Category: Anita’s blog

Gifts of the Seasons By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist Gifts come in many forms. To Texas Master Naturalists it might be a “life” bird or a surprise “first ever” sighting of an uncommon butterfly. A butterfly that’s created quite a stir recently at a couple of local nature parks is the Isabella’s Heliconian, Eueides…

Bring on the Hummingbirds By Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist If you want to see hummingbirds, there’s a tree for that. Several native trees and shrubs, as a matter of fact. The Buff-bellied Hummingbird is our only year-round resident hummer. One of the larger hummingbird species, it is identified by its red bill and green…

If you’re on the Rio Grande Valley Butterflies Facebook page, you’ll know how enticing it is to see what’s happening at the National Butterfly Center south of Mission. I’d last visited the center 10 years ago when it consisted of little more than a tiny house, large palapa-pavilion, a few-dozen host plants and two picnic…

The Christmas Bird Count has come and gone but there’s still plenty of fun birding activity to be had during the Valley’s winter migratory bird season. For last week’s Harlingen Christmas Bird Count, all the usual suspects were around our yard. I counted 236 birds in 34 species during the morning hours while I sat…

I’m a window snooper — looking out — not peeping in on other people! I’m interested in what’s happening outdoors while I’m in the house. The opposite is not true. I get amazing, spur-of-the-moment bird shots all the time because I keep my camera handy with the long lens attached, battery charged, camera in on…

It’s tree planting time in the Valleyby Anita Westervelt, Texas Master Naturalist November through February is optimal tree-planting time in the Valley. Cooler months allow trees a dormant period when roots can grow without heat and drought stress. Trees will be more established and flourish with spring rains. Criteria for planting anything should be: “what…