Critters Big and Small Vol.6

Lady Slipper....it was sooo pretty I wish my photo did it justice! They are delicate looking.....

Hey, nanny, it looks like a slipper. Cool

Hack

Very pretty Nanny, I have the first one you put up. I didn't know they rebloomed on the same stalk, I cut it down after the first flush duh. I have 3 different colors plants in the same Bowl. One is sending out a new shoot. Can't wait to see which one it is.

I loved that first one......wish I thought I could grow it and not kill it! lol

Cottontail

So sweet! I haven't seen one now for awhile here...

I've seen these lizards all my life, but never took the time to figure out their ID. According to what I read, and pix I saw, this is an Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus). I also saw it referred to as a Southern Fence Lizard.

Mine definitely shows the characteristic wavy transverse dark cross bars on its dorsal surface. In fact, It's specific name, undulatus is Latin for "wave," and refers to those transverse dark cross-bars.

I think mine's a female because I read that females are usually gray and have a series of dark, wavy lines across their back. I can't see her belly but it is said to be white with black flecks, and they have some pale blue coloration on their throat and belly, too. Males are usually brown and during the summer they have a lot more greenish-blue and black coloration on the sides of the belly and throat than the female has. The young look like the females, but are darker and duller.

I'm gonna be on the lookout for a male, because they have a nice pretty blue coloring on their ventral surface. I'll probably never catch one though, this one was FAST.

Hack

This message was edited Oct 9, 2010 10:59 PM

Spotted this interesting bug on DH's car hood......

nanny, that is a midge.

By the fuzzy looking antennae, it is a male. They are in the Order Diptera (along with flies and mosquitoes). As you probably noticed, they resemble mosquitoes, more than flies. And they do not bite. Fact is , as adults, they don't feed at all - they only live 3-5 days after becoming adults. They are among the most populous insects to inhabit man-made, and stagnant, water courses (do you live near the something like that?). They really like irrigation and sewage drainage ditches where there is plenty of decomposing muck. Did you ever hear of "blood worms"? That's what their larvae are called. The larvae got that name because they have a deep red color, which is caused by hemoglobin found in their blood (a rarity among insects). The iron in their blood helps them retain what oxygen they get because their environment is nitrogen-rich, but oxygen-poor.

Just thought you may like a little biology on your interesting bug.

Hack

Nice critter's nanny and Hack! Agree with Hack's Id..a Midge..up here we get larger one's and they are nicknamed Canadian Soldiers. A shot of a Woolybear from the other day.

Edited to say: that the length of the brown patch on the Woolybear depicts how long winter will last...according to this one and the other WB's from the Woolybear festival in Vermilion, Oh...(same county I live in) it will be a long winter.

This message was edited Oct 11, 2010 12:25 PM

Hack...you are a wealth of bug info...Thanks!

Cute woolyworm...I saw one that was all brown the other day....Brrrrrrrrr!

Came back from my walk this morning and there sat this Praying Mantis on my sedum. Looks like some tidbits of breakfast there maybe.....

That's anice looking lizard, Hack.
Nanny, I don't remember seeing a midge, neat bug. Can't say I've ever seen a Mantis around here either, maybe because, I'm a bit of a newbee with bugs.
Now Burd, I've seen those, but don't like your prediction for the winter. ;)

This one I've seen today.

The Red Squirrel was eating, the fallen seeds, below my deck.

The midge could have been very easily missed. I do live in an area perfect for them being very near a water source.

That mantis stuck out like a sore thumb on the sedum, plus it is right on the way to the front door!! Infact, it is still out there!!

One of several groups of Canada Geese at DePauw the other day....

This message was edited Oct 15, 2010 9:06 AM

Spotted this fawn on Wednesday's morning walk in a neighbors yard.....

This message was edited Oct 15, 2010 12:10 PM

nanny Excellent photo composition of the geese. Several skeins have flown over this month . See a few in the river occasionally.

Donna

Why thank you! :)

That is a very beautiful setting with the geese, Nanny. Nice fawn too.
Today the neighbor out back, told DH, that he has seen a fox, cross our lot, on several mornings now. I will have to get up early, if I want a picture of it, starting tomorrow.;) The guy has reported it to the police, because of the young kids walking to school with lunch box. The Police told him, they had received several calls from concern parents already.
I have also seen the young raccoons, I videoed last year, a few nights ago. DH said he saw the big mama last night, alone. I want to set up a light that will illuminate, them so I can take some good pictures.

ooohhhh not that is just too cute!!

Good luck with the fox & raccoons!

Thanks Nanny. I got up early this morning, but the fox was a no show. I`ll keep an eye on it though.

I want lil ones like that Burn! :( (I have 3 Fox Squirrel's I'll trade) but you will need to buy a lot of suet. They can wipe one out in 2 days. lol

waiting for me to go to work.....lol

a little Woodchuck..

and a big one

Nice woodchucks!!

I am with you Burd...wil gladly trade for one of those cute little ones! This one is enjoying a walnut.

Lol Burd and Nanny, you'll have your hands full with the Red Squirrel as well. For a small squirrel, they can eat more then their share, they stay on a feeder for the longest time, and very territorial too. They chase off the Grey, which are 3 time their size, and will not tolerate another Red one on the tree. As for suet, I make my own suet, and put cayenne pepper in it. It's working.
Burd, your first pic says it all. Ready set, go, lol burd is off to work.
Nanny, that's a meal he'll have to work on, he won't need a bone.

This poor Grouse had an unfortunate accident with my patio door. I have never had a Grouse in the yard before.

burn, I never knew how territorial grouse were until I was talking to a Pennsylvania Game Warden years ago. He told me he was patrolling a logging road and twice in less than a week a grouse flew into the side of his Jeep, practically knocking itself out cold. He thought it was the same grouse since it occurred at exactly the same spot in the road. Luckily, he was driving very slowly and the grouse recovered each time after several minutes. I assume it was during the nesting season. Hope your grouse it doing o.k. Dan

Dan, sorry to say it didn't make it. I tried to help it, but in it's attempt to get away, it fell off the deck and went underneath it. It died there. I was so sad when I found it.

Burn, so sorry the grouse didn't survive. They are such a pretty bird.

Found this woolyworm last week down at Pat's house in her wheel barrow.

I`m sorry too. When I first saw the Grouse, I thought it was an Hawk, that had chase a bird and missed his turn. This happened a few years ago.
Never seen a black woolyworm , I`ve seen the yellow and the one like Burds.

I`m moving us to the new thread, follow this link. http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1136286/

Cat - not mine, around my bird feeders - I ran it off, but it'll be back I'm sure.

Hack

Hack, join us on the new thread the link is in the post above yours!!

It does seem like once they find them they always come back....

I can't get to the new thread using your posted link.

Donna

Hi Donna, i just went back and checked it and it`s working for me. I don`t know why it`s not coming up for you. Anyone else have this problem with the link?

Nope, took me right to it.

Hack