Early Spring Along Shoal Creek
We are between seasons. We have arrived at that time of year when we miss complaining about the heat. Winter’s done; spring’s brief appearance has been announced.
Read MoreUp the Creek
Members of the Shoal Creek Conservancy board of directors, along with an assortment of friends, toured the upper reaches of Shoal Creek in February. We devoted most of our time to gauging the condition of the creek at various crossings and access points in this northern segment.
Read MoreNo Quack, No Waddle, No Duck
If a bird waddles like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck, right? Not every bird paddling around Lady Bird Lake or Shoal Creek quacks or waddles, though. If a waterbird isn’t a duck, what is it?
Read MoreThe Hummer in Winter
Austin doesn’t do winter well. A blue norther whipped through Austin this weekend; we are faced with our first serious freeze of the winter. My tender plants are protected in a little plastic tent that I fashioned. But, the rufous hummingbird that frequents my yard has no such protection. He is at the mercy of the weather. But, there are a few things we can do with our feeders to help.
Read MoreRufous Returns
The bird weighs less than a grape, has a brain smaller than a pea, and flies thousands of miles each year between the place it nests and where it chooses to winter. The bird has returned to winter in my yard on Shoal Creek, precisely where it stayed last year. I know about bird migration, and I am aware of the staggering distances they are capable of traveling. But how do we explain one of the smallest birds flying such long distances?
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