Observations by jbecky

A chatty, red, cardinal sized bird in a woodland tree overhead. It was in an oak tree that rose above a cover of juniper trees. The first recording is as I approached on the trail and the second is when I was standing directly under its tree. It moved from branch to branch and between neighboring oak trees but didn't leave, despite my spending 7 minutes walking under it searching for a good angle for photos.

A tiny moth discovered with its head under the reproductive parts of a winecup (Callirhoe) flower. When I turned the flower to the light, the tiny black moth became a dark golden color, with lighter golden rings on its head and thorax. The antennae seem to be much thicker towards the bottom (but above their attachment point) than I expect for moths.

A tender herb making a mound on the ground in a shady wooded area under oaks and juniper. It's about 100 ft from a small stream which appears to flood (lightly) periodically. Soil is humus on top of limestone.

I chose pink family because it reminds me so much of chickweed and other delicate pinks, but I couldn't find one that seemed to match.

These are some very tall bluebonnets. Some of the flower stalks were at least 12 inches tall. I'm not used to them towering over the Paintbrushes. They're growing in along the edge of a dirt farm road. They're uphill of the road, so they're probably not getting too much extra runoff during rains.