Wildlife Wednesday - March 2015

There were two main wildlife "stars" in my garden over the last month.

One was probably my all-time favorite bird - the Cedar Waxwings.

I just love their markings (especially on the eyes!), the crest, and probably adore them more because I only get to see them for a fleeting moment each winter.  I only saw them around for a few days, basking in the treetops on a warm winter's day.

This guy is so cute - reaching for a berry on the tree.  I plan to add more berry-bearing shrubs and trees to my yard over the next year to hopefully keep them around a bit longer.

The second star was a giant hawk that I spotted across the street in my neighbor's yard, hanging at the top of a very large tree, close to a squirrel's nest, no doubt looking for his next meal.  When I first spotted him, I actually thought he/she had a kill in the tree, considering the big clump of feathers that I saw.  Nope - it was just the hawk's massive tail.  This hawk was much larger than the Cooper/sharp-shinned hawks that have been hanging around my yard over the last month or two.  I'm horrible at hawk identification, but I think it might be a red-tailed hawk.  Please help confirm/correct my ID!

The past few weeks have been chilly and wet in Central Texas, with temperatures dipping into the 20s (F), accompanied by wind and sleet.  The Inca doves tried to keep warm on a dreary gray day by fluffing out their feathers.

Yet, I know that spring is on the way, as indicated by this American Robin, likely starting to make the journey back North for breeding.

Then there are the "regulars"... first, this Carolina chickadee.

Then there is a cluster of female red-winged blackbirds.  It is strange how I see the females hanging out so often and haven't once yet spotted a male.

I couldn't have the post only cover the pretty birds in the garden, so here is a wasp, pollinating my peach tree to close out this month's wildlife recap.

Thanks to Tina over at My Gardener Says... for hosting Wildlife Wednesdays on the first Wednesday of every month!

Wildlife Wednesday - February 2015

I'm excited to showcase the wildlife that has visited the garden over the past month because of my new toy - a Nikon D7000.  It was a late Christmas present from the hubby.  He originally wanted to buy me some jewelry, but after being indecisive about picking out the jewelry that I wanted, I decided I would get more use and enjoyment out of a quality camera. This is my first DSLR, so I'm still getting use to all the bells and whistles.

Feathered Friends

Being the middle of winter and natural food sources running low, the birds have really been flocking to the yard and feeders to supplement their diet.  And with more birds in the yard, there are also more predators hanging around.

I believe this is a Cooper's Hawk (please correct me if I'm wrong).  He has been seen in the yard frequently over the last month, usually making his daily visits at sunrise.  

I love watching this magnificent creature.  I'm still waiting for my "National Geographic moment" where I get to actually witness him make a kill.

The most distinctive bird sound that can be heard out in the garden right now is the pecking of the ladderback woodpecker.

This female ladderback is the more frequent woodpecker visitor right now.  Every once in awhile I'll catch a glimpse of her red-headed mate.

She especially loves grabbing a delicious snack of suet on the chillier winter days.

The visitors that warm my heart the most right now are the yellow-rumped warblers.

The warblers can be seen daily flitting through the trees and nibbling on the suet cakes that I've put out for them.  There have probably been at least 12 of these warblers hanging out in the yard.

And then there are the frequent patrons...

...like the cardinals and sparrows...

...the wrens (not sure what kind - looks kind of like a Carolina wren, but different from what I at least thought was a Carolina wren)...

...the lesser goldfinches...

...the house finches...

...the pesky white-winged doves and brown-headed cowbirds...

...and then there is this mystery bird.  At first glace, it looks like it may be a finch or sparrow.  However, if you knew the relative size of the tree that it is sitting in, it is closer to the size of a crow.  Anyone have any idea what it may be?

Other Critters

While the winged creatures have been the highlight of the garden this month, I cannot skip out on showcasing some of the other critters that have visited the garden.

This Easter fox squirrel is munching on his winter stash of pecans.  The squirrels are generally pretty good about leaving the bird feeders alone, thanks to the several pecan trees in the area, plus the acorns that were finally present this year after the oaks received enough water this summer.

The scariest critter was this hairy guy.  I saw him creeping along the back deck at night (after almost stepping on him)!  After some help with identification, I believe he is a giant leopard moth caterpillar.  If so, I certainly hope I get to see him when he is transformed into his adult stage.  What interesting looking creatures!

While I'm disappointed some of my broccoli bolted before ever producing decent harvestable heads, I'm glad these bees are enjoying their blooms!  There are probably at least 20-25 bees constantly buzzing around the broccoli flowers at all times on warm, sunny days.

 Finally, there are the Eastern black swallowtail caterpillars that have been chilling on the parsley for the past several months.  I was shocked that they made it through some pretty chilly nights and days over the past couple of months.  However, I believe they finally met their fate about a week or two ago with some of the freezing rain conditions that they just couldn't make it through.

That's all the wildlife for this month.  Be sure to stop by My Gardener Says... where this meme is hosted by Tina every month and where many other gardeners showcase the wildlife in their gardens!

Wildlife Wednesday - January 2015

The new year is bringing new wildlife to my garden!  I'm excited to share my new visitors with you as part of Tina's Wildlife Wednesday over at My Gardener Says.

New Visitors

While I was out of town over the holidays, my husband remained at home in Texas and noticed some commotion in the yard one day.  After looking out the window, he noticed a hawk was swooping down into our bushes, looking to catch a tasty meal of the poultry type.  He quickly grabbed his phone and snapped a couple of quick pics for me (sorry for the poor quality), but props to him, knowing this was a sight I'd want to see.

The hawk was a bit small in size compared to other hawks I've seen.  And with his (her?) coloring, my best guess is that this is a sharp-shinned hawk.  Another possibility might be Cooper's hawk.  If I have any bird experts reading this post, I'd appreciate a confirmation or correction.  This type of hawk fancies smaller birds for meals, which made sense, since the hubby said the visitor was chasing some of the birds in the yard.

Just a week ago, I noticed a pile of feathers just a few feet away from the evergreen bush captured in the picture below.  I assume our new visitor had captured a tasty treat.  From what I could tell, the hawk appeared to have gotten a white-winged dove for its meal, which is fine by me, since there are a few too many white-winged doves hanging around my yard.

This guys was definitely my favorite visitor over the past month.

This past weekend, I noticed another hawk circling overhead.  I think it might be a different hawk, since the undercarriage looks much more red/rusty brown instead of which with rusty splotches.

Another new visitor to the garden this month were European Starlings.  They are considered an invasive species, competing with native birds and destroying crops.

Rare Guests

Given the colder months and scarcer food sources, I've noticed some visitors to the garden that I tend to see much more frequently during the winter time, including...

...the ladder-backed woodpecker...

...the Eastern bluebird...

...Inca doves...

...and the tufted titmouse.

I also had a large army of Eastern Black Swallowtail caterpillars in my dill and parsley over the past month (and yes, a group of caterpillars is called an army).  I started with at least 20 cats and last I checked over the weekend, there were still at least 10 out there in their last instar.  I'm not sure if they will survive the freezing temperatures headed our way this week.  I've certainly been impressed with the nearly- freezing temps they have already survived, so maybe there is still hope for them to make it through the looming cold front.

Common Patrons

That brings us to the visitors that I can see out in the yard almost every day...

...the Carolina chickadee...

...the Carolina wren...

...the Lesser goldfinches...

...and of course, the sparrows.  After a decent rain last week, the sparrows were really enjoying their time splashing around in all the impromptu bird baths.

Overall, here is a count of all the birds I noticed in the garden over the last month:

• 40 white-winged doves
• 20-25 sparrows
• 12 yellow-rumped warblers
• 6 Inca doves
• 6-8 Lesser goldfinches
• 3 Carolina wrens
• 2 Carolina chickadees
• 2 Northern cardinals (1 male, 1 female)
• 2 blue jays
• 2 Eastern bluebirds
• 2 European starlings
• 2 ladder-backed woodpeckers (1 male, 1 female)
• 2 house finches
• 1 red-bellied woodpecker
• 1 tufted titmouse

Be sure to check out the wildlife other gardeners have found in their beds and yards at My Gardener Says!