Heavy rains this week combined with beautiful weather today made it a perfect time to get out in the garden. I've been pulling weeds fairly easily from the moist soil, pruning old plant parts, and playing in the dirt. I've also been playing with a new camera, but so far it and I are not seeing eye to eye, as it were. Alas.

Being out in the garden meant I got to see many new buds already emerging, and thoughts of pollinators and early blooming plants were on my mind.

But first I've got to show off something I'm super-thrilled about -- the Lime Prickly Ash lives! It dropped its leaves for the winter and then the dogs knocked it completely out of the ground (mom was not a happy camper). Fortunately, it was crazy cold that day and I was able to get it back in the ground fairly quickly, hoping desperately that the little guy was fully dormant. Well, thank goodness -- the leaves, they be a'coming! We have extra boulders now surrounding the Prickly Ash -- hopefully the dogs will heed the barrier.

Last year was the year of minimal gardening for me. The drought made me extra wary of stressing my young natives by pruning and encouraging root growth when no water was to be had. This year, we've fortunately had a bit of rain, and it's time to take care of overdue matters, like the Texas Lantana:

As you can see, it needs it! The Texas Lantana in the butterfly garden had become rather unruly, and little plants were able to grow under the woody branches whether I wanted them to or not. In the case of little Cedar Elm saplings or the unknown type of aggressive bush sage that I've been trying to get rid of, it's not a good thing to have a woody barrier blocking your way to them. You can see lots of henbit below, as well. However, as I pruned back the Lantana and pulled out unwanted other things, I made a happy discovery:

Ten little Goldenrods! These will one day blossom into golden gems that are pollinator paradises. My first Goldenrod was wildlife-planted about two years ago (in the Lantana, of course). Last year one became three. And now I've got ten little ones that I will move into more appropriate spots. Here's what they'll look like one day (that's the mama plant):

I've also got a few veggies planted -- broccoli, snow peas, spinach. The herbs out there right now are for the Black Swallowtails. I didn't see many of these gorgeous butterflies last year due to the drought, so I want to have plenty to feed the caterpillars in hopes that they (and we) will all have a better year. And so I have several different kinds of dill, parsley, and fennel -- if I need a little for cooking, I'll take it, but otherwise these herbs are all for the caterpillars.

Buds on many trees and little seedlings in the ground are sprouting. We are having a rather warm winter, so I worry that a hard freeze will have an ill effect, but I'll do what I can to help them.

Here's a sample of the Gregg's Mistflower seedlings popping up all over their bed. In other beds, I'm getting to play the "Name That Seedling" game.  I did see Standing Cypress and Purple Coneflower, a few Poppies, and maybe even a Gayfeather. There are other plants that will just have to grow bigger and maybe even bloom before I'll be able to ID them. That's the fun of spreading an assortment of seeds around -- you don't know what's going to germinate!

And then there's the henbit. I have a decent tolerance for this annual, despite it being a non-native that spreads like mad. But it's a source of nectar for early pollinators when sometimes there's not much else around, and it is sooooooo easy to pull out from the ground thanks to its shallow roots. So I take out henbit where I want but leave some in the wild areas for the pollinators. Once other plants are blooming, the henbit might be in more trouble.

On this pleasant day, the birds have been busy as always, and out in the garden I was joined by little butterflies, little bees, little flies, and one little caterpillar, a Gulf Fritillary. I'm going to have to tackle its Passionvine soon -- the vine climbed into the nearby redbud last year and wants to do so again. The little Mexican Redbud is already about to bloom -- I want it to be its own tree again, free from anything trying to strangle it!

And lastly, I'm happy to see that the Pomegranate has its leaves emerging. We had no fruit last year, but it is still a young tree. Last year, its second year since we planted it, was clearly a growth year for the tree -- it grew taller than our roof! We're crossing our fingers (again) that we'll get fruit this year -- I by gosh want to make Pomegranate Guacamole!

I'm glad to be back outside and I'm ever so grateful for the occasional rain we've had. It's so satisfying to be able to prep the beds and get them ready for new growth, new blooms, and maybe even a few new plants to fill the gaps -- we're eager to welcome more emerging pollinators!

Austin's gone bananas, but we're used to that in our weird city. Bright and early yesterday morning, hundreds of gorillas trampled a 5k distance, chasing down bananas and showing off their unique fashion sense.

The annual 5k Austin Gorilla Run benefits endangered mountain gorillas in Africa. A worthy wildlife cause, a morning of exercise, another chance to keep Austin weird, and gorilla suits for our very own? My son and I, along with family friends, jumped at the chance to participate. I was the sexy one in the cottontail.

In all, more than a 1,000 gorillas (and a few bananas) attempted to take over downtown Austin.

The weather was perfect, cool enough to keep us from getting too hot -- and yet walking on the bridge over the river invited a rather brisk draft up our backsides!

I wish I had more photos to show you of great gorilla fashion, but I was busy being a gorilla (and a bunny). So instead I'll point you to image sets by some wonderful photographers.  Check out this and this.

Woe to bananas this day, this great (ape) day.

Meet the two newest members of our family. They are ssssimply worth sssssmiling about! Though we certainly didn't need more animals in this zoo we call home, the boys were eager for a snake, and I finally said yes because I'd wanted a snake for a teaching companion when I talk to kids about wildlife. Somehow I managed to bring two snakes home. Don't ask.

And so we have two very young snakes, adorable and loaded with personality.

Morse is the most outgoing and friendly. Just look at that smile!

She is a corn snake, one that is an anerythristic motley (meaning she lacks red pigmentation and has that dotted pattern you see on her dorsal side). She likes to climb and explore, but she is also content to entwine herself through your fingers or to wrap around your wrist until you have a serpentine bracelet.

This winter, the family decided to have fun with clay.

Here are my bat fan pulls. They are Mexican Free-tailed bats, of course, in honor of Austin's giant colony at the Congress bridge.

I also tried my hand at making a Carolina chickadee. I kept looking out the window at the real birds for models.

It's hard not to adore Nolan's bluebirds. They are kind of like blue ducks, but we're all okay with that.

He also made a great and most vibrant Painted Bunting.

Logan made this Ruby-Throated Hummingbird for his great-grandmother. He also made other birds and even little itty bitty bats.

  Michael played with brown clay for a long time, and we made all sorts of jokes about chocolate poo. And then all of a sudden out of his hand appeared a hawk!

We're not clay experts, but we had a great time. Many of our clay items became holiday gifts for family, and we also made homemade wooden block puzzles this year. We're just big fans of making gifts from the heart. I'm already thinking about next year's homemade gifts. What shall they be, what shall they be?

After the squirrels dragged off my last peanut-butter pine cone, I had to come up with alternative peanut-butter feeders for the birds, as there was not a plain pine cone to be found in our area, not even for purchase. Oh, I used our old peanut-butter perch, and my husband made me a new log feeder (seen in images below), but I bemoaned the loss of our pine cones, such fun little feeders, and I scolded those naughty nabbers, the ever-getting-fatter bushy-tailed pigs squirrels.

To my great delight, Marilyn K., who blogs at Adventures of a Vagabond Volunteer, offered to send me some pine cones, as she was surrounded by them at her current location in California. Marilyn is volunteering at different national wildlife refuges around the country while seeing some of most beautiful flora, fauna, and landscapes nature has to offer. Well, send me those pine cones she did, and within a few days about a gazillion pine cones arrived on my doorstep. I'm just giddy! They are the most gorgeous pine cones I have ever seen!  

Seriously, this is the mother lode of pine cones. And there are enough pine cones to last me a very long while, especially as I intend to go back to wiring them so those sneaky squirrels can't sneak them off to their sneaky hiding spots. But the biggest and bestest of them all was this Godzilla pine cone, dropped by a gray or ghost pine. Check out the size difference:

I know there are too many pine cones in this wonderful bounty for one wildlife-loving family to use. I'll likely share some with the kids I work with and with other wildlife gardeners, so they can make their own feeders. I've decided, though, that the giant pine cone shall remain peanut-butter free. It will be too much fun to show it to kids at a nature talk.

I am indebted to Marilyn, who took time from the holiday season and all her adventures to mail me pine cones from across the country. Marilyn, let me speak on behalf of all the wildlife back in Texas who will benefit from your act of kindness -- thank you so very much! The birds are already delighted, and they work their way through our peanut butter/corn meal blend incredibly fast. The squirrels aren't shy about trying again, either -- but if they can't steal away the pine cones, they're content to at least eat what they can.

This Bewick's Wren feasted with determination.

And possibly this was the reason --  another Bewick's Wren was squawking from the nearby perch, impatiently waiting his turn. Hey, it's not my fault all the peanut butter on the perch was gone!

My husband has been enjoying all the wildlife visitors and captured some wonderful images of his own. The Red-Bellied Woodpecker below is one of the birds we'd actually made the log feeder for, and I'm glad it approves.

This little warbler kept playing peek-a-boo.

And if there was any doubt about whether a squirrel would have a problem going up a shepherd's hook, let us show you:

Such clever little tricksies, them squirrelsies....

I'd like to start off the first post of 2012 by looking back at how our wildlife garden progressed in 2011, its third year of existence. Normally this post would actually have taken place as an anniversary post (or birthday post?) in mid-October, but I kept having to put it off. And right before the end of the year, my bad back became inflamed, and there went my last chance to post in 2011, as extended computer time was out of the question. But I ate my black-eyed peas on New Year's Day (a Southern tradition), so I'm already hopeful that 2012 will be grand. And I'm starting the year off right by getting my update FINALLY done, even if it is way past overdue.

 To see the full update, visit the new garden page for 2011 (you can also get to it via the sidebar at right).  You can see how far our habitat has come by viewing years 2008-9 and 2009-10.

The year 2011 was very tough for flora and fauna in Texas. Plagued by a severe lack of rain, the state lost millions of trees to drought and fire, and this meant that wildlife struggled to find both food and water. Our own habitat never reached a pretty appearance -- our goal was only to use just enough water to keep habitat plants alive. However, we did transplant a few plants around, and those placed in our new garden berm (woefully not yet filled in) did quite well even in the face of drought. In the fall, we added a few more very small trees, so small that I'm not sure they can officially be called trees yet (they look more like short sticks with a bit of green stuck to them).

Although plant progress was slow, we made up for it elsewhere. Several projects around the property reached completion. Our new gate tops the list.

In the back, the flagstone porch transformed the look of our yard.

But we also worked a lot with cedar. This includes ladder-style trellises that I'll exhibit one of these days if ever a vine below will grow (the drought is to blame), and our new log feeder. But the biggest cedar project was the new pathway winding through our sideyard. It has held up very well, and we see different animals daily walking along it.

Nearby, we created a new shade pond for wildlife near the birdfeeder. Birds enjoy its bubbling stone, toads christened it with tadpoles almost immediately (when it was warmer, of course), and it has become an important watering hole for many nighttime mammals. This probably partially led to the Great Skunk Incident of 2011, but really, the drought is to blame. And frankly, the whole point of the pond is to provide water for wildlife, so skunks might as well feel welcome. They just need to stay out of the dogs' domain in the backyard, thank you very much.

Aside from the Great Skunk Incident, I'll have to declare 2011 the year of the birds for our habitat at Great Stems. Partly due to our bird-friendly habitat and partly due to the drought, we saw more species and numbers of birds than ever before. Hummingbirds, screech owls, woodpeckers, wrens, warblers, finches, and all the usual suspects were among the many species that visited (and still visit) our garden.

Whoooo knows what 2012 will bring? It will be exciting, I'm sure!

Okay, it's not really a pear tree, but it doesn't matter because this newly modified last line to "12 Days of Christmas" is now stuck in my head, so the tower might as well BE a real pear tree. Maybe I'll just modify the whole song and go with it forevermore.

I've got so much to share and had a hard time deciding what to show first -- our two new snakes, gigantic pine cone gifts, wintering birds, clay birds, or 300 vultures  -- plus, I've got 4 days left to post our third-year update if I want to show it in 2011. Well, you can see what won out, mainly because I can't get the lyric out of my head. Maybe it will get stuck in yours, too. Then we all win. Merry Christmas.

The Far-Away Shot

We were driving out to Nacogdoches for Christmas Eve when we came upon the tower/pear tree, decorated for the holidays with lots of living bird ornaments (and probably lots of smelly poop). The kids didn't even bat an eye when I made an almost-immediate u-turn and drove back to document this awesome Christmas sight. They are so used to this from me -- how many times have I driven back for a must-have picture, sometimes turning around after miles of driving along wondering whether I should turn around? They only raise a fit when we are traveling and I see a little local garden nursery that I want to stop at. Oooh, a nursery -- can we stop? NO, they say. I have yet to stop at a nursery while traveling with my boys, but SOMEDAY I WILL. Mark my words.

Getting closer. I'm so sneaky, as if 300 vultures wouldn't notice a 4-passenger car with headlights on as it approaches on a misty evening at dusk.

No, they are not great pictures, as they were taken through a car window lest the 300 vultures get startled by my presence and get all panicky and either start pooping on me or throwing up on me, as vultures are known to do. Well, they're not known to that to ME, as clearly I take precautions (like staying in the car), but it actually is their defensive response to those things that might threaten them, not that I was doing anything more than taking pictures and wishing them happy holidays. Just never, ever walk up and say "Boo" to a vulture. That's all I'm saying.

When one leans out a window over her teenage son, this is the kind of shot she gets.

Anyway, the tower/pear tree was filled with more vultures than I could count, though I did my best estimate. Know what the collective term for vultures is? Committee, or wake (also, colony). Well, this was the biggest dang committee of vultures I'd ever seen, and the biggest dang wake of vultures, too. Anyone else thinking about our political system right now?

Here's Great Stems' 12 Days of Christmas song, inspired by our Winter 2011 wildlife:

On the 12th day of Christmas, nature gave to me,
12 hungry white wings,
11 juncos landing,
10 titmice squawking,
9 chickadees answering, 
8 sleeping lizards,
7 planted dill plants,
6 wintering species that won't fit in the song,
5 FAT BLUE JAYS,
4 pine cone thieves (squirrels),
3 dogs after them,
two sneaky snakes,
and 300 vultures in a pear treeeeeeeee!

The saga of the pine cones continues. A few days ago, my last peanut-butter pine cone was nabbed by naughty squirrels, forcing me to resort to other means to put out high-protein winter bird treats. Then last night, a guerrilla squirrel left a package at our gate. The paper bag bore a note.

What tasty treats were hidden inside the bag? Why, Bur Oak acorns! Hurray!

If you aren't familiar with Bur Oaks, I have to tell you they are one of my favorite tree species. They are gorgeous and oh so majestic, wth big lobed leaves that put other oak leaves to shame. They can get to be more than 100 feet tall AND wide. I've dreamed of having one. Of course, if I'm growing one from a baby seed, I can't imagine it getting to its full size in my lifetime, but at least I know that it will be well on its way -- assuming I can get one or more of these to germinate, that is! A new experience awaits me, and I love that.

Just to give you a size comparison on the acorns, I went scrounging in the backyard to find one of our "puny" live oak acorns (it was tough -- the squirrels have pretty much devoured the acorn masses from last year). The Bur Oak is like the Hagrid of all acorns.

As pleasantly surprised as I am to learn that squirrels can write, I am rather suspicious of their motives. Let's see... squirrels nest in Bur Oaks. Squirrels eat Bur Oak acorns. Hmmm. Yep, somehow me thinks the squirrels have a secret motive. It's like when I make yummy cookies with nuts and coconut in them knowing full well that many people don't like nuts and coconut -- this means that there are more cookies for those of us that do! Even so...

Dear Squirrels,

If you promise not to dig up and eat these Bur Oak acorns, I promise to plant them. Maybe one day we will all have new trees to enjoy!

Hugs, Meredith

P.S. This does not mean it's okay for you to steal any more peanut-butter pine cones. You are fat enough as it is.

To the wonderful drive-by Santa, I want to thank you properly for the acorns, but I've spoken to a couple of folks recently about Bur Oaks and I want to make sure I thank the correct person. Confess, confess! In the meantime, thank you SO MUCH for the acorns and the fun surprise! -- Meredith

I must have done something right if wildlife loves my pine cone treats so much that they steal them away in broad daylight. I'd covered the pine cones in a mixture of natural peanut butter, corn meal, cranberries, and quality seed (black oil sunflower, safflower, thistle, peanuts) -- yummy energizing goodness that's rich in fat, protein, and carbs for birds trying to stay warm in the cold.

Normally, I'd have these pine cones hanging from a branch or hook, but the wire broke on both of them, and I got lazy and put them in a saucer outside my entryway window, it being a great spot to see our avian visitors. Maybe that's not being lazy -- maybe it's just clever! Well, except that they're getting stolen by creatures that CLIMB, so I'll go so far as to say it's a good idea that needs a little tweaking.

Well, within a day, one peanut-butter delight was whisked away to some cozy little cubby hole. Some naughty squirrel has been having quite a feast, I dare say.

Bewick's Wren

I've been hovering around, keeping my eye on the remaining pine cone. Even so, on day two there was an attempt to steal said pine cone, but I found it below the gate. On day three, I thought the pine cone was lost for good, but I happened to spot it in the middle of the yard. At least now I have a clue as to which greedy squirrels it might be -- they appear to be trying to take it toward the trees in the next yard, where they have a nest.

 Yellow-Rumped Warbler

But I keep rescuing the pine cone and putting it back. In the meantime, I'm trying to find a source of more plain pine cones, but looking for them in the Christmas season is not the easiest of endeavors, I must say. I'm going to have to gather quite a collection of them next time I find myself in a pine forest.

Carolina Wren

By the way, we have a new homemade feeder at the house, and I love it!

My husband made me this wonderful log peanut-butter feeder, using a 1 1/4" spade bit and an electric drill. We filled the holes with Wild Birds Unlimited BugBerry Bark Butter that has tasty mealworms in it. I know there are birds visiting it, but so far I've only seen evidence of some food missing from the holes, and one glimpse of a bird taking flight as I approached the window. One day I'll have a picture of a bird enjoying the feeder! I suspect it will be most popular with woodpeckers and creepers.

I guess I best get out there and smear peanut butter on the birds' favorite perch from last year. I might not have pine cones left much longer!