Favoritos de texas_nature_family

This one has a small, rounded tuft of feathers between its eyes and above its beak. Observed similar head feathers on a mourning dove last year: a larger bun-like tuft on the top of its head. I am interested if anyone knows if there is a project for “mutations” like this. Thank you.

Definitely loitering, a thousand little fines await?

Favorite bee at top-center-left, clearly supporting the whole colony with its little bee arms.

Last photo is ~8 hours later, shows nearly all bees had left.

American Black Bear - Ursus americanus
BIG bear ran past me on the sidewalk in Gatlinburg. I could not get very far out of its way without stepping into (some) traffic. I think it was in a huff because nobody would sell it a drink without ID.
(It was looking for fresh garbage, of course.)
Video at:
https://flic.kr/p/2pQ9A2P

Thought bubble: "Ooh, I wonder if they have that in my size?"

We saw the snake eagle as it flew up from the ground. It flew in slow circles while it controlled and started to eat the snake. One minute from pic 1 to pic 8 where it started to eat the snake. Total time for this series, three minutes.

Snake at https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/14774517

Is it a fish? Is it a slug? Is it a fishy anemone? I do not have a clue what this is!

It is about 30mm long and there were a few of them in the sand - outgoing tide nearly on the turn. Most were buried and only the "fan fin" was showing.

Resting on the wet sand, when the sand collapsed it arched it's face upwards (2nd and third photos) and seem to spawn capsule from somewhere - there are 2 floating in the 4th pic.

Totally hypnotic, by the time my sister-in-law and I carried on the brother had walked 2kms away from us!

If anyone would appreciate a video of this particular dugong, it is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNRliJ-61HU&t=245s

The video also shows that it is a male dugong. The genital slit is distant from the anus.

Dominant male spent about 3-6 minutes digging a hole and came up with a bicolored quill snake (Xenocalamus bicolor bicolor) in his mouth. He quickly and repeatedly bit the head. If any other meerkats approached he would growl at them. Eventually he ran off with his prize to avoid it being stolen. He consumed all of it.