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What
Lily Magnolia (Magnolia liliiflora)Observer
poseidon314Description
Flowering small specimen tree in Austin, TX, USA. Flower petals are dark to light pink outside and white inside, mildly fragrant. Small, shiny, elliptical green leaves are still emerging in early March, even while large pink flowers are already prominent.
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Southern Flannel Moth (Megalopyge opercularis)Observer
poseidon314Description
Moth with entirely furry body, including legs and wings! Feathery antennae. Golden yellows, browns, black, white, and cream. Found on a brick wall near Austin Discovery School playground by kids (N & Z) after school near outdoor light, which was off since it was daytime. Friendly and docile, flew away after a bit. Another one of same species also present.
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Underwing, Tiger, Tussock, and Allied Moths (Family Erebidae)Observer
poseidon314Description
White moth with black stripes on legs, black specks on outside edges of wings, long feathery antennae, and "fur"behind head. Found sheltering from rain in front yard in South Austin, 78745, TX.
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Mexican Plum (Prunus mexicana)Observer
poseidon314Description
Fragrant white blossoms blooming on bare branches of an understory small deciduous tree along the streambed at the Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park in mid February. We could smell the strong perfume of the blooms a dozen feet away, well before we could locate the source. We encountered several of these trees scattered along the streams and trails of the park. ..Searched for flowering plants in Feb...Mexican Plum?
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Atlantic Stingray (Hypanus sabinus)Observer
poseidon314Description
Found washed up on the beach during a walk just after sunset, it wasn't there earlier in the day. Was deceased. My foot and a water bottle we found nearby for scale. We're guessing it's a skate or ray (we found an empty skate egg case washed up further down the beach, close to the jetty tonight, too!) It was very heavy when I turned it over to get the underside picture. Who was this?
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Texas Blind Snake (Rena dulcis)Observer
poseidon314Description
Plains blind snake found by kids among the dirt and leaf litter under a tree at the playground at Austin Discovery School on a sunny afternoon and released back into their habitat. Lots of kids (and at least one parent) wanted to hold the snake and learn more about them!
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Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera)Observer
poseidon314Description
Found 4 cm long gray caterpillar in the car on a nice sunny afternoon on the way home from picking up the kids. Brought home, photographed on dayflower, and released in front yard. He climbed hackberry tree next to ash tree and camouflaged himself on the bark (but had refused hackberry, ash, and live oak leaves I'd tried to feed him). Species?
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Gulf Coast Toad (Incilius nebulifer)Observer
poseidon314Description
Found on the playground on a hot afternoon after school near a large log which had a cavity underneath, from which the kids think the toad emerged. Gulf coast toad? They released him back into the shade after everyone had a chance to see him.
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Skippers (Family Hesperiidae)Observer
poseidon314Description
Butterfly on yellow lantana. The yellow lantana with dark colored butterfly was next to the multicolored lantana I used for my first two observations. The butterfly visited the multicolor lantana first, then the yellow one. Overhead shot shows proximity of the two lantana plants I used in today's 3-series solar eclipse observation in Austin, TX at the Austin Discovery School.
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Broad-headed Bugs (Family Alydidae)Observer
poseidon314Description
Beetle on lantana
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Western Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)Observer
poseidon314Description
Bee on lantana
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Western Ribbon Snake (Thamnophis proximus)Observer
poseidon314Description
Ribbon snake or Garter snake? We saw it come out of a pond in the heat of the afternoon. It went back in the pond when we approached, swam to the other side of the pond, got back out and hid among some flowers and shrubs. Wildflower Center, Austin, TX. We saw the snake again 30 minutes later in the same pond chasing a large leopard frog from land into the pond (frog got away) then the snake swam around and climbed out of water among rocks, with only head protruding from crevice. Exciting!
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Clearnose Skate (Rostroraja eglanteria)Observer
poseidon314Description
Found in sand on the beach in Corpus Christi, TX (Gulf of Mexico) amongst washed up reddish-green seaweed/algae plants at the high tide mark where wet sand met dry sand. Brown/copper in color. Could it be a shark egg?
What
Genus NarceusObserver
poseidon314Description
Found thick black with red centipede (4-5 inches?) on riverbank at the greenbelt. Was 5 ft from the water wandering on the muddy bank, then climbed up a small rise and rummaged amongst the fallen leaves and low vegetation on the riverbank. A few solitary ants gave him a wide berth and s/he ignored them (and me as well). Have a few more photos of this centipede to upload (with iPhone for scale) from another camera.
Photos / Sounds
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Family LithobiidaeObserver
poseidon314Description
Centipede, red-colored, moving quickly at sunset near the edge of limestone rocky parking lot into Ashe juniper and oak woods near entrance to Wild Basin. In both photos the centipede's head is nearer the bottom of the photo.
What
Wolf Spiders (Family Lycosidae)Observer
poseidon314Description
Running across trail at sunset at Wild Basin on Triknee trail halfway downhill from the Overlook. He/she hid under a rock for second while we watched then resumed running to woods on other side of trail.
What
Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis)Observer
poseidon314Description
Male cardinal singing in the top of exposed tree directly above water at Bee Creek at the top of the waterfall where Yaupon trail meets Creek trail at Wild Basin.
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Funnel Weavers (Family Agelenidae)Observer
poseidon314Description
Dew drops, even in the late afternoon, on this spiderweb. This spider ran into his tunnel between the first and second photo when we tried to get a closer look at him/her. Along Creek trail at Wild Basin near the waterfall. Have seen several of these webs here today with dew drops.
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Mosses (Phylum Bryophyta)Observer
poseidon314Description
Moss on top of limestone rock, in dappled sunlight under Red oak and Ashe juniper trees along Creek trail (above Bee Creek) near intersection of Creek and Woodland trails. Seemed to be blooming or something? 7 year old's finger for scale.
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Red Buckeye (Aesculus pavia)Observer
poseidon314Description
Small tree on Creek Trail by Bee Creek at Wild Basin. Some of the leaves are opening.
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Southern Dewberry (Rubus trivialis)Observer
poseidon314Description
At Wild Basin Wilderness on the Creek trail, between Possum and the Easternmost creek crossing of Bee Creek. Starting to bloom, March 16, 2017.
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Twisted-leaf Yucca (Yucca rupicola)Observer
poseidon314Description
We saw it at the scenic view spot on Creek trail by the benches.
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North American Common Water Strider (Aquarius remigis)Observer
poseidon314Description
At the Easternmost Bee Creek water crossing on Creek trail (beneath Possum trail) we saw water striders on top of the clear running water. I saw one of the water striders (on the right of the maidenhair fern) capture something--a smaller insect with wings--and hold it in its mouth. (Edited to say "water striders" instead of "water skaters")
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Texas Patch-nosed Snake (Salvadora lineata)Observer
poseidon314Description
On SW side of Possum Trail behind and among big limestone boulders we saw this snake moving silently down hill. We'd just passed "shrimp colony" rocks as we headed toward creek and were checking out a big 5-sided leaning rock when we saw this snake behind the rock going down the hill.
What
Blackfoot Daisy (Melampodium leucanthum)Observer
poseidon314Description
Along Arroyo Vista trail just West of Overlook