Mama Screech Owl and Her Baby. "Awwww...How Cute!"

A Lucky Photo Shot. 

Mama Screech Owl and her baby. Isn't that just a precious thing?

Not as close up as I would have liked, look at those big yellow eyes!

Critters Galore II

Springtime days have brought on lots of critter activity in our backyard paradise.

Baby Screech Owl 2010

Mommy Screech Owl 2012

The Screech Owl came back for a brief visit. She was a show stopping, speckled, calico color. The reason she has her wings out like that is to cool herself off. She wasn't worried about us. This year however it doesn't look as though we'll have any babies to coo over. We did have this privilege a few years back though.

"I'll be out in a few hours or thereabouts."

A multitude of different birds have taken to cheeping, cawing, peeping and singing in the trees, along with taking turns in the bird bath. They actually wait in line for a cool afternoon dip! I have to fill the bath up twice since they splash all the water over the sides. And of course the toad loves to wallow in there too. Biggest toad I've ever seen he is.

Female Carpenter Bee on Dianthus

Meanwhile the large, black carpenter bees have returned to the garden and are on patrol around the Sky Vine. I saw maybe one bee circling the vine about a week ago, and now there are many, and they all think the Sky Vine is their personal territory. I have even been dive bombed when I go out into the garden, but it's all for show - they are not going to sting me. Some even hide in the foliage and come flying out to intercept an interloper encroaching on their space. We have a few dead pine trees in the yard and they probably nest in there.

Too Bee or Not To Bee?

This is a picture of a rather scary looking 'bee.' Or is it??? I was amazed it let me get up close to it. But guess what it's not a bee or even a wasp! I cruised around online for identification, and it appears to be a Syrphid Fly. It mimics a bee so as not to get eaten. How to tell?
 1) has 2 wings not 4 wings
 2) stubby antennae 
 3) Big, BIG eyes! 


Now you know. 
Syrphid Flies favorite meal? Aphids.
Click below link for great website!
How To Identify Beneficial Insects in Your Yard

Left pic is Milkweed bug. Just what I need .... another insect chomping on the Milkweed, dramatic female sigh...

Monarch Caterpillars

These are the only little gals/guys I want to see on the Milkweed! They were both attempting to eat the teeniest morsel left on the stem, and, at one point started nipping at each other. It was interesting to see that they flattened their antenna much in the same way a dog puts its ears back when being hostile.

So cute!









Eventually we have this to look forward to in our butterfly garden.

Monarch Chrysalis

Just hatched and Drying Wings

Oh, and the aphids. Don't we just love the return of these nuisance insects. In my garden, they start on the peppers and then swiftly move on to the Milkweed.

Aphids on Milkweed

Aphids

But hold the soapy spray, help is on its way........

Bashful Ladybird

Welcome back the hungry, hungry ladybird. What took you so long?



But wait........ we need to make a mention of a super predator in my backyard paradise. I think it might be a male Blue Dasher. (Corrections are always welcomed and encouraged).

Male Blue Dasher

Juvenile Black Racer.

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.....and while on the subject of predators. Here is a reminder why closed in shoes are necessary in the sub-tropical garden. 
A Black Racer. I moved a few pots around and it was curled up under there. 
Note to self: Put pot back quickly and back away.


That's my springtime tour of the garden and its various inhabitants.


Thanks for coming along with me!

Critters Galore and Owl

I have to watch where I put my feet down these days. There must be hundreds of lizards in the garden rushing hither and thither, and they come in all different shapes, colors and sizes. Here is a sampling of what I took pictures of.

My favorite is the green Anole on the left and right. Only this lizard is native to the USA.

Also known as the American chameleon, it will change its color to reflect its surroundings. Here you can see it is trying to blend in with the garden ornament! These little guys eat grubs, cockroaches (yay!), spiders and crickets.

There are 36 species of non-native lizards/anoles in Florida. The lizard on the left has an interesting mark on its back. The lizard below was almost completely black - no Photoshop enhancement to color.

Because I wear the standard Florida casual footwear (flip flops), and my toe nails are painted, the lizards sometimes think my toes are the dewlaps of an mysterious intruder and will rush over to my feet, bobbing their heads and dewlapping like mad! I tease them by wriggling my toes. Since they can bite this is a rather risky business.

 

An interesting diamond shaped marking.

The lizard to the left is spotted. The photo to the right appears to show the lizard changing its head color to match the paint splotch, but I don't think these lizards can change color the same way as the green anole can.

The next photo shows a lizard that is successfully blending in with the stick it is sitting on.

Dino-lizzie! Note ridge on back.

Lizard to the right let me get up really close - I think it was as curious of me as I was of him.

 

Lubber grasshopper

Black racer

 

Another good reason not to wear flip-flops in the garden!

 I knew something was up when the lizards en-masse rushed out of the tall ornamental grasses. The snake is a black racer. As the name suggests they are fast moving snakes. Black racers are non venomous, but if cornered will stand their ground and strike to bite hard. This snake was pretty mad at me and rattled his tail a few times to warn me off. They eat, guess? Yep! Lizards and also birds, other snakes and insects. I wish they would hurry up and polish off the lubbers. Black racers are preyed upon by the raptors, and I have seen a hawk flying away with one danging from its talons.

One of many squirrels we feed. You can see he/she is in pretty good shape and very healthy - glossy fur and bushy tailed. I have to fill the feeders up twice a day.

I could hear this high pitched, rapid peeping and there hidden in the foliage of the croton was a young cardinal (center of photo). Daddy cardinal was close by and gathering up black sunflower seeds to feed to baby.

Who?

The screech owl returned to the box last week and hung around for a few days but then moved on. We have had baby owls in this box before now, but it doesn't seem as though we will this year. A pileated woodpecker peeked in the box while the owl was resting and I think it got scared off.

 

 I love this photo of the bee on Milkweed, so I thought I would give it a second post.