2014 - July 9 Mississippi Kites - Gulf Fritillary Nursery - White-Breasted Nuthatch

Mississipi Kites are expanding their presence in Kurten and Bryan.  Two were just in our oak trees, at the very top, calling to one another.

Dan saw seven over the Briarcrest Golf Club yesterday.

In the yard, a lot of Gulf and Variegated Fritillary Caterpillars are devouring our Passion Flower.

Gulf Fritillary Caterpillars, Kurten, TX  7-7-14 

Gulf Fritillary Caterpillar, Kurten, TX  7-7-14

Variegated Fritillary Caterpillar, Kurten, TX  7-6-14

 

 

Two White-breasted Nuthatches are continuing in our yard this summer.  They first appeared last June 30th, were gone for about two months, then reappeared.  I LOVE hearing them all over the trees!

 

 



2014 - July 5 -- After a Long Drought

Finally, the woods and pasturelands are alive with butterflies.   Dainty Sulphurs and Reakirt's Blues are very, very solid right now, and have been for a few weeks in Comanche and Gustine Texas.  I also observed the following in the past 3 days:

Little Yellow
Sleepy Orange
American Snout
Checkered White
White Checkered-skipper
Pearl Crescent
Goatweed Leafwing
Buckeye
Monarch
Queen
Dainty Sulphur
Reakirt's Blue
Bordered Patch
Variegated Fritillary

Dainty Sulphur, Gustine, TX  7-3-14

Bordered Patch, Gustine,  TX  7-3-14

White Checkered-Skipper, Gustine, TX  7-3-14

Queen, Comanche, TX  7-4-14

A very unusual moth, Gustine, TX  7-3-4

Another view of Mr. Unusual. Anyone know what this is? 



The wildflowers have never been more beautiful this late in the summer.  Here is a sampling of the variety of flowers in our back yard in Gustine:



This plant is similar to portulaca.

 Sunflower bud.

. . . tiny red bug.

 Bee Balm

. . . tiny bug, long snout