East Texas Naturalists

Michael's Rediscovery of Nature

Ramblings and observations of a former biologist and a lifelong naturalist, who has recently returned to his roots in east Texas. After a many years of working from coast to coast in an industry far removed from biology, it has been a pleasant change of geography, activity, and attitude. No stressful job decked out in a three piece suit. No city living. Instead there is a rediscovery of the woods, of something scurrying through the leaves, of the clear notes of a bird call, and of reliving the joy that I had when nature was a playground and a classroom.

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Here is an Nine Thousand Word Post

Thursday, 30 June 2016

Michael Mathews

Photography

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I have been unusually busy lately so here I wanted to post a major article - here is the equivalent of 9,000 words. That is, if indeed a picture is worth a thousand words.

All of these images were taken within a couple of hundred yards of my front door.

Anolis carolinensis061216 (2 of 1)
Female Green Anole

BumbleBee061216 (5 of 1)
Bumble Bee on Leaf

CarpenterBeeOnFalseDandelion 062316 (8 of 1)
Solitary Bee on False Dandelion

DolichopodidFly 062016 (2 of 1)
Long-legged Fly on Hyacinth

FiveLinedSkinkFemale050316 2
Female Five-lined Skink

RambursForktailDamselfly 062116 (1 of 1)
Rambur's Forktail Damselfly

RobberFly061216 (3 of 1)
Robber Fly

WillowLeafBeetle 060216 1
Willow Leaf Beetle

TurkeyVulture 062016 (1 of 1)
Turkey Vulture

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About the author

Michael Mathews

http://michaelmathews.com

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NANPA Michael is a former biologist and Texas Master Naturalist. Originally from Newsome, Texas (Between Pittsburg and Winnsboro), educated in Dallas & Garland schools, then off to the University of Texas system where he received a degree in biology and worked as a biologist with the University of Texas system. After many years away from nature and biology, he relocated to the banks of Lake O' the Pines where he has been rediscovering the joys of nature. He is somewhat surprised that he has become a birder. Most of his interest in nature was centered around reptiles. Perhaps just like birds evolved from reptiles starting in the late Jurassic, he has begun his own evolution. During his formal education, his interests in biology/nature grew to include community ecology and population studies, all with a binding of evolutionary processes. He liked birds, but they were secondary at best. All at once he finds them fascinating.