Sunday, October 12, 2008

Texas Flowers


Photo taken at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, TX on 4/12/2008Texas Bluebonnet - Lupinus texensis (Pea Family - Fabaceae)

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/18/2008Honey Mesquite - Prosopis glandulosa (Mimosa Family - Mimosaceae)

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/18/2008Guayacan or Soapbush or Texas lignumvitae - Guajacum angustifolium

(Creosote-Bush Family - Zygophyllaceae)

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/18/2008Rough Nama, Sand Bells - Nama hispidum (Waterleaf Family - Hydrophyllaceae)

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/18/2008Tree Tobacco - Nicotiana glauca (Potato Family - Solanaceae)

Free wallpaper (desktop background) for personal use
Click on above picture, then on next picture right-click and set as background

Photo taken at Lost Maples SA, TX on 4/7/2008False Day Flower - Tinantia anomala (Spiderwort Family - Commelinaceae)

Photo taken at Seminole Canyon SP, TX on 3/31/2008Guajillo or Thornless Catclaw - Acacia berlandieri (Pea Family - Fabaceae)

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/18/2008Texas Persimmon - Diospyros texana (Ebony Family -Ebenaceae)

Photo taken at Lost Maples SA, TX on 4/7/2008Texas Buckeye - Aesculus glabra (Horse-Chestnut Family - Hippocastanaceae)

Photo taken at Lost Maples SA, TX on 4/7/2008Mexican Buckeye - Ungnadia speciosa (Soapberry Family -Sapindaceae)

Photo taken at Lost Maples SA, TX on 4/7/2008Scarlet Leather Flower - Clematis texensis (Buttercup Family -Ranunculaceae)

Photo taken at Lost Maples SA, TX on 4/7/2008Scarlet Leather Flower

Photo taken at Balcones Canyonlands NWR, TX on 4/11/2008Tropical Sage - Salvia coccinea (Mint Family -Lamiaceae)

Photo taken at Balcones Canyonlands NWR, TX on 4/11/2008Green False Nightshade - Chamaesaracha coronopus (Potato Family -Solanaceae)

Photo taken at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, TX on 4/12/2008Antelope Horns - Asclepias asperula (Milkweed Family -Asclepiadaceae)

Photo taken at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, TX on 4/12/2008Prairienymph - Herbertia lahue (Iris Family -Iridaceae)

Photo taken at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, TX on 4/12/2008Prairie Beard-tongue - Penstemon cobaea (Figwort Family -Scrophulariaceae)

Photo taken at Lost Maples SA, TX on 4/7/2008Evening-Star Rain Lily - Cooperia drummondii (Lily Family -Liliaceae)

Photo taken at Lost Maples SA, TX on 4/7/2008Evening-Star Rain Lily

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/22/2008Candellia or Wax Plant- Euphorbia antisyphilitica (Spurge Family -Euphorbiaceae)

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/22/2008Resurrection Plant or Flower of Stone - Selaginella lepidophylla
(Spike-Moss Family -Selaginellaceae)

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/22/2008This is a desert plant that grows rapidly after rains, but curls up into a dormant ball
when it lacks moisture.




All images © MSCI

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Friday, October 10, 2008

Texas Wildflowers and Bugs

It is amazing how often I take a photo of a flower and later find that there are insects enjoying it, too. In some cases, they are camouflaged very well. Can you find them?

Photo taken at Falcon Dam SP, TX on 3/13/2007Yellow Flax and small fly

Photo taken at Laguna Atascosa NWR, TX on 3/23/2007White Prickleypoppy and green grasshopper

Photo taken at Galveston SP, TX on 3/29/2007Texas Spiderwort and cricket-like bug

Photo taken at Anzalduas County Park, TX on 3/17/2007Scarlet Beeblossom and ant

Photo taken at Hwy 77, TX on 3/35/2007Neuces Coreopsis and small beetle

Photo taken at Goose Island SP, TX on 3/27/2007Coastal Plain Tickseed and tiny flies

Photo taken at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, TX on 4/12/2008Antelope Horns and two bugs

Photo taken at Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, TX on 4/12/2008Prairienymph and bee

All of these photos were taken in Texas. The larger image is free wallpaper (desktop background) for personal use. Click on blog picture, then on the next picture (larger image), right-click and set as background.


All images © MSCI

posted by Maria Bajema @ 9:00 AM   0 Comments

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Texas Animals, Lizards, Bug


Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/20/2008Coyote

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/19/2008Jack Rabbit running in the desert

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/23/2008Jack Rabbit sitting in camp

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/20/2008Javalina

Photo taken at Seminole Canyon SP, TX on 3/31/2008Greater Earless Lizard

Photo taken at Seminole Canyon SP, TX on 3/31/2008Zebra-tailed Lizard

Photo taken at Seminole Canyon SP, TX on 3/31/2008Green Anole

Photo taken at Seminole Canyon SP, TX on 3/31/2008Darkling Beetle


All images © MSCI

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Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Purple Asters and Visitors

I have some purple New England asters growing in front of our deck. Sometimes I sit with the camera in hand and watch the various visitors to the flowers.

Photo taken at Murray Lake, TX on 9/21/2008Cabbage Butterfly - female with 2 black spots on its wings

Photo taken at Murray Lake, TX on 9/21/2008Bumble Bee

Photo taken at Murray Lake, TX on 9/21/2008Free wallpaper (desktop background) for personal use

Click on above picture, then on next picture right-click and set as background

Photo taken at Murray Lake, TX on 9/21/2008Bumble Bee with pollen sack on its leg

Photo taken at Murray Lake, TX on 10/5/2008Flower Fly - looks like a wasp but its not

Photo taken at Murray Lake, TX on 9/21/2008Honey Bee

Photo taken at Murray Lake, TX on 9/21/2008Honey Bee with a pollen sack on its leg

Photo taken at Murray Lake, TX on 9/23/2008Clouded Sulphur - male

Photo taken at Murray Lake, TX on 9/25/2008Clouded Sulphur - female

Photo taken at Murray Lake, TX on 9/23/2007Virginia Ctenucha - this is a moth

Photo taken at Murray Lake, TX on 9/21/2008Sweat Bee

Photo taken at Murray Lake, TX on 9/25/2008Silver-spotted Skipper



All images © MSCI

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Monday, October 6, 2008

From Green to Colors

Wow! I can't believe it is already October and its more than two months since I last published anything in my "green" series. Funny, I am not thinking about green, now, as the summer days are gone! Rather, I am watching the fall colors and doing fall activities: eating orange peaches and yellow pears, blue plums; watching my green tomatoes ripen to orange and then red; picking red raspberries and eating the first red apples of the season. Some maples are showing orange and red; the arrowhead and pickerel weeds in the lake are turning orange and brown; in the fields, soy beans and corn are turning yellow and brown; yellow goldenrod is blooming everywhere; purple New England asters are growing along the roadsides and the skies are bright blue on a cool fall day.

Even on my trip this spring, green was not the only color I noticed....

After visiting Big Bend NP, we drove east to Lake Amistad NRA. Here it rained for 2 days. The result was that the ocotillo actually sprouted leaves in just a few days. Even when I am not in Texas, I am fascinated by this plant. I hope you will put the flower as wall paper on your computer for awhile.

Photo taken at Seminole Canyon SP, TX on 3/31/2008Ocotillo - Fouquieria splendens (Ocotillo Family - Fouquieriaceae)

Photo taken at Seminole Canyon SP, TX on 3/31/2008
Photo taken at Seminole Canyon SP, TX on 3/31/2008
Photo taken at Seminole Canyon SP, TX on 3/31/2008
Free wallpaper (desktop background) for personal use
Click on above picture, then on next picture right-click and set as background

If you are looking for color, you can usually find it everywhere. I always enjoy lichen on rocks.

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/21/2008
Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/21/2008
Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/21/2008
Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/21/2008Dead Tree

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/21/2008Oak Tree blossoms

Photo taken at Big Bend NP, TX on 3/21/2008Canadian Bigtooth Maple



All images © MSCI

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