Lovies

It’s been too long I’m slightly rusty

But it’s all coming back

My thrasher, who I could count on singing as loud as he could in the mornings and evenings

My tanager, who would always sing as my alarm in the morning

My hummingbirds, which I’ve recognized year after year

My woodpecker, who eats all the jelly and pushes the hummingbirds around

My orioles who yell at me from the trees when I’m outside

My yellow breasted chats, who I have yet to hear here

My wren, who patrols the back porch and into the potted plants, looking for bugs and grasshoppers to eat

The birds I’ve sat with after hitting the windows, who I hope recognize me

The skunk and raccoon that clean up any dropped seed at the end of the day

The insane amount of biodiversity we have just outside the doors

Even the feral cat who stops by and tries to eat my birds

Specifically, Common Spotted Whiptail time. Wow! I love these guys. They're so different from the green anoles (whom i love) I usually dont see these guys until they run. The top two (THE CUTIES!!) were about a foot from me in the grass before they suddenly ran and spooked me. I snuck around the tree and got that cute pic. The second one kept getting spooked down my little walking trail. Not the best picture of a whiptail ive ever gotten, but good enough for me. The last one was on a little piece of concrete just in front of a cabin. They tend to hang out in the flowerbeds right in front of the cabins, where a toooon of bugs and butterflies hang out probably also a really nice and cool place to hang out to escape the harsh sun.

Whatever the occasion of catching these beautiful lizards, I LOOOVE them. Ive only got to hold a whiptail once. They're too fast and I'm too slow.

A cutie pie dragonfly! This little guy perched on a little blade of grass. I don't know much about the dragonfly's in my area, especially since there's so many blue ones! I think I'm partial to all the blue ones. They're just so pretty. I associate these little dragonfly's with water, so its so fun to see them a (in all honestly, meager) distance from the water's edge.

I tried my best to make the first photo reminiscent of 2015. You know the pictures. All gold, lens flares, boho aesthetic. Idk how to edit, but I feel like this ash-throated got it down for me. Just wish they had been looking towards me.

A cutie patootie Ash-throated Flycatcher! I just found out that we have two flycatcher nests on the property (at least). Not sure if they're both Ash-Throated or if it's Brown-Crested and Ash-Throated. This guy always hangs out down by my walking path. Them and the Eastern Wood-Pewee. I think these flycatchers look a little goofy.

Their eyes are so far back on their head. But they're cute, and they sound pretty, anyway!

You WILL see that bird you’ve been wanting to see for forever.

But, it’s just as important to set an extremely specific intention. If you’re out there with the intention of photographing birds, you have to make sure your intentions include that you will see and capture incredible pictures of the bird you want to find.

Otherwise, you might just end up seeing or hearing 10 to 12 of the birds that you went out looking for specifically and only get a picture of one, a young one that doesn’t have his adult feathers yet.

Buggies! I’ve really found an enjoyment in photographic insects.

They’re a little more conspicuous than birds.

Shoutout to that tarantula hawk wasp that I thought was 100% a mimic moth until I got close to them and was like “not a moth but idk what it is!”

I’m sorry I’m simply not feeling up to searching for the id’s of the buggies. I’ll do my best

Dusky something. Mounful duskywing? He’s a mourning fella

Vesta crescent (?)

Queen

Queen

Carpenter bee (I’ve forgotten if eastern or western)

Mournful duskywing again

Paper wasp (I think fine-backed? The paper wasp folks will know)

Friends I have no clue

Gulf fritillary (how do you pronounce it? Frit-illary or frtill-ary. Heard a gentleman say he can tell where you’re from based on how you pronounce it (south vrs not south) I go with Frit-illary because nobody spoke it to me and I just figured thats how it’s pronounces)

A little cottontail family! Look at them touching their little noises together! This will be a new dusk obsession. The little kit was adorable. they hopped around, stood up on their back legs (first picture) then dashed back into the brush. Never got the whole family together. Dad (presumed, second picture) went ahead and chomped away across a little dirt road. Mom (presumed) and baby sat on my side. once baby left, I kept my distance and walked between mom and dad.

This little guy sat on the railing while I stood a few feet away snapping pictures of him. There was another Barn Swallow diving at me. Thats okay <33

I attempted to get pictures of these guys flying around, but no such luck at this session

Some things about this guy

- I love his lil pantaloons

- thats all. He’s cute

Nikon D7500

March 31, 2026

Texas