Window on a Texas Wildscape

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Easter blessings from our Wildscape

Our passionflower is blooming today–Easter Sunday. Did you know that this flower symbolizes Christ's death on the cross? Read my article, "Easter Bloomer."

Friday, April 22, 2011

Drama in the grass

This is what happens when you decide to go outside, sit awhile in the Meadow and watch nature....something always happens!

We were relaxing in our lawn chairs when I happened to glance under James' legs. "Now don't get all scared or anything but look down on the ground," I warned. I'd spotted a wasp, laboriously pulling a large wolf spider behind her through the grass, right under him.

Since I'm familiar with some insect and spider biology, I knew what was going on. The wasp had already stung and paralyzed the spider lady and was dragging the poor victim to an underground burrow. It was way too late to rescue the spider. Soon she'd be fresh food for the wasp's larvae.

James was fascinated. I was, too. But I was too lazy to go fetch my camera. Until I decided the drama was way too interesting to miss. So off I went to get it. (When am I going to learn to always take my camera outside??)

Back outside, I joined James, who was keeping an eye on the wasp mother. I snapped away while the wasp worked and worked. One time, she flew away. We guessed she was relocating her burrow and getting her directions straight. Can you imagine dragging something backward through a jungle and not looking at all where you're going? That's what the wasp was doing.

After a bit of flying around, she returned and found her victim. For a few minutes, she went off to the side and groomed herself (below). Then it was back to work!

She overshot her final destination and had to double back to get to her burrow. But dang if she didn't find it (above)! Below, you can barely see the spider's legs protruding from the hole. Then it's just a smidgen of her body that you can see. Then she's gone! (Sorry my images are dark...just click on each one for a better look.)

James marked off the distance and figured that the wasp dragged her spider more than 40 feet!

I've since concluded that our wasp is a tarantula hawk–Pepsis mildei.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Wah!

I know deer have to eat, too, but the VERY FIRST BLOOM EVER ON OUR NATIVE TWISTLEAF YUCCA??!! I was so looking forward to the huge flower! Then yesterday, when we were in the Meadow, doing our weekly cleaning-out-the-sparrows'-nest chore in the purple martin house (they laid four eggs this week!), I glanced over and saw....HORRORS!!.....the top of my yucca bloom GONE!

James had told me about the casualties in our front vegetable garden, but I couldn't bear to look until I went outside just now and took a photo. See that green stalk? That's all that's left of four bell pepper plants. Sniff. The deer have also chewed off the top of one of the two tomato plants, too.

Such are the costs of a drought. Deer gotta eat, too. Just wish they'd eat somewhere else!

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

A walk on the wild side

These cacti in our Meadow bloomed so I had to run fetch my camera. I can't tell you what they are, but the flowers sure were pretty. While I was out shooting, my neighbor friend, Peyton, and his little brother, Davis, trotted over to see what I was up to. "Taking pictures," I said. Then I showed them the cacti flower. Then our mutual friend, Joe Mac, came over, too.

This interesting little moth landed on Davis' finger.

I found eggs on this Erodium sp.

Some species of a bee fly, I think.

A variegated fritillary nectared on a greenthread flower.

And Peyton wanted me to shoot this fly that landed on his big toe. Boys will be boys!

A cool milkweed

This tiny flower caught my eye the other day in the Meadow. I'd never seen one before! So I posted an image on Facebook and got a lot of responses. Louie Bond, my editor at Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine, just awhile ago posted the correct name: purple milkweed vine (Matelea biflora). Jason Singhurst, a plant ecologist/botanist with TPWD's Wildlife Diversity Program, figured it out.

Isn't it just COOL? Now I just gotta figure out the other vine I photographed, too. Looks like a mini morning glory....

P.S. Jason graciously look at the photos above and said the plant may be some species of Convolvulus (bindweed). Thanks, Jason!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

What's blooming

We are hurting so much for rain. The extremely dry conditions have crippled both numbers of our volunteer wildflowers in the Meadow and their heights.