Loop Road and Shipp/Stagners Lake, Smithville, Texas For great birding in Bastrop County, try birding Loop Road and Shipp/Stagners Lake! Loop Road is a beautiful country drive crowned by Shipp Lake on the eastern end. The 6 mile loop starts and ends at Highway 71 at points about 2 miles apart.. At the eastern pointContinue reading
Category: Bastrop Lost Pines Birds
Birds of Bastrop Texas as seen and photographed at Little Piney, country home and wildlife habitat in the Lost Pines.
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Bastrop County Hotspots–Birding Loop Road and Shipp/Stagners Lake
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Nature and Connection
Nature grounds me, teaches me acceptance, reminds me how temporary my problems are, and helps me understand both the power and the insignificance of this moment in time. A few more things I’ve learned…
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Long Hot Summer
From quarantine to the brutal murders of Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd recorded and witnessed by all of us, an outbreak of rage and protests, and the relentless climbing numbers of Covid-19 deaths, it was difficult not to be entirely consumed by bad news as spring slipped into the stifling heat of summer. Spring passedContinue reading
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Little Piney Update–Part I
Time flies by like a bird, and while I have rough drafts of exactly 5 blog posts in my files, I haven’t published a post since September. For this Little Piney update from Bastrop, Texas I’m covering some of the birding highlights of the past 5 months. American Kestrel One of our most beautiful birds,Continue reading
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All Creatures Great and Small–Water Moccasins and Hummingbirds
All things bright and beautifulAll creatures great and smallAll things wise and wonderfulThe Lord God made them all…–Cecil France Alexander, 1848 The Great Cottonmouth Water Moccasin When I saw this creature swimming fast, tongue flicking, heading down Piney Creek, I was standing safely on shore. The strangest thing is, the snake was so much biggerContinue reading
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March Magic–Wildflowers, Wood Ducks, and a Beautiful Hawk
March is the magical month at Little Piney! In a few short weeks Little Piney transforms from a gray and brown world of bare branches and dry grass into a bright array of greens almost shocking in intensity. Within this green world are little seas of bluebonnets, hot pink phlox, baby blue-eyes, orange-red paintbrush, andContinue reading
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Bald Eagle vs Osprey
Photos of a Bald Eagle attacking an Osprey for his fish and the Eagle catching the fish in mid-air.
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Installing a Pondless Fountain for the Birds
Pondless Fountain Burbling water in a rocky stream, light bouncing off drops and splashes–we are all attracted to flowing water. In addition to the pleasure of sight and sound, fresh water attracts birds and wildlife. Fountains and bird baths provide a water source any where you want to have one but most require frequent cleaningContinue reading
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Winter Sparrows at Little Piney, Bastrop, TX
Winter Sparrows at Little Piney The winter sparrows are back at Little Piney. Some of them are plentiful and easy to spot, while others are shy and more elusive. Here are ten sparrows that have found their way to Little Piney and posed for the camera. I’m still on the lookout for the other eightContinue reading
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Through the Window: A Hunting Red-shouldered Hawk
Hawk Watching Some of our best wildlife viewing happens through the windows of our little house as we go about our day. Last weekend I caught the flash of a hawk’s wings as he dove into the field. A few minutes later, he was perched on a fence post studying the ground. He glancedContinue reading