This week's greeters at BNC: blue-winged teal

Blue-winged teal have been hanging out this week in the new wetlands restoration area along the road leading into Baytown Nature Center.

I wonder if the busloads of kindergartners noticed the unofficial greeters when they arrived at San Jacinto Point for their field trip.

I also wonder if the students will remember the hand movements for the plant chant: seed, germination, seedling and plant. I know I will.

Big-eyed skippers on a warm day in the Valley

Texas Powdered Skipper

I like the wing design on the Texas Powdered-Skipper spotted at the North American Butterfly Association's butterfly center in South Texas.

It is more showy than Celia's Roadside Skipper, which is on the checklist guests can pick up at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park's La Familia Nature Center.

Celia's Roadside Skipper

On our daylong trek through the Valley parks, this white skipper also landed for us. I think it is a Laviana White Skipper.

White Skipper

Damselfly blends into in Rio Grande Valley's wildscape

Damselfly. Look closely.

On a trail a few miles from the Rio Grande along the tip of Texas, this damselfly was hoping we would pass by without noticing it sitting on a log. We almost did.

There it is.

Four orangish brush-footed butterflies at national center

Empress Leila

On a cloudy March day the bright butterflies looked even brighter at the National Butterfly Center. 

All of these orangey fliers are brush-footed butterflies or nymphalidae.

Sorry I didn't get pics of their little front legs that are covered in hairlike scales. Maybe next time I can get  them to show some leg.

American Lady

Pearl Crescent

Red Admiral. I really like the Red Admirals, but I'm never able to get a good pic.

Playing spot the moth

One of the National Butterfly Center trails.

We were walking along the upper trail at the National Butterfly Center in South Texas looking for butterflies. Yet we kept noticing the flutter of little moths that blended with the leaf litter.

The Thin-lined Owlet Moth seemed right at home along the shady woodsy path. Watch your step.

Sharing the walkway with a little snake

Little brown snake why are you on the sidewalk?

The concrete maybe warmer than the flowerbeds all around, but you are in danger of being stepped on or scooped up by a predator.

So quit flicking your tongue at us and get moving. Be safe!

Colorful birds in the Valley

After the feeders are filled at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park, the birds come.

It's a treat to see these bright beauties: the Great Kiskadee and the Green Jay.

Great Kiskadee

Green Jay

The Plain Chachalaca isn't as colorful, but it is another bird you need to travel south to see. It's about the size of a chicken and loud.

Plain Chachalaca

Four-legged fan of Rio Grande Valley birding center

What is that?

We had been greeted by rabbits, a cacophony of birds and maybe a roadrunner at the entrance to Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park.

We were ready to be amazed by more wildlife when we approached the first bridge. Looking down a side road we spotted the creature.

A chupacabra?

Actually it looked like a cat.

We saw a ranger down the trail and asked him about the cat. He said he didn't know of any domestic cats in the park and maybe it was a jaguarundi. How exciting!

But would an elusive jaguarundi sit in the open to watch us?

When I enlarged the photo later, it became clear.

This wasn't a jaguarundi. Just a fat house cat that had found a paradise at the birding center.

Butterflies and signs of spring

Muddy trail.

Brazos Bend State Park volunteer Chuck D. took us to his favorite Falcate Orangetip spot hoping to see the butterflies sitting on lichen before the sun's warmth made them active.  They must have heard we were coming because they weren't there.

They starting flying after lunch and after we had left.

The little white butterflies are here in March so there is still time to see one.

Gemmed Satyr

Another sign of spring is the Gemmed Satyr. The butterfly prefers grassy woodlands and is active March through October.

Sunrise at Brazos Bend State Park

Somewhere along Red Buckeye Trail. And the buckeyes are just beginning to bloom.

After 10 days of cloudiness, we welcomed today's sunrise at Brazos Bend State Park.

On this foggy morning the sight of a small herd of deer greeted us just inside the entrance. Nice start to a great day.

White-tailed deer graze along the roadside in the fog at sunrise

Nine-banded Armadillos are fascinating creatures

These creatures look prehistoric.

After more than 2 inches of rain during the past 24 hours, this Nine-banded Armadillo was foraging for brunch along the boardwalk at Armand Bayou. 

It didn't seem to mind the humans walking by. I kind of wanted to see it jump. Armadillos can jump up 3 to 4 feet when startled, which contributes to their road deaths.

Here are nine more armadillo facts:

• Armadillos give birth to identical quadruplets.
• Armadillo races, which were popular in the 1970s, are still around. There will be armadillo racing in April at the 2015 Pearland Crawfish Festival.
• The mammal can hold its breath up to six minutes and walk underwater to cross small streams. They also can swim by gulping air for buoyancy.
• Although called nine-banded, an armadillo can have seven to 11 bands on its armor.
• It is Texas' small mammal symbol. The longhorn is the state's large mammal.
• The Nine-banded Armadillo can't roll up into a ball. Only two species of three-banded armadillos can roll up completely.
• Prolific diggers, armadillos' leftover burrows are often used by other animals such as snakes, opossums, rats and rabbits.
• The armadillo in Rango (2011) is named Roadkill.
• During the Great Depression armadillos hunted for meat were called Hoover hogs by those who blamed President Herbert Hoover for the economic collapse.

There are about 20 species of armadillos, but only the NIne-banded Armadillo lives in the United States.

Roseate Spoonbills are expert spooners

The temp was in the 50s, but the wind was ruffling feathers.

A group of Roseate Spoonbills alternated between resting and spooning their bills through the brackish water for food.

Roseate Spoonbills ignore a Great Blue Heron strolling by.

Not sure what tidbit this one caught.

Juvenile Roseate Spoonbills aren't as pink as the adults.

Coyote helps students fill out site survey forms

Right on cue, a coyote strolled across a trail this morning.

The ninth-graders participating in Baytown Nature Center's Back to the Bay program were on a bridge filling out their site survey forms.

They were at the bottom of the page putting check marks next to fish, birds, insects.

Then the students looked around for wildlife.

Holly, our leader, was saying that meant coyotes, bobcats, opossums when a student pointed toward a coyote. It was about 50 yards away and had stopped to glance our way before ducking away.

That was an extra cool moment on this cloudy 50-degree day.

Later the students put on waders to pull a seine. The big catches were a hermit crab, grass shrimp and  little blue crabs.

The teacher promised that anyone who caught a fish with the cast nets could skip the next test. They tried valiantly but only came up with some comb jelly.

The teacher agreed to add five points to their test scores for comb jelly catches.

Birds watching me

Sure the birds want me to keep the feeder filled, but they don't want me hang around to watch them.

A bird's way of telling you to move.

Making a dive for the feeder.