Had an interesting photographic opportunity today. I was photographing a few butterflies. (But the photos weren't that good because of the butterfly motion.) So I was looking around at other creatures and found lots of Ladybugs munching out on my Milkweed aphids. I caught this pair of "Love" bugs! LOL!
This message was edited Feb 17, 2008 9:03 PM
I don't know what this bug is. Is it an Assassin Bug?
This looks like a tiny crab spider. Kinda cute if you like spiders! :-)
And when I went outside tonight, I heard the flap of wings. Looks like my owls are back! It was perched right on the bird feeder. The birds probably know the rats go out there under the feeder at night to eat dropped seeds. No wonder I haven't seen any rats lately! Since cutting down the Passiflora, the rats and other creatures have no place to hide now from predators. My dh felt bad that the poor rats were easy pickins'! We had kinda gotten attached to the poor rodents. LOL!
I walked right up to it and took this photo. Owls are such curious birds. These owls don't scare easily! I believe there was another one in the trees because that is where I heard the flap of wings when I went out the screen door to the outside patio!
That is so cool! What great pictures.
Terrie
Those are awesome pictures of the creatures, large and small. Wow, Becky I've not seen an owl "face to face" like that. What an increadible experience!
Wonderful pics! How fun :-)
Great pictures, that shot of the little owl is a classic!
Cathy
Oh my gosh, that ladybug pic is great. Over in the soil and composting forum there's been a whole discussion on worm sex that has somehow evolved into a thread about the sex habits of various kinds of bugs. There's some crazy people over there on that forum!
I want an owl! Although, I think the hawks might not like that. They've kind of claimed this territory. I haven't seen the hawks lately, but they should be making hawk babies soon. Even if we had owls, I don't usually go out after dark (my brother takes the trash out). That is sooo cool!
Melanie
Thanks y'all for enjoying my photos! The ones of the owl really are amazing! But this is the second time in a year that I have gotten photos of these owls. There were 3 of them last year.
I guess there is something that can be said for having a bird feeder and also feeding the squirrels on the ground ... it attracts rodents which in turn attracts the owls and the hawks. (I also have a hawk that comes around at times, too!) Both species of birds prey on rodents. So there you go ... the circle of life! :-)
Very nice Owl photos Becky!!
It sure looks like an assassin bug you have to me. Here is a link. http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/kkhp/1insects/assassin.html
We need more pictures in the bug files on them, and yours is a good one.
Love the pic of your owl too Becky! That is so great he comes so close. I wouldn't miss the rodents at all!!
Becky,
So good to see those owls are still frequenting your fence :o)
The owls back at the ranch had five broods in 2007...well I think they are the same owls. The last set left the nest last week.
On a good note...I've also noticed a Great Horned Owl in the back field. It snoozes during the day time on an old tree. I've not been able to get close enough for a good photo...so have only gotten photos mostly obscured by the tree branches from a good 100 ft away or so. I really must get off my golf cart and try to sneak up on it by walking to the tree :o)
~ Cat
Cat - I think of your owl broods every time I think of OWLS! LOL! You were able to get some great documentation and photos of the sets of baby owls raised in the deer blind. I hope you are able to eventually get photos of the Great Horned Owl, too. That would be cool to see!
Hi, Thank you for the most beautiful picture of the Owl. I love birds and appreciate such great photography.
Sincerely,
tamm0449
tlesley@sbcglobal.net
Thank you, Tamm for the kind compliment. I'm glad you enjoyed my owl photos! They are such magnificent looking birds, are they not!? :-)
Becky, you have such a great habitat for so many different kinds of creatures! Your owl is just beautiful! I'm so jealous. I want an owl! (it's so hard to hide my jealousy here) I'm sure soon I'll be oohing and aahing over your Painted Buntings too!
Looks like your milkweed is getting all kinds of action too! lol You go girl!
Thanks, Paige! It sure looks like it is attracting ALL KINDS of critters.
Unfortunately, I have been noticing that it looks like the raccoons are back. Or at least one of them.
This is a smaller raccoon. Caught it in my backyard TWICE today eating the squirrel and bird food! (sigh) I have no idea how it is getting in, but had to chase it out of the yard both times with a broom. It is tearing up my water lilies and other pond plants and digging holes everywhere in my yard!!! Grrrrrrr ...... so now I have to figure out how it is getting in and block it. It doesn't run to wherever it comes in at when I scare it off. So I haven't yet figured out it's entrance. Little stinker!!
Becky - Raccoons are great climbers, he is probably climbing your fence using a tree. I think some racoons can even figure out how to open a gate.
Was gonna say that too. They climb fences quite easily. Any low hanging brach or vine that is even remotely near your fence invites visitors. Out here I get opossums and the neighborhood cats :o)
~ Cat
I went all the way behind the fence and trimmed back any and all branches that I could reach that might even be a way for this raccoon to use to climb to the top of the fence and down into my yard. I have a vinyl fence and know for a fact that the raccoons and squirrels can NOT climb up the vinyl. The fence is 6' high. When I had the raccoon problem before, they were coming in under the fence where my gate was. I added some more bricks by the corner of the gate just in case the little pest was getting in that way. So ... I shall see if it gets into the backyard again.
I was really surprised to see it during broad daylight. I didn't know they were that brave to come out during the day. Must've been pretty hungry. Lots of trash cans around though and the orange grove just a couple of blocks away. Go figure!
I wouldn't even mind the raccoons making a visit to eat, but they always trash my yard and garden beds. No manners whatsoever!!! So they are not welcome. At least my squirrels and birds are polite and leave the yard as it was. :-)
oooh, I found this root and put some butterfly bait and look at the first visitor, I thought it was stuck, but no, it is eating.
Love your Owl pics, Becky. Wish I would see one.
Thanks, gardenpom! Those little brown owls are adorable!
I was so excited today ... I hadn't seen my woodpeckers at the feeder in months. I didn't know what had happened to them. But today I saw not one, but TWO of them at the feeder. Made my day that they are back! Love those little cuties, too!
i've never seen a racoon up close like that.. I love the owl too, I thought it was a plastic one on that metal. Just beautiful.
A.
A - Oh! THAT RACCOON is getting to be a real problem. I might have to catch him in a cage and relocate him. He's making a mess of my pond at night when he comes prowling around. If he would just come and eat and leave without making a mess and tearing up my plants, I wouldn't mind, but this raccoon has NO manners! Grrrr...
Took a walk around my yard late tonight armed with my flashlight and my camera. Got this frog hanging out near my water pond container.
And then I was absolutely amazed to see this web hanging from an Oak TREE branch and the ground. It was HUGE!!! Eeeee! Glad I didn't run into this web and the spider. Yikes!!!
Here is "my" owl. The photo is a bit dark, but I didn't want to scare him with the flash.
Hope you don't mind me altering your pic. Needed to see that baby!
No problem : )
I had one of those large spiders in my yard for a few days. He (she) would take down the web every morning at first light and rebuild it in the evenings.
jlp - Nice owl! I just love how cool they look! Thanks Sheila for making it brighter and easier to see! :-)
gardenpom - You know ... I believe that is what the spider I found is doing too! No spider web today at all. There were actually 2 spiders doing those huge webs. They probably do that to catch night bugs in their webs. So amazing to see, but I sure would NOT want to walk into one of them in the dark! (I got a shiver up my spine just thinking of that spider on me! Eeeeekkkk!)
I know. I almost walked into the one in my yard, it was up close to the house. I even got up a couple mornings extra early to try and catch it taking it down, but it was already down. I think I took so many pictures of it he decided to move on after 3 or 4 days.
Isn't that something. Too bad I can set up my video camera and film the spider building and removing it's web. That is just so neat! I had no idea that they would do that! Smart Spiders!!!
Wow and Yikes at the same time! That is one scaaaary web!! Is it as huge as it looks?
I love the little frog! Is he a good frog? I'm still hoping for a little tree frog in my daylillies! :)
I didn't want to say it but I think that frog is a bad Cuban tree frog. Had to send two of them to the big pond in the sky yesterday. Along with all those tussock moths caterpillars. I know we're supposed to love the cats here, but those things reach plague like proportions if I leave them alone.
Melanie
That's why I was a little curious. I know that Florida has those Cuban tree frogs but don't really know what they look like. No hate from me. Do what you gotta do. I flush butterflies that come out with crumpled wings rather than doom them to a few hours of life then being eaten by ants on the ground.
Frogs and other creatures....I've a little fish pond in the back yard with few Kois and goldfish. I was frightened when I learned of Bullfrog that visitted there last summer. All of my fish are accounted for, dispite the reputation that Bullfrog would eat fish. Mother nature does make the call many a time.
