Diggin’ In

Posted on December 18, 2019 by Tina

The little honeybee was all in as she worked the center of the Globe Mallow, Sphaeralcea ambigua. Surrounded by glorious orange walls, with an extended garden of grey-green, she exhibited single-mindedness toward her important pollination work.

As I watched, she crawled around the pollen-laden center of the bloom, oblivious to me and anything else that might disrupt her concentrated efforts. Her movements were frenzied, focused solely on the pistils of the flower.

Eventually, she worked her way out of her orange office, flew to another bloom, pollen grains speckled on her various parts.

Celebrating her dedication to task, I’m joining in with Anna and her Wednesday Vignette. Check out her beautiful Flutter and Hum for musings of various sorts.

The Wall

Posted on December 11, 2019 by Tina

A couple of nights ago, I attended a showing of Ay Mariposa. It’s a lovely film which tells the story of a Mexican immigrant, Zulema Hernandez, who crossed the Rio Grand to live, work, and raise her family in the southernmost valley of Texas. It’s also the story of the National Butterfly Center and its director, Marianna Treviño Wright, and her battle against the building of the wall along the southern border between the United States and Mexico.

The film focuses on how expansion of the wall is obliterating the remaining natural habitat of one of the most diverse ecological regions in all of North America, while also reminding viewers of the humanity of the people who cross the border seeking only a better life and adding their gifts to our culture and economy.

Another award winning film that I saw some time ago is The River and the Wall. This gorgeous film profiles a group of scientists and adventurers who travel–by bicycle, on horseback, by foot, and in canoes–from El Paso to the Gulf of Mexico which is the entire 1200 miles of the Texas/Mexico border. The viewer travels with the team observing stunning landscapes and meeting wonderful people. Through that experience, one appreciates the absurdity of building a wall alongside this beautiful, demanding river border.

If you want to see either or both films, or learn more about the people involved, the history of the wall, or how you can help prevent the destruction of long-standing communities and rare, remarkable habitat, check out these links:

https://www.aymariposafilm.com/

https://theriverandthewall.com/

Both websites have a short summary of their respective films and instructions on purchasing a DVD or download, or viewing a screening near you.

Male Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) nectaring on Frostweed (Verbesina virginica)

Shoreacres of The Task at Hand and Lagniappe, graciously posted in her comment this pertinent and sweet song from Texas “Environmental Troubadour” Bill Oliver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E2osbIZyaPg&feature=youtu.be

In working for change, I’m joining in with Anna and her Wednesday Vignette. Check out her beautiful Flutter and Hum for musings of various sorts.

Will He or Won’t He?: Wildlife Wednesday, December 2019

Posted on December 4, 2019 by Tina

Tis the season to owl watch and at least one owl is providing a bit of show. I’ve heard occasional territorial trilling and have seen an Eastern Screech Owl, Megascops asio, in our nest box on and off for a few weeks now. At this writing, it’s been about 6 days since Mr. Screech snoozed during the day in Tina’s Owl Chateau, but owls are like that: they show up, hang out, disappear and don’t say where they’re going, and then, maybe, show up again.

Who knows what an owl thinks or how he makes plans?

This is the Screech, resting comfortably in the nest box one afternoon. What you see is his back and tail feathers.

As well as seeing him peek out at the hole of the nest box (sorry, no photo of that as I didn’t want to spook him!) and observing his daily rests through the lens of the owl camera, I spied him in my neighbor’s tree last week.

Isn’t he cute as he glares menacingly at me? On second glance, maybe it’s more of an annoyed stare.

Tree holes are the traditional, preferred spot for owl nesting, though in all my years, I’ve never seen an owl in this particular hole (just feet from my front garden) and wouldn’t have observed him, except for the alarm calls of Blue Jays, Carolina Chickadees, and Lesser Goldfinches. Our nest box, which resides in a tree in our back garden, has attracted Eastern Screech Owls for most of the past decade, with varying degrees of familial owl production. The nest box is a human affectation for attracting the darling predators and it’s mostly proved a snugly spot for chick rearing.

I don’t know with certainty that this tree owl is the same as my nest box owl, but it’s probably the same little dude. Am I sure it’s a male? More than likely, because it’s typically the male who checks out suitable digs as he works to attract a mate for the upcoming breeding season.

Our owl luck has lacked in the past three years, so while I’m tickled that there is at least one Eastern Screech Owl experimenting with the local real estate market, it’s no guarantee of a settling down, a mating pair, or the creating and caring for chicks. Time will tell and wildlife gardener patience is a must.

Appreciative of the quirks of wildlife, I’m marking Wildlife Wednesday and also joining in with Anna and her Wednesday Vignette. Check out her beautiful Flutter and Hum for musings of various sorts.