You probably couldn't tell it by looking at our backyard today, on this shortest day of the year, but the little bit of work we did to modify what we inherited paid off.
In the mail a month or so ago we received a "Texas Wildscapes" Backyard Wildlife Habitat certification, a "Best of Texas Backyard Habitat" certificate of merit, and a National Wildlife Federation "Backyard Wildlife Habitat" certification.That's a lot of paper.
It was a useful exercise, helping us think-through decisions about what to plant and where; what to take out and what to leave. But to answer my buddy Vince's question: No. There's no tax break, no monetary reward ... just the satisfaction of knowing we are deliberately inviting wildlife into our little patch of Texas.
As the winter here progresses in fits and starts, House sparrows have finally shown-up. My favorite orange-fronted woodpecker has been MIA the past few weeks, but the chickadees and titmice and doves and wrens are still about.The maple trees dropped their leaves after a short but showy color change. The Red oak is still hanging on to its russet cover.
The newest mammal sighted in the backyard, Canis lupus familiaris (Pete, the dog), apparently has deterred ol' brer' 'possum. Ed and Maria next door are pretty happy about that.
