Reader Damon Williford sent us a passel of bird photos, and some spiders, too. Without further ado:
Gadwalls (Anas strepera):
Redhead (Aythya americana):
Red-breasted merganser (Mergus serrator):
Sora (Porzana carolina):
Burrowing owl (Athene cunicularia):
The last 8 are permanent residents of South Texas, including a White Ibis (Eudocimus albus, immature), Common Pauraque (Nyctidromus albicollis, a nightjar), Golden-fronted Woodpecker (Melanerpes aurifrons), Inca Dove (Columbina inca), White-tipped Dove (Leptotila verreauxi), Black-crested Titmouse (Baeolophus atricristatus), Clay-colored Thrush (Turdus grayi, formerly known as the Clay-colored Robin), Lark Sparrows (Chondestes grammacus), and an Olive Sparrow (Arremonops rufvirgatus). The Common Pauraque, White-tipped Dove, Clay-colored Thrush, and Olive Sparrow reach the northernmost limit of their ranges in deep South Texas.
The last 2 photos are of a jumping spider, Platycryptus undatus,Ā that I took last December. I’m hoping to get a lot more photos of arthropods this year.
Wikipedia notes this about the spider:
The bodies of these spiders are rather compressed in the vertical direction, which allows them to hide themselves under the loosened bark of trees and in other tight places. They have a prominent pattern on their abdomens which may make them more difficult to distinguish on mottled surfaces.
It is a male spider -? No, I cannot see its naughty bits, but they have a thinner more pointed body in the salticids I think…?
I suspect female. Males will have a more enlarged last segment on the pedipalps, which are seen in the 1st picture.
Very cool pedipalps on that specimen, nonetheless! š
Mark sez: ‘Ooh, spiders!’ and he scrolls down to see them first.
Glorious birds and fuzzy spiders. What’s there not to love?
Super pictures! Thank you for posting. them.
Oh, my gosh. Beautiful bird photos! Spiders – um, not my favorite things, but I can still admire the great photos of them!
Very nice depth selection on the first Platycryptus shot. Palps in the face!
That nightjar was not hard to find. š
Love all the bird shots–very cute titmouse pose!