August 9, 2010

Even though I knew that the mother of the chunky, juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron had abandoned the hunting place at the boardwalk entrance, I have a habit of looking for her first thing in the morning at Aquarena.  I stood on the boardwalk and looked at the Algae.  A Nutria was grooming itself on the floating dead tree trunk. 

The morning procession of three American Coots was on the way.  Three black birds with white beaks in the golden wheat Algae-covered wetlands was a picturesque sight.  One of them could not wait to reach the feeding place.  The bird spread its wings and beat the water.  Then, it flew up slightly with its feet still half-submerged under the water, and beat the water with its wings, making white splash marks and lots of noise.  They were cool sounds that traveled all the way to the feeding place.  The bird started hunting before two other birds reached that area.

Walking toward the boardwalk exit, I was glad to see the mother of the chunky, juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron in the shallow water under the Cottonwood tree, near the Cattail bush.  She was picking the fish.  It was the first time to see the mother bird doing so.  I thought that she had no luck in catching the crayfish in this morning, and she was hungry. 

Along the lake, from the Landing to the headwaters, in front of the Texas Rivers Center, there were plenty of cones and nuts.  The Bald Cypress trees are loaded with small round cones, which have kept their green color for the past few months, but some of them started changing to brown.  The Mexican Plum tree, which grew in front of the Landing, produced many pale green fruits.  The size of the fruit is almost the same as the cones of the Bald Cypress.  The Mexican Plum tree is growing between the two Bald Cypress trees, but its fruits were not very noticeable since they have the same size and color as the Bald Cypress cones.  However, some of them started to develop a pale, rosy color.  The Pecan nuts at Pecan Grove in front of the headwaters are started to change color, too.  The trees at Aquarena Center are displaying the approaching new season, even though the summer temperature is staying the same (hot!)     

August 8, 2010

I was glad to see the morning procession of three American Coots, as usual.  There were some movements by these American Coots, several Green Herons and Nutrias in the wetlands.  When I was watching their procession from the boardwalk, a small patch of golden brown Algae started moving slowly along the boardwalk.  It was cute to see that a head of the turtle came up from the edge of the Algae, and the turtle submerged to deeper water leaving the patch of Algae behind. 

Two Hummingbirds and a bee were busy collecting the honey from the Firebush.  It seemed that the Hummingbirds prefer the honey of the Firebush.  Maybe its honey is sweeter than other flowers. 

With surprising speed, the young Sago Palm leaves were growing.  They looked like lumps yesterday morning, but this morning, each lump became about two dozen young leaves, and each of them was spreading out its neatly folded tiny leaf.  A small, bright green lizard was resting nearby the young leaves under the morning sun.  It was a beautiful scene.    

A bagworm was struggling to hide under the leaves on the middle of the concrete path not far from the Sago Palm.  I thought that the bird knocked down the worm and some leaves on the path.  It was about 1 ½ inches long, a pale brownish/greenish color, with long hairs.  It’s sad to see that most of the tree leaves covered by the webs have turned brown and dried. 

August 7, 2010

I was happy to see the mother of the chunky, juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron standing on the floating dead tree this morning.  But, she flew to the edge of the Aqua Harvester to look around for a short time and flew away toward the river. 

I was puzzled by her behavior, and I looked at the floating dead tree trunk which the mother of the chunky, juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron just left.  I realized that the Algae already covered around her favorite hunting spot, the floating dead tree trunk, though another floating dead tree trunk nearby was still showing some water surface around it.  I thought that the situation of growing Algae was disturbing the hunting, and she had to abandon her territory.

The hunting territory of the mother of the chunky, juvenile Yellow-Crowned-Night Heron is under the trees, and the area is shady all the time.  And, the color of Algae in that area is still greenish/light brownish compared to the golden wheat color of the Algae, which stays under the sun. 

It was interesting to see that the Sago Palms show exciting changes.  Two round seeds started peeking from the side of feather-like, hemisphere shaped Sago flower.  Also, I was surprised to see that lump of pale green leaves shooting up from the base of the cones, and these strong young leaves pushed aside the blackened cones.  That strength of young power reminded me of the bamboo shoots.  Several bright green lizards were enjoying the morning sun on the dark green Sago leaves and that lighter green was enhancing the Sago Palms.     

Canna Lilies along the railing in front of the submarine produced several more scarlet, velvet like buds, but most of flowers turned to dark brown and dried.  It has been flowering and beautifying the area all summer.