April 28, 2025
A large horned owl has been nesting at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center for 15 years, laying two eggs each spring in the planter niche, usually on the wall, and is protected by the spiny wheeler Sotoll. Under the blue-green plant, do you see her on the right?
She found the perfect place, protected by walls and Sotore, out of reach. The Wildflower Centre named her Athena after the Greek goddess of wisdom, traditionally represented by owls.
Athena has a tendency to two white feathered owlets that hatched earlier this month. When I was there on a Saturday, I got a glimpse of their vague heads, but they didn’t show them completely. According to the signs, they stay in their nests large enough to fly into the tree or on the ground.
I was happy to see you again. I’ve been to the Wildflower Centre since 2011 to photograph Athena and her Owlett – 14 years!
All my posts about the Wildflower Center can be found here. Scroll down to Texas, then Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
She is a majestic creature. Athena for tolerant, it’s great that humans ga her all day long. She has to find a protected niche worthy of the paparazzi trade-off.
In fact, the camera never stops. A live-action cam with night vision will appear on the wall, where you can see Athena and her Owlett day and night. Wildflower Center was set up in partnership with Cornell Lab. There are also sounds so you can hear their voices.
Red Dragonfly on Sotoll
The waterfall in the garden of the pond creates a beautiful scene nearby.
Without a doubt, the pond provides a source of owl prey – fish, snakes and other creatures will come to drink.
The obedient plants are flowering along the edges of the marsh.
The scar-colored clematis (Clematis texensis), aka Scarlet Leatherflower, trained on stone walls, has a delicate charm and has strawberry-like flowers.
so sweet
I have not tried this vine before but should go again.
A large planting of Texas tuberos (manfreda fungus) flowers bloom at the auditorium door.
Alien-looking flowers rise and fall on long stems.
It is now in bloom in my garden, but there are no such chunks. It’s spectacular.
The crossbine still has some flowers on the wall.
A cardinal on the roof sang his heart.
The funny twist leaf yucca with leaf heads that look like bloom spikes grows in a small shade along the entry path. Photographer Bill Boyd, a well-known (or official!) ambassador for Athena, often found at the Wildflower Centre, pointed out a nearby location where Athena sits on the tree.
The savanna along the entry walk is lovely and green with tan grass still standing since last season.
Yucca is blooming in the grass.
Other plants too
As I left, I stopped to praise the green roof entrance kiosk. Standing wine and other native wild flowers bloom on a small rooftop.
Prairie Brazosmint (Warnockia scutellarioides) coloring a meadow garden in a car park.
Flowering thorny pears too
Lots of blanket flowers
A thorny pear in the middle makes it even better.
Coreopsis and Standing Winecup add Texas beauty to your scene.
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