Pileated Woodpecker We always know when the Pileated Woodpecker is hungry. His distinct and resonant hammering sound is the loudest of the wood-pecking birds at Little Piney. No matter how many times I see a Pileated Woodpecker, it’s always a thrill. At 15-19 inches tall, with a brilliant red crest, shiny black back, pure whiteContinue reading
Tag: Lost Pines
-
Knock-Knock–Who’s There?
-
Hidden Pines Fire
Hidden Pines Fire from Little Piney Sadly, Bastrop County is suffering another devastating fire. The fire is no longer spreading, but 4582 acres have burned, including 48 “structures,” probably homes, and parts of Buescher and Bastrop State Parks. Four thousand of those acres are still burning, and firefighters from all over the state andContinue reading
-
Nature Writes Her Own Story
Red Shouldered Hawks Last Sunday, I planned to spend the morning discovering fall migrants–the warblers, orioles, hummingbirds, etc. that birders all over Texas reported daily for the past week. I didn’t have much luck with that plan, though. Instead, Sunday’s story was about larger birds. Red Shouldered Hawks patroled at Little Piney all day. I saw themContinue reading
-
Hints of Fall
Fall visitors Temperatures range in the nineties yet there are hints of fall in the air at Little Piney. Early mornings feel pleasant, and migrating birds stop by for seed and berries. I’ve spied two early ducks, a Black and White Warbler, and a Baltimore Oriole. I hear lots of new calls and songs and seeContinue reading
-
Slash: A Mixed Use High Rise Development for Birds
What is Slash? When our wildlife plan suggested we create brush piles and maintain “slash” I had no idea what slash meant. Well, below is a photo of slash, an architecturally stunning, mixed use high rise for birds in a prime location in the Little Piney area of the Lost Pines, Bastrop, Texas! Maintaining slashContinue reading
-
A Picture Story: Whatcha’ Gonna do with a Little Canoe in the Garage
A large canoe was delivered to the house at Little Piney, and sat in the garage for 5 weeks because we didn’t have a way to get it to the lake. Lane came to visit, and he had an idea. Now I know why they say “You’ve got to learn to use thatContinue reading
-
Butterflies at Little Piney
Sweet freedom whispered in my ear You’re a butterfly And butterflies are free to fly Fly away, high away, bye bye –Elton John and Bernie Taupin, 1975 I love how much I’m learning at Little Piney! With every butterfly, wildflower, bird, bug, and animal I discover at Little Piney, I find out more aboutContinue reading
-
Wet Weather Spring, Robber Fly, and Nest Box Blues
Wet-weather Spring Dragonfly Pond was a gift of the Memorial Day weekend rains in Central Texas. This lovely pond is usually more of a shallow bog, maybe a foot deep at the deepest point. Water seeps out of its sandy bottom with the usual light rains we have. When we first saw a reddishContinue reading
-
Dragonfly Pond at Little Piney
Gift from the rain: Dragonfly pond at Little Piney The rain left a gift for us at Little Piney–a beautiful pond. The pond was carved out by previous owners in a lovely curved shape, but the sandy bottom doesn’t hold water. For now, thanks to record rainfall, it’s full of water and life,Continue reading
-
Blessed
Late Saturday afternoon, after a busy day of cooking and hosting, I sat in a folding chair by the lake at a birthday party for my son. My children were there, and a dozen of my son’s friends, a group of very dear young adults. We had feasted on fajitas and guacamole. We hadContinue reading