Since the majority of Chico is a prairie, most of the breeding birds here are species that nest on or close to the ground. Lark Sparrow, a brightly colored bird and a loud singer, by necessity becomes secretive after eggs have been laid. Here is the completed nest and four well hidden eggs of a Lark Sparrow out in the dry wash of Black Squirrel Creek. The eggs are not brightly colored, but perfectly camouflage with a broken color pattern. Ground nests are randomly found by birders and by predators like foxes, coyotes, badgers, and skunks. I accidentally found this one a second time four days later and two of the eggs had hatched.
Winter Reflections from an Apprentice in Texas
In the Texas Panhandle, winter has settled in across the wide, open country. The grasses have gone dormant, the wind carries a sharper edge, and work on the ranch has...
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