still managed to remain blissfully unaware of the final score of the Super Bowl, although I have been told that the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the other team. Amazing how ignorant you can be about American culture and still survive, isn't it?

tags: texas meteor

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