Archivos de diario de noviembre 2017

23 de noviembre de 2017

Going back to LLELA

My dad wanted to do something this week so my aunt suggested that we go back to LLELA. I am so excited it was a cool place and to go back so soon is even better. As you may recall that I went to LLELA awhile back with @sambiology @brentano @briang @mchlfx and several others on a BioBlitz. Our main objective was to find some kind of damselfly that had probably just been one of those rare flukes that happen every now and then. Anyway we didn't find that but we found a whole bunch of other stuff. Now is time to go back on Friday after Thanksgiving. I am hoping that I will be able to see some new birds I have not added to my life list yet. I got to make sure that I leave no stone un-turned. My grandmother is not yet out of the Rehab Center and has to go in for some more medical tests and stuff which is kind of bogging us down. I am very thankful that she is okay and I am thankful for good old Mother Nature to be there when I need her the most to calm my nerves. This is the first Thanksgiving with out my grandmother and that is tough on all of us. So to get our minds on a little bit of adventure we are going to go out to LLELA and see what we can find. My Grand Dad, Mother, and my Brother are all going with me this time. I have been wanting to show them the Green Tree Frogs that we found when I went the first time with the naturalist group. I for one want to nab some winter plants as well as a good mammal or two. Maybe I might find a Osprey, Kestrel, or maybe a Bald Eagle. I am looking forward to going back it will get me another chance to get even more on my life list. I spend too much time in the Arlington area which is not a bad think; heck, I find tons of stuff here that people overlook but I like to get out of my comfort zone from time to time and explore places less traveled that are still new. The first time I went to LLELA I was blown away by its beauty and majesty. The way the River water's sparkled on the Bittern Trail as the sun shone brightly in the sky was pure magic to me. My heart falls for all sorts of natural areas. My heart is still in Arizona and Colorado and all over Texas, part of it is still stuck out in Arkansas. LLELA is a truly special place in the DFW. I have heard about it many times before I went on my first time and boy; from what others said about it I just had to experience it myself. Sometimes words cant describe how you feel about a place it is so beautiful that you become lost for words. I find anything that takes my breath away indescribable at first but soon I know what my favorite sites are and what my favorite creatures and plants were I would encounter on the hike. I have to admit the late Summer Hike was pretty cool now I just have to see what lies in wait in the winter time. I guess I have to wait until Friday to find out. Boy I am so excited I can hardly wait to get back out there. By the way I asked this on Facebook; but does anyone know what I should be keeping an eye out for out at LLELA? I want to know what has been spotted out there recently. @mchlfx I think you might have a great idea. You too @sambiology anything special this time of year? Anyway this is your goodbuddy Zachary Chapman AKA galactic_bug_man signing off. Have a happy and wonderful Thanksgiving @loverbird @lulubelle @troutlily57 @eangler @kimberlietx @sambiology @charley and the rest of you on iNaturalist. Have fun and be safe. Live Long and Prosper! :)

Publicado el noviembre 23, 2017 09:41 MAÑANA por galactic_bug_man galactic_bug_man | 7 comentarios | Deja un comentario

25 de noviembre de 2017

My Second Trip to LLELA

Well today was a very unexpected day for me. I got to see all sorts of neat birds today some of them old lifers that I have not seen in a long while. A couple of these birds are new to the life list and one was a very special find. When we first arrived at the LLELA we saw two big Bald Eagles on top of the dam sitting up. They stayed around for a good while until it was time to go on a hunt. I was able to snap several photos of the magnificent birds they made up the very first photos that I would get of the Eagle. At the same time we happened upon my first newest lifer to the list; the North American Osprey was the bird we encountered during the Eagle viewing. The Osprey left my camera view as it flew off but my mother was able to get the shot. We decided to head off to the Bittern Trail where I went when my grandmother was in the hospital after her surgery. The first time I was out with @sambiology @brentano @mchlfx @briang and the rest of our field investigation trip members. I was hoping we would find some Green Tree Frogs and some American Rubyspot Damselflies. We arrived at the Bitter trail and we walked down and saw some of the damselflies. It was still kind of chilly and to be honest there were not as many of them as there were the first time I went out there. I was able to get a few of the little guys coming and going from the trail. I was able to get a few of other things like some kind of Black and Yellow fly that I am unsure of to give an ID. We saw a few Kingfishers but none were wanting their photo taken and were far off. We also heard some mallards off in the distance. Most of the birds were either exposed water birds, birds of prey, or secluded tree birds. I didn't get a photo of every bird I saw because they were hidden in the brush and the bushes. On the Bittern Trail Boardwalk we looked for a few Tree frogs but couldn't find any at the time. We looked for a while coming and going but still they were not out. Many of the reeds and grasses they were stuck on the first time I went out there were all blown over and very distraught looking. We went back and we to the parking lot after a while and then we went back to the car and drove off to the river trail and the homestead trail area. The first trail we went down was the Homestead trail. There we saw many Variegated Meadowhawks and a few other things. It was coming back from the homestead site we stopped by a pond and saw a few Green Tree Frogs. We finally found what we were looking for; It took a little doing but on some of the dead grasses we found them clinging to them as tight as possible. They are by far one of my favorite animals out there. I have to admit I did like the Osprey and the Bald Eagles too. It was time to head back and go on the river trail. We walked to the water's edge and saw a Neotropical Cormorant. It was my second time recording this bird. Normally I see Double- Crested Cormorants but today nature decided to switch it up for me. I have never seen a Neotropical Cormorant up this far; the very first one I saw was spotted in 2015 at the Pintail Trail down in Louisiana during our Winter Migration trek which was loads of fun. It was really cool to see the differences in the good light. I now realize that the Neotropical cormorant has less orange on its beak in the winter and is a much darker color in terms of the plumage. Well it was nearly time to head back and we made one more stop near the visitors center. The visitors center was closed but we saw a Red-Tail Hawk and a Little Kestrel hanging out on the power lines. The Kestrel was the second lifer I would make today. It was very fun I got to see a few Great Blue Herons and a few Great Egrets and stuff. It was soon time to get lunch and after lunch we stopped by Bob Jones Nature Center only seeing a few things like a Rough Green Snake and a few insects. All in all it was a great day and I hope that I do return to the LLELA very soon; who knows what else we might find out there. This is your pal Zachary Chapman signing off for now and I will see you on the trail.

Publicado el noviembre 25, 2017 06:40 MAÑANA por galactic_bug_man galactic_bug_man | 14 observaciones | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

29 de noviembre de 2017

Almost to 2000 Observations

I have had a record year this year. I am just 197 away from reaching my goal of 2000. I have been running around trying to get that number for a while now. I have had a lot of base lifts to get so close. The iNaturalist City Nature Challenge was the biggest week for single day observations. I wound up with 266 observations and then there was the Video Game treks over the summer. I was able to go down to the Woodlands Texas and find so many neat things at Jesse H. Jones, Bear Branch Rec Center, Jones State Forest, East Travis County Metro Park. I have been getting around this year for sure. I have been really busy between school and stuff to get more observations. This citizen science stuff is great. I do believe that I have grown quite attached to this app. It helps me learn about the species around me; some I would have never even dreamed of finding in my own backyard and surrounding areas. I started out back in 2015 during the time I became a Southwest Nature Preserve volunteer but didn't start to really use it until 2016 when I became a Texas Master Naturalist. Yes sir this year has been big and full of wonderful observations and stuff. Even if I don't top out the year at 2000; it is just the thrill of the chase and the time I spend out in nature that really count. Sure I like to see the meter run at times but numbers are not as important as the time you had exploring and looking at stuff. I have ran into countless species this year that are very rare to some areas and not very common. It has been a cool thing to discover newly documented species to several areas that have been hard to find. I have not yet found something new to science but I am hoping to one day. I just need to keep my eye on the ball and keep vigilant. It may be hard to complete my goal this year because the days are getting colder and the I for one am not finding that many insects than I'd like to. I have had a small surge in birding but still some birds don't like to be observed that much. I have had a lot of hard times filming the sparrows. Every time it seems I get close to a sparrow they are always flying off before I even hit the shutter. I am not giving up the chase because every observation counts as some research material. I love helping get observations for this site; I enjoy going out to bioblitzes and spending time with friends who love this site as much as I do. Sure I had to break a few dates like Crystal Canyon with @kimberlietx but next year we will meet up and have ourselves a little bug hunt. I never thought that citizen science would be so much fun when I started out on another site that I am not going to mention. It is a fact that every app I download other than iNaturalist gets used like a couple of times and then I don't use it; but I always use inaturalist to share my findings with friends and others. It is the one tool I could upsell over and over again. I am always on this site and from it I never stop learning about the species I find. I am hoping though before the new year that I can get up to the 1,900s if I am not at the exact goal. I wouldn't really mind that because it would get me closer to the goal and I can get the 2000 goal early on. Well I am all done with this journal post I will see you on the trail. This is your good buddy Zachary Chapman signing off.

Publicado el noviembre 29, 2017 03:55 MAÑANA por galactic_bug_man galactic_bug_man | 1 comentario | Deja un comentario