Showing posts with label Black Crested Titmouse. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Black Crested Titmouse. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 2, 2019

Wildlife Wednesday October 2019

Hummingbirds were the stars of our October garden keeping me busy refilling the feeder.  They also keep us entertained with their fights so they are first up for Wildlife Wednesday.  Hummingbirds are sweet, delicate little birds but there's always one bully that won't let the others feed.


Their fights look almost like dancing.



Best seen on video, these two chased and fought for hours one day.



A hummingbird in the screen room kept trying to get out through the screen and would have none my efforts to gently coax it toward the door.  Then I had the idea to put the feeder on a chair near the door and go inside the house.  That must have done the trick because the bird was gone when I returned about twenty minutes later.


A Stapelia flower briefly brought out the flies.


Gulf Fritillary butterfly on a Pride of Barbados flower. 


Sulphur butterfly on Zexmenia.  Not enough info to decide which one.


An adorably curious Black-crested Titmouse looking at us through the kitchen window while sitting in the fig tree.  Its limited range fortunately includes South Central Texas. 


Deer antlers are rarely symmetrical.  Sometimes each side is fairly close to even.


An then there's this lopsided guy.



Just a few bumps instead of points. 


And a little velvet left to rub off.


Not in my back garden where they are fenced out.  We do get some damage in the front but no practical way to fence that off.


Bucks tend to stay in the brush where their antlers are not as prominent.  How they know this is anyone's guess.
 

 That's the wildlife I captured in my yard for the last few weeks.

Visit "My Gardener Says..." for more wildlife posts hosted by Tina and an amusingly inside look at a Woodpecker family.

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

Wildlife Wednesday February 2016

It's Wildlife Wednesday hosted by Tina at "My Gardener Says..." on the first Wednesday of each month providing an opportunity to share wildlife from our gardens.  With our mild winter this year  we've had visitors like this Gulf Fritillary butterfly posing on faded Gomphrena 'Fireworks' for a striking color combination.


Otherwise, it's been another slow month for wildlife.  I actually spent some time trying to photo a Skink which is the very definition of an exercise in futility.  Aggie Horticulture has some photos on their website if you're interested.  Skinks are beneficial in the garden since their favorite food source is grasshoppers.  It seems we have several but they are so fast I might be seeing the same one in different places!

Just like last month I've returned to the archives for more bird antics.



There's a backstory on how it went down that day.   Lesser Goldfinches, two look like young chicks, having a bath in the saucer when a Black Crested Titmouse shows up to the party.  Stern looks are exchanged.


Things get a bit crowded.  Surprised looks follow.



Some objections are raised.  Feathers fly.  But not the Titmouse.


Black Crested Titmouse exits the pool, shaking butt as it leaves.



"Hey, wait a minute!"


Now we have a staring contest underway.  You lookin' at me?


Some trash talkin'


"We'll just finish up here"


Maybe there's enough room after all


Almost done here.  What we we arguing about?


Okay, I'm out...


I spent a nice day earlier this week cutting back Inland Sea Oats which were looking a bit tatty and never seem to mind a late freeze.  A doe showed up looking for an free lunch in the compost pile.  Since deer don't typically go for grasses, I cut a few Ruellia stalks and added them to the pile for which she rewarded me with a smile.  It's tough for deer out there right now with so many winter dormant plants.


That's the roundup of wildlife in my garden for this month.  Tina has a post on the value of native bees in the garden.  You'll want to check out how to attract native bees to your garden.  I definitely will give her bee townhouse a try.

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Wildlife Wednesday September 2015: Barred Owl update and other antics

It's the first Wednesday of September and I'm joining Tina at My Gardener Says... for a look at the wildlife in my yard.  Last month for Wildlife Wednesday I featured our frequent guest the Barred Owl which was surprisingly active in the daytime.

We've seen him a few more times.