Up 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?
Read MoreAutumn Blooms and Butterflies
The autumn rains came after a summer of drought, and many of our native plants have responded. Engelmann sunflower, sawtooth sunflower, and Texas aster are erupting into their late fall glory. With flowers come butterflies, only accentuating the colorful palette that tints Austin this year.
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