View allAll Photos Tagged naturebokeh
In my opinion, the common grackle is not very common looking. The iridescent feathers give this blackbird hues of blue, green, purple and bronze. Other than that, they are generally nuisance birds that tend to take over bird feeders, parking lots, parks and any other space where they might find easy food. This one was seen in Dallas, Texas, in my sister's backyard.
Some say that cardinals bring messages of comfort to those who have lost a loved one. I found this beautiful poem to explain it.
Red Feathered Soul
When you’re lost or feeling down,
Don’t despair, just look around.
God made me red so you would see
That I still exist outside your memory.
I make my visits in bright daylight.
You’ll hear my song in distant flight.
My cardinal song is a call to you,
To tell you that I miss you, too.
I never left; I live through you.
A am everywhere and finally free,
Like love you cannot touch or see.
You’ll see me in the trees and skies.
I didn’t leave, love never dies.
-Elle Bee
This little Lincoln's sparrow, a migratory species that winters in our area, seemed to like the buffet enough to stay longer than the rest of his kind. Usually they seem to move on to nesting grounds by the beginning of May each spring.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas mid-May 2022
Not a particularly desirable insect to have in the garden, but we aren't growing cucumbers and the spotted pattern is quite eye-catching. The goldenrod blooms really attracted a variety of insects during October 2019.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas
Phyllogomphoides albrighti
perched on river rocks beside the Nueces River in Montell, Uvalde County, Texas.
This was an impressive bird to see in Cancun. I waited as long as possible for it to move to a more suitable photo spot but had to settle for shots with the busy background. This is a large heron with a bare yellow patch on the throat, white down the center of the throat to the breast, dark gray or black head and gray body with a pattern of buff colored bars or stripes on the neck (hence the name). This species has only one recorded sighting within the US - in Hidalgo County, Texas. The normal range is in Mexico down into Columbia. Yet another lifer on the books.
Cancun, Mexico during April 2022
Whoops, a little indiscreet moment captured. But they just looked so beautiful among those little flowers with light and shadows all around. There will be more of these brilliant butterflies in the future.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas in November 2021
Some toadstools growing on a grassy knoll at a golf course in Cancun, Mexico. I'm not an expert on fungi so I'm not sure what species this is. But interesting and a nice subject.
A small skipper butterfly with a checkered pattern on the wings. This one was enjoying the prairie verbena in our meadow.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas
This species of swallowtail butterfly is one I haven't seen often on our place. My photos just don't do justice to the brilliant beauty of these fluttering about among the wildflowers in our meadow. They definitely showed preference for the lavender flowers on the prairie verbena.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas.
Not completely sure, but I think this may be a juvenile or femal broad-tailed hummingbird. It was different than any of the others - slightly longer tail, with more white on the tips. Lots of hummingbirds came to my feeders during the summer in through the migration period. Drought led to a lack of wildflowers for nectar and the heat had them looking for places to cool off. I had some blooming plants, although many of them gave up blooming and just tried to survive. I put out plenty of feeders and fresh water sources for them.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas during summer 2020
The long-billed thrasher (Toxostoma longirostre) is a medium-sized resident songbird of South Texas and eastern Mexico.It bears a strong resemblance to its close relative the brown thrasher in appearance, calls, and various other behaviors; however, the two species do not overlap in range except in the winter when the brown thrasher will temporarily reside in the northern range of the long-billed. I have seen this species on my property, but they tend to be rather secretive and rarely come out in the open. My friend has a much better training program that I do apparently. This one came in for some of the goodies on the buffet multiple times.
Uvalde, Texas
A little snow/ice on surfaces on a chilly February day. This little chipping sparrow did not appear happy about it. But finding seeds and suet in my yard probably helped improve its mood.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas in February 2022
One of the cutest little songbirds that people often don't see. They tend to stay in the underbrush, thornier the better, and move quickly. They do love fruit and suet so I have found them coming into my yard where the feeders are available and the pomegranate tree provide easy foraging. Rather plain looking at first glance, the mature ones have a pretty yellow face and tiny bright red shoulder patches.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas.
bright orange and brown skipper butterfly. This one gave a view of the upper wing pattern and the lower wing pattern as it posed on frostweed blooms.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas in September 2021
This migratory warbler was willing to show off a bit and let me get some shots. It was passing through during spring migration.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas in April 2021
Sous la douche..
Expo Papillons en liberté - Jardin Botanique de Montréal 2019
Butterflies go free Expo - Montreal Botanical Garden 2019
I saw these wintering Savannah sparrows along the shore in Rockport, Texas during February 2020. Cute migratory songbirds.
Wet from recent watering in the garden, a marigold with few remaining petals.
October 2020 in Montell, Uvalde County, Texas
Almost always heard before it is seen, the Plain Chachalaca is sort of a long-tailed, tropical chicken that lives in the treetops. These sandy brown and gray birds walk along tree branches to eat flowers, buds, fruits, and insects. They’re locally fairly common in brushy and thorny forests along streams in the Rio Grande Valley and south into Central America. Their raucous, rhythmic morning chorus is a classic sound of the Tamaulipan brushlands that livens up any outing. This one was foraging on fruit in a palm tree of some sort. The colorful face stood out.
I was happy to see these birds and found them quite beautiful. If these are plain chachalacas I wonder what the fancy ones look like. To me they kind of look like a cross between a chicken and a roadrunner.
Seen in Cancun, Mexico during April 2022
Flowers in motion within windy days don't die off.
It is bound to lose its petals, seeds fall on the ground…
Then approaching spring, it shoots-up charming plants.
This female hummingbird, I believe a black-chinned, chose the perfect spot to pose for a photo.
Montell, Uvalde County, Texas in June 2022
More of the things I photographed during our vacation/family reunion in Big Bend National Park during June 2019. This image was along the Window Trail that some of us hiked. This is a robber fly. I don't know the actual species because on bugguide.net there are 664 pages of images of this group of flies and so many different species. Interesting critter - captures other insects and eats them.