This is a bonus resource for you. Just download, print, and fold. Download here:

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📸 Instagram: @theneighborhoodnaturalist

The American Kestrel is North America’s smallest falcon, but don’t let its size fool you. This colorful little raptor is a skilled predator, capable of spotting tiny prey from remarkable distances, hovering motionless in the wind, and thriving in open landscapes across much of the continent.

In this episode of The Neighborhood Naturalist, we take a closer look at the American Kestrel. We’ll explore how to identify one, how it hunts, what it eats, and why this tiny falcon is so closely tied to grasslands, prairies, and other open habitats. Along the way, we’ll discover that one of the most fascinating birds in North Texas may be sitting on a telephone wire you’ve driven past a hundred times.

In This Episode

Why the American Kestrel is North America’s smallest falcon

The meaning behind its scientific name (Falco sparverius)

How kestrels differ from hawks

Male and female plumage differences

The purpose of the kestrel’s distinctive facial markings

Hunting from perches versus soaring

The famous hovering behavior of kestrels

Ultraviolet vision and detecting vole trails

What kestrels eat throughout the year

Why kestrels thrive in grasslands and prairie habitats

The connection between kestrels and Blackland Prairie

How to find kestrels in North Texas

Why common roadside birds are often worth a second look

Whether you’re driving through open country, visiting a prairie preserve, or simply glancing up at a telephone wire beside the road, the American Kestrel is a reminder that remarkable wildlife is often hiding in plain sight.

Resources

American Kestrel populations have declined in many parts of North America over the past several decades. Scientists are still working to understand exactly why, but habitat loss, changing land use, and competition for nesting cavities are all possible factors. Supporting grassland conservation and providing appropriately placed nest boxes are two ways people can help.

https://nestwatch.org/

https://peregrinefund.org/american-kestrel-project

Field Notes

At the end of each episode, I share a few recent observations from the natural world here in North Texas.

This week I share:

* Two new lifer birds: Fish Crow and Killdeer

* Recent bird photography adventures

* Reflections on keeping a life list

* Learning to notice species that might otherwise be overlooked

Connect

📬 Substack: [https://theneighborhoodnaturalist.substack.com](https://theneighborhoodnaturalist.substack.com)

📸 Instagram: @theneighborhoodnaturalist

Follow along for field notes, nature journaling, birding adventures, printable resources, and stories from the wild places of North Texas.

Thanks for listening to *The Neighborhood Naturalist*. If you enjoyed this episode, consider sharing it with a friend who loves birds, nature, or simply spending time outdoors. 🌿🐦

Get full access to *The Neighborhood Naturalist* at theneighborhoodnaturalist.substack.com/subscribe

Just print at home, fold it up, and you’ve got a handy pocket resource all about the incredible Blue Jay. Here is the downloadable zine:

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📸 Instagram: @theneighborhoodnaturalist

Blue Jays are loud, intelligent, beautiful, and often misunderstood. In this episode of The Neighborhood Naturalist, we take a closer look at one of North Texas’s most familiar backyard birds.

From their brilliant blue feathers and complex social lives to their remarkable intelligence and surprising role in shaping forests, Blue Jays are far more fascinating than many people realize.

In This Episode

• Why Blue Jays are so easy to recognize

• The meaning behind their scientific name (Cyanocitta cristata)

• How Blue Jays use their crest to communicate

• Why their feathers aren’t actually blue

• The many sounds and calls Blue Jays make

• Their impressive ability to mimic other birds

• Blue Jays and the crow family (Corvids)

• Problem-solving, memory, and intelligence in Blue Jays

• How they help spread oak trees by caching acorns

• Nesting, family life, and raising young

• What Blue Jays eat throughout the year

• The truth about their reputation as “bully birds”

• Migration mysteries and irruptive movements

• Why paying attention to common species can reveal extraordinary stories

Whether you’re watching them raid a feeder, hearing them call from the treetops, or spotting that flash of blue across your yard, Blue Jays are a reminder that some of the most interesting wildlife lives right alongside us.

Field Notes

At the end of each episode, I share a few recent observations from the natural world here in North Texas.

This week I share:

• A visit to a local rookery filled with nesting waterbirds

• Observations of Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons, White Ibises, and other nesting species

• A close encounter with a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher perched beside the road

• Recent photography outings and seasonal bird observations

Connect

📬 Substack: https://theneighborhoodnaturalist.substack.com
📸 Instagram: @theneighborhoodnaturalist

Follow along for field notes, nature journaling, birding adventures, printable resources, and stories from the wild places of North Texas.

Thanks for listening to The Neighborhood Naturalist. If you enjoyed this episode, consider sharing it with a friend who loves birds, nature, or simply enjoying the world outside their door. 🌿🐦💙

All these were photographed at Blackland Prairie Raptor Center last week. You can see the poison ivy mixed in with other plants here, making it harder to spot.

You can see the leaves of three clearly here, with the little hooks like thumbs towards the bottom of the leaves. Note the lighter smaller leaves in the background, a newer and lighter leaf.

Note the reddish stems here, and the lighter leaves. Still has the hooked thumb at the bottom of the leaves which makes it easier to identify.

More poison ivy tucked within other plants, all seemingly the same shade, which makes it blend in and camouflage so well.

Plenty of poison ivy here, ranging from little sprouts in the ground to small shrubs with many stems. I have seen poison ivy plants as tall as my kids!

I also created a zine for you to print and carry with information and images, a sort of portable field guide.

Here is the downloadable zine:

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Why does it cause such an intense rash?
How can you actually identify it in the wild?
And why is this frustrating plant also an important part of local ecosystems?

In this episode:

• How to identify poison ivy in different seasons

• “Leaves of three” and why the rhyme only gets you so far

• Hairy vines, leaf shape, and common lookalikes

• What urushiol oil actually does to your skin

• Why reactions can take days to appear

• How poison ivy spreads

• The surprising ecological importance of poison ivy

• Birds, berries, pollinators, and wildlife interactions

• How learning plants changes the way you see forests and trails

We also talk about fear, familiarity, and how paying attention to the natural world slowly transforms “generic background scenery” into a landscape full of stories and relationships.

Field Notes:
This week, I share a few recent observations from North Texas, including a squirrel encounter that reminded me how fascinating even the most common backyard animals can become when we slow down and really watch.

Thanks for listening to The Neighborhood Naturalist.

You can follow along for future episodes, field notes, and printable nature resources on Instagram at @theneighborhoodnaturalist and check us out online at theneighborhoodnaturalist.substack.com

You can download your printable zine here:

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There are some animals people fall in love with immediately. Opossums usually aren’t one of them.

In this episode of The Neighborhood Naturalist, we take a closer look at one of North Texas’ most misunderstood animals: the Virginia opossum. From their surprising marsupial life cycle to their famous “playing dead” defense, opossums are far stranger, cleaner, and more helpful than most people realize.

I also share the story of how a crow rescue unexpectedly led me into wildlife rehabilitation… and eventually to fostering baby opossums myself.

In this episode:

• My first experience fostering opossums

• What makes an opossum a marsupial

• The incredible opossum pouch and life cycle

• Why opossums only live 1–2 years in the wild

• Common myths about rabies and aggression

• Why showing their teeth is mostly a bluff

• The truth about “playing dead”

• Opossums as nature’s cleanup crew

• Their role in controlling pests and scavenging carrion

• Snake venom resistance

• Why opossums thrive in North Texas neighborhoods

• What wildlife rehabilitation taught me about their behavior

Whether you’ve spotted one wandering through your backyard at night or only know them as “those giant rat-looking things,” this episode is an invitation to look at opossums with a little more curiosity and compassion.

Field Notes:
At the end of each episode, I share a few recent observations and moments from the natural world here in North Texas like seasonal changes, birds, insects, plants, and the small things that made me stop and pay attention this week. Today I share with you about nesting woodpeckers, a visit to volunteer at a local nature preserve, and the vultures at another nature preserve drying off after the rain.

Thanks for listening to The Neighborhood Naturalist.

You can follow along for future episodes, field notes, and printable nature resources on Instagram at @theneighborhoodnaturalist and check us out online at theneighborhoodnaturalist.substack.com

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In the very first episode of The Neighborhood Naturalist, we explore the fascinating world of fireflies (also called lightning bugs). From the chemistry behind their glow to the time they spend beneath leaf litter for most of their lives.

In this episode:

• What makes a firefly a beetle

• How bioluminescence works

• Why fireflies flash

• The surprising length of the larval stage

• Why leaf litter matters

• Habitat loss and light pollution

• Childhood memories, wonder, and noticing the natural world around us

Whether you grew up catching lightning bugs in jars or are seeing them for the first time with your own children, this episode is an invitation to slow down, step outside, and pay attention to the tiny wild things living alongside us.

Field Notes:

At the end of each episode, I share a few recent observations and experiences from the natural world here in North Texas: seasonal changes, birds, insects, plants, and the small moments that made me stop and pay attention that week.

This week, I share about two birds I saw: the indigo bunting and the black-chinned hummingbird, as well as information from a frog and toad presentation I attended this past week.

Thanks for listening to The Neighborhood Naturalist.

You can follow along for future episodes, field notes, and printable nature resources on Instagram at @theneighborhoodnaturalist and check us out online at theneighborhoodnaturalist.substack.com