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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 15/02/2026

Otters are rarely seen at Brazos Bend SP, but since last Dec, a group of 4 have been seen in 40Acre & Elm Lakes.. On 2/1/2026, they foraged the south side of Elm for about an hour. I got to see them-AGAIN. #Otters 🦊 This pic is a frame from this video: www.rickubis.com/rick/otter02...

Close view, looking towards the edge of a lake. The water goes into the base of a thick growth of tall grass (Giant Cutgrass), so we cannot see dirt. Water in front is thick with other floating plants. In the center, 4 large mammals are in the water. They are long, but we see just their backs in the water; and their heads are raised above the water on thick necks. Their fur is saturated, and slick with moisture. Their backs are dark brown, while the front of their necks are light brown as they face us. Their muzzles are light grey, with black noses at center above their lips. They are Otters, and are in a loose group, and they are looking our way. These are wild Otters, and were foraging along that far bank--about 50 yards away.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 28/12/2025

12/07/25, a very foggy morning at 40-Acre Lake in Brazos Bend SP. I heard crunching sound, which usually means a gator caught something. An Otter surfaced instead! For 30 minutes, I saw four Otters swim, eat, go to an island, groom & then walk off into cover. video: www.rickubis.com/rick/otters4...

Image 1 of 3 Close view of the surface of a lake, mostly covered by dense floating vegetation in a combination of green and brown plants. At center, some water can be seen in a small clear area. In that area, at center image the blunt grey head of a mammal protrudes from the water. It is facing towards us, but angled to our left. We can see one tiny ear, one eye, the nostrils. Its mouth is slightly open as it is chewing something. We can see two white, pointed front bottom teeth. The animals back is a bit off to our right, and the fur is shiny and slick from being saturated. The mammal is a River Otter.

Image 3 of 3 Close view of a steep bank covered by dense vegetation. Details are a bit murky, since this was 50 yards away and taken through dense fog. The plants are a mixture of tall grasses and other plants, in mixtures of green and brown. In the center, are two Otters. One is standing so its body is vertical. Its front paws are relaxed as it stands and looks around. The Otter is mostly dark grey. The head is turned towards our right. We can see a "moustache" of lighter grey just under its nose and extending to its cheeks. Right next to that, another Otter is on the ground. We can just barely see its chest, but the nose, eyes, and moustache are pointing towards us. 3 Otters piled here briefly to rest, and to groom themselve (and each other). They walked off to our right, in single file. When they moved away, a fourth Otter appeared from the left and followed them.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 09/10/2025

Cullinen Park, 9/20/2025: Snowy Egrets forage by shuffling their feet, then stabbing at flushed prey. Spoonbills swish their bills sideways through the water, flushing and catching prey. This Spoonbill seemed to be catching prey flushed out by the Egret. 🦉 video: www.rickubis.com/rick/spoonbi...

Close view of a large puddle. The water is smooth. Centered in the picture are two large birds, wading from our right to the left. The water is "ankle deep" for the birds. (The large joint between the foot and the body is not a knee, but functions as an ankle.) The one in front covered with white feathers. It has a long neck, bent in a sharp "S" shape, a long sharp black beak with a yellow band from the base of the beak to around its eye. The legs are long and black. The leg near us is raised to show a bright yellow foot lifted above disturbed water. That bird is a Snowy Egret. Walking behind it is a larger bird. This bird is mostly pink on the wings and hindquarters, phasing into white at the front and the neck. The neck is also long and thin. The head has tilted so we can see it from the top. The beak is long, grey, and ends in a wide, spoonlike shape. The tip of it has dipped into the water. That bird is a Roseate Spoonbill. Both birds are foraging. The Egret shuffled its feet to flush prey. The Spoonbill swished its beak sideways to flush and grab prey. It seemed to be following the Egret on purpose. This is one of a series of images showing the Spoonbill definitely probing directly behind the Egret.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 27/06/2025

I've seen Limpkins in TX since 2021. On 06/19/2025, at Cullinen park, I watched this Limpkin family until they moved into cover. The chicks were about 10 days old. video:http://www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkin_family_061925.mp4 My limpkin page: www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkin... 🦉

Image 1 of 4 Medium-range view of a clear section of water among mats of vegetation. We are looking down an an angle. Swimming from top right corner to bottom left corner, a group of birds is swimming on the surface. The leading bird is large, with a long grayish beak with a slight downward bend and a black, sharp tip. The head is covered with a dense pattern of tiny white spots that expand in size and distance between them as it the pattern goes down the neck to the body. The body is brown,with a sparse pattern of white spots. Behind the adult bird, 6 small fuzzy birds are following in a loose group. These chicks are much smaller than the adult, with much shorter beaks. The birds are Limpkins, and the chicks are about 10 days old.

Image 2 of 4 Medium-range view of a clear section of water among mats of vegetation. We are looking down an an angle. Swimming from right to left corner, a group of birds is swimming on the surface. The leading bird is large, with a long grayish beak with a slight downward bend and a black, sharp tip. The tips of the beak are holding a very large black snail, which the bird had just pulled out of the water. The snail is nearly the size of the bird's head (without the beak). The bird's head is covered with a dense pattern of tiny white spots that expand in size and distance between them as it the pattern goes down the neck to the body. The body is brown,with a sparse pattern of white spots. Behind the adult bird, another adult is following. Behind the 2nd adult, 6 small fuzzy birds are following in a loose group. These chicks are much smaller than the adult, with much shorter beaks. The birds are Limpkins, and the chicks are about 10 days old.

Image 3 of 4 Very close view of a section of a mat of vegetation. We are looking down an an angle. Centered in the image are two birds that are facing towards us. One is adult, one is a chick. The adult is large, with a long grayish beak with a slight downward bend and a black, sharp tip. The head is covered with a dense pattern of tiny white spots that expand in size and distance between them as it the pattern goes down the neck to the body. The body is brown,with a sparse pattern of white spots. Its beak is pointed down, where the chick has just taken a piece of food from it. Behind the adult's beak, a small fuzzy brown bird is standing and is holding a tiny piece of pale snail meat. The chick is much smaller than the adult, with a much shorter beak. The birds are Limpkins, and the chick is about 10 days old. Among the dense leaves of the floating vegetation (it is Water Hyacinth) are many discarded shells from previously devoured snails. The adult had opened the snail it was carrying in image #2, and was feeding the chicks fragments of snail meat.

Image 4 of 4 Far view of a section of floating mats of vegetation with scattered wide, flat leaves growing on stalks out of them. We are looking down an an angle. Centered in the image is a group of birds that is moving from lower right corner towards upper left corner. One is adult, and six are chicks. The adult is large, with a long grayish beak with a slight downward bend and a black, sharp tip. The head is covered with a dense pattern of tiny white spots that expand in size and distance between them as it the pattern goes down the neck to the body. The body is brown,with a sparse pattern of white spots. It ss standing and looking back towards the chicks. The chicks are small fuzzy brown birds walking in a line towards the adult. The chicks are much smaller than the adult, with a much shorter beak. The birds are Limpkins, and the chicks are about 10 days old. The Limpkins continued moving until they were hidden from view by the denser cover.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 10/06/2025

05/29/2025 I was surprised to see a Purple Gallinule eat an Apple Snail at Cullinen Park a month ago, so I started filming this one as it seemed to be hunting for deeper prey. It caught a small Apple Snail & ate it. What a gorgeous bird! Limpkins hunt there, too vid: www.rickubis.com/rick/gallinu...

Image 1 of 4 Telephoto close shot of a lake surface. The surface is clogged with green and browning floating plants, so water is mostly in the gaps between the plants. Filling the foreground, a bird is leaning over with neck extended horizontally to our left and looking down into a larger gap of clear water. The bird bears a striking combination of colors. The tip of the beak (pointing down) is yellow, followed by orange, bounded by a yellow line as it meets the face. It has a pale-blue shield on its forehead, which see from the side. The bird's head is dark purple, with color blending and shading into royal blue as it extends down to the body, where it blends into an irridescent green. The bird is squatting on a submerged lily pad so its belly is touching the water, but we can see its bright yellow legs and feet under the water. The bird is Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica), and it is foraging.

Image 2 of 4 Telephoto close shot of a lake surface. The surface is clogged with green and browning floating plants, so water is mostly in the gaps between the plants. Filling the foreground, a bird is leaning far over to our left and looking down into a larger gap of clear water. Only its rear half is visible, with the rest under water as the bird reaches for something. The tail is pointing straight up.The bird bears a striking combination of colors. The bird's rear half is an irridescent green. The bird is squatting on a submerged lily pad and we can see its bright yellow legs and ankles as it supports the bird reaching so far down. The bird is Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica), and it is foraging.

Image 3 of 4 Telephoto close shot of a lake surface. The surface is clogged with green and browning floating plants, so water is mostly in the gaps between the plants. Filling the foreground, a bird is tilted over with neck extended to our left and holding a brown snail with the lip of its shell in its beak. The snail is about the size of the bird's head. The bird bears a striking combination of colors. The tip of the beak (pointing down) is yellow, followed by orange, bounded by a yellow line as it meets the face. It has a pale-blue shield on its forehead, which see from the side. The bird's head is dark purple, with color blending and shading into royal blue as it extends down to the body, where it blends into an irridescent green. The bird is squatting on a submerged lily pad so its belly is touching the water, but we can see its bright yellow legs and feet under the water. The bird is Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica), and it has pulled up a snail after dunking for it in image #2.

Image 4 of 4 Telephoto close shot of a lake surface. The surface is clogged with green and browning floating plants, so water is not visible. Filling the foreground, a bird is leaning over with neck extended horizontally to our right and holding a brown snail by the edge of the shell opening with the tips its beak. The bird bears a striking combination of colors. The tip of the beak is yellow, followed by orange, bounded by a yellow line as it meets the face. It has a pale-blue shield on its forehead, which see from the side. The bird's head is dark purple, with color blending and shading into royal blue as it extends down to the body, where it blends into an irridescent green. A puffy patch of white feathers shows under its tail. We can see its bright yellow legs, but its feet are hidden by the plants. The bird is Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio martinica), and it was carrying the snail it had caught in image #3 to a stable surface so it could pry the snail open.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 06/06/2025

5/18/25 at BBSP ~8 gators fished shallow spot at Spillway Trail/Elm Lake Trail joint. But,possible courtship issues;large gator chased a female that had a chin wound.Female bellowed & *another* large gator chased away the 1st chaser. Happened multiple times. video: www.rickubis.com/rick/gators_...

Image 1 of 4 Edge of a small pond, with open water. Water is brown from disturbed silt. Two large alligators, facing our right. One is behind the other, with its snout nearly touching the base of the next gator's tail. Only its front half is in the image. The other alligator is in full view. The mid part of its tail is exposed, its back is submerged, and its head is exposed and tilted up at a 45 degree angle. That alligator is bellowing. The top of its head is grey, and its lower jaw is light-yellow. Half-way between jaw joint and chin, there is an irregularity (it's a torn section) in the gular pouch. The front alligator (on the right) is probably female judging from behavior, and sound and look of the bellow.

Image 2 of 4 Edge of a small pond, with open water. Water is brown from disturbed silt. One large alligator, facing our right. Most of the alligator is in view, the rear half of its tail is outside the left side of the image. The part its tail we see is arched out of the water. Its back is submerged, and its head is exposed and tilted up at a 45 degree angle. Water over the alligator's back appears to be boiling, with peaks and droplets in air above. This alligator is bellowing. The top of its head is grey, and its lower jaw is light-yellow. This is the alligator that was behind, in image #1. The alligator in front from that image had moved to our right, and moved into cover to get away from this one. I can tell this one was male, because of the turbulence over the back caused by standing Faraday waves (Sub Audible Vibration) that only male alligators produce.

Image 3 of 4 Edge of a small pond, with open water. Water is brown from disturbed silt. One large alligator is closer, facing our right, but head tilted to look in front and behind. Most of the alligator is exposed, except for its tail, which is submerged. This is the alligator that was bellowing in image #2. The alligator in front from image #1 had left cover and is swimming in the background, going from our right going left. Its head and back are visible and low in the water as it swims to our left, leaving a visible wake. We will see what else the large male that had been bellowing was looking at...in image #4

Image 4 of 4 Edge of a small pond, with open water. Water is brown from disturbed silt. One large alligator is closer, facing our right, but head tilted to look in front and behind. Most of the alligator is exposed, except for its tail, which is submerged. This is the alligator that was bellowing in image #2. The alligator in front from image #1 had left cover and is swimming in the background, going from our right going left. Its head and back are visible and low in the water as it swims to our left, leaving a visible wake. The head of another large alligator is moving in from the left side of the image. This alligator came up behind the one that had started to bellow AFTER the female had started to bellow. I think this third alligator was discouraging the advances of the "second" male alligator towards the female gator with the damaged gular pouch. This situation (chase, bellow, discourage by third) happened here a few times that day. This all happened while these and other gators had gathered at this spot to chase Gar fish as water levels were dropping in this corner.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 21/03/2025

Limpkin/coot video from 03/07/25 at Cullinen Park: www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkin... ; & more from that day! 1)On nest & fighting: www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkin... 2)Sharing snails: www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkin... 3)eating a snail: www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkin... Pics = frames from videos 🦉

Image 2 of 4 that were taken in one day at Cullinen Park. Medium view of a dense mat of floating vegetation--green leaves mixed with brown stalks. At center, two large birds are standing in agitated poses and facing each other. The birds are mostly brown, with white flecked patterns on their wings, shoulders necks and heads. Both birds have their wings open. Their thin, grey legs stopped in mid-motion as the two birds were fighting. Their feet are obscured inside the vegetation. The birds' long necks are curved their beaks are turned towards each other (one is on the left, and one is on the right). The birds are Limpkins. One of these was on the nest in image #1. After this brief confrontation, it returned to the nest.

Image 1 of 4 that were taken in one day at Cullinen Park. Close view of a dense mat of floating vegetation--green leaves mixed with brown stalks. At center, a large bird is standing on a mass of light-brown plant stalks which have been made into a nest. The bird is mostly brown, with white flecked patterns on its folded wings. The top of the bird's back is out of the top of the image frame. The bird has long, grey legs which are bent "backwards" at the ankles. The feet are obscured inside the vegetation. The bird's long neck is curved so the top of its head is towards us, and the beak is pointing down and touching a round, white egg. Another egg is partially-visible a bit behind the one that the bird is moving with its beak. The bird is a Limpkin.

Image 3 of 4 that were taken in one day at Cullinen Park. Close view of a dense mat of floating vegetation--green leaves mixed with brown stalks. At center, two large birds are standing and facing each other. The birds are mostly brown, with white flecked patterns on their wings, shoulders necks and heads. Both birds have their wings folded. Their thin, grey legs stopped in mid-motion as the two birds moved towards each other. Their feet are obscured inside the vegetation. The birds' long necks are curved; their beaks are turned towards each other (one is on the left, and one is on the right). The bird on the left (and facing to our right) has a large, dark-brown snail in its beak. It had just received that snail from the bird on the right-so the tips of their beaks are crossed in the center of the image. The beaks are slightly curved, and dull orange at the base, blending into light grey at the tips. The birds are Limpkins. The snail was an Apple Snail.

Image 4 of 4 that were taken in one day at Cullinen Park. Very close view of a dense mat of floating vegetation--green leaves mixed with brown stalks. At center, the beak of a large bird is pointing down into the aperature of a very large snail shell. The bird had just opened this snail and was pulling parts of it out. Caught in the beak is a pink mass. Another pink mass is visible on a leaf to the left. The pink masses are parts of toxic organs in the snail. The bird was picking these parts out and discarding them. The bird is a Limpkin. The snail was an Apple Snail.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 19/03/2025

Limpkins have been living in Texas since 2021. On 03/07/2025, at Cullinen Park; I got a Limpkin, Pied-Billed Grebe, 2 American Coots and a bunch of discarded Apple Snail Shells in one picture. The Grebe went under, leaving the Limpkin bracketed by the 2 Coots for the next pics. 🦉

Image 2 of 2 Telephoto shot showing a dense mat of green vegetation floating on still water. Centered in image is a loose collection of 3 birds. The Grebe in image #1 had submerged. In front, a large brownish bird is standing on the plants and facing us. We can see the most of its legs, with the feet hidden by the plants. Its brown feathers are covered with white markings of various sizes. The bird's beak is long, sharp, is light orange at the base to grey at the tip, and has a gentle curve. The beak is angled down, and a drop of water hangs off the tip. The bird has a long neck, which curves towards us. That bird is a Limpkin. Behind that are two birds of the same kind. Both are behind the Limpkin, one facing left, and one facing right. Those birds are all black, with white beaks. They are also standing on the plants. Those birds are American Coots. About 14 large, round brown snail shells are scattered among the plants, centered in the group of birds. These are discarded shells of Apple Snails. Most of the snails were probably eaten by Limpkins. This picture was taken a few seconds after the first one, and I'd shifted perspective. The birds were at least 75 yards away.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

03/02/2024 At BBSP, while Limpkins hunted yards away, this Anhinga rested on this branch, ignoring us.It slid into the water to hunt, and it surprised various park visitors when its head and neck surfaced-sometimes with an impaled fish on its beak. 🦉 My Anhinga page: www.rickubis.com/rick/brazbir...

image 2 of 4 Very close view of the same bird in image #1. The water the blurry background is cluttered with clumps of floating plants. The bird's neck is solid black, long and thin, and curved into an "S" shape. We are looking down at the bird's head and neck, which is turned to look towards the left. In this light, we can see the most of the dark neck feathers have an almost furry, or fluffy appearance, but the top the neck has longer feathers, giving an unkempt hairy appearance. The dark feathers are mixed with some lighter brown ones. The bird's eye is red, with a tiny dark pupil. The area around that is light blue, blending towards the base of the very sharp beak.
The bird is an Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga).

image 3 of 4 An even closer view of the same bird in image #2. We are still looking down at the bird's head, which is turned to look towards the left. But we only see the beak and the front of the bird's head. The bird's eye is red, with a tiny dark pupil. The area around that is light blue, blending towards the base of the very sharp beak. This image shows a line of very tiny sharp points on the front edges of the bird's beak. These roughened surfaces act like barbs to help prevent impaled prey from slipping off the beak. The bird is an Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga). They swim while submerged and stab fish with this formidable tool. Then they usually surface beak first, holding the fish aloft--to shake it off, toss it, and catch it. Sometimes the barbs make this a bit more difficult.

image 4 of 4 Close view of the surface of a lake. The water is clear, with large round ripples, and whipped into a fine pattern of wrinkles by a strong breeze. . In the center, a large black bird (about the size of a duck) is under the water, with its head and neck showing above the surface. Even with the rough water surface, and glare, we can see the shape of the bird's body under the water. This is the same bird as in the other 3 images, but it has gone in to hunt. The bird's neck is solid black, long and thin. The feathers are now slicked down by moisture. There is an azure circle around the bird's dark eye. The bird's dull yellow beak is long and ends in a very sharp point. The bird is an Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga). This Anhinga would slide into the water, off the branch in image #1, then forage in the near vicinity. Many park visitors in the area (along with me) saw the Anhinga's head and neck pop up at random places. A few times it had a fish, but that was swallowed before anyone could point a camera at it. After a while, it would return to the same stick to warm itself by opening its wings and turning its back to face the sun.

image 1 of 4 Close view of the edge of a lake. The water is cluttered with clumps of floating plants. A light-grey thick branch about 2 inches in diameter is a few inches above the water, and slants across the bottom of our image. In the center, a large black bird (about the sized of a duck) is perched on the branch with its back towards us, and it is looking angled towards our right. The bird's wings are folded. Although the bird is black, its back and the top of its folded wings are marked by a pattern of fine white lines that run along its back, although on the wing this becomes a broad while swatch that runs down the edge with horizontal lines towards the body center. The bird's neck is solid black, long and thin, and curved into an "S" shape.
There is an azure circle around the bird's dark eye. The bird's dull yellow beak is long and ends in a very sharp point. We cannot see the bird's feet since they are under its body. The bird is an Anhinga (Anhinga anhinga). This is 40-Acre Lake at Brazos Bend State Park.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 08/03/2025

I found my 1st BBSP Limpkins in 2021.They've been there(& nearby parks)since. They were busily hunting Apple Sails in Pilant Lake on 03/02/2025.Their unique call is now part of the ambient sounds of the park.🦉 video: www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkin... my limpkin page: www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkin...

Image 2 of 4 Close view of a trail covered by crush stone. Centered ia a dark brown bird covered with white spots that is walking left-to-right across the trail. Spots become smaller and much more dense as they progress up the neck to the head. The neck is long and thin, the eye is dark brown, and the beak is dark with a faint orange tint and is long and thin with a slight downward curve and a sharp tip. The legs are caught in mid-step, and are long, thin, and grey. The bird is a Limpkin (Aramus guarauna), and it was crossing the trail, going from 40-Acre Lake to Pilant Lake.

image 1 of 4 Very wide view of a lake, mostly covered by a dense mat of floating plants (Water Hyacinth). In the far distance, there's an open section of water. At center, a red circle marks the shape of bird. At this distance, in this image we cannot clearly tell what the bird is. But, it is a Limpkin. (Aramus guarauna). This picture was taken on 40-Acre Lake trail, looking North across Pilant Lake. This is the general setting for the images that follow.

Image 3 of 4 Close mat of floating vegetation. Centered is a dark brown bird covered with white spots that is walking left-to-right across the mat. Spots become smaller and much more dense as they progress up the neck to the head. The neck is long and thin, the eye is dark brown, and the beak is dark with a faint orange tint and is long and thin with a slight downward curve and a sharp tip. The legs are caught in mid-step, and are long, thin, and grey. The bird is a Limpkin (Aramus guarauna), and it has a large, dark snail held in its beak. It has not pierced the snail, but is carrying it in its beak. It was walking across the plants, preparing to eat the Apple Snail (Pomacea species)

Image 4 of 4 Very close view mat of floating vegetation. Centered is a yellowish beak stabbing down among the plants. We see the beak from the bottom, since we are standing behind the bird. To the left of the beak, one of the bird's grey legs stretches down from the top edge of the image and down among the leaves. The tips of the beak are buried into a whitish mass, which is the snail in image #3 that had been pulled out of its shell. Next to where the beak enters the mass, is a shiny pink blob. That is a gland that produces Apple Snail eggs. The eggs are toxic, and so is this gland. The bird is a Limpkin (Aramus guarauna), and it was dissecting the snail carcass, and removing those glands. This is a cropped frame from a video clip that showed this dissection.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 28/02/2025

02/16/2025 at BBSP, visitors & I watched this gator. The tail is to the left of my 6ft stick. Comparing the tip of the alligator's snout and tail with edges of trail ~ 7 feet long. It was 52 degrees F. when the gator crossed. Kind of cold! video:http://www.rickubis.com/rick/gatorcross021625.mp4 🐊

Picture 1 of 4 Wide view of the edge of a lake. We are standing on a trail covered with light brown crushed gravel. The day is bright and clear. The trail is wide near us, then, on left half of image, extends straight out to a small wooden foot bridge, then continues off to far distance. The right half of the image shows a wooden bench, at the edge of a lake that extends out to distance on the right. The dark gray shape of an alligator extends from the far edge of the bench. We only see the front half of the gator, as it is standing in green grass next to the trail. This view shows 40-Acre Lake. I was facing South, with the Observation Tower directly behind me. The alligator had just left the water and was climbing onto the trail.

Picture 2 of 4 Closer view of the trail in image #1. The day is bright and clear. The trail is right in front of us, and extends straight out to a small wooden foot bridge, then continues off to far distance. An alligator is crossing the trail in front of us. It is in mid-step, moving from right-to-left. Its front left foot is above the ground with toes pointing down as it is about to plant on the ground. The right rear foot has heel raised and toes touching the ground as it steps forward. The other two feet are planted flat. The tip of the tail extends past the right edge of the trail about 12 inches, while the tip of the snout is about 6 inches from the left edge of the trail. I was facing South on the 40-Acre lake trail, with the Observation Tower directly behind me. The alligator had just left the water in image #1 was crossing the trail.

Picture 3 of 4 Similar view of the trail in image #1, but showing the area to the left of the trail. The day is bright and clear. The trail is on the right of the image, and extends straight out to a small wooden foot bridge, then continues off to far distance. The alligator in images 1 -3 had crossed the trail in front of us. Its tail and edge of its back is visible in the green plants to the left of the trail. The most of its body is hidden by the plants. The tip of the tail is about 4 feet to the left of the edge of the trail. There is a wooden staff lying across the trail where the alligator had crossed. The tips of the staff each touch each side of the trail. The staff is 6 feet long, showing the trail is about 6 feet wide. I was facing South on the 40-Acre lake trail, with the Observation Tower directly behind me. If we compare the width of the trail to the image of the alligator crossing it, we can estimate that the alligator was about 7 feet long.

Picture 4 of 4 Different view of the trail in image #1. The day is bright and clear. The trail is right in front of us, and extends from the right then continues off to far distance. I was facing West on the 40-Acre lake trail, with the Observation Tower directly to my right. The bench in image #1 is now on the right center of this image. To its right is large Oak Tree, another bench, and a display plaque. The wooden bridge in images 1 -3 is on my (not shown in this image). Coming out of left bottom corner to center of the image is my wrist (covered in jacket and sweatshirt) and my left hand (in glove) holding a black digital thermometer with a light grey display, which reads 52 degrees F. This was taken right after the alligator had crossed. The alligator was still in the grass as shown in image #3, and was behind me to my left in this image.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 18/02/2025

02/09/2025 at BBSP. This Broadbanded Water Snake was struggling,but hadn't captured prey.Its teeth were caught on a plant stalk! It changed grip & pulled free! This 2024 carcass from BBSP shows the myriad hooked teeth & red spots like this live one from 2017.Video: www.rickubis.com/rick/snake_s... 🐍

Image 4 of 4 Very close view of the head of a live snake at an angle above a vertically-extended neck. The snake is orange and brown-with the orange as the base color, and brown blotches covering top of head and neck. The snake's upper lip has lighter orange scales that have a brown line on the front borders. We can see the snake's eye, with a round black pupil. The under side of the snakes neck is paler, but with large square-shape red markings. These are similar to the markings in image #3. The snake is a Broadbanded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata), that was on the Spillway Trail in 2017.

Image 3 of 4 Very VERY close view of the skull of a mostly cleaned snake carcass. This was taken in 2024. The carcass was mostly cleaned of flesh, but twisted into a loose mass. It may have been regurgitated. I found it on the trail. The skull is pointing to our right, and is lying on ground covered by loose dirt and large pebbles. The skull is angled so we can see the roof of the mouth, partially obscured by a large piece of skin that is mostlu pale, with dark red blotches. The skull shows at least 2 rows of very sharp, thin, teeth which hook backwards, towards the throat. Because of the red markings, I think the snake was a Broadbanded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata).

Image 1 of 4 Very close view (frame from a video) a sparse arrangement of brown stalks of dead vegetation in a body of fresh water. At center, a thicker brown stalk is mostly submerged and leaning away from us. The head of a live snake is gripping that stalk from the right (facing left). The tip of its bottom jaw shows at the bottom left of the stalk. The snake is orange and brown-with the orange as the base color, and brown blotches covering top of head and neck. The snake's upper lip is above the stalk, and the lighter orange scales have a brown line on the front borders. Although somewhat shaded, we can see the snake's eye, with a round black pupil. The snake is a Broadbanded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata), and it had somehow grabbed the plant stalk. It had been pulling on the stalk for a while.

Image 2 of 4 Very close view (frame from a video) a sparse arrangement of brown stalks of dead vegetation in a body of fresh water. At center, a thicker brown stalk is mostly submerged and leaning away from us. The head of a live snake is gripping that stalk from the right (facing left). The tip of its bottom jaw shows at the bottom left of the stalk. This image is different than #1 because the snake has lifted its head and neck out of the water; and it still has its jaws clamped around the plant stalk. The snake is orange and brown-with the orange as the base color, and brown blotches covering top of head and neck. The snake's upper lip is above the stalk, and the lighter orange scales have a brown line on the front borders. Although somewhat shaded, we can see the snake's eye, with a round black pupil. The snake is a Broadbanded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata), and it had somehow grabbed the plant stalk. After a few more minutes, it successfully pulled itself free.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 16/02/2025

On the trails at BBSP, I use a 6' stick . Folks ask why. 02/02/2025 I showed folks how to use it to estimate the length of a gator that had crossed in front of us. Note the tail & head relative to trail edges. Place stick on the same spot & compare. vid: www.rickubis.com/rick/gatorcr... 🐊 🧪

Image 1 of 4 View of a dirt trail bounded by short grass on both sides. The trail is across the bottom of the image, then narrows as it curves away from us at distance. 2 people are in the background, facing us with cameras. Between us a very large, dark grey alligator is crossing the trail from left-to-right. It is in mid-step during high-walk, so its body is lifted off the ground. Its heavy tail is dragging, and the tip of it overlaps the left trail-edge by a couple inches. The alligator's snout is above the right trail-edge and extends past that edge by most of the length of its jaw.

Image 2 of 4 View of a dirt trail bounded by short grass on both sides. The trail is across the bottom of the image, then narrows as it curves away from us at distance. This is the same image as #1, but the alligator has just gone. 5 people are at middle distance. The top of the image has cut off their heads, but judging by the direction of the feet, they are looking to our right. They are actually watching the alligator that had crossed the trail in image #1 and gone into Elm Lake, which is also to our right. They are standing on the trail exactly where the alligator had crossed. A thin (1 inch diameter) stick is touching the left edge of the trail, and extends straight right to a bit past the middle of the trail. The stick is 6 feet long (1.83m). The space from the end of the stick to the right edge of the trail is more than half the length of the stick (or about 4 feet). That would mean the trail is about 10 feet across...and the alligator was longer than the trail was wide; so it was at least 10 feet long. This was on Feb. 2, 2025 at Brazos Bend State Park. The park covers 5000 acres, has 7 lakes and about 30 miles of trails. About 300 alligators of breeding size (>= 6feet) plus however many younger ones live there. They roam freely.

Image 3 of 4 Closer View of the left edge of a dirt trail bounded by short grass shown in image #1. The trail is across the bottom of the image, then narrows as it curves away from us at distance. This is the same image as #1, but with a larger view of the alligator's hindquarters. A red oval behind under the rear hip mark a short line at the left edge, and a small pebble next to the feet. This indicates the points I used to index the stick location in the following image.

Image 4 of 4 Closer View of the left edge of a dirt trail bounded by short grass shown in image #1. The trail is across the bottom of the image, then narrows as it curves away from us at distance. This is the same image as #2 (along with the people), but with a larger view of the stick's position. A red oval behind under the rear hip marks a short line at the left edge, near the end of the stick, and a small pebble above the stick. This indicates the points I used to index the stick location when I estimated the length of the alligator. I've been a volunteer at this park for over 20 years, doing Nature Interpretation and other things. It is always wonderful to see the Alligators...and all the other things that live in the park.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 28/01/2025

01/24/25;At Fiorenza Park;Coots were scavenging dead fish killed by the freeze. For years,I'd thought Coots were herbivores,so was surprised to see them scavenging. White Pelicans were also picking up carcasses & moved towards Coots if they found something. Video: www.rickubis.com/rick/coots_f... 🦉

Image 1 of 4 Close view of a mud bank on body of water. In the foreground, the mud is an outcropping from the left, covered with brown remnants of thin plants. Just behind that, a bird enters from the right. Its tail is out of frame. The bird is floating, so we cannot see its feet. The bird is all black, with a medium-length neck. The neck is leaned forward slightly to support the head. We can see the bird's reddish eye, but it is shaded in this view. The bird's beak is white, with small black markings near the tip and up at the top of the bird's face. The bird is holding a fish that has been dead for a few days by the tips of its beak. The bird is an American Coot, and it had been shaking the carcass, and picking at it for a while. In this image, it was picking up the carcass to set it onto the bank.

Image 2 of 4 Very very close view of a mud bank. This not the same bank in image #1. The bird enters from the left. and we can only see its chest and head. The rest is out of frame. We can see the bird's feet from the side. They are flat on the mud, and toes are flattened, with patterns of light-green scales easily visible on each toe. The bird is all black, with a medium-length neck. The neck is leaned forward slightly, ready to peck. We can see the bird's reddish eye, lit by the sun. The bird's beak is white, with small black markings near the tip. At the top of the bird's face, the white meets a brown lump. The bird's beak is slightly open as it reached down towards the carcass of a light-brown fish. The fish is lying on its side, so we are looking at it from the top. The tips of the bird's toes are resting on the tail of the carcass (the head is pointing to our right). The bird is an American Coot, and it had been shaking the carcass, and picking at it for a while. This is not the same Coot as in image #1.

Image 3 of 4 Medium view of water's surface. It is mostly calm, with slight rippling from the birds moving on it. Near top center, a large white bird swims from our left to right. The birds plumage is all white, and it has a long neck bent into a relaxed "S". It has a long, *very* deep beak, which is held at a relaxed downard angle. This bird is an American White Pelican. In the foreground, two other birds are swimming. One is one our left, and swiming gently towards us-leaving a trail of ripples crossing its path. The other bird is has stopped, and is angled towards our left, seeming to watch the other bird. Plumage on both of these birds are all black. The birds' beaks are white; at this distance we cannot see markings on them. The two black birds are American Coots. The Coots usually forage here for plants material, often diving to bring up algae. Today, they were also looking for carcasses of fish. This area had experienced snow a few days before. The snow had left after a day, but night temperatures were still below freezing. These conditions killed many fish. The Coots were eating carcasses, and the Pelicans were picking them up, too. But, the Pelicans were also watching the Coots, and if a Coot grabbed something large, a Pelican would go investigate.

Image 4 of 4 Close view of water's surface. It is mostly calm, with slight rippling. At center, a large white bird swims from our left to right. The birds plumage is all white, and it has a long neck bent into a relaxed "S". It has a long, *very* deep beak, which is held at a relaxed downward angle. The head is turned towards us, and the bottom beak (bottom jaw?) is flared open. In this view, we can see inside the flared jaw(and possibly down a bit of its throat!) A stiff, old, dead fish angles out of the the bottom jaw. It is held in place by the top jaw. This bird is an American White Pelican. This area had experienced snow a few days before. The snow had left after a day, but night temperatures were still below freezing. These conditions killed many fish. The Pelicans were eating carcasses, and the Coots were picking them up, too. But, the Pelicans were also watching the Coots, and if a Coot grabbed something large, a Pelican would go investigate. This Pelican had found this carcass; that is, it hadn't stolen it from a Coot.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 16/01/2025

01/12/2025 This morning, at BBSP, a Limpkin appeared in almost the same spot where I'd found the remains of a Apple Snail a week before.The prey looks like a snail but I can't be sure. Video is here: www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkin... more limpkins on my page: www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkin... 🦉

image 1 of 3 We are standing on a dirt trail that curves away from us to the right, going among trees about 150 yards away. Both sides of the trail are covered with short green plants. About 4 yards past the plants, there is scrub, bushes, and trees. About 50 yards ahead, the is a gap in the trees on the left of the trail--showing a flat area covered with smaller bushy growths beyond. On the left side of that gap, a red arrow points to a dark spot on the grass. That dark spot is actually a dark bird (not very clear in this image). This image shows the location for image #2.

image 2 of 3 This is a close view of a dark bird with long black legs, a long neck, and a long, sligltly curved beak. This is what the arrow in image #1 was pointing to. The bird is in mid-step, with its left foot above the ground just before placing it. The bird is standing in green grass that about 2 inches tall. The bird is walking away from us, angled towards our right. Although mostly brown, plumage is solid brown starting halfway down the body--to the tail. From the halfway point up the neck to the bird's face, the plumage is parked by patterns of white spots. The spots are spread out on the body, but the pattern becomes more dense up the neck. The bird's head is tilted slightly to the right, so it can watch me with that dark eye. The open beak is orange, slightly curved down, and it is carrying an oblong dark object between the tips. The bird is a Limpkin. The object is most likely an Apple Snail (from this distance about 2 inch diameter).

image 3 of 3 This is a frame from a video clip of the same bird in image #2. A further view of a dark bird with long black legs, a long neck, and a long, sligltly curved beak. . The bird is in mid-step, with its left foot up on the toes; while the right foot is moving forward, about to step down. The bird is running away from us, angled towards our right. The wings are partly folded, and raised above its body, preparing to open for takeoff. Although mostly brown, plumage is solid brown starting halfway down the body--to the tail. From the halfway point up the neck to the bird's face, the plumage is parked by patterns of white spots. The spots are spread out on the body, but the pattern becomes more dense up the neck. The open beak is orange, slightly curved down, and it is carrying an oblong dark object between the tips. The bird is a Limpkin. The object is most likely an Apple Snail (from this distance about 2 inch diameter). The Limpkin ran a few strides and took off, still carrying its prey. Around 2021 - 2023 Limpkins were active around the Brazos Bend State Park. They left for a while during the third dry summer, but we could hear them at the park again after Hurricane Beryl had passed.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 15/01/2025

Brazos Bend State Park 01/12/2025 When the weather gets cold, where are the alligators? They're still around, and you can find them if you know where to look. I'd already known where this one hides & was watching for it. Still, I was lucky to see it come up. 🐊 #Alligators

image 1 of 3 Wide view of the edge of a swampy area. The edge extends away from us from the bottom center of the image. The bank is on the right, covered with many kinds of rough vegetation in shades of green. On the left is a narrow gap of clear water a few feet wide, bounded by floating mats of green and red plants. Near the top of the image, a dirt trail extends from the right to a long wooden bridge with high supported by dense array of uprights, then the path continues to the left. In the center of the image, a red arrow is pointing to a small, round, dark gray lump in the water, about 5 inches from the bank. That lump is the nose of an alligator, and is shown in better detail in the next two images.

image 2 of 3 Much closer view of the edge of a swampy area in image #1. Just right of the center of the image, there's a round, dark gray lump in the water, about 5 inches from the bank. That lump is the nose of an alligator, and in this view we can see two narrow openings in the the lump. They are on the left of the lump, and shaped a bit like large commas. Those are the alligator's nostrils, which can be closed at will. Barely visible because of the glare from the grey sky on the water surface; the vague shape of the alligator's head is visible under the water. It angles down towards the lower left of the image.

image 3 of 3 Much closer view of the nose of the alligator in image #2, and in this view, the tip of the snout has extended a couple inches out of the water. Just behind the exposed snout (to the left) two smaller lumps break the surface. The alligator's nostrils have closed, showing now as two curved lines. Although alligators respond to conditions around them with some consistancy, they are still individuals. They don't all respond in exactly the same way, or at the same time. This park has 7 lakes of different sizes, with at least 300 alligators of varying sizes and ages living in them. It's a natural environment, and the alligators use it in many ways. This one seems to use the water under the mats of floating hyacinth (and possibly the nearby culvert) to shelter from changes in the weather.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 14/01/2025

01/05/25 At BBSP, empty Apple Snail shell at West end of Pilant Lake. It was a fresh. 3 components left in a tight arrangement: Pink, toxic "albumen gland"; the operculum & the shell. Raccoons and Limpkins eat these, and both live in the park. Apple Snail page: www.rickubis.com/rick/pomacea... 🧪🐌

image 1 of 3 Image of a dirt trail that curves away from us towards the left. The ground on both sides is covered by many kinds of short green plants. My left hand extends out from left center, with palm down and resting on the end of a long stick. The other end of the stick is down, and just barely visible to the right of the far end are some dark spots. One of those spots is a snail shell (although not clear here, it will be in the following image). This image is to establish location of the shell. In the background we can see the end of a wooden bench, and the back of a white sign. Those are about 60 yards away.

image 2 of 3 Very close view of plants, with 4 dark objects lying on them. At bottom is-and a bit out of focus-is a large coiled snail shell. We can see its last coil, with the opening pointing to the bottom center of the image. The shell is very dark, and empty, though some bits of flesh show in the rim. Touching the shell, a large, dark, elliptical flat object extends to towards the upper left. This is in focus, and shows ovoid or circular striations or ridges that generally follow the curves on the boundary of the object. This was the snail's operculum, which acts like a door to close the shell opening. Touching the edge of that, is a bright orange-pink shiny lump. That was one of the snail's albumen glands, where female snails produce eggs. The gland, and the eggs, are toxic. Whatever ate this snail discarded the gland. The last dark object, partly covering the gland...is just a dead leaf.

image 3 of 3 Close view of my left hand. Lying upon it are the empty snail shell and the thin, oval operculum. This shows how large the snail was. Limpkins and Raccoons have been documented eating Apple Snails and discarding the pink glands. These pictures were taken at Brazos Bend State Park. Both Limpkins and Raccoons live in the park. I could not find any further signs that would tell me what had eaten the snail.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 12/01/2025

06/16/2024 Bullfrog calling. The ear is the circle behind the eye. Males' ears are much larger than females' and act as resonators to amplify their calls. Images are from video filmed at 480fps: www.rickubis.com/rick/bullfro... More Bullfrogs on my page: www.rickubis.com/rick/amphibs... 🧪🐍

Image 1 of 3 Very close view of a large frog sitting at the edge of a pond. We are look at an angle down at its back, with the frog turned so it faces from bottom right corner towards upper left. We can only see from the tip of its snout to about halfway down its back. The skin is light green (pea green_ and covered with very small dark brown blotches. Its head has two prominent bumps, holding its eyes, We can see its left eye clearly, from the rear, with a wide, horizontally split elliptical back pupil, ringed by flecks of golden yellow to the outer edge, the other eye faces away from us. Behind the open eye, a circle of skin faces us. The circle is about twice the diameter of the eye, and a ridge or fold of skin curves around its right border. The circle is dark around the inner edge, blending into a light green raised circular pad in the center. The circle is the frog's eardrum. The frog is an American Bullfrog, and the large size of the ear shows that it is a male. This was a photo. The next two images are frames from high-frame rate video (480 frames per second).

Image 2 of 3 Close view of a large frog sitting at the edge of a pond. We are look at an angle down at its back, with the frog turned so it faces from bottom right corner towards upper left. We can see from the tip of its snout almost to its rear end. It is sitting in water that covers it front and back legs. The skin ins light green (pea green_ and covered with very small dark brown blotches. Its head has two prominent bumps, holding its eyes, We can see its left eye clearly, from the rear, with a wide, horizontally split elliptical back pupil, ringed by flecks of golden yellow to the outer edge, the other eye faces away from us. Behind the open eye, a circle of skin faces us. The circle is about twice the diameter of the eye, and a ridge or fold of skin curves around its right border. The circle is dark around the inner edge, blending into a light green raised circular pad in the center. The circle is the frog's eardrum. The frog is an American Bullfrog, and the large size of the ear shows that it is a male. This is a frame from high-frame rate video (480 frames per second). The video was taken as this frog was calling. It had already called a few times, and was beginning another. The water around the frog shows motion of large waves, and slight circular ripples round the body.

Image 3 of 3 Close view of a large frog sitting at the edge of a pond. We are look at an angle down at its back, with the frog turned so it faces from bottom right corner towards upper left. We can see from the tip of its snout almost to its rear end. It is sitting in water that covers it front and back legs. The skin is light green (pea green) and covered with very small dark brown blotches. We can see its left eye clearly, from the rear, with a wide, horizontally split elliptical back pupil, ringed by flecks of golden yellow to the outer edge, the other eye faces away from us. Behind the open eye, a circle of skin faces us. The circle is about twice the diameter of the eye, and a ridge or fold of skin curves around its right border. The circle is the frog's eardrum. The frog is an American Bullfrog, and the large size of the ear shows that it is a male. This is a frame from high-frame rate video (480 frames per second). The video was taken as this frog was calling. It had already called a few times, and was in the middle of another call. The water around the frog shows overlapping patterns of very tiny intricate waves in multiple circular patterns outlining the frog. Tiny droplets of water are in mid-air around the sides of the frog, also ejected from the call. Although the male Bullfrogs have an eardrum at least 50% larger than females', they don't hear better. "Function of the sexually dimorphic ear of the American bullfrog" (Werner et. al. 2009) suggests the big pad in the middle acts as a damper to offset the larger membrane size. So why are the males' ears bigger? "Tympanic sound radiation in the bullfrog" (A.P. Purgue 1997) suggests that the ears are resonators to amplify sound. So the larger ears don't help males hear better--they help them sound better...or louder.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 08/01/2025

On the bright morning of 12/21/2024, Roseate Spoonbills were a bit closer than usual at Fiorenza Park North. Many of the usual birds (Cormorants, Coots, Egrets) were also around. It's a 350-acre park for water detainment of Brays Bayou,West of downtown. 🦉 Video: www.rickubis.com/rick/spoonbi...

Image 1 of 3 We are standing on a low bridge, about 3 feet above a green surface of wide body of water that extends to our left. A white metal railing blocks extends from near lower center and away to angle to the right, along with the trail which extends that way, and over a far rise. The end of the rail is about 15 yards away, and the bank of the lake starts there and moves off in the meandering line off to the center and left. Far in the distance, a low hill rises. The sky is brilliant blue. In the center of the image, a red arrow points to some white dots in the distance (maybe 75 yards away). Black specs--which are birds, are in the sky, and intermittantly scattered in the water at distance.

Image 2 of 3 We are looking at a telephoto view of point indicated by the arrow in image #1. It's a edge of the lake, covered with woody growths and small trees. A large branch, or trunk, lies across the image, angling from lower left to upper right corner. Three large birds are standing in the image, in a three-pointed arrangement. The lowest corner, and foreground, is a large bird which is mostly pink. Its wings and body are pink, blending to paler shades in head and neck. It is standing in the water, with just its feet covered and red legs exposed. The bird is facing to our left, and one bright red eye is visible. The bird's beak is long and thin, since we see it from the side-but it is actually long and paddle shaped (with the tip rounded and wide). The bird is a Roseate Spoonbill. To our Right, another bird just like is (although not as pink) is standing on a log and is out of the water. It is facing us, so we can see the top of the beak (which is pointing down) and its long spoon shape. The other corner of the triangle, on the left is a tall white bird with a long, sharp, yellow beak. Its long neck is bent so its head is close to its body. It's standing on another log, on long, black legs. This bird is a Great Egret.

Image 3 of 3 We are looking at a telephoto view of point indicated by the arrow in image #1. It's a edge of the lake, covered with woody growths and small trees. Closer view of one of the birds in image #2. It's a large bird which is mostly pink. Its wings and body are pink, blending to paler shades in head and neck. It is standing in the water, with just its feet covered and red legs exposed. The bird is facing to our left, and one bright red eye is visible. The bird's beak is long and thin, since we see it from the side-but it is actually long and paddle shaped (with the tip rounded and wide). The bird is a Roseate Spoonbill.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 06/01/2025

In 2008, I got a camera that captured 210FPS video. In 2011, I put slowmo clips of 29 bird bird species-filmed 2008 thru 2011-into a single film(slowed 7x). It's down to 38 min. with 21 species. Not all "great" clips, but some are pretty good. Filmed at BBSP. 🦉 www.rickubis.com/rick/birds_s...

Image 4 of 4 (series of frames from an edited video). Close image taken among some large trees. The trunks clutter most of the image. But in the center foreground, there are two birds. One is higher than the other, an they are resting on a branch. The lower bird is dark, and is upside down. The higher bird has plumage in shades of brown, with dark bands on the wings. The higher birds has dark streaks on its head from front to back, and it has the short, hooked, yellow beak of a raptor. The bird is a Red-Shouldered Hawk. The Hawk is standing on a curved horizontal branch that crosses the center of the image. The foot that is supporting the Hawk is hidden behind the open wing of the other dark bird. The Hawk's other talon is holding the head of the dark bird (which is dead). The dark bird (which is a Purple Gallinule) is limp, and its wings have opened. It is hanging down, supported by the hawk. But one of its legs is pointing up, causing that foot to be braced against the Hawk's chest. When I found this situation, the Hawk was struggling to untangle itself from the carcass of the Gallinule, but without letting it go. I had to leave beford the Hawk resolved the situation. This was in 2010

Image 3 of 4 (series of frames from an edited video). Close view of smooth water in a pond. At center, a black bird with a long neck is mostly submerged. The bird is facing to our left. The tail feathers are just breaking the surface on the right edge of the photo. Center image, we can see the neck and head of the bird extending from the water. The bird's neck is in a loose "S" curve, with the tips of the beak open, and tilting up. The beak tips are VERY sharp. Just above the tips, a fish with a vertically-flat shape is in the air. The fish resembles a perch or sunfish, and is almost as long as the bird's beak. The bird is an Anhinga, and it had just tossed the fish into the air to reposition it for swallowing. Some sources call this "inertial feeding". This was in 2011

Image 2 of 4 (series of frames from an edited video). Close view of a log lying in water. Most of the background is th surface of a pond, covered with light green duckweed. Centered in the image, a bird with long legs is standing on the log. The bird is facing us, but its body is leaned forward so it is horizontal, with the wings folded. The bird is covered mostly with light grey plumage. It has a long neck, but not obvious here, as it is facing us with its head down and neck is twisted. We can see the side of the bird's face, showing a black feathers on the chin and on the top of the face, with a horizontal band of white drawn from base of beak to back of head. We can see on eye, which is wide open. The beak is open and is holding a very large crawfish. The bird is a Yellow-Crowned Night Heron, and it was rapidly twisting its head one way, then the other in an effort to break the claws off the crawfish. One red claw has just broken off, and is in the air to our left of the Heron's face. This was in 2010.

Image 1 of 4 (series of frames from an edited video). A closeup view of the surface of a shallow pond. We can see the bottom through the clear water. Centered in image is a bird with very dark blue plumage on top, reddish plumage on the long neck, with white streaks on the font surface of the neck. The bird is standing in the shallow water and we can see its feet on the mud, thorough the clear spot of its image reflected on the water. It is facing to our left The bird has a long neck, bent into a vertical "S" curve. The bir has a long, thin, pointed beak, which is open. The beak is light green at the base, but fades ino darker blue at the tips. A fish is suspended in the air just beyond the tips of the open beak. The bird is a Tricolored Heron, and it had just tossed the fish to reposition it for catching and swallowing--after having to work the speared fish off of its bottom jaw. This was in 2009

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 04/01/2025

One of the Brazos Bend State Park visitors called Common Gallinules "Monkey Ducks". 😊 This picture is a frame from this video from 2018 (Common Gallinules were often called "moorhens") : www.rickubis.com/rick/moorhen... The tiny "wing claws" are visible, especially when the chick is fed. 🦉

Very close view of a very young bird. It is covered with fuzzy black down and is in mid-step from right-to-left. The legs and feet are naked (except for scales) and all black. The beak is orange, and there's red bald spot on the top of its head. Where we would normally see a wing, there is a clawlike appendage. It folds like a wing, but shows one short finger on the bottom, and a longer one with tiny, thin pinfeathers on it. This is the chick of a Common Gallinule, a frame from video filmed in 2018.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 03/01/2025

I do not have a pocket rock. But, I *do* have a pocket osteoderm from an alligator. I've carried one with me for the last decade or so-but it hasn't been the same one, since they need to be replaced occasionally, usually due to pocket wear.

Center of the picture is looking down at the palm of a hand. The fingers are close, and pointing to the top of the image. In the center of the palm is an off-white object lying flat. It has a rough square shape, but with extremely rounded corners. It has a ridge in the center that is is parallel to the sides. The top surface is covered with pits of varying sizes and shapes. The object is about 2 and three quarter inches across (4.5 cm). In the relative background (since we are looking down) the head of a resting dog is to the left of the palm, while a foot in a slipper with 3 toes is to the right of the palm. The object in the palm is an alligator osteoderm.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 02/01/2025

12/22/2024 At B.B.S.P. A Pied-billed Grebe followed a gator. The Grebe watched the gator sink, waited for the alligator to reappear. The gator surfaced. Another Grebe approached, both followed the gator. The alligator ignored them both. Short video: www.rickubis.com/rick/grebe_g... 🐊🦉 #alligator

Image 1 of 4 The calm surface of the edge of a lake. At left center, a small bird floats on the water. It is facing to our right, and has a long neck and a short body. It is mostly brown, with darker brown on its back. The head is looking to the right. Its short beak is visible, and is pale grey with a dark vertical line centered between the tip and the base. The bird is a Pied-Billed Grebe and is watching the right side of the image, where just the top and nostrils of an alligator's head is visible at the surface. The alligator's head is dark grey, and with the bumps of its eyes showing; but it is turned away from us. The top of the image shows a boundary of browned vegetation, the edge of a bank. We are looking at the edge of an island that was about 50 yards away from me. This is a cropped telephoto image-a frame from a video clip.

Image 2 of 4 The calm surface of the edge of a lake. At left center, a small bird floats on the water. It is facing to our right, and has a long neck and a short body. It is mostly brown, with darker brown on its back. The head is looking to the right. Its short beak is visible, and is pale grey with a dark vertical line centered between the tip and the base. The bird is a Pied-Billed Grebe and is watching the right side of the image, where just the top and nostrils of an alligator's head is visible at the surface. The alligator's head is dark grey, and with the bumps of its eyes showing; but it is turned away from us--but now we can only see the very top of the "eye bumps" and the tip of the alligator's nose as it is slowly submerging, relative to image #1. The top of the image shows a boundary of browned vegetation, the edge of a bank. We are looking at the edge of an island that was about 50 yards away from me. This is a cropped telephoto image-a frame from a video clip.

Image 3 of 4 The calm surface of the edge of a lake. At left center, a small bird floats on the water. It is facing away from us (having turned since image #2), so we are looking directly at the white feathers on its butt, and has a long neck and a short body. It is mostly brown, with darker brown on its back. The head is looking to away from us. The bird is a Pied-Billed Grebe and has turned away from the alligator that was visible in images 1 and 2. The alligator in images 1 and 2 has fully-submerged--although a very close look would show two very tiny bumps still visible there. The top of the image shows a boundary of browned vegetation, the edge of a bank. We are looking at the edge of an island that was about 50 yards away from me. This is a cropped telephoto image-a frame from a video clip.

Image 4 of 4 The slightly rippled surface of the edge of a lake. At left center, a dark grey alligator is swimming to our left. The head is looking to our left. The top of the alligator's head and back show above the surface, along with the top edge of the base of its tail. At right center, a small bird floats on the water. It is facing to our left, and has a long neck and a short body. It is mostly brown, with darker brown on its back. The head is looking to the left. Its short beak is visible, and is pale grey with a dark vertical line centered between the tip and the base. The bird is a Pied-Billed Grebe and it is looking at (and swimming after) the alligator. The alligator that was sinking in images 1 and 2 had surfaced, and moved past the grebe, which began following the gator. The top of the image shows a boundary of browned vegetation, the edge of a bank. We are looking at the edge of an island that was about 50 yards away from me. This is a cropped telephoto image. I have often seen Grebes approach an alligator moving slowly through the water. My guess is that the Grebes are looking for prey attracted to-or scared away from-the passage of the gator. Another Grebe approached this gator from the left, and the gator ignored them both. A minuter or so later, the Grebes lost interest, and stopped following the Alligator.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 16/12/2024

10/20/2024 Huge Gar by Elm Lake Pier #2 at BBSP. Maybe hunting? Using suction while 'lateral feeding' in"Feeding kinematics {etc}" by Lemberg(2019). The gar surfaced later. video: www.rickubis.com/rick/alligat... gar page: www.rickubis.com/rick/garfish... #GarWeek @solomonrdavid.bsky.social

image 1 of 4 Looking down into smooth body of water. The reflection of a tree branch is prominent, and partially hides what's below the dark water. A long, thick, pale shape is under the water. We are looking down at a very large, torpedo-shaped fish, which is angled from upper right to lower to its snout pointing at the lower left of the image. The shapes of two sets of dorsal fins are dimly visible. The body is straight. The fish is an Alligator Gar, and I was looking down at it from the edge of a pier that was over the water.

image 2 of 4 Looking down into smooth body of water. The reflection of a tree branch is prominent, and partially hides what's below the dark water. A long, thick, pale shape is under the water. We are looking down at a very large, torpedo-shaped fish, which is angled from upper right to lower to its snout pointing at the lower left of the image. The shapes of two sets of dorsal fins are dimly visible. The body is straight, but has shifted slightly from image #1. It has turned a bit towards our right and its mouth is open! We can see here that the belly (and inside the mouth) is a lighter color than the rest of the fish. We can also see the tail, which is slightly curved. The fish is an Alligator Gar, and I was looking down at it from the edge of a pier that was over the water. The Gar was making sweeping side-to-side motions as it continued to turn.

image 3 of 4 Looking down into smooth body of water. The reflection of a tree branch is prominent, and partially hides what's below the dark water. A floating mat of green vegetation shows in the upper right corner. A long, thick, pale shape is under the water. We are looking down at a very large, torpedo-shaped fish, which has appeared from under the floating vegetation and is moving right to left. It is moving towards our left and its mouth is open! We can see here that the belly (and inside the mouth) is a lighter color than the rest of the fish. The fish is still a few feet below the surface, so is partly hidden by the dark water. The silhouettes of many very small fish show in contrast against the pale skin of the fish as it moved through a cloud of them. The fish is an Alligator Gar, and I was looking down at it from the edge of a pier that was over the water. The Gar had moved into cover after image #2 and then reappeared here, to continue the sweeping motions. It moved back into cover of the murky water.

image 4 of 4 Looking downat an angle, at a body of water. The water is covered by tiny wind ripples, and reflections hide most of what's under it. But at image center, a very large, torpedo-shaped fish, which is moving from right to left, is breaking the surface. This is a cropped telephoto so we can clearly see the fish. The fish is not jumping, but has come up and pushed its snout out of the water as it paused. Even at some distance away, but we can see that its mouth is open and filled with many sharp teeth. Behind the head, two huge gas bubbles have burst and are collapsing. We can see here that the lower jaw is a lighter color than darker brown of the rest of the fish. We can also see the tail, which is yellowish, and has small, dark spots. The fish is an Alligator Gar, and I was watching it from the edge of a pier that was over the water. After the Gar in images 1, 2, and 3 swam off, I could follow it as it swam away, but it stayed near the surface so I could film it. It surfaced to refresh its air breathing organ.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 07/12/2024

Since I filmed a gar take air in 2009 i've wondered how it worked. This paper: "Air Breathing of the Garfish (Lepisosteus osseus)"(1972 Rahn et.al.) gave me details I put into a video I filmed last May: www.rickubis.com/rick/garbrea... More on my gar page: www.rickubis.com/rick/garfish... 🧪 🐟

pic 1 of 4 Close view of a fish in water. The water is dark green. We are looking down at the fish, and only see its front half. The fish extends up from the bottom center of the image. The fish's head narrows to a rounded end. The fish is not flat, but round in cross-section and covered with heavy scales. We can see large prominent dark blotches covering the fish's head. The fish is generally grey-green, except for the dark blotches and pale pectoral fins. The fish is a Spotted Gar. This image is a frame from a video showing the gar recharging its Air Breathing Organ(ABO), filmed at Brazos Bend State Park May 24, 2024.

pic 2 of 4 Close view of a fish in water. The water is dark green. We are looking down at the fish, and only see its front half. The fish extends up from the bottom center of the image. The fish's head narrows to a rounded end. The fish is not flat, but round in cross-section and covered with heavy scales. We can see large prominent dark blotches covering the fish's head. The fish is generally grey-green, except for the dark blotches and pale pectoral fins. The fish is a Spotted Gar. This image is a frame from a video showing the gar recharging its Air Breathing Organ (ABO), filmed at Brazos Bend State Park May 24, 2024. Compared with image #1 we can see that the head has expanded sideways, with lengthwise pale sections showing between bones in its skull as they flex open. The tip of the snout dimples the water as it begins to move up. Pectoral fins have opened so they are perpendicular to the body. This may be when "old" air has been pulled forward from the ABO.

pic 3 of 4 Close view of a fish in water. The water is dark green. We are looking down at the fish, and only see its front half. The fish extends up from the bottom center of the image. The fish's head narrows to a rounded end. The fish is not flat, but round in cross-section and covered with heavy scales. We can see large prominent dark blotches covering the fish's head. The fish is generally grey-green, except for the dark blotches and pale pectoral fins. The fish is a Spotted Gar. This image is a frame from a video showing the gar recharging its Air Breathing Organ (ABO), filmed at Brazos Bend State Park May 24, 2024. Compared with image #2 we can see that the head has contracted a bit sideways, with lengthwise pale sections showing between bones in its skull as they flex open. The tip of the snout extends further out of the water. Pectoral fins have opened so they are perpendicular to the body. Two very large bubbles have formed on each side of the rear of the Gar's head, at the gill covers. This is probably the "old" air that had been pulled out of the ABO being pushed out from the head.

pic 4 of 4 Close view of a fish in water. The water is dark green. We are looking down at the fish, and only see its front half. The fish extends up from the bottom center of the image. The fish's head narrows to a rounded end. The fish is not flat, but round in cross-section and covered with heavy scales. We can see large prominent dark blotches covering the fish's head. The fish is generally grey-green, except for the dark blotches and pale pectoral fins. The fish is a Spotted Gar. This image is a frame from a video showing the gar recharging its Air Breathing Organ (ABO), filmed at Brazos Bend State Park May 24, 2024. Compared with image #3 we can see that the head has compressed more, with lengthwise pale sections showing between bones in its skull closed again. The tip of the snout is further out of the water. Pectoral fins have opened so they are perpendicular to the body. Thetwo very large bubbles on each side of the rear of the Gar's head, at the gill covers are still expanding. The jaws are probably open (can't really see for sure), but if not, they will be. The jaws will open, and the head will expand again as fresh air is taken in to the pharynx. The head will compress, forcing that new air into the ABO (source: "Air Breathing of the Garfish (Lepisosteus osseus)" 1972 Rahn et.al.) as the gar sinks. The second jaw open/air intake happens as the expelled air bubble is still expanding. Hard to see in normal time.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 16/11/2024

11/10/2024 On North loop of 40-Acre Lake in Brazos Bend State Park this Great Blue Heron speared a Coral Snake. I could see the red, yellow, and black bands from 50 yards away. Got some pics and very short video before the Heron walked off. The video: www.rickubis.com/rick/gbheron... 🐍🦉

pic 1 of 2 Dimly-lit morning scene. Telephoto view (taken about 50 yards away). A pale brown dirt path arcs across the center of the image, angling away from us. The right side of the trail is the boundary for a patch of green grass covering the lower right of the image. Background is a gray grid of wire, a chicken wire boundary off the far edge of the trail. Standing on the center of the trail, a tall gray bird is facing away from us. It's standing with feet slightly apart and ankles (what most people percieve as "knees" bent inward a bit. The bird is holding a snake in its beak. The loop of the snake is in the beak, while a large part of it is swinging down. The snake has wide red and black alternating bands--both bounded by narrow yellow bands. The bird is a Great Blue Heron. The snake is a Texas Coral Snake.

pic 2 of 2 Dimly-lit morning scene. Telephoto view (taken about 50 yards away). Closer view than image number 1. A pale brown dirt path arcs across the bottom of the image. The Background is a gray grid of wire, from the center of the image, going off frame to our right. It's a chicken wire boundary off the far edge of the trail. The rest of the background is a tangle of bare wooden branches and vegetation. Most of the image is a tall gray bird walking to our left, towards the edge of the trail. Its right foot is flat, while the left foot is rising, for the next step. One toe barely touches the ground. The bird is holding a snake, just behind the head, in its beak. Most of the snake is swinging down in an arc. The snake has wide red and black alternating bands--both bounded by narrow yellow bands. The bird is a Great Blue Heron. The snake is a Texas Coral Snake. The Heron walked off the trail and into the heavy cover while still carrying the snake.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

Caracaras are amazing! I've been lucky enough to see them in the wild at various times. Meiburg's book is wonderful! @ibycter.bsky.social also appears in the book. In 2018, I watched a Crested Caracara keeping a carcass from 2 vulture species. 15 min. video: www.rickubis.com/rick/caracar...

Telephoto photo view of a grassy area. The grass in short, brown, and dry. Across the center of the image are 5 large birds. Left to right-A large, dark brown bird with a naked red face and lighter tip on its beak. That bird is squatting or sitting and facing left. Next to it (behind it from our view) a black bird is standing, facing left, but bent over so we can't see its head. Next, another black bird with a naked black face is standing and facing us. Next, another dark brown bird is sitting on the grass facing right. It also has a naked red face. Next to that, the 5th bird is standing and facing us. This bird has dark brown feathers on its body, blending into white feathers in a broad white collar. It has an orange beak with a white tip (pointing towards us). The top of its head is black. The sitting birds with red faces are Turkey Vultures. The black birds with black faces are Black Vultures. 5th bird is a Crested Caracara. All of them were interested in a carcass in the grass. The Caracara had chased the Vultures off the carcass.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 13/11/2024

11/09/2024 At Fiorenza Park a turtle shared a branch with a bunch of Cormorants. All was OK until 1 last Cormorant landed, acted like a jerk and made the turtle leave. There's also video: www.rickubis.com/rick/turtle_... Other cormorants on my page here www.rickubis.com/rick/brazbir... 🐢 🦉

pic 1 of 4 Wide-angle long view of the edge of a still body of water. We are standing on a concrete bridge. The bottom right corner of the image shows a rusting white metal railing extending almost straight away. At left of the railing a short tree with many narrow trunks spreads in at the next bank. The bank extends in curves away to to our left, until a short hill rises about 600 yards away with bright blue sky above containing some scattered white clouds. The rest of the image shows an wide area of muddy green smooth water. Near the center, a red arrow is pointing down at two specs on a tangle of branches about 70 yards away. The next images will show that the two specs are Cormorants.

pic 2 of 4 Closer telephoto view of the area targeted by the arrow in image 1. We're looking at the slightly-rippled surface of the still water. A thick branch or small tree trunk angles about 30 degrees out of the water from the left, and makes a gentle arch until it goes out of frame to the right. The branch is old, mostly bare, but with patches of bark still remaining. Three large black birds stand on the right end of the branch, and two of their heads are out of frame at the top. The third bird is facing left with head tilted so its pale yellow beak is slightly angled down. The birds are Neotropic Cormorants. A turtle is lying on top of the other end of the branch about 3 feet away from the bird. It is facing the birds. Its legs are extended and relaxed, and its head and neck are extended from its shell, with its mouth open. The turtle's shell is light brown, with each scute outlined in darker brown. The turtle is quite a bit smaller than the birds.. Its skin is dark. The turtle is a Pond Slider.

pic 3 of 4 Closer telephoto view of the area targeted by the arrow in image 1. We're looking at the slightly-rippled surface of the still water. A thick branch or small tree trunk angles about 30 degrees out of the water from the left, and makes a gentle arch until it goes out of frame to the right. The branch is old, mostly bare, but with patches of bark still remaining. One large black bird stands near the left end of the branch. The bird is facing left with head and neck pointed down so its pale yellow beak can touch the top of the turtle's shell from image number 2. The bird is a Neotropic Cormorant The turtle is lying on top of the other end of the branch with its head and neck pulled into its shell. The foot on our side is withdrawn also, though we can see the tips of its toes. The rear leg is still fully extended and toes seem to be gripping the branch. The turtle is facing the bird. The turtle's shell is light brown, with each scute outlined in darker brown. The turtle is quite a bit smaller than the bird. Its skin is dark. The turtle is a Pond Slider. The bird was touching the turtle's carapace with the tips of its open beak.

pic 4 of 4 Closer telephoto view of the area targeted by the arrow in image 1. We're looking at the slightly-rippled surface of the still water. A thick branch or small tree trunk angles about 30 degrees out of the water from the left, and makes a gentle arch until it goes out of frame to the right. The branch is old, mostly bare, but with patches of bark still remaining. One large black bird stands near the left end of the branch. The bird is facing left with head and neck pointed down so its pale yellow beak can touch the top of the turtle's shell from image number 2. The bird is a Neotropic Cormorant The turtle has had enough of this attention and has withdrawn into its shell, although we can see one front leg as it's pushing itself off the branch. It was sliding backwards into the water, so we can see the top half of its carapace, while the rest submerged. The water around the shell is without noticeable splash--showing how the smooth the movement was. The turtle's shell is light brown, with each scute outlined in darker brown. The turtle is quite a bit smaller than the bird. Its skin is dark. The turtle is a Pond Slider. The bird was touching the turtle's carapace with the tips of its open beak in the previous image. In this image, the beak is still open and we can see the hooked tip of the upper jaw.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 09/11/2024

2 of 2: I found a Limpkin further away than the Spoonbill was Southeast of me. The last 3 summers have been brutally dry. Hurricane Beryl and the rain after replaced some of the water. You can see closer pictures of Limpkins taken at BBSP on my Limpkins page: www.rickubis.com/rick/limpkin...

Zoomed telephoto image.. Our focus is about 30 feet high, but looking across at something a few hundred yards away. Centered in the image is a Limpkin standing on the top end of a tree branch. The Sun was almost behind the bird, so we can mostly see lighter areas at the top edge of the bird. Most of the limpkin is dark brown, and it is facing to our right. The slightly bent long beak is visible. Most of the image shows a various dead tree branches pointing up. They are light gray, illuminated by the morning sun (it was 9am) a bit to our left and behind them. Beyond the branches, and the limpkin, scattered live trees show leaves that are bright green, lit by the sun. That Limpkin was about 500 yards away. We are looking South from the Spillway Bridge at Brazos Bend State Park.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 09/11/2024

11/03/2024 1 of 2: BBSP on the Spillway Bridge. Limpkins called to the South; far away, and out of sight. A Roseate Spoonbill landed a few hundred yards Southwest. You can see closer pictures of Spoonbills taken at BBSP on my Spoonbills page. www.rickubis.com/rick/brazbir...

pic 1 of 3 view from a bridge. The hand rail shows at bottom right. A little further out, a reddish dimpled surface shows. It is a spillway made of concrete. There is a dark brown band of dying growth at the far edge of the spillway. Further beyond that is an expanse of vegetation. There's a band of thicker growth, with a dense speckling of yellow flowers. That band is about 30 yards across, and beyond that is a flatter area with sparce bushy growths and tall stumps of dead trees. Our view is at least 900 yards out. The white sky is about the top tenth of this image. Just below the bottome edge of sky, right of the center, is a very tiny white dot. That dot was a Spoonbill about 300 yards away. We will see it better in the following images. We are looking South from the Spillway Bridge at Brazos Bend State Park.

pic 2 of 3 Zoomed telephoto image of the scene in picture #1. Our focus is about 30 feet high, but looking across at something a few hundred yards away. The foreground shows a scattered set of thin, dead ragged trees. Their dark brown bark has peeled in spots, showing lighter wood. This all contrasts against the varied green background. Almost centered in this image is a pink blob, which we can see is a Spoonbill standing at the top of a tree. The unique spoon-shaped bill can be seen, it is pointing down. That Spoonbill was about 300 yards away. We will see it better in the following image. We are looking South from the Spillway Bridge at Brazos Bend State Park.

pic 3 of 3 Zoomed telephoto image of the scene in picture #1. Our focus is about 30 feet high, but looking across at something a few hundred yards away. Centered in the image is a Spoonbill standing on the top end of a tree. The bird's body is light pink, and it is bent over towards our left.
The neck and head is white, and its neck is bending down from the body, then bending back up, with the head tilted forward so the beak points down. Both legs are visible, dark pink above the ankles, turning dark below the ankles. That Spoonbill was about 300 yards away. We are looking South from the Spillway Bridge at Brazos Bend State Park.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 28/10/2024

Brazos Bend SP 09/29/2024 By 40-Acre Lake,Giant Water Bug (Lethocerid)caught in spider web! Was over the water,so I couldn't get close. Spider maybe Eriophora ravilla. Lethocerids are formidable predators & can eat frogs& turtles! But*this* bug was subdued by arachnid web technology. #Arachtober

Picture 1 of 3 Looking over flat expanse covered by vegetation. Clear blue morning sky. Tree line is far out in the distance. Foreground shows a water surface which blends into a cover of floating green plants (water hyacinth). Short, brownish, bushlike growths come up next. Both sides of image are framed by sparse branches of trees. In the center of image, 2 dots show against the sky. One at the bottom is larger, and just above that is a very small one. The two dots are objects suspended in the remaining parts of a spider web, though the web strands are not visible against the bright blue sky.

Picture 2 of 3 The entire image is the light blue of the background sky.
Filling most of the image is a large insect suspended by spider silk, with a spider about one-quarter the size of the insect holding on to the insect. This is a telephoto zoom (and crop) of the "two dots" in image #1. The strands of spider silk do not stand out against the background; but that is what is holding the insect suspended. The insect is hanging so its right side is facing us, and angled so the head is down to our right. The insect is dark brownish-green. The insect's wings have partially opened. The insect has very powerful-looking pair of front raptorial legs. The insect is a Giant Water Bug, one of the Lethocerus species. The spider is climbing on our side of the bug, so we can see the top of its cephalothorax and abdomen. It is mostly dark brown, with white blotches on its abdomen that make a pattern resembling a cross. The spider is probably a Tropical Orb Weaver (Eriophora ravilla). Between image #1 and this one, the spider had moved in to feed on the bug.

$Picture 3 of 3 The entire image is the light blue of the background sky. Filling most of the image is a large insect suspended by spider silk, with a spider about one-quarter the size of the insect holding on to the insect. This is a telephoto zoom (and crop) of the "two dots" in image #1. The strands of spider silk do not stand out against the background; but that is what is holding the insect suspended. The insect is hanging so its right side is facing us, and angled so the head is down to our right. The insect is dark brownish-green. The insect's wings have partially opened. The insect has very powerful-looking pair of front raptorial legs. The insect is a Giant Water Bug, one of the Lethocerus species. The spider is climbing on our side of the bug, so we can see the top of its cephalothorax and abdomen. It is mostly dark brown, with white blotches on its abdomen that make a pattern resembling a cross. The spider is probably a Tropical Orb Weaver (Eriophora ravilla). Between image #1 and this one, the spider had moved in to feed on the bug. This is a closer cropped view of image #2, showing the spider and the head and thorax of the bug in greater detail. Lethocerids are formidable predators, and can administer a "cocktail" of venom and other substances to swiftly immobilize, and then pre-digest their prey. Members of this group have been observed feeding on various vertebrates, including frogs, turtles, and snakes. This bug left the water, only to be captured by a spider a fraction of its size that was using arachnid technology.$

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 23/10/2024

10/13/2024 At BBSP small gator met larger,rested chin on its snout&turned it around. Large gator bellowed;standing waves w/ deep sound,prob. male. Small gator bellowed. Most bellows in spring,but can happen anytime. video : www.rickubis.com/rick/gator_t... more: www.rickubis.com/rick/mycam.h... 🐊

image 1 of 4 We're standing on a trail that curves to our right, out of frame and then back into frame into the background. It is bounded by grass on the left, which slopes down towards the left, and towards water. On the right--an alligator is near the edge of the trail, it is in mid-step, turning to face left at the sloped. In front of us is lush green vegetation, tall cutgrass, and other plants. At the left, we can the curved edge of a body of water, that goes out of frame to the left. A red arrow points (facing left) at the head and back of an alligator floating there, pretty far away.

image 2 of 4 Closer view of the water in image1. We are actually looking at the far edge (about 50 yards away) in zoomed view. Most of the picture shows the smooth surface of the water, with vegetation at the edge extending out-of-frame to the top left. In the center, two alligators are in the water. A smaller one is slightly closer with top half of head and part of back exposed, angled away to the left. It is actually moving (slight motion ripples in water next to it) towards a larger alligator. That gator is also facing left. Upper part of head, and center of its back is exposed. It is not moving. The smaller alligator was up near the trail in image 1. It had moved into the water and moved around a bit, before approaching this larger alligator (which is the one indicated by the red arrow in image 1).

image 3 of 4 A bit closer view of the alligators in image 2. We are still (about 50 yards away) in zoomed view. Most of the picture shows the smooth surface of the water, with vegetation at the edge extending out-of-frame to the top left. In the center, two alligators are in the water.The larger one is slightly closer with top half of head and part of back exposed, angled away to the right. The smaller alligator has moved so its chin is resting on the snout of the larger alligator. Most of its head is exposed, since it's resting on top of the larger gator's snout. No other parts of that gator are showing. It is not moving. The smaller alligator had moved around the larger gator, put its snout against the snout of the larger gator, and then turned it around (as if it was a floating log) by pushing gently. It eventually turned the larger a bit more before the larger gator backed out from under it.

image 4 of 4 A bit closer view of the alligators in image 2. We are still (about 50 yards away) in zoomed view. Most of the picture shows the smooth surface of the water, with vegetation at the edge extending out-of-frame to the top left. In the center, two alligators are in the water.The smaller one is slightly closer with only the top half of its exposed, and facing our left. The larger alligator is at center. It has its head raised about 45 degrees, and is facing away from us, so we can mostly see just the top of its head. Just behind its head, the water appears to be boiling, with a circular pattern of tiny bumps or peaks. The center shows white specs from captured sunlight in tiny midair droplets about an inch above the water. That display is the result of low-frequency Faraday waves caused by the early part of a bellow signal. A bit closer to us, and to the right of that display, the center section of the top of the tail arches out of the water. The rest of that alligator's body is submerged. This was near the start of a bout of bellowing, which the smaller one joined. Both alligator's are dark grey, and the entire scene is lit by sunlight at about 9:30 am which was coming from the right. I was facing North for this image.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 12/09/2024

11/04/2018 At BBSP near 40 Acre Lake, Black Vultures on trail, gator near. Gator slid among the vultures. It rested; then returned to the lake as vultures watched it go. The vultures had a surprise! Video: www.rickubis.com/rick/gatorvu... on my page: www.rickubis.com/rick/brazbir... 🦉 🐊 #Vultures

pic 1 of 4 Section of a light brown dirt trail from about 50 yards away. We are looking at the trail and both edges of it, going away from us at a slight angle from lower left to upper right. 8 large black birds are in a loose formation, standing in the grass and on the trail in various positions from left to right. The birds are Black Vultures. From the right, a mid-sized alligator (4 or 5 feet long) is lying mostly on the trail so its snout is near the center of the trail-and facing into the vultures. It is at rest, while two of the Vultures are standing next to it (feet hidden by the gator from our position), and one of the vultures is looking down at the gator. The gator has a pattern of light grey and darker grey bands which shows that has not matured to the solid dark grey color of an adult.

pic 2 of 4 Section of a light brown dirt trail from about 50 yards away as seen in image 1. We are looking at right edge of it, going away from us at a slight angle from lower left to upper right. 2 large black birds are in a loose formation, standing on the trail and looking right. The birds are Black Vultures. On the right, a mid-sized alligator (4 or 5 feet long) is standing and in the middle of turning around to walk to the right. The two Vultures are standing next to it and watching the gator. The gator has a pattern of light grey and darker grey bands which shows that has not matured to the solid dark grey color of an adult. The gator apparently tired of watching whatever the vultures had been up to, and was turning towards the lake (which is to the right).

pic 3 of 4 Section of a light brown dirt trail from about 50 yards away from image 1. We are looking at right edge of it, going away from us at a slight angle from lower left to upper right. 6 large black birds are in a loose formation, standing on the trail and looking right. The birds are Black Vultures. On the right, just the tail of a mid-sized alligator is visible as the gator is walking to the right. All of the Vultures are watching the gator. The gator apparently tired of watching whatever the vultures had been up to, had turned, and was turning towards the lake (which is to the right).

pic 4 of 4 Section of a light brown dirt trail from about 50 yards away in image 1. We are looking at the left edge of it, going away from us at a slight angle from lower left to upper right. 4 large black birds are in a loose formation, standing on the trail. The birds are Black Vultures. One of the two Vultures on the left is picking at something soft and dead that lies on the trail, while another stand close and watches. The two other vultures in the image are looking to the right-where the alligator had gone into the lake. When the alligator shown in the first 3 images had fully withdrawn, the vultures pulled this mass out from the grass on the other side of the trail. This is probably what the alligator was after. All of the vultures in the group remained near that carcass. About 20 minutes later, the gator returned, but had similar results--it gave up again and returned to the water.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 08/09/2024

Wonderful sighting! You're probably right. I've seen herons following cormorants; grebes following gators; and Great Egrets hunting next to alligators-in that case hard to tell who was flushing prey for whom. 🐊 🦉 To see a larger gator/egret image: www.rickubis.com/rick/pano_17...

Medium shot of a very shallow lake. The heads and backs of at least 10 alligators show at the surface. 4 large white birds with long necks (Great White Egrets) are wading among them, while another Egret flies close to the surface of the water. This lake was drying out, and both species were hunting the food trapped there.

View of a lake with slightly rippled water. A mat of duckweed shows in the background. An alligator is swimming towards us, but angling from our right to our left. The gator's more than half of the gator's head is exposed, along with the top of its back, and the base of its tail. A very small, duck-shape bird is following the alligator. The bird is a Pied-Billed Grebe. When an alligator is cruising slowly, grebes will sometimes swim out to follow them--or eve circle around them.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 07/09/2024

Green Anoles were on a dog poop container, hunting flies that were attracted by the waste inside the containers. Happy to see these, since A. sagrei have taken over the area. I got photos and this video: www.rickubis.com/rick/anole08... more info here: www.rickubis.com/rick/mycam.h... 🦎

image 1 of 4 close view (cropped telephoto shot) showing part of the top edge of a dark green, round metal container. The top is flat, and the side is almost entirely filled with perforations for ventilation. 2 lizards are centered in the image. A bright green lizard is on the lid with bent hindquarters allowing the rear hips and tail to touch the lid, while the head and chest are held off the lid by partially bent front legs. That lizard is bright green with white under chin and belly. The head tapers towards the snout and the lizard is facing to our right. The second lizard is clinging to the side of the container, with its back towards us. It is tail-down and both rear feet and one front foot is flat onto the metal (although we can only see one toe of the right foot.). The left foot has just 3 toes flat against the edge of the lid of the container. Its head is a bit shorter than the first lizard's head. Both lizards are Green Anoles.

image 2 of 4 closer view (cropped telephoto shot) of the same container in image 1. 1 lizard is centered in the image. That lizard was bright green with white under chin and belly in image 1, but now it has started to show brown mixed with the green. The head tapers towards the snout and the lizard is pointing down. The lizard is clinging to the side of the container, with its back towards us. Its body is pointing head-down and both rear feet are flat onto the metal; while the toes of the two front feet are splayed so that some toes are flat on metal, while some are gripping the edge os some of the small holes. This lizard was on top of the lid in image 1, but now it has run down the side. We are looking at the top of its head. The lizard has caught a large fly and is in mid-chew, with the rear of the fly extended from the lizards open jaws. The lizard is a Green Anole. The container is for dog waste, and the Anoles have learned to hunt the flies attracted to the container.

image 3 of 4 close view (cropped telephoto shot) showing the same container in image 1. The top is flat, and the side is almost entirely filled with perforations for ventilation. This shows the hinge for the lid, and the silvery steel square post that the container hangs on. 2 lizards are centered in the image. One lizard was bright green with white under chin and belly in image 1, but now it has started to show brown mixed with the green. The head tapers towards the snout and the lizard is pointing down, clinging to the steel post. A pink flap is extending from the neck and chin of this lizard as it extends its dewlap. The second lizard is squatting on the lid, angled towards us and slightly out-of-focus. It is facing towards the lizard that is displaying. Both lizards are Green Anoles. The larger one is male, and the smaller is female.

image 4 of 4 closer view (cropped telephoto shot) showing the steel square post from image 3. 1 lizard is center image. That lizard was bright green with white under chin and belly, but now shows brown mixed with the green. The lizards body is vertical, nose up. The lizard is clinging to the side of the post, with its head towards us and body partially-hidden by the post. The feet we can see show toe pads flat against the metal. This has moved from the lid in image 1. We can see the ear hole behind its eye, and the texture of scales on its skin. The lizard is a Green Anole. Many studies refer to the competition for habitat that occurs when Brown Anoles are introduced to Green Anole territory. This can force Green Anoles to adapt for better climbing by devoloping larger clinging surfaces on their toes. Browns and Greens live in *this* area, and the Green Anoles have become scarce. Greens seemed to dominate this spot for a few days; perhaps because they cling better to the can.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 30/08/2024

On 08/20/*2023* During the 2nd dry summer at Brazos Bend SP an alligator was moving through mud in 40 Acre Lake. That one met 2 others chased out of a deeper spot by *another* gator. The gators talked later. 90 minutes condensed into 10 minute video: www.rickubis.com/rick/gators_... #ichnology 🐊

Picture 1 of 4 Wide view of part of a drying lake bed. We are looking at the opposite bank of what is usually an island. Top half of the image is all tangled vegetation. Center of the image is an irregular line dividing what is green from dark gray mud. Bottom half of the image is dark mud with large trails (visible at least 100 yards away) with drag marks and footprints. The middle of this grey area shows an apparent "stream" of water at the lowest point. Then the elevation of the lake bed rises to our side of the lake. At the middle left, we can see a grey object with white underneath at the end of a trail just starting at the far bank and extending part way towards that "stream". That object is a large alligator (at least 7ft long), mired in the muck. In this image, we can't see much detail in the alligator.

Picture 2 of 4 Closer telephoto view of part of a drying lake bed. We are looking at the opposite bank of what is usually an island. Center of the image is an irregular line dividing the bottom of green grasses at top, from dark gray mud. Bottom half of the image is dark mud. At the center is a closer view of a large alligator (at least 7ft long), mired in the muck-the same one in image #1. It is facing us with its snout angled a little to our right. The mud behind the alligator shows a deep trench, made by the alligator as it was passing through. Going through this mud was very difficult for the alligator. This image shows a two small grey and white birds-one a few feet in front of the gator, and one a few feet to our right of the gator. They are probably Sandpipers (type unknown to me). Walking across the mud behind the gator at the grassline is a larger light brown bird with long legs and long bare toes (no webbing)-which is probably a yound Gallinule.

Picture 3 of 4 Mid-range view of part of a drying lake bed. We are looking what is usually the mid point between the bank on this side and the island. This shows that the "stream" referred to in image #1 was just a thin layer of water over mud. At the center is a closer view of a large alligator (at least 7ft long), mired in the muck. It is facing us with its snout and body angled a little to our right. The mud behind the alligator shows a deep trench, made by the alligator as it was passing through. Going through this mud was very difficult for the alligator. Through a long process of moving and resting, it took about 45 minutes to get to this point from what is shown in image #2. When the gator reached this point, it turned as shown to move to our right--which was a deeper section of the lake that had a puddle of water remaining.

Picture 4 of 4 Far view of part of a drying lake bed. We are looking what is usually the mid point between the bank on this side and the island. This shows that the "stream" referred to in image #1 that was just a thin layer of water over mud has expanded and branched into more puddles. At the center is the first large alligator (at least 7ft long), still mired in the muck. It is facing right. To its right some yards and a bit further back, another large gator's head and back is visible in the mud. To the right, and in the path "our" large gator *another* large alligator is lying in a few inches of water, with its head, back, and tail exposed. It is facing away from us. So, there are 3 alligators visible. The 2 other alligators had been chased out of the deeper water (out of frame to the right) by yet another alligator. These are from about 90 minutes of watching events at this spot. Later, there was more gator interaction, some croaking, some bellowing--but no actual fighting.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 17/08/2024

After hurricane Beryl, altered my workout at Memorial Park to cross the Kinder Land Bridges (opened Feb.2023). I saw Mississippi Kites flying close as I crossed, so I returned with a camera. Saw the Kites eating insects held in their talons as they flew. Video: www.rickubis.com/rick/missi_k... 🦉

Image 1 of 4 Cropped closeup of a bird. The bird fills most of the image, and is flying towards the top, but it was flying over me--so we are actually looking up under the bird as it passed over. The wings are open and the underside of the bird is in shadow, contrasting against the clear blue sky backround. The bird is mostly light grey. It is looking down towards us, so we can see its face. The eyes are large and round, and it has a short grey beak. The bird is a Mississippi Kite.

Image 2 of 4 Cropped closeup of a bird. The bird is flying from left to right. The wings are open and the underside of the bird is in shadow, contrasting against the clear blue sky backround. The bird is mostly light grey. The bird has a large insect in its talons-possibly a large grasshopper. The bird's eyes are large and round, and it has a short grey beak with a sharp tip that hooks down down. The bird is a Mississippi Kite.

Image 3 of 4 Cropped closeup of a bird. The bird fills most of the image, and is flying towards the top right corner, but it was flying over me--so we are actually looking up under the bird as it passed over. The wings are open and the underside of the bird is in shadow, contrasting against the clear blue sky backround. But we can see stippled dark markings under the tail and wing feathers, so probably a younger bird. The bird is mostly light grey. It is looking down with its head angled, so we can see its face. The eyes are large and round, and it has a short grey beak. The bird is a Mississippi Kite.

Image 4 of 4 Image showing the opening of a double-tunnel with a shallow greenspace over it. The bottom of the image shows a close view of a concrete sidewalk. I was standing on this sidewalk, which is at the top of a trail on a mound with a double tunnel just like the one shown in the image. I'm standing on one bridge and the image shows the mound and the other bridge. The Kites were flying and hunting over both of these mounds, named the Kinder Land Bridge at Memorial Park in Houston, Texas. There is a two-lane road passing through each of those tunnels. There is a gap about 400 ft (120m) wide between the two bridges.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 03/08/2024

6/29/2024 Fiorenza Park. A turtle was taking pieces of an Eagle's meal! The Turtle left with a scrap, then returned. When the Eagle went to drink; the turtle went for the leftovers. The turtles have probably learned that the Eagles eat here often. video: www.rickubis.com/rick/baldeag... 🐍🦉

Picture 1 of 4 Middle-range view of a flat shoreline-actually the tip of a very small island. There is a swath of short green grass on the edge facing us, then a patch of flat gray dry mud. Standing in the center is a large bird with dark feathers on its body and wings, but a bright white head and tail. The bird is a Bald Eagle, it's facing away from us, and looking down and a bit to the left. At the Eagle's feet (on the left) is a large pond turtle (probably a Red-Eared Slider) which is trying to grab something from the ground near the Eagle's feet. The Eagle is eating a carcass (probably a large fish), and the Turtle is stealing pieces from it.

Picture 4 of 4 Closer-range view of a flat shoreline-actually the tip of a very small island. There is a patch of short green grass in the center of this view, then flat gray dry mud around. The base of a bare, small tree stands at center. This image was taken a different angle from the image #1, but is of the same area on the small island. Standing at the center is a large bird with dark feathers on its body and wings, but a bright white head and tail. The bird is a Bald Eagle, it's facing to our left, standing with its feet in the water, and looking straight across to our left. A few feet behind the Eagle is a large pond turtle (probably a Red-Eared Slider) which is moving down the shallow angle of the bank. The Turtle is moving towards the water while carrying a white bit of the carcass that the Eagle was eating in image #1.

Picture 2 of 4 Closer-range view of a flat shoreline-actually the tip of a very small island. There is a patch of short green grass in the center of this view, then flat gray dry mud around. The base of a bare, small tree stands at center. This image was taken a different angle from the image #1, but is of the same area on the small island. Standing near the center is a large bird with dark feathers on its body and wings, but a bright white head and tail. The bird is a Bald Eagle, it's facing to our right, standing with its feet in the water, and looking straight across to our right. A few feet in front of the Eagle is a large pond turtle (probably a Red-Eared Slider) which is moving up the shallow angle of the bank. The Turtle is moving towards the remains of the carcass that the Eagle was eating in image #1.

Picture 3 of 4 Closer-range view of a flat shoreline-actually the tip of a very small island. There is a patch of short green grass in the center of this view, then flat gray dry mud around. The base of a bare, small tree stands at center. Standing near the left edge of the image is a large bird with dark feathers on its body and wings, but a bright white head (the rear half of the bird outside the image.) The bird is a Bald Eagle, it's facing to our right, standing with its feet in the water, and looking straight across to our right. A few feet in front of the Eagle is a large pond turtle (probably a Red-Eared Slider) with its head down, grabbing at the remains of the carcass that the Eagle was eating in image #1. The turtle is mostly dark gray, and at this distance we cannot make out much detail.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 13/07/2024

#Eagles at Fiorenza Park in Houston,mid May thru June,2024. 1 day-problems with a hawk. 1 day"shared"breakfast with a turtle. Other days-watching over the park in the heat. Then came July & hurricane Beryl. Haven't been back. More pics(and video) here, for now: www.rickubis.com/rick/mycam.h... 🦉

#2 of 4. Cropped long shot of 2 birds flying towards us. Bottom one has flipped over and has extended its talons at the bird above it. The wings are open and angled, and the bird's beak is open. That bird has a white head and tail-it's a Bald Eagle. Above it, another raptor also has wings wide open and is extending its talons. The wings are open and slighly folded in mid-flap. The bird is a Hawk that I cannot identify and it is watching the Eagle. The two birds were fighting high above me-with the Hawk diving and the Eagle--then the Eagle retaliating. Taken 05/15/2024.

#1 of 4. Cropped long shot of 2 birds flying right to left. Bottom one shows us edge-on view of its wings extended flat. That bird has a white head and tail-it's a Bald Eagle. Above it, another raptor also has wings wide open but angled so we can see under the bird. Darker circular lines are visible, centered near the front of each wing curving in arcs across the rear of the wings. The bird is a Hawk that I cannot identify and it is watching the Eagle. The two birds were fighting high above me-with the Hawk diving and the Eagle--then the Eagle retaliating. Taken 05/15/2024.

#4 of 4. Cropped long shot of a large bird standing in the water near a shallow bank. That bird has mostly dark feather, with a white head and tail-it's a Bald Eagle. The Eagle is facing to the right, and is looking down at the edge of the bank. Resting in the water at the Eagles feet is a large pond turtle. At this distance, can't see markings, but the turtle is probably a Red-Eared Slider. The Eagle had just eaten something (it looked like a large fish) much further up on that bank. That turtle (or perhaps another just like it-there were many in the water.) had been walking up out of the water and trying to take pieces of the carcass WHILE THE EAGLE WAS EATING. The eagle finished and went to wash, and the turtle went up to get the scraps. It later approached the Eagle, possibly looking for more scraps. The Eagle flew off a few minutes later. Taken 06/29/2024.

#3 of 4. Cropped shot of the top corner of a high-tension tower. A large bird is perched on one of the steel crosspieces. That bird has mostly dark-brown feathers, and a white head and tail-it's a Bald Eagle. The Eagle's orange/yellow beak and talons glow in the morning sunlight. The Eagle has its beak open, but it was not calling, it was trying to cool itself on this hot morning. Taken 06/08/2024.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 12/06/2024

06/02/2024 At BBSP, 2 alligators >6ft locked together-clamped on each others' open jaws. Each countered the other's tries to thrash or roll. A bigger alligator came and *nudged them apart*! 40 more pics here: www.rickubis.com/rick/mycam.h... video: www.rickubis.com/rick/gatorfi... 🐊🧪 #alligators

Pic 1 of 4 View of the edge of a lake. 2 alligators are centered in the image. One alligator is coming in from the left, the other is coming in from the right. The jaws of the alligators are clamped together. The jaw of the one on the left are clamped on the upper jaw of the one on the right. The jaws of the one on the right are clamped on the bottom jaw of the one on the left. Water droplets show that the two gators are in motion. One or both of the alligators tried to jerk hard on the other in an effort to break something off. This image is just before the major snap, which obscured them in splashing water.

Pic 2 of 4 View of the edge of a lake. 2 alligators are centered in the image. One alligator is coming on the left, the other is on the right. The one on the left is twisted in the water so only its back and tail are showing. The one on the right is twisted so only the underside of its tail, part of its belly, and both rear legs and feet are above the water. the water is still, showing the bodies are briefly at rest. Both alligators have just tried to roll while their jaws were still locked together from image #1. The bodies are angled a bit so the tails point towards the lower left of the image.

Pic 3 of 4 View of the edge of a lake. 3 alligators are centered in the image. The jaws of the alligators in from image 1 and 2 are still clamped together. In this image, the heads of both gators are centered in the picture, and pointing to the right. The top jaw of top one partially-obscures our view of the top jaw of the other because its jaws are clamped on the bottom one between the tip of the snout and the eyes. A bit of the back of the bottom gator is just visible to the left of the two heads. A couple feet beyond them, a larger alligator's head is pointing to the left. We can see one of its eyes, and it's watching the two wrestling gators. A clump of floating water plants (Hyacinth) extends in from the right, and makes a thin wedge of green leaves between the large and small gators.

Pic 4 of 4 View of the edge of a lake. 3 alligators are centered in the image. The large alligator from image 4 has ended up across the center of this picture. It is pointed to our right, with jaws slightly open. Tall cutgrass and other plants block our view of the head. The top of the big gator's back angles out of the water a few inches behind the back. Next to the big gator (oppositefrom us), two gators' heads facing us show movement. One on our right, next to big gator's head, has snout angled under water. Top of head is visible, and its eyes are closed. Next to that gator, to our left, the other gator has its mouth open. We can see the tip of snout, teeth, and roof of mouth exposed. That head is moving to our left, violently swirling water behind it. Behind that head, to our left, there is a big "hump" of water, with bubbles showing violent action of the alligator's tail. That gator's lower jaw has just been released by the other gator, and it was leaving the confrontation.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 05/06/2024

I only have these. I cannot keep "containers" of ice cream in my small freezer, because of spoons. These are just 6 bars to a box, so single servings. I've enjoyed them since I was a youngster, and we reconnect every now and then.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 02/06/2024

5/11/2024 I saw a Bald Eagle on the usual tower at Fiorenza park. Watched for an hour as it tried to fish, failed; then tried to share a fish that another Eagle caught. video: www.rickubis.com/rick/eagle_0... lots more pics (for now): www.rickubis.com/rick/mycam.h... #birds #baldeagles #raptors

picture 1 of 4 Image shows the surface of a large body of water. Center of image is a Bald Eagle in flight, caught with wings extended up and forward for the next down flap. The Eagle is flying left to right. The Eagle's talons are grasping a gray object which is possibly a very large fish. The fish is being pulled violently but is still mostly obscured by the spray around it. The eagle was not able to capture this fish. These images were taken in a "water detainment" reservoir which is part of Houston's bayou system for flood control. This one has been adapted into a 350-acre park (as others have) which contains this wonderful lake. A family of Bald Eagles has a nest somewhere near, and I've seen them here for years. This park is Fiorenza Park North.

picture 2 of 4 Image shows the surface of the same body of water in image 1, but with the green trees and plants of the far edge blurred in the background. Center of image is a Bald Eagle in flight, caught with wings extended down as wings lift from a down flap. The Eagle is flying left to right, but angled towards us. This is the same Eagle in image #1, as it circled around after losing the fish (or whatever it was).

picture 3 of 4 Image shows the top edge of a high-tension electrical tower. Center of image is a Bald Eagle in flight, caught with wings extended and talons extended down as it is landing on to top of the tower. The Eagle is flying right to left, but angled towards us. This is the same Eagle in image #1 and #2 as it returned to perch on the tower, after having missed two tries at pulling something out of the water.

picture 4 of 4 Image shows the flat dirt "beach" of a small island. Center of image shows two adult Bald Eagles standing on the ground. One Eagle is larger than the other (it's probably female, with the smaller a male). The large Eagle has one of its talons resting on a large fish. That Eagle is facing left, and it's bright yellow beak is partially open. When it landed on the island with the fish, the Eagle in images 1,2,3 went down to meet it. That Eagle is standing with its back to us so that it hides the rear third of the female Eagle. It has its head turned so it is also looking to the left. I was standing about 200 yards away, with traffic noises directly behind me. The male watched as the female ate most of the fish and left just a few scraps for the male to pick at. The female flew off soon after.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 31/05/2024

On 03/29/2024 At Fiorenza Park, 3 Diamondbacked Water Snakes snakes were mating. Female snakes pheremones draw males from everywhere; so lots of "tail wrestling" to place their cloaca near the female's. video: www.rickubis.com/rick/n_rhomb... 🐍🧪

pic 1 of 4 Wide view of clear water and the edge of a bank. In center of image is a wooden stick on the bank, almost horizontal to our view, about 4 feet up from the water's edge. Below the stick, there is a thick light-brown object marked with darker stripes lying on the bank. It is slightly curved, and points downhill. At this distance (30 yards away), it's not quite clear what the object is. We can't see either end of the object clearly. But, it appears to be the body of a very thick snake.

pic 2 of 4 Closer view of the bank in picture #1. At top right corner of image is a just the part of a wooden stick, almost horizontal to our view. Below the stick, there is a thick light-brown object marked with darker stripes lying on the bank. It is slightly curved, and points downhill. In this view, we can see that there are at least 3 snakes lying on top of each other. With their bodies aligned. The tails of the snakes are near the bottom center of the image. Although the snakes are colored similarly, there are subtle shades of the colors allowing to us to see that there are multiple snakes. The skin is generally light grey-brown, with irregular broken bands of darker brown. The snakes' tails are loosely tangled, with the tips free. One tail is turned so we can see the bottom surface, which is much lighter than the top surface, but with dark markings on the belly scales. The snakes are Diamondbacked Water Snakes (Nerodia rhombifer).

pic 3 of 4 Even closer view the snakes in picture #2. Only the tails of the snakes are in the center of the image-with the bodies extending out of the top middle border. Although the snakes are colored similarly, there are subtle shades of the colors allowing to us to see that there are multiple snakes. The skin is generally light grey-brown, with irregular broken bands of darker brown. The snakes' tails are loosely tangled, with the tips free. One tail is turned so we can see the bottom surface, which is much lighter than the top surface, but with dark markings on the belly scales. Two of the tails are twisted together, whiile the third is curved up and away from the other two. The snakes are Diamondbacked Water Snakes (Nerodia rhombifer).

pic 4 of 4 Even closer view the snakes' tails in picture #3. Only the tails of the snakes are in the center of the image-with the bodies extending out of the top middle border. Although the snakes are colored similarly, there are subtle shades of the colors allowing to us to see that there are multiple snakes. The skin is generally light grey-brown, with irregular broken bands of darker brown. The tails of the snakes are closer to the water. The snakes' tails are loosely tangled, with the tips free. The snakes are Diamondbacked Water Snakes (Nerodia rhombifer).

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 24/05/2024

At Fiorenza Park, 04/20/2024: I watched this Diamondback Water Snake, and a smaller snake appeared and seemed to mate with it. The snakes' tails twisted together. After 20 minutes, the male untwisted his tail and left. Video: www.rickubis.com/rick/n_rhomb... #herps #snakes

Picture 1 of 4 Close view of the edge of a body of water. In middle of image, a large snake is lying in the water, supported on mostly-submerged branches that come in from the left. The front of the snake's body is above water starting near the left of the image. We can see a submerged part of the snake through the water. The snake loops over the branch, then extends to the right. The snake's skin has a pale-grey background, marked with darker irregular bands when seen from the top, but the bands break into blotches when seen from the side. We can see the snake's head, which is resting with its chin on another branch near the surface of the water. It is a Diamondback Water Snake (Nerodia rhombifer).

Picture 2 of 4 Close view of the edge of a body of water. In middle of image, a large snake is lying in the water, supported on mostly-submerged branches that come in from the left. The front of the snake's body is above water starting near the left of the image. We can see a submerged part of the snake through the water. The snake loops over the branch, then extends to the right. The snake's skin has a pale-grey background, marked with darker irregular bands when seen from the top, but the bands break into blotches when seen from the side. We can see the snake's head, which is resting with its chin on another branch near the surface of the water. It is a Diamondback Water Snake (Nerodia rhombifer). Another snake just like it, but smaller, has appeared. It is coming in from the top center of the image. The new snake is facing us and mostly submerged, but visible through the clear water. Its head is above the surface, and an inch from where the larger snake's big loop leaves the water

Picture 3 of 4 Close view of the edge of a body of water. In middle of image, 2 snakes are lying in the water, supported on mostly-submerged branches that come in from the left. One of the snakes about 1/2 the size of the other, and is lying on top of the larger one. The front of the snake's bodies are above water starting near the left of the image. We can see a submerged part of both snakes through the water. The snakes loop over the branch, then extend to the right. The snake's skin have a pale-grey background, marked with darker irregular bands when seen from the top, but the bands break into blotches when seen from the side. We can see the snake's heads. The large on is resting with its chin on another branch near the surface of the water. The smaller one is resting its chin just behind the head of the the other. Both are Diamondback Water Snakes (Nerodia rhombifer).

Picture 4 of 4 Very close view of the heads of two snakes that are lying in water. These are the same snakes in the other 3 images. One is about 1/2 the size of the other. It is resting its head on the back of the other snake so the tip of it's nose is about an inch behide the back of the other snake's head. The snake's skin have a pale-grey background, marked with darker irregular bands when seen from the top, but the bands break into blotches when seen from the side. We can clearly see the faces of both snakes. Their eyes are round, with round pupils. Their lips clearly show dark vertical lines on the back edges of each scale. Both are Diamondback Water Snakes (Nerodia rhombifer).

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 14/05/2024

At BBSP, 05/04/2024 a 12 in. Broadbanded Water Snake had prey. I saw legs, shiny skin said:"it's eating a frog!" Someone else:"It's eating a fish!" But prey was a tadpole, with legs! So, legs *and* a flappy tail. I wasn't crazy after all! Well, not at that particular moment, anyway. #herps

picture 2 of 4 Very close telephoto of a snake's head and neck resting on a mostly-submerged log. The snake is facing to the right. The snake has a pattern of irregular bands circling its body from head to tail. The colors of the bands range from almost black, to bright orange-yellow with various shadings of orange and red among the other bands of alternating colors. The log, and the snake are angled away from us. The snake's mouth is gaping open to engulf the body of a large tadpole. About 2 thirds of the tadpole's body is engulfed, with the the end of the body and entire tail exposed to lie flat on the log. One of the tadpole's hind legs is visible and extended straight back. We can see the snake's eye, and the dark brown lines on the edges of the scales on the snake's lips. Dark spots on the scattered on the skin of the tadpole are also visible. The snake is a Broadbanded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata).

picture 1 of 4 Close view of a mostly-submerged log. Resting on the log is a small snake (snake is about as long as the width of the image). The snake is facing to the right. The snake has a pattern of irregular bands circling its body from head to tail. The colors of the bands range from almost black, to bright orange-yellow with various shadings of orange and red among the other bands of alternating colors. The log, and the snake are angled away from us. The snake's mouth is gaping open to engulf the body of a large tadpole. About 2 thirds of the tadpole's body is engulfed, with the the end of the body and entire tail exposed to lie flat on the log. One of the tadpole's hind legs is visible and extended straight back. The snake is a Broadbanded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata).

picture 3 of 4 Close telephoto of a snake's head and neck resting on a mostly-submerged log. The snake is facing to the right. The snake has a pattern of irregular bands circling its body from head to tail. The colors of the bands range from almost black, to bright orange-yellow with various shadings of orange and red among the other bands of alternating colors. The log, and the snake are angled away from us. This image is further back from #2. The snake's mouth is now closed, but very last tip of the tadpole's tail is visible, with a droplet of water on it. There is an elongated lump behind the snake's head, showing the consumed tadpole. We can see the snake's eye, and the dark brown lines on the edges of the scales on the snake's lips. The snake is a Broadbanded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata).

picture 4 of 4 Close telephoto of a snake's head and neck resting on a mostly-submerged log. The snake is facing to the right. The snake has a pattern of irregular bands circling its body from head to tail. The colors of the bands range from almost black, to bright orange-yellow with various shadings of orange and red among the other bands of alternating colors. The log, and the snake are angled away from us. This image is further back from #2. The snake's mouth is open as it realigns its jaws after the meal. We can see the snake's eye, and the dark brown lines on the edges of the scales on the snake's lips. Dark spots on the scattered on the skin of the tadpole are also visible. The snake is a Broadbanded Water Snake (Nerodia fasciata).

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 08/05/2024

I thought maybe Copperhead b/c they hunt Cicadas. But on 8/17/23 this Coluber constrictor flaviventris (Racer) passed by! It reappeared next day & left this track! Cicada killer was on the tree the *next* day. The nymph walking pic was 8/13/2019 at the same site. www.rickubis.com/rick/ichnolo...

Close view of a wild grassy area. Angled across the image is a snake moving from upper right corner towards lower left corner. The snake has lifted its head and a short portion of neck to see above the snarled grass. The body of the snake is partially visible through many gaps among the snarl. The snake is an Eastern Yellow-Bellied Racer (Coluber constrictor flaviventris) and was moving quickly. This is a frame from a video clip filmed on August 17, 2023.

View angled down at a dusty path. Moving from top to bottom is a an insect with a short, chunky body. A trail has been scratched into the dust by its passage. It was moving across a circular trail, towards the tree in the center. The trail shows a line of scratches, and a sine-wave- like continuous "s" in the center. The wave shape was made by the tip of the abdomen dragging. This was a Cicada nymph, and it eventually made it to the tree, and climbed out of sight. This was taken August 13, 2019, at my usual exercise spot.

Close view of a trail covered with fine-grained dirt. The dirt is covered by human footprints (mine), mostly from the day before. Centered in the picture, moving from upper left to lower right, is a curving trail that has been flattened into the dirt. A snake, an Eastern Yellow-Bellied Racer (Coluber constrictor flaviventris), had just crossed the trail here, but too quickly for me to get to the camera. But it crossed here, then moved into the grass. This is the same circular path I have written of before. Picture taken August 18, 2023.

Close video of bark on the side of a standing tree. A large wasp is climbing the bark. The wasp is black, with broad, pale-yellow markings on its abdomen. We are looking at the wasp from the side. The wasp has orange legs, and its wings are blurred as it climbs. The wasp is carry a very large insect parallel to its body, between the wasp's legs. The insect is mostly light green, with large, clear, veined wings. The wings are folded against its back, so we can only see one. The prey insect is being carried so its legs are facing the wasp. The prey insect is a Cicada. I had just gotten to my circular trail when I saw this wasp hurring up the tree. I barely had enough time to focus and shoot video before the wasp was out of sight. Picture was taken August 19, 2023

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 07/05/2024

August 2023. The dry summer kept the dirt on my exercise path dry for weeks. Before my sessions, I recorded many tracks in the dirt from activity the night before. I have more on my 4th Ichnology web page: www.rickubis.com/rick/ichnolo... @lisavipes.bsky.social @ichnologist.bsky.social #ichnology 🧪

Picture 1 of 4 August 1, 2023
Looking down at a section of very fine, dry, light brown dirt. A light yellow geologist scale is shown just below center. The scale is a card 6 inches x 2.5 inches, marked only along two lengths, one 4 inch and one 10 centimeter. The scale is about 1 quarter the length of the image. The dirt is covered with prints from shoes with tiny square impressions on the soles. Crossing over the prints, diagonally from left top to right bottom of image, is a flattened track with sharp bends and rounded curves. The track width varies, from about 2cm to 4cm along its irregular path. This track was probably made by a snake. Near the bottom left of the image there are 2 round holes about 1cm diameter and about 2 cm apart. These are emergent holes made by Cicada nymphs. None of these holes show any tracks near them.

Picture 2 of 4 August 4, 2023
Looking down at a section of very fine, dry, light brown dirt. A light yellow geologist scale is shown just below center. The scale is a card 6 inches x 2.5 inches, marked only along two lengths, one 4 inch and one 10 centimeter. The scale is about 1 quarter the length of the image. The dirt is covered with prints from shoes with tiny square impressions on the soles. Crossing over the prints, angled down slightly as they cross the path from left to right, are two lines of tracks. Both sets of tracks were made by something that had many legs, since they basically consist of a central trench-like trace, bounded on each side by irregular pointed marks. There are many of those smaller marks on each side. There are differences between the two trails, in the characteristics of the "trench" and "footprints" which show that they were made by different organisms. At least one of these was probably made by a Cicada nymph crossing the trail.

Picture 3 of 4 August 8, 2023
Close shot looking down at a section of very fine, dry, light brown dirt. A light yellow geologist scale is shown just below center. The scale is a card 6 inches x 2.5 inches, marked only along two lengths, one 4 inch and one 10 centimeter. The scale is about 1 half the length of the image. The dirt is covered with prints from shoes with tiny square impressions on the soles. Crossing over the prints, from right to left, are two footprints. Both prints show 4 toes. Three toes point forward, and one toe points back, away from the other three. The dirt grains are fine enough to show the impressions of the joints in each toe, as well as the deeper marks made by the claws. Each print is about 8cm long by 4cm wide. These are probably Grackle footprints, since they forage here often.

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Richard Dashnau @rickubis.bsky.social · 26/04/2024

04/06/2024 A young Bald Eagle was on the electrical tower at Fiorenza Park. It left the tower then it circled back to land on a small island. An adult Eagle with fish landed on top of the tower above me! It swallowed the fish's tail then dropped the last bit. #birds #eagle #archosaur #raptors

Picture 1 of 4 Close telephoto view of the top of a high-tension wire tower. The metal frame comes from lower left, so the corner is centered of image. Sitting on the corner of the tower is a large brown bird with a lighter chest and white blotched feathers. The chest is facing us, and its head is turned to our right. The bird has a broad beak with a large sharp downward hook at the end of the top jaw. The beak is dull yellow at the base, darkening to grey towards the end. The bird is a young Bald Eagle. The strong wind is blowing the birds feathers from the back, causing the feathers at the back of its head to stand a bit.

Picture 2 of 4 Photo was taken looking almost straight up. Most of this image is covered by a bird flying overhead with its wings open. We are looking at the bottom of the bird, and it has most of a fish grasped in its talons. The bird is mostly dark brown, and the open wings cross the image at 45 degrees. The right wing shows the tips of the feathers spread, while the left wing tips is partially hidden by being out of the image. The bird's head and tail is all white. Even at this angle we can see the bright orange-yellow beak and one yellow eye. The bird is an adult Bald Eagle, and it was about to land on the tower shown in image #1 (the young eagle had left).

Picture 3 of 4 Very close telephoto view of the top of a high-tension wire tower. The metal frame comes from lower left, so the corner is centered of image. Sitting on the corner of the tower is a large brown bird with its head bent down so it is mostly hidden by the metal tower frame. At an angle formed by the steel, we can see the bird's yellow eye and part of its white face. Just below the bottom of that angle, we can see part of the fish that the bird is eating, along with some of its orange toes and long, dark, curved talons. The bird is an adult Bald Eagle. It is facing to our left as it bends down. The tail is to the right. A twisted steel support cable enters from near the left corner and angles to the center, under the Eagle. Another short twisted steel cable is attached to the tower right under the Eagle, then curves out and back in to reattach under the Eagle's feet.

Picture 4 of 4 Very, VERY, close telephoto view of the top of a high-tension wire tower. Most of the image is a large brown bird facing to our left. The all-white head and orange-yellow beak are center of image, continuing until the rear half of the bird is out of the picture. The bird is on top of the same steel tower shown in pictures 1,2, and 3, but only the top horizontal steel shows at the bottom of the iamge. A coiled steel cable shows from center of left side down to middle of bottom of the image. The Bird is a Bald Eagle, the same one in pictures 2 and 3. It has torn the tail off the fish, and we can see one of the Eagle's yellow eyes. The two lobes of the fish's tail extend from the Eagle's closed beak. We can clearly see one lobe on our side, while the other lobe show just the tip, edge on. The Eagle swallowed this bit, Ate a bit more, then dropped the last small chunk of fish.

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