Wisdom words from the Labor Day skink

I skip my nature time at my peril. It had been way too long since I spied the blue tail of a skink, and this one was waiting by the paved trail to remind me.

When I went over to Oak Point Nature Preserve this morning, I didn't consider that there might be Labor Day holiday events at the preserve, the Oak Point Rec Center, and Plano Event Center with road closings. Somehow I ended up on Chaparral heading west, and there was another Oak Point Nature Preserve sign. The park has expanded over the years, and the trails link to the Plano trail system. I walked along following uncooperative butterflies from the corner of Destin and Emerald Coast, under Avenue K, through a pecan grove in Allen(!) almost to Central Expressway. 

Between sun and shade with a nice breeze, it was just what the skink ordered. My nature tank is refilled.

© 2014-2021 Nancy L. Ruder

Boat-backed Ground Beetle and Other Nature Therapy

Fueled up for a stressful week with fall colors, flowers, and feathers. And met a new beetle.  The Boat-backed Ground Beetle, Scaphimotus spp. is described as 5/8-7/8", black with violet or coppery highlights. It eats slugs and snails. It was coppery going one direction, and purple headed a different way. 

Limit media consumption, go outside, and drink plenty of fluids!

© 2014-2020 Nancy L. Ruder

Noonish

The sun was high, contrasts were sharp, colors were saturated, and the wind was a-blowing. Not a great time for photos at Oak Point. I'd have arrived earlier, but the guy ahead of me at the drive up mailboxes at the post office had to try stuffing his box into each of the mailboxes repeatedly. It's just not gonna go, dude.

I've never seen so many cars in the round parking lot at Oak Point, but couples and family groups were keeping their distance from other groups. Families were picnicking on blankets. Old friends had lawnchairs six feet apart in the shade. We were all glad to be out!

West of Jupiter Road

Swallow nest under Jupiter Road, above the trail. Mom swallow tolerated me only so close before she flew off.

A very young wren was having its first short flight lessons, coached by a shepherding parent. The baby's downy fluff sticking out in the wind looked like all of us with delayed haircuts.

A red-tailed hawk circling overhead probably belonged to the nest on the tower arm.

Happy cottonwood fluff season!

Prickly pear in bloom

© 2014-2020 Nancy L. Ruder

Big N, little n, FX nature

Recently a  coworker took time off to go swim with sharks in an aquarium. Today I spent time staring at schools of tiny fish in the lowering waters of the Heard Nature Center wetlands, at mating Eastern pondhawks, at Mr. Big Ribbit, and listened to a warbler sing about the inch worm it ate for lunch. We each have our own bucket list, I guess.

Inchworm still in its beak.

Eastern pondhawks ensuring the future of their species.

Last evening leaving work I drove past a protest march outside a French restaurant. The marchers carried placards demanding an end to torture of ducks and geese. I don't know much about foie gras, but I was offered a sample of gourmet hummus on a pretzel stick at the grocery store today. A radio opinionator carrying on about Scott Pruitt's disregard of climate science suggested letting hungry polar bears loose in Congress. Congress gras. Congress hummus.

Walking the boardwalk over the wetlands an older couple was torturing two granddaughters with forced exposure to nature. The girls could not spy the warbler, or hear it singing over their own exasperated sighs. "You must learn to love nature," the grandparents kept saying in between phone selfies. March on! Or as the girls thought, "YRMLM."

Passing the spot where I saw snakes* on a recent visit to the Heard I found instead the biggest frog I've ever seen outside of captivity. It was bigger than a 24 oz. bucket of probiotic Greek yogurt.

*4/22/18

© 2014-2018 Nancy L. Ruder

A turtleful day in the neighborhood

Hermit thrush is the verdict of the helpful identifiers on iNaturalist:

What a cooperative little bird posing beside the boardwalk for a photo! These days I am torn between walking at Oak Point and walking at the Heard Wildlife Sanctuary a few miles to the north. Excited about the birdwatching spots on Oak Point's new trail,  but I still needed to check the progress of the Heard's wetlands. So please excuse the deviation from this blog's intended subject.

The bright sun and low angle made for intriguing illusions in the wetlands. The trees, the tree reflections in the water, and the shadows crossing made my eyes pop.

Best of all, a full Yertle of turtles were out enjoying the gorgeous afternoon, unperturbed by many little boys rapping sticks against the rails of the boardwalk. The turtles have it good, and they know it.

My dad passed away five years ago today. He was always disappointed about my failure to golf, but he did teach me the value of "unlaxing" in nature. On beyond relaxing there's a space of spiritual refueling and mindful focus. Return to it often.

© 2014-2017 Nancy L. Ruder

Color walk

© 2014-2017 Nancy L. Ruder

Sparkling refreshment when you need it most

© 2014-2017 Nancy L. Ruder

Quiet

© 2014-2016 Nancy L. Ruder

Attitude adjustment with cooperative dragonflies

Female widow skimmer

After a sluggish Sunday, it was clear I needed a mental jolt to get out of my post nasal drip mope before a new work week. Because I've been working on a family history of my sons' father, my ex's expression popped to mind. Yes, I had exactly what he used to call a "pewy dog attitude". I tend to think of it more as a bad case of Walmart parking lot grackles.

Male widow skimmer

Near the parking lot a very busy groups of saddlebag dragonflies declined to pose for pictures, but other species were more obliging. Wrens were checking out the fallen branches from Friday's storm. Scissortail flycatchers were doing their acrobatic aerials near the new sign for the Parks & Rec offices. Young orb-weavers were learning the ropes, and catocalas once again own the junction of Caddo and Redbud Trails. And on the way out of Oak Point, yes going to Walmart, a half dozen black vultures sat on the light poles near the sewer construction at Parker and Spring Creek wearing their white tube socks.

  

Eastern Pond Hawk adult male

Hide and seek Catocala moth

© 2014-2016 Nancy L. Ruder