On a few small acres in the hill country of central Texas, we live by watching, feeling, and waiting. Together, we come to know by loving and love best when we care enough to understand. Our Loves: limestone, leaf-vein, scales, feathers, friends, and all their shifting reflections in the waters of a small Creek.
On December 3, 2013 I found sign of beavers along the Creek. This was a first. Apparently, one or more beavers cut down several willows at the junction of the stream coming out of the Pond and the main body of the Creek. Then a four-and-a-half inch rain washed away the remains of the fallen trees. All that was left behind were the stumps and piles of large wood chips seen below (nutria will cut on trees but won't leave behind chips like these).
At the confluence of the two streams, we find the workings of beaver.
The view looking downstream from just about where
the beaver cut the larger of the willow trees. These were
the waters the beaver may have been trying to manage.
Apparently an older cutting than the large ones above this image.
The two larger cuttings can be seen in the middle
just above the creek in this view looking north.
And some nice fossils of what appear to be stems of plants.
The fossils were in sandstone just downstream of the Pool
and on the opposite bank among the huge boulders.
Below are a few weak illustrations of what we are seeing a couple places along the creek. The bluegill will spawn from now until way through the summer. Before and after eggs have been placed in the creek bottom, the male will guard the nest diligently. The nest featured here takes up about a square foot of cleaned gravel where the fish has removed all algae and the diatoms which make up most of the creamy white "scum" across the floor of the creek and the pool into which it flows. These fish have chosen a spot right at the confluence of creek and pool, on the downstream side of a boulder. The only other bluegill nest in the area likewise is situated on the downstream side of a boulder.
The individual bluegill here is small, about five to six inches long, with aqua-blue lighting up where the sun shines on its fins and tail. A faint reddish ring circles its eye.
Most of the time, the male here is chasing away any other fish that swims close to the nest. When it is not feeling threatened, it sometimes appears to stand up on its tail and flap it back and forth as if sweeping the nursery floor of silt.
The obscure view of a bluegill's nest, center of the photo.
Male Bluegill Guarding Its Nest
A short movie, featuring a nervous father protecting his childless nursery in the middle of a stream.
Up the hill from the Creek, we have had test holes dug where we hope to intall a septic tank and field. This photo is meant to show the soft sandy loam down for about five feet where rounded river stones take over.
Still don't know what this fossil of leafy swirls might be.
Within the Stonefiled near the Creek, hundreds of these sorts of rocks can be found.
More of the same riffle bugs.
The rear-end view of a honey bee feeding on water willow blossom.
Venus' Looking-glass (Triodanis perfoliata)
The cricket frogs have taken on a greener color than when we saw them earlier in the season.
Dewberries almost ripe.
This is a difficult one, based solely on the photo. It could be a Clippedwing Grasshopper (Metaleptea brevicornis) or a Cattail Toothpick Grasshopper (Leptysma marginicollis) or some other. (Anybody have a suggestion?) It was found in the short bushes near the west side of the Creek.
