I walked up the front steps just in time to see a bee land on this marigold.  Just in time to see this praying mantis reach out, grab the bee, and eat it.  

 

I was so happy to get this picture, because I wanted you to see the praying mantis up close, with its prey.  WOW!!! 

 

Who needs The Nature Channel?  We have it going on right here on the front porch.

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

We love seeing caterpillars.  Last time we walked the loop we were on Beaconhill, and Jon said, “What is that?”  It was a yellowish fat caterpillar about the size of his index finger.  And it was right in the middle of the road, traveling toward the edge.  We looked it up on the Seek app, and found out that it is a larva of an Imperial Moth.  I took its picture and Jon pushed it to the side, saving its life.

 

When we got home, I looked it up on Wikipedia, and this is what it will look like in its adult stage.

 

 

The description said that Imperial moths can be as large as 6 7/8 inches across!!!  WOW!!! 

 

I hope we get to see one of those.

 

 

HAPPY FALL, Y’ALL!!!

 

 

 

Look who I saw in the eggplants.  It wasn’t eating the leaves;  it was eating whoever was eating the leaves.

 

We like seeing Praying Mantids in the garden.  They are “ambush predators,” and they eat bugs, the bugs that eat my plants. This particular praying mantis couldn’t get away from me fast enough.  All I wanted was to take its picture, but it kept moving.

 

I hope you can see how pretty it is.  

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!! 

 

We have seen this turkey a couple times in the last few days, always in the same place.  Usually, we notice it in the middle of the road as we are climbing the last stretch up to the top of the mountain.  Then it steps off the road for us to go by.

 

This particular day, it waited for me to get a good picture.  Oh, I guess I can call him:  “him.”  I can see his beard now.  

 

How fun!!!

 

 

HAPPY SUMMER!!!

 

 

I think this picture of the Eastern Bluebird is from Wikipedia.  Cute!!!

 

The bluebirds in Yorktown are building another nest.  Yoo-hoo!!!  Here is the link for that nest box.  Maybe we can watch this one from the beginning.  

 

 

HAPPY BIRDING!!!

 

We were walking the loop on Sunday, and saw this gorgeous thing.  Funny, though, we didn’t see it when we walked on Saturday.  Could we have missed it?  Or did it come up overnight?  I can’t believe we missed it.

 

I took its picture, and when we got home, we looked it up in our National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mushrooms.  I also checked my SEEK app, and online for POSITIVE identification.  YEP!!!  It is Chicken of the Woods, Laetiporus cincinnatus.

 

Anyway, on Monday we went back and it was still there, so we harvested it.  It took a while to clean it, because it had grown up through all that gravel that you see in the picture.  All those rocks had to be dug out.  But we ended up with 1/2 a lunch bag full of gorgeous mushroom pieces to cook and add to our dinners for the next few days.

 

I am writing this on Thursday to let you know that we are still kicking, with no harmful effects.  

 

I am also here to implore you to POSITIVELY IDENTIFY any and all wild plants you harvest and plan to eat.  Don’t take my word for it.  Just because I don’t have a bad reaction, doesn’t mean that you won’t either.  Be VERY CAUTIOUS.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!!

 

 

 

 

 

The Wildbirds Unlimited store in Yorktown has their Angelcam up and running, and you can see the bluebirds in the nest.  I haven’t seen them yet, but I understand that as of April 27th, three of the four eggs have hatched.   Now we have the fun of watching the baby birds grow up.  Go there and take a look.  It is fascinating!!  Here’s the link: 

 

 

OOOH!!  I just clicked on the link, and momma bird is off the nest.  I saw three wiggly baby birds, and one little blue egg!!!  Thanks, Linda, for keeping us up to date.

 

HAPPY BIRDING!!!

 

 

 

Look who’s back in town.  Tiger Swallowtails.  

 

Love seeing them.  Hope you get to see some on your walks.

 

HAPPY SPRING!!!

 

We think Mr. Bluebird has found the nest box.  See him on the peach tree branch eyeing the nest box?  We also saw Mrs. Bluebird hanging around the tree, and investigating the box.

 

Now we just have to wait until we hear some baby bird noises coming from the box.

 

HAPPY BIRDING!!!

 

Photos through the screen aren’t that great, but I couldn’t help it when I saw this bluebird on the post just outside my window.   He’s been hanging around for the last few days:  on the screens, at the big windows, in the trees.  

 

We have also seen Mrs. Bluebird in the trees.  I hope they find the nest boxes soon, and start a little Bluebird family.  

 

I checked the Angelcam in Yorktown, but there is no activity there yet.  I guess it’s a bit early still.  I’ll provide the link when I see something going on.  It is so fun to see bluebirds up close.  

 

HAPPY BIRDING!!!