birds – Page 13 – The Hermits' Rest

Still Here, Saw Owls, Binged on Books and TV

I didn’t write last night because I was being a self-indulgent vacationer. After a truly excellent walk to the lagoon area near where I’m staying on Hilton Head Island, I had an indulgent lunch of eggs Benedict and grits, then spent the rest of the day indulging in various media. I don’t think I’ve ever done this before. It felt weird, mostly because I sat in one place for so long. I’ll get to that momentarily.

very burned pizza — I would like to know the story of this poor pizza I found lying on the ground. It’s well cooked, all right.

The birding walk was most excellent. I saw and heard all kinds of birds I don’t usually run into, including a pair of Eastern Kingbirds, an American Redstart, and an Ovenbird. The trees were alive, both by the lagoon and at the nearby park, where there were also many turtles and a little alligator that really got kids excited. The only downside was that, even though I wore jeans and closed-toe shoes, I got all bit up by mosquitoes. I now need a Benadryl, which will probably put me to sleep.

The highlight of the walk was the payoff for standing quietly in an alcove at the end of Lagoon Road and watching all the birds. I was thrilled to see a Barred Owl fly right in front of me and land nearby. As I was trying to see where it was, a second Barred Owl also flew by! I figured I’d stay and see if they made any calls that Merlin could hear. I also got quite distracted by an interesting caterpillar that crawled onto my pants. This thing has many bells and whistles on it.

caterpillar — It’s a Fir Tussock moth, *Orgyia detrita*. I read the Wikipedia article on Tussock moths, and it told me those white tufts are the tussocks. I was also wise not to touch it. Those long hairs sting. Also, in the moths, the male is large and attractive, and the female is very small. Read the article!

I guess that moth really excited me because I didn’t notice the owls moving. As I was about to leave, I turned to look once more, and there was one of the owls, sitting close enough to me that even in the dark shadow, I could get a reasonable photo, once he or she moved their head. Interestingly, there was a crow sitting close by, glaring at it. As I’ve learned at home, crows aren’t very fond of owls.

barred owl — This is the closest I’ve ever been to an owl. The ones at home hide.

I got to show the owl to a couple of folks walking down the path, which was rewarding. I headed back to the Coligny shopping area, where I truly enjoyed that breakfast, all by myself. I also had a bloody Mary. I’m trying to learn to enjoy this retirement thing.

I was impressed that my meal matched my nails.

I came back to my condo and thought I’d watch another episode of the Netflix series, The Residence, which many people had recommended to me because the detective in the series is a birder. I also discovered it is set in the White House, and as a fan of The West Wing, I wanted to see how they treated it. Well, many hours later, I finished all eight episodes, the last of which was 1.5 hours. Some of the humor is very subtle, which I loved, and the birding part is okay (though the bird names were not always accurate). But I LOVED the heroine, a large Black woman who is a genius. It’s about time we had more protagonists who are different from the norm. Most of the characters were fun. I recommend this if you have a Netflix subscription. By the way, I figured out how to stream from my phone all by myself. Maybe I am the technology whiz people keep accusing me of being.

Condo view — The place I watched television from. Look, I bought healthy bananas in addition to Goldfish crackers.

I figured that I was already watching television, so I made myself a delicious Publix meal for one, got out my temperature blanket, and caught up with all the sitcoms I secretly like to watch. Lee is not fond of sitcoms, and I can see why. They are often predictable and dumb (especially poor Reba on Happy’s Place, which I doubt gets renewed – edit, Wikipedia says it did). I got that one out of the way and well into St. Denis Medical (which also got renewed) by the time I finished eating and crocheting.

Spiderwort, the Ohio kind that’s more common than the Texas ones.

I’m not totally mindless sitcom fodder, though. I did read the Eve book I talked about in my being judgy post until I fell asleep. Learning about the history of human development from a female point of view is fascinating. Much of it I didn’t know about, though having read the book about the senses a while back, I did know how male and female vision differ. I’ll write a full book report when I’ve digested all 500 pages, but now it’s time to go fight the mosquitoes and listen to more birds.

I always think of my mom when I see bottlebrush trees. She thought they were so cool, but had to explain what exactly a bottlebrush was to us as kids.

What’s the Hurry?

Today I was feeling quite fine, perhaps even groovy, while I was on my walk around Nails Creek State Park on an uncharacteristically cool April morning. I was reminded of the Simon and Garfunkel song that reminds us:

Slow down, you move too fast!
You’ve got to make the morning last!

That was from “Feeling Groovy,” if you aren’t old enough to have it pop right into your head. That’s how I was, too, taking my time, feeling the sand beneath my hiking shoes, and in the groove.

Life, I love you. All is groovy!

Groovy soapberry flowers

While I was walking and walking (fast enough to keep warm but not very fast), I realized that when I walk rhythmically I can’t think about anything negative. I just feel my body moving. Maybe that’s why people like running so much?

One thing I’m glad about is that I don’t need to run to get the effects of exercise. I love moving more slowly. I also think my focus on perceiving my surroundings with all my senses helps with grounding me. It’s like a walking meditation! That’s it! I’ve learned to meditate while looking for plants and listening for birds.

Even if that’s not true I find the idea comforting. Hobbies can be healthy! I plan to control my meanderings and take my time exploring the wide world around me, slowly and intentionally. It may be what keeps me together through unprecedented challenges.

I spent my original groovy years surrounded by Spanish moss.

What do you think? Am I onto something?

A Camping Dilemma

Any day out I nature is good. It did rain much of today, then got cold, but rain sounds good on the roof and I have warm clothing stashed in Seneca’s closet. However, the rain was not enough to dampen the spirits of our fellow campers.

Two, perhaps three (hard to tell) groups of incredibly enthusiastic Scouts are here, with one taking up three sites across from us. They are having FUN. So far I haven’t detected any actual scouting activities from this group, unless bellowing, screeching, and making siren sounds can earn you a merit badge. The adults coped by yelling back.

I coped by trying to leave, but it kept raining on me.

The other group was set up in the other camping area by the lake. They even had on uniforms as they blasted through empty campsites screaming instructions. One of them saw me and yelled, “Stranger Danger.” I was annoyed by then and reminded them that scouting encourages them to respect other campers.

I’m under a shelter. They’re scampering off.

They were on their way to a ceremony (I’d heard, ha ha), so by the time Lee had picked me up from standing in the rain and we drove by, they were doing a lovely ceremony with flags and saluting. Of course, THAT is when the park police went by. Such good little citizens.

I got to see a gun millipede while in the shelter in the rain.

Note that I did get a little walk in between rains and found a couple of interesting plants. I was trying out the new and improved iNat app, too. It identifies what I see immediately, so I don’t have to do it when I get back from a walk. Fewer Master Naturalist hours, but that’s fine.

Meanwhile, Lee and I took a drive around the area and looked at a couple of cute small towns. When we came back, the local kids were back outside, now throwing a football. I left again, and had a pleasant, if chilly, walk on the Nails Creek Trail, featuring lake views, more fun plants, and an owl.

A better picture of Sandyland Bluebonnet

The dilemma for me is whether I should have gone over and talked to the adults about the noise levels. I see two sides. One is that these are children who are outdoors. They don’t need to use their “inside voices” and that’s probably fun. Knowing how structured and protected the lives of kids are these days, this was probably a rare opportunity for free play with their friends, and that’s exhilarating for sure.

On the other hand, those of us who weren’t in their party could not enjoy our campsites when it wasn’t raining. In fact, we could only enjoy inside the RV with music or television on. I’ve been told that the training for the adults covers how to act when camping. I didn’t see a lot of buddy system or respect for the leaders.

I’m just not sure if I should have asked the park staff to talk to them or talked to them myself. I know how people react these days, so I said nothing. I honestly don’t mind kids having fun at reasonable volumes and staying in their own sites or the road. They were running all over the campground while the adults mostly sat in their chairs. I wish they’d gone on a hike or something but they’d have scared all the birds and animals.

My fervent hope is that they all pack up and leave early to go to church. Fingers crossed.

By the way, I want to thank any readers who went to peaceful protests today. Sign creativity was high! Since 2020, I can no longer do big crowds. But I’m grateful to those of you who fought through introversion and showed up.

And hey, here’s the first row of the 2025 temperature blanket. It’s warmer!

Nature Church

I’m easily excited, I guess. When I see a new or unexpected plant, bird, or insect, I get a thrill in my heart. I smile in the middle of nowhere, all by myself. Yesterday was full of such moments. The only thing that could have improved it would be to have had a companion also iNatting and Merlining with me. I made those verbs up. It’s good to have a companion in your spiritual experiences occasionally.

On my first walk yesterday here at the Nails Creek Unit of Lake Somerville State Park, I took the Overlook Trail, after revisiting the Lake Trail, where all the White Pelicans, Great Egrets, Great Blue Herons, Forster’s Terns, Northern Shovelers (charmingly shoveling away), Blue- and Green-winged Teals, and mystery sandpipers were in full force.

Forster’s Tern. Lee took the next few photos.

The Overlook Trail was breathtaking in its subtle way. First, it smelled wonderful, thanks to the blooming trees. There were Honey Locust, Honey Mesquite, Eve’s Necklacepod, and a lot of yaupon. That stuff smells so good.

Every turn I took revealed new vistas or secluded nooks. I realized that I felt spiritually a-tingle, like I was in a religious service and being moved. Mother Nature’s church was what my soul needed.

I enjoyed the viewing platform and all the lake views, though the little plants also enchanted me. I couldn’t have felt better. No news, no noise, no distractions.

Next we took an exciting trip to the grocery store in Somerville. This yard where someone planted a LOT of wildflowers was a highlight.

In the late afternoon it wasn’t too hot, so I went on the Cedar Creek Trail. It goes into the middle of the park, through beautiful post oak Savannah. The prairie parts were covered by wildflowers that like sandy soil, a few of which were new to me. The photos don’t do the scenery justice, plus all those little pointed phlox smelled better than perfume. I was often stopped in my tracks by the views. Wow.

I realize this isn’t the Grand Canyon or Rocky Mountains, but to me this part of Texas is incredibly beautiful. I hope you enjoyed the photos.

I Can Have a Theme if I Want To

The freedom is getting to me. I may have mentioned that I randomly decided to have a color theme for each month this year. January was black. I was pretty sad that month. The rest of the year is more cheerful, with pink February and purple March.

I had written orange down for April, but all last month I was planning for green. So I switched to green for April. Because I’m my own boss! Yes! I just wish I paid me more.

But not just nails, oh no! It’s hair, too. I’ve never had green hair before. It’s, um, green all right.

I will wear a lot of green, but I’m not gonna go nuts. Just some touches for whimsy. I just need fun right now to keep me going. This doesn’t cost much and I no longer care what people think about how I look (not that I ever did).

I indulged myself today by taking all the time I needed to tally up the birds I saw in March. I have a spreadsheet, you know. I keep track of birds I see at the Hermits’ Rest, elsewhere in Texas, and other states I visit. I share the findings for each month on the blog, too. You can see for yourself what the 84 birds here in March were. You can also see last year, too. I discovered that the only other time Merlin heard a Short-eared Owl was last March. This information alone spurs me on to make it until March 2026!

I really should see them in winter. Maybe they’re migrating in March. Photo from Pexels.

Speaking of green stuff and our ranch, the whole property other than pastures was mowed and trimmed today. It looks very neat. They accidentally mowed the wildflowers on the roadside, which made me sad. Maybe some flowers will come back. The wildflower strip that’s not mowed still looks pretty ragged, so we may just need to try again next year.

There’s good news, though. They moved the round pen to the little field in front of the house, so I’ll have a lot more space for horse training equipment. I can have a gate to practice on, my own cowboy curtain, etc.! Note that, as set up, the round pen is sort of a trapezoid. We will fix it.

I introduced Apache to the new location today. The goal was to just get him over there, but we made it in and did some circles and figure eights. He was not thrilled, but I handled it fine. Then we went back and trotted in the circle-ish area where the pen used to be. He’s such a creature of habit. He still balks at the higher jump. It’s okay.

No photos of the horse today, but, look! I have a blurry photo to show the Northern Harrier does exist here!

What’s the point of all this babbling? I want to encourage you to go and find your fun and indulge in what you love. It’s more important now than ever. The joy we can bring to ourselves is ours and ours alone. I’m not going to let my right to do silly things get taken away, because these little things strengthen me to keep fighting for my rights and the rights of people I care about. I think that’s true for us all.

I declare April to be not only the cruelest month, but also the greenest. So mote it be.

I Can Do Whatever I Want

It feels that way, right now, even though I don’t want to do things that cost money (if a recession comes, blame me, because this consumer has stopped spending on anything not horse related).

He’s not too expensive. Just some fungal spray.

All right, then, why do I feel so free? It’s obvious! There’s no pesky job eating up my time. That feels very freeing. I’m liberated, from a scheduling point of view.

She’s free as a bird, or in this case, a turkey with her favorite water bucket and some chickweed.

For example, I had a dental checkup today. Once I got the gas pump to work at the old Cefco station (second time in a row there that I’ve had problems), I made it on time, zipped in, and 40 minutes of cheerful conversation and scraping later, I was free to explore my old stomping grounds in the vortex between Cedar Park and Round Rock, Texas.

Google maps provided this photo of the actual round rock in Round Rock, which was part of the Chisholm Trail.

First I went to the grocery store, the fancy H-E-B where our problem ward Edie used to work. At least I’m over my terror of that place. I had so much fun. Clearly, I’ve not been getting out much lately when seeing the vast offerings of a US grocery store is exciting. I got a lunch sandwich, some rice and couscous side dishes, and hair accessories I’ve been needing for months. It felt weird to spend money. I’m getting the hang of my new frugal lifestyle.

Carlton points out that while he is not free, he’s pretty inexpensive.

I took my lunch over to Brushy Creek Lake Park, a place I used to go pretty often before it was fancy. Brushy Creek is beautiful in this part of Williamson County, and I thought it would be fun to see what’s living around there. Why not? I didn’t have anywhere else I needed to be!

The lake is still nice and had some shore birds and even white ducks, domesticated I guess. I found many familiar plants that grow in limestone karst areas, and of course, bluebonnets.

One warning, the wooded areas near the lake are covered with very healthy poison ivy!

But there are also fun water plants and friendlier vines to enjoy.

Smilax rotundifolia or Round leaf greenbrier

I ended up hearing or seeing 45 birds there, which is challenging considering I spent much of my time next to or under Parmer Lane, with its many lanes of traffic.

There were many American and Lesser Goldfinches, the usual Great-tailed Grackles of the greater Austin metro area, and plenty of titmice and sparrows.

The biggest highlight for me was hearing two Cooper’s Hawks communicating then seeing one swoop down into a tree right next to me. I couldn’t get a really clear shot, but I was nice and close!

On my way out, I checked to see if the labyrinth was still there. It was, and appears to be maintained at least some.

After I said a silent word of gratitude, I turned to leave. I’d noticed some of the matting under the gravel was showing, making it look like garden hoses, or something.

I realized one of the hose-like items was shinier than the others. It was a pretty rat snake sunning itself on the rocks. I enjoyed looking at it for a while. I felt like it was my gift for checking on the labyrinth.

On my way home, I drove along the creek to downtown Round Rock. I passed the rock. I was sad to see more new houses, but glad to see at least some of the beautiful wooded areas still thriving. It’s a wonderful bike or hiking trail.

My hiking was to the left. My old house was somewhere near the word “Google.”

There was plenty of time when I got home to hang out with the family and try to clean up Apache. He took so long I didn’t even try to de-mud any others. Mabel has the huge mud balls on her mane again, sigh.

I was glad to see Apache still doing fine, other than a bit sensitive around his face. Funny thing. I raised up his jump as Tarrin suggested. Apache zoomed towards it, then saw it was higher. He put on his brakes and slid in the muddy ground to stop. I’ll have to work on that!

Indicating they’d like to be left alone.

I wonder what crazy stuff I’ll do tomorrow? Whatever I want!

Worn Out

How on earth can I be worn out on a day when I couldn’t do much due to drizzle? That’s easy. I wore my mind out.

I lost my detachment from current events and got angry. It’s a good thing fewer than 30 people read my Substack, because I went off on the concept of “improper ideology” for many paragraphs. You can read it if you want to. I just blathered. It will bite me in the butt someday, but I’m old and have no employer to defer to, so who cares?

Bluebonnets and slightly more full pond.

I got my stuff ready for our in-person horse show tomorrow, though Apache is filthy and I’m not sure how great he feels. My shoulder still hurts a lot, but otherwise I’m okay. I have all sorts of wound care and cleaning stuff for him. I just hope I have time to get him ready.

That black-and-white blob is a Mournful Thyris moth.

Ah well. I’m glad for the rain. It’s much greener already. Maybe more will come, after tomorrow.

Brain hurts. Worn out. Good night.

Thanks, Ma Nature, Candles Are Fun

Weirdly, the temperature range today was just five degrees. That made for an interesting square in my temperature blanket with two shades of yellow for the low and high temperatures Fahrenheit.

We had a couple warm days this week (Orange is when I start to sweat (85-89°)).

The reason for this stasis is that we finally had a good rain front come through, which hadn’t happened since last month. People south of us got much more, but we are closing in on an inch here, which will at least moisten the parched wildflowers and raise the levels in the ponds/tanks a bit.

More is predicted for tomorrow, so I’m hoping Mother Nature will be kind to us, even though the rain made Dusty and Drew go into wild stallion mode all day. So much rearing, kicking, and neck snaking has to be hard on them both.

To top the day off, we lost power right as I was getting ready to cook dinner. I set the last pot on the stove and was about to cut up onions when the power started to flicker. After about ten minutes of that, the lights went off for a couple of hours. I’d say that forced some downtime but that’s not true. I took a walk in the rain with the big umbrella and was rewarded with the haunting sounds of Upland Sandpipers, followed by much ado from a Greater Yellowlegs, another shore bird with an unforgettable sound. The rain had it pretty excited.

The horses were quite concerned at the sight of me with the unfamiliar umbrella. High alert!

After a candlelight hamburger dinner, the power came back so Lee could get back to bookbinding and I could finish my crochet squares. This domestic tranquility reminds me that there was a good event this morning.

Yes, this morning I was reading email in bed, when I heard dog footsteps. I looked, and Carlton and Penney were both in the bed. What?

I was being good. Just like this, only in bed.

It was Harvey. He’d made it upstairs, which he’d only tried twice before, since his stroke or whatever happened. But there he was, happy as he could be. The important thing is that after I got dressed and went downstairs, he came down in his own. Lee heard it, and he said it sounded more graceful than last time. I guess his liver medication is helping (it costs more than any of our human medicine).

It’s good to see Harvey helping Alfred guard the premises.

I’m hoping for more rain, then for a nice clear Saturday, assuming Apache and I are healed up enough to do the show. He seems fine. My shoulder is messed up, which may have something to do with the hoof-shaped bruise on my upper arm. I’ll live, I’m sure!

My shoulder isn’t too bad, anyway. I managed to lift 40-pound bags of alfalfa and salt that the previous horses needed. I’m a strong older person!

Enjoy this bonus ground cherry, which is undoubtedly happy with Ma Nature tonight!

A Tale of Two Hiking Trails

And two ecosystems

Yesterday, I walked along (and off of) the Texas Oak Trail here at Lake Brownwood State Park. It runs along the lake shore and the ridge above it.

The terrain went up and down among wooded terrain with beautiful rocks that looked like stacked stone and some open areas as well. There were mostly oak and cedar elms but other trees were scattered around as well.

My favorite was the Mexican Buckeye, which was blooming away in pink splendor and attracting all kinds of insects. These are cool trees because they have pretty leaves and interesting seed pods in winter. I don’t think they’d do well in our soil, though.

I found many plants among the rocks, which made up for how hard some of the rock scrambling was for me.

Blue curls (a beautiful flower) Phacelia congesta

I heard many birds, and even got to see some Spotted Towhees under a big live oak.

When I got off the lakeside trail there was more karst terrain with mesquite and many cacti. I really like the lacy ones.

At some point the trail got harder and harder to follow and I ended up going astray a couple of times. It ended up okay, because I got to get good looks at some old Civilian Conservation Corps benches, tables, and a fireplace. After that, I just plunged down the hill.

I did enjoy many vistas from the top of the ridge, though, so the complexity was worth it. I really enjoyed the varied terrain and diverse plants, though I was pretty tired when I got back. I needed a nap!

Never fear, though, the idea of eating Japanese food for dinner revived me, so I was fully present when we drove to Brownwood to eat at Katana. Wow, the former Pizza Hut hides a gem. They had interesting and reasonably priced rolls, and the ramen I had was divine. It was in a beef bone broth and had all the perfect additions. I ate every drop. No doubt about it—I miss GOOD Japanese food a LOT.

These are genuinely Japanese signs, judging from the misspelling of “daily.”

Today I went on a very different hike. It’s much quieter here now that the spring break crowd has left. Lee reminds me we can camp on weekdays now, too. Ah, peace and quiet.

That’s exactly what I found on the Nopales Trail today, three miles of peace and yes, prickly pear cactus.

Yep. It wasn’t too cactus-y but they were there.

There was much goodness about this hike. First, it was a little cooler than yesterday with a pleasant non-gale breeze. Second, it was mostly flat (it’s the bike trail) so a little easier on my aging lower limbs.

The part that was less exciting was that there wasn’t much variation in the plant life. It was a combination of oak mottes and fields dotted with mesquite. That’s about it.

And bird life was quite consistently Cardinals, Bewick’s Wrens, White-eyed Vireos, and the occasional Spotted Towhees. All nice birds, but that’s all you heard other than incredibly loud fighter jets on training runs. Yow, they were loud, but fun to watch once I could find them with the binoculars.

This hike was blissfully relaxing. I stopped whenever I wanted to, enjoyed listening to a roadrunner, and just basked in the quiet. It was just about perfect for me. I was truly happy, at least for an hour or two, leaving the cares of the world behind. It was an interlude to treasure.

Friends, I know you’ve been reading endless suggestions to go out in nature to help you cope with uncertainty. It’s not a bad suggestion at all. I feel practically human again after this trip, ready to face the next challenges and even do some of that activist work Georgia has mentioned.

You, too, might find an Olympia Marble (Euchloe olympia) butterfly!

Losing Myself in Birds

What activities do you lose yourself in?

There are many activities I enjoy. Right now, though, birding is what I lose myself in. Time stands still and I let myself feel at peace when I’m watching their antics. They are so different and fascinating to me.

Today was all about birds, starting with a birding boat trip where I saw eight new birds for my life list. We went into the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge and were delighted by the variety of species good old Captain Tommy spotted (I spotted some, too).

The highlight, of course, was spotting many Whooping Cranes enjoying their crab fests. We lucked out and got to observe parents and a hefty juvenile fairly close. The crabbing was excellent.

We saw a couple of pairs fly off, too. Those massive aviators are so graceful.

We also got to see Oystercatchers nesting, many different gulls, Roseate Spoonbills, cormorants (both kinds), White Ibis, and young Great Blue Herons. The adults are all nesting.

You can’t see it, but an Oystercatcher nest is in that brush. We also saw many huge barges.

After the boat, we journeyed to Port Aransas, which was a longer ride than usual thanks to ferry delays (spring break). But the place we went was pretty darned impressive, even if it was right next to the sewer plant and garbage truck headquarters. It was the Leonabelle Turner Birding Center, with beautiful boardwalks overlooking hundreds of water birds.

The water was so clear you could see what the teals and shovelers were shoveling. Oh there were so many ducks!

There were also herons and egrets galore, who hung out with Ibises.

A flock of White Pelicans had camped out in the distance.

Also there were Long-billed Dowitchers, Black-necked Stilts, Coots, and Gallinules. So many birds. The stilts were hilarious and by far my favorite.

I’m too tired for more details, but we had a good day, especially when helping others or learning from more knowledgeable folks. We met many very cool people.