Great Kiskadee

This picture was taken on 27th December, 2006 at the Edinburg, Texas World Birding Center. Kiskadee's are one of the larger members of the flycatcher family, measuring about 10" long. They are monogamus with both parents helping with the feeding of offspring. Although they're flycatchers, they will also eat nuts, berries, frogs, grasshoppers and occasionally will dive for fish in shallow water.

Zebra Heliconian Butterfly

This picture was taken at the North American Butterfly Association (NABA) Park in Mission Texas on 22 December, 2006. The Rio Grande Valley has more butterflies than anywhere else in the United States. There has been approximately 300 different species documented.

Question Mark Butterfly

This picture was taken at the NABA Butterfly Park in Mission Texas on 17th December, 2006. Apparently it was named "Question Mark" because there is a small white question mark on the underside of it's wings.

Cassius Blue Butterfly

This picture was taken at the NABA Butterfly Park in Mission Texas on 16th December, 2006.

Oak Hairstreak Butterfly

This picture was taken at the NABA Butterfly Park in Mission Texas on 16 December, 2006.

White Checkered Skipper Butterfly

This picture was taken at the NABA Butterfly Park in Mission Texas on 16th December, 2006.

Malachite Butterfly

This picture was taken at the NABA Butterfly Park in Mission, Texas on 15th December, 2006. This butterfly is quite rare and I was informed that only about one visitor of the park in fifty are lucky enough to see this guy.

Mexican Blue Wing Butterfly

This picture was taken at the NABA Butterfly Park in Mission Texas on 15th December, 2006.

White Peacock Butterfly

This picture was taken at the NABA Butterfly Park in Mission Texas on 15th December, 2006.

Sickle-winged Skipper Butterfly

This picture was taken at the NABA Butterfly Park in Mission Texas on 15th December, 2006.

Texas Crescent Butterfly

These pictures were taken at the NABA Butterfly Park in Mission Texas on 15th December, 2006.

Queen Butterfly

This picture was taken at the NABA Butterfly Park in Mission Texas on 15th December, 2006.

Common Mestra Butterfly

This picture was taken at the NABA butterfly park in Mission Texas on 15th December 2006.

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly

These pictures were taken at the Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort in Mission Texas on 14th December 2006.

Gauva Skipper Butterfly

These pictures were taken on 26th November at the Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort, Mission, Texas. This butterfly is known mainly in South America but does come as far north as the Rio Grande Valley in southern Texas. Although the bottom picture shows him to be a metalic blue because of the way the light was shining on his wings, he normally appears almost black with a hint of metallic blue as shown in the upper picture.

Giant Wheel Bug

This picture was taken at Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort on 29th November, 2006. This bug can be a gardeners best friend. They eat other bugs by spearing them and then sucking out their juices. The never seem to attack bugs that are beneficial to the garden, only harmful bugs. They are particularly fond of Potato Beatles.

Praying Mantis

This picture was taken on 29th November, 2006 at the Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort. The ocurr in either gray, brown or green and can change colours to suit their environment. Males are smaller than females and when mating, the male approaches from behind and must be very careful as if the female gets a chance, it will bite the males head off. If it were me, I think I would become celebit!!!

Ghost Crab

This picture was taken on 8th November 2006 at Mexico Beach in the Florida Panhandle. The Ghost Crab lives in burrows on the sand during the day and hunts for food at night. He enters the water mainly to wash his food. Adults actually travel a fair distance from the ocean; I'm not sure how far but I saw one about 200 yards from shore. He is very similar to the color of the sand and this coupled with foraging at night led to his name of the "Ghost Crabe". He is also very wary of enemies and his eyes can "periscope" , raising above his body giving him 360 degree vision. He is also very fast on land and can run up to speeds of 10 mph.