Author: Anita Westervelt
-
A paddling of ducks
—
by
Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist As we get ready for fall bird migration, a fun thing to think about is the ancient language art of collective bird nouns. Beginning in ancient England, the practice was a way to make landed gentry appear more intelligent than commoners. Using collective bird nouns exhibits…
-
Warblers that stay for the winter
—
by
and Sidebar — Three Valley native plants attract wintering-over warblers Stories and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist They’re tiny, they’re quick, they’re wily. They’re warblers — certainly the thrill of spring and fall migration — and lucky is the Valley yard where some species choose to spend the winter. Warblers are skittish. They…
-
Anita’s Blog — It’s a Big Deal! Christmas Bird Count
Rare Birds are highly likely to be spotted during the count. When that happens, they have to be fully documented on a “rare bird form.” The State of Texas compiler determines if the rare bird documentation meets the criteria to be included in the count. Once a rare bird has appeared on at least three consecutive…
-
Not your typical store-bought holiday decorations
—
by
Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist With a little imagination, and a couple of hints, our Valley nature parks might be seen to decorate themselves for the holidays — naturally. One such obvious plant is tasajillo (Opuntia leptocaulis), a pencil-thin, slender, jointed cactus often called Christmas cactus because its fruit turns red…
-
Slower going, but some snakes are still making appearances
—
by
Story and photo by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist One reptile, the diamondback water snake (Nerodia rhombifer), may still be observed in the Valley while temperatures remain pleasant. Diamondback water snakes have a broad range which includes all of the Rio Grande Valley counties and all but the northwest counties of Texas. The range extends…
-
Gifts of the Seasons
—
by
Story and photos by Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Gifts come in many forms. To Texas Master Naturalists it might be a “life” bird, a “first ever” sighting of an uncommon butterfly or a native plant surprise that’s just appeared in the yard. A butterfly that created quite a stir a couple of years ago…