Greetings All:
Finding myself beset with the need to paint the exterior of my house
and really work the yard back into shape, I decided to see what kind
of numbers I can rack up from my central Lubbock yard this year and,
accordingly, have made photo-documenting my yard my photography game
for the year.
Given the habitat available at the site, my goals are going to be
pretty modest. I am shooting for 40 butterfly species, 0 amphibian
species, 2 reptile species, 80 birds species, and 4 mammal species -of
which I hope to photograph over 90%. This may not be as exciting as
some of my previous photographic games but it will certainly be
hard-fought.
The results from the ninth month were improved a bit by several heavy
rains, some flowers, a lot of new butterflies, and a few new birds. .
I even had a couple of nifty early songbird migrants.
During September I had 27 butterfly, 2 reptile, 30 birds, and 3 mammal
species in/over/from the yard - well below what is normal for the
month but a vast improvement over August - putting me at 35 butterfly,
0 amphibian, 2 reptile, 50 bird, and 4 mammal species for the year -
87.5%, 100%, 100%, 62.5%, and 100% of my taxonomic goals. Of the 91
species seen thus far this year I have photographs of 79 (86.8132%).
The list follows (* = new, (y) = photographed):
Funereal Duskywings
Horace's Duskwyings
Common Checkered Skipper
Common Sootywings
Orange Skipperling
Fiery Skipper
Sachem
Nysa Roadside Skipper*(y)
Eufala Skipper*(y)
Cabbage White
Sleepy Orange
Dainty Sulphur
Gray Hairstreak
Marine Blue
Western Pygmy Blue
Reakirt's Blue
American Snout
Monarch
Queen
Bordered Patch*(y)
Gorgone Checkerspot
Phaon Crescent*(y)
Pearl Crescent*(y)
Texas Crescent*(y)
Question Mark*(y)
Red Admiral*(y)
Painted Lady*(y)
American Lady
Ornate Box Turtle
Mediterranean Gecko
Canada Goose
Rock Pigeon
Eurasian Collared Dove
White-winged Dove
Mourning Dove
Chimney Swift
Black-chinned Hummingbird
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
Rufous Hummingbird
Marbled Godwit*(y)
Double-crested Cormorant
Great Egret
Turkey Vulture
Mississippi Kite
Red-shouldered Hawk*
Merlin*
Budgerigar
Blue Jay
Barn Swallow*(y)
American Robin
Curve-billed Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
European Startling
House Sparrow
House Finch
White-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Great-tailed Grackle
Wilson's Warbler*
Northern Cardinal
Eastern Gray Squirrel
House Mouse
Feral Cat
I think I still have a fighting chance at making the butterfly goal
but the bird goal, barring a wintry miracle, ain't gonna happen.
Anthony Hewetson; Lubbock
