Cool new moth

Just happened to spot this moth on the underside of a Simpson rosinweed leaf yesterday. I nearly missed it because it blended in so well with its transparent wings. Ross Hill on Bugguide.net identified it right away for me: four-spotted palpita (Palpita quadristigmalis). I submitted this sighting to Butterfliesandmoths.org.

Another awesome find by James

James found what we believe to be the nest and eggs of the endangered golden-cheeked warbler (Setophaga chrysoparia) on our land! If you think we're wrong, please don't hesitate to let us know.

Good catch, James!

Look what James found on our land northwest of Blanco! I'm so excited! This is a ratany (Krameria lanceolata), also called trailing krameria crameria, prairie sandbur, and trailing ratany. I think they're rather unusual. Last July, if you'll recall, I spotted one growing near Cross Mountain in Fredericksburg. Ratany is a member of the Krameriaceae (ratany) family. Go to Wildflower.org, and you'll find only four species listed.  

Meadow scenes

Indian blankets and other wildflowers are in high blooming gear across the Meadow.

Greenthreads

Prairie verbena

A bee nectaring on an Indian blanket, loaded with pollen.

What's blooming

A LOT!

We first became acquainted with heartleaf skullcap at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin.

Wedelia

Purple salvia

Salvia 'Eyelash' and Texas betony

Butterfly gaura

American beautyberry (left) and more salvia 

Shasta daisies

Squarebud primrose and Texas betony

Winecup, 'Amazon' dianthus and pink evening primrose

Common yarrow

Bee on longwood blue

More of 'Amazon' dianthus

Sedums

Pearl milkweed vine

 

 

Mexican oregano

Take a look at the volunteer peach tree and pumpkin (squash?) vines growing in our compost pile!

Oxalis in full swing

Maximilian sunflowers are gonna put on a BIG show later this year! There's a poor coralbean planted in the middle of them. Can you see it peeking up?

Passionflower

A surviving chrysanthemum given to us many years ago by our good friends, Linda and Butch.

Gray and green santolinas share dirt with larkspurs. 

Texas lantana

An admiral on the white mistflower

Galeana red sage about to bust open!

Prairie Brazoria

A few days ago, I spotted these pretty little purple blooms along Greenlawn Parkway and in the ditch. A new-to-me species! What were they? 

In the meantime, I dug up a couple and transplanted them into our Wildscape this afternoon. One of my goals is to have native species that still exist in undeveloped areas of our neighborhood represented in our gardens. Eventually, they'll all be lost to pavement and cement, I'm sure. 

Like the small white asters that I found growing along the edges of Greenlawn Parkway last summer. I picked some seeds and tossed them in the Meadow. Look! We've got at least three asters growing of our own.

Back to those purple flowers....I just now nailed the ID. They are an annual called prairie brazoria (Brazoria scutellarioides), according to the Wildflowers of the Texas Hill Country by Marshall Enquist. BUT WAIT! The genus has since changed! They are now named Warnockia scutellarioides in honor of the late West Texas botanist Barton Warnock, according to Wildflower.org. The species name scutellarioides refers to how this plant resembles skullcaps. They definitely remind me of Wright's skullcap, which grows in our Meadow.

These two I pull

Begger's lice (Torilis arvensis) and knotted hedge parlsey (Torilis nodosa) are introduced species, and I dislike them very much. So I pull them without feeling bad or guilty.

I bet you know what the begger's lice look like. The white flowers are pretty and delicate. THEN they turn into demon seeds that stick to everything. 

Gabe our boy cat had a very bad case of begger's lice many years ago.

Spreading hedge parsley has a long root, which makes it easy to yank. I rather enjoy pulling them in the yard. It's a mindless activity that relaxes my brain, I guess. Plus I feel like I'm making a dent in their population. Sorta like fighting those coreopsis beetles but more fun.