The snail and the spider: a parable in the making

Don't look now, but there's a spider behind you.

When the tide comes in, the Marsh Periwinkle snails move up the Smooth Cordgrass so they won't drown. They also want to get out of the reach of crabs and other predators.

That's when you can get a good look at the one-inch snails.

Sometimes if you look closely, you may see a so-quick little spider messing with a so-slow snail.

The snail and the spider. What's the endgame here?

 When the water recedes, the snails will return to the ground to eat

Birds are served fish soup

 These birds were waiting for me to pass so they could go back to their fish buffet.

After two days of rain and minor flooding, it was a gray morning on the trails at Baytown Nature Center.  These noisy birds were not happy to see me.

As I got closer to their perch, I found the tire rut along my path was filled with water teeming with trapped little fish. The fish had been washed into the puddle and couldn't escape.

Sad for the fish, but happy time for the birds.

I didn't see any other fish-filled puddles. Either this was the only place it happened, or birds had cleaned out the other puddles.

The puddle on the left had about 30 little fish trapped.

They were less than an inch long.

This tiny toad (black spot in the center) was hopping nearby. I hope he wasn't dessert.

Cleanup crew arrives to take care of dead armadillo

We spotted the black vulture beyond our backyard fence before we saw what it was pulling apart. A dead armadillo.

Go back to work, Mr. Vulture. In this 90-degree heat the faster you dispose of the carcass, the better.

I don't know what killed the armadillo, but vultures found it pretty quick.

This one tried to drag the carcass. I guess it didn't want an audience while it was dining.

Another vulture was waiting nearby to swoop in.