tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41486523292992296012012-03-02T13:43:23.123-05:00Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.comBlogger2291100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-45403608926932495152012-03-02T13:43:00.000-05:002012-03-02T13:43:23.133-05:00

Someone dribbled a big blob of buff cat on my kitchen floor. (Yes, I know; we're working on Abby's weight. Food is under control, now it's all about exercise. A concept which, having been confined for 3 months in one room because he's one of the new kids, he doesn't understand. He merely follows me around the house and parks himself on the floor at my feet. I think he wants to make sure I don't

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-55486258470155666972012-02-25T11:22:00.000-05:002012-02-25T11:22:41.415-05:00

... Arrived a bit early this year, big surprise. (She normally doesn't favor this feeder but it isn't swinging as madly as the other two are today.) Isn't it time for you to go back home, darling? (Rufous Hummingbirds nest on the Pacific Coast, arriving back from their wintering grounds in March and April.) I'd like at least a couple of weeks where I don't have to fill hummer feeders! (

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-31784767669499186562012-02-22T14:59:00.000-05:002012-02-22T14:59:50.810-05:00

Gack. I thought the sign was just a more honest way of saying "calamari"... No, it wasn't. Those are entire wee little octopi in there!!! Waahhhhh.... Not what I was planning on photographing when I stopped by the fishermen's wharf to pick up dinner. That was.

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-80440915016987068722012-02-15T10:31:00.002-05:002012-02-15T16:27:30.165-05:00

The sun came out a couple of days after our Barnegat adventure, so I decided to venture on over to the seawall closer to home... Fair number of loons, and more herring gulls lining Townsend's Inlet than the entire state could have claimed a handful of decades ago. No impressive diving ducks, but I did manage a few species we missed at Barnegat Light. I'd had enough of jetty walking, so even

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-7179356456662818922012-02-11T09:30:00.000-05:002012-02-11T09:30:32.786-05:00

Closest we get to a tide pool, and you can't really even call them that...(Noticed a really interesting effect on this jetty; the inlet side had blue mussels and barnacles; the other, green and brown algae and no mollusks.) Rockweed, an algae. Better known as "poppers" to kids growing up along the Jersey coast... (Dried to just the right consistency, those air bladders give a nice satisfying

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-83076895170586660722012-02-10T10:45:00.000-05:002012-02-10T10:45:19.545-05:00

When a bird-watching acquaintance from Ohio manages to venture within a couple hours' drive of Cape May, naturally you ask if they will stick around a bit for some sight-seeing. Jim said yes, he was planning to, wanna come on a pelagic? Um, 12 hours on a boat headed out over fifty miles at sea in February…? No, thank you, anything else you want to do while you are here? [Shhh, don't tell him the

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-14862363229228892082012-02-10T10:38:00.000-05:002012-02-10T10:38:55.120-05:00

I believe that giant thing is a lily... Mmmm, bird of paradise. The petals are barely visible at the very tips; that fantastic-ness is merely the bracts of this bromeliad. Chenille Plant. (Better than "pipe cleaner plant" I suppose...) No idea, but who cares with that color? Pineapple Sage: gardener and hummingbird's delight. My hibiscus never look like that. (And it's about the size of a

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-19862200697166368522012-02-08T11:03:00.000-05:002012-02-08T11:03:20.294-05:00

One of these days I'll get out into the field to see the real thing. (Yes, New Jersey has native orchids. Quite a few, I believe. Not quite this big and showy, of course, but dainty and discreet as Mother Nature intended!) Okay, so those are bananas. But this conservatory was originally for the banana trees, with two cases of orchids at one end. As the orchid collection grew, they took over

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-88472955261015875882012-02-06T16:57:00.000-05:002012-02-06T16:57:44.019-05:00

The first Friday in February meant it was time once again for Longwood Garden's annual horticulture symposium… And lo, once again an internet acquaintance from Ohio was on the schedule. Road trip! The conservatories were looking a bit more lush this time around. Then again, last year there was a foot of snow on the ground outside and this year winter hasn't really put in much of an appearance

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-76376608565400862852012-02-01T14:59:00.000-05:002012-02-01T14:59:01.674-05:00

Was this really necessary? On January 31st? Okay, so the sensor was in a warm, sunny spot on my front porch. But still...

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-46948623156708309172012-01-26T17:10:00.000-05:002012-01-26T17:10:36.180-05:00

Keeping a feeder not only up during the winter but also warm enough to keep it from freezing so that a wandering western hummingbird can sugar up when she needs to? In the Mid-Atlantic? In January? Hmmm, I think it just might be... (Although she's decided she doesn't like this feeder under the heat lamp anymore.) One does have to wonder about this Rufous Hummingbird who showed up in Goshen, New

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-41917026561932525702012-01-12T17:23:00.000-05:002012-01-12T17:23:17.963-05:00

Can be a bit trickier when they are not asleep. A dangling, twitching tail... Too much for any cat to resist. Sephy started this small tussle. I must say, Sable was much more tolerant than usual about having her tail pulled. Who, us? (Only cats do affronted dignity so well.)

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-63283936898936106892012-01-11T12:13:00.000-05:002012-01-11T12:13:46.602-05:00

And snap as many photos as possible while you can... Before your subject starts to get annoyed... Or bored... (or really bored...) Or distracted... Or starts to think their person is a bit insane... If you persevere, you are bound to get some keepers. A sunny Sunday morning in January provided a great opportunity for some portraits of Abbott, Cassandra and Persephone.

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-39468257472903924042012-01-09T17:47:00.000-05:002012-01-09T17:47:45.076-05:00

What a weird season this is turning out to be... As we start the second week of the new year (2012?! *gulp*), it mostly looks like winter out there. Mostly. But then you look again... Okay, so a warm winter's day can usually coax daffodils and irises (here, invasive but lovely yellow flag) out of the ground even if it isn't in their best interests to do it. But fennel? And coral

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-8841115348716516052011-12-22T14:22:00.000-05:002011-12-22T14:22:00.135-05:00

Happy (Winter???)  Solstice!

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-29246379533994340482011-12-14T10:36:00.001-05:002011-12-14T10:36:38.520-05:00

It's that time of year... Bird feeders are up, bringing in more birds closer to buildings. Hawks are coming in to the feeders as well. (You are, after all, feeding the birds; hawks are birds too and appreciate the buffet table just as much as the songbirds.) Sunlight is shining from lower and different angles... This inevitably leads to meetings between said birds and buildings, meetings that

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-80927787119832543222011-11-20T09:52:00.000-05:002011-11-20T09:52:27.348-05:00

To make up for the cat post (although you must admit I've been very, very good about limiting my feline photos) I give you an October afternoon at Reed's Beach. Had to do something while waiting for the sun to go down...

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-21426539930300987462011-11-17T12:35:00.000-05:002011-11-17T12:35:17.826-05:00

Two of my nephews have come to live with me! They needed a home where, for their own good, the four-leggers had priority over toddler two-legged children. Fancy new digs until everyone settles in…* Yes, I crate my cats, be they kitten or adult, stray or totally house-raised. (Normally there is no twine involved--I forgot two support brackets and had to substitute.) Any new cat that comes in gets

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-89180479505147520472011-11-10T10:43:00.000-05:002011-11-10T10:43:40.360-05:00

The weather over the past few months has been unusual, unsettled, unpredictable--but undeniably interesting. The cloud formations have been particularly impressive. These are from the Cape May Migratory Bird Refuge, Cape May Point (above) and Reeds Beach, Middle Township (below) in early October.

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Autumn isn't Autumn without the reds. Jury is still out on the cherry-like fruits; two plant people are leaning towards some kind of crab apples, as November is rather late for cherries. Holly, of course, of some variety or other (yes we have a native but there are far, far more cultivars and hybrids). And the last is a rather mushed fruit head of winged sumac, supposedly a vital (and

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-2114913454512705372011-11-05T10:30:00.000-04:002011-11-05T10:30:51.977-04:00

I've been wandering around outside the past few days in order to capture the colors of November before we descend into the grays of winter... The trees, having suffered through another extremely dry growing season with little rain at the end of it and some too-early frosts, haven't put on much of a show--some are still trying to decide whether to reveal their true autumn colors or just give up

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-92008676426645242502011-11-03T12:57:00.000-04:002011-11-03T12:57:31.013-04:00

Hawk watches that conduct daily counts during fall migration are, dare I say, relatively common these days. Sea watches, on the other hand, are few and far between. But once again, due to the unique location of Cape May County, New Jersey, we have one. A really big one. From September 22 to December 22, New Jersey Audubon's Cape May Bird Observatory conducts an annual count of birds that

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-51512095339639547052011-10-31T16:51:00.001-04:002011-11-20T10:07:53.108-05:00

Oh now that's just not fair… (The low was actually 29 overnight; this thermometer occasionally resets its high/low readings by itself.) Don't think I'm not grateful that the foot (+/-) of snow missed us, but below freezing? Is this really necessary? Before October is over? (And while I'm whining, where did October go, anyway? I still want it to be September. Early September, preferably.)

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-72895115957091406932011-10-30T09:48:00.000-04:002011-10-30T09:48:38.578-04:00

How marvelously appropriate that just before All Hallow's Eve a Black Witch was found in Cape May… Thanks to Jim McCormac's blog (thank you, Jim!), I knew exactly what was going on when the Cape May Brit suddenly exclaimed "Black Witch at the lighthouse!!!" and raced out the door. I was the only person running out the door right behind him. And I had both cameras with me. ("Never leave home

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-24257683792079861532011-10-29T10:02:00.000-04:002011-10-29T10:02:36.408-04:00

While bringing houseplants inside in anticipation of a drop in temperatures too great for the tropicals (even if they've been bred far beyond their original hot and humid loving ancestors, and seemed to like the cool wet spell, they have their limits) I disturbed this katydid. As you can see, it's a different species than the conehead from last month. I made a token attempt at an id, but had no

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-5292584498165772402011-10-28T10:04:00.000-04:002011-10-28T10:04:31.855-04:00

...less than twelve hours makes. Must be Autumn!

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-68952129633591195332011-10-25T12:23:00.001-04:002011-10-27T10:22:17.359-04:00

  I finally made it to the last (three more in November!) CMBO-sponsored photo walk of the season with Scott Whittle.  Don't think that's quite what the sign meant, Scott… (What he's actually doing is taking his own advice and getting a different angle on the preening mallards to give more depth, and therefore more interest, to his photograph.) It turned out to be a very lovely late October

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-29825498634291365812011-10-21T11:12:00.000-04:002011-10-21T11:12:42.414-04:00

As promised, Prickly Pear fruit: Edible by many critters, including people (although I haven't tried one myself).

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Snap. Okaaaay... Probably the best photo I have ever taken (not even tweaked, only cropped) and it's a totally incidental shot (second of two) taken while photographing the wheelbug. And nope, I don't really give a gnat's a$$ as to what kind of skipper it is. *lol* If you look really closely, you can see where the sun is making a rainbow in the fur just behind its head.

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-32633768338209734222011-10-16T12:07:00.000-04:002011-10-16T12:07:51.090-04:00

I'm renaming the fruit of the sweetgum tree: dragonball!

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-76407051578013788272011-10-15T10:43:00.000-04:002011-10-15T10:43:41.737-04:00

It's been a good year for mushrooms--once we had some rain at the end of the summer, anyway. I made a token attempt to identify some of the interesting things but gave up. I'm not really concerned about what to call them since I have no plans whatsoever to taste any, even were I starving... New, perhaps? and relatively small. Waaaay past their prime. *lol* Nice little clump peaking out of

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(She really was copper-colored. I didn't filter for tint, just texture [Dry Brush]. I had a few shots of other chocolate mint frogs--dark brown with those bright green spots--but I can't for the life of me find them on any of my memory cards. *grrr*)

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Hmmm, those wheel bug photos didn't quite do the wicked beastie justice… Better? How about this? It's in this shot. See it? I do have to wonder if the buckeyes noticed it. (I can't decide if its front-legs-pulled-back position was preparation for a grab, or the equivalent of throwing up one's arms and screaming "eeeeek!". I would think being mobbed by butterflies would be disconcerting for

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-12722760701653903782011-10-11T14:49:00.001-04:002011-10-11T14:50:10.827-04:00

Stopped to check my mail (forgetting it was a national holiday) after getting home after sunset last night. Noticed an odd fluttering in the shrubs when I went back to the truck. Something rather large was flying around the honeysuckle. (A few branches put out blooms this time of year.) I totally understand why people sometimes mistake sphinx moths for hummingbirds; I sure as heck did at first.

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-83250119326357572102011-10-10T12:45:00.000-04:002011-10-10T12:45:06.891-04:00

Mornings have been chilly lately, and I'm not the only one affected. Been loving them though, not the least reason being that they slow down the flying things really well. Found this snowberry clearwing, aka hummingbird moth (many people mistake them for "baby" hummingbirds), under my deck umbrella one chilly morning a few weeks ago. Didn't want it waking up only to batter itself to bits under

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-20141840963033143962011-10-09T14:52:00.001-04:002011-10-09T14:54:25.202-04:00

I had just enough goldenrod blooming in the yard (or rather, growing up between the bricks of my front path, of all places) that I knew there should be a crab spider in there somewhere, not counting the itty bitty one I put there after rescuing it from my beverage cup. See? Told you. Another way to find (typically crab) spiders in blossoms is to look for nectaring insects that aren't moving.  

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Guess which one this is? Seriously cool critter variously known as wheel bug (for obvious reasons--look at its back in the above photo), assassin bug, ambush bug. Pick one; they pretty much cover the basics of this beastie, here lunching on a small bumble bee. The butterflies (hairstreak, buckeye) seemed completely unconcerned sharing the asters with it. Guess they knew it was otherwise

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In love and war, even (especially?) when it involves crossing the line between the plant and animal kingdoms. The obedient plant (a native mint whose flowers, when you push them aside, don't return to their original position--hence the name) really makes the bees work for their reward. No better way to guarantee that the plants get pollinated, though…  Same species, different lighting and

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Really tame red-banded hairstreak. Maybe she was so calm because she was so full of eggs and couldn't move any faster...? She's washing. Her. Face. ::aaahhhhhh....thump::

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For obvious reasons, called a conehead katydid. (Not, in fact, the ones that call katy-did, katy-didn't. But pretty neat beastie anyway.) Female, also for obvious reason: that's not a tail, it's an ovipositor. Eek…

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Oh, yeah. That's exactly what you think it is. I was so excited over finding my second black widow that I didn't even think to take her picture before moving her away from the nature center's front door (and safely relocating her to a big log in the woods well away from the building)--she was hanging out with an orb weaver who had staked claim to that particular wall the week before. Most

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-11722608959848888732011-09-29T10:19:00.000-04:002011-09-29T10:19:15.131-04:00

A number of the previous warbler photos were lightly tweaked for sharpness and exposure (I was shooting with slightly-above-basic equipment, and am thrilled with what I did manage to capture) but sometimes it takes a filter (here, Photoshop's "Watercolor") to save a photo that doesn't quite make the grade on its own no matter how much you twiddle... Adult male Hooded Warblers really do look like

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I say "pah-ROO-la"! You say "wahb-ler", I say "WAR-bler"… Oh, let's call the whole thing off. [Northern Parula. Sept. 16, 2011, Cape May Point, New Jersey.]

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Not typical behavior for a black and white--they like to run up and down tree trunks and branches in their search for bugs to eat--but the warblers were bouncing around everywhere after a cold front brought them to Cape May in mid-September.

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A young one, neither black-throated (not quite yet, anyway, but you can see it coming in) nor exactly green. Cape May Point, New Jersery, September 16, 2011.

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A Blackburnian Warbler the evening after its overnight arrival at Cape May Point. Gonna get me a--whoops. Any bugs here? Is that a bug? Hello, buuuug…? The warblers were feasting, stuffing their faces and doing so quite acrobatically at times, fueling up to continue their journey south. Cape May County's insane insect populations do have their uses...

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The world's now most-photographed Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Maybe; doubts have been raised. It's definitely a flycatcher. As Susan so succinctly puts it: Not a Phoebe. The birds in town over the weekend of September 16-18 stuck around in certain locations for hours, providing unparalleled photo opportunities for pretty much anyone with a camera--including me!!! Cape May Point, New Jersey,

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They're everywhere! Another yellow garden spider, this time not in her web. The truck spooked her when I pulled into the drive; she bolted for cover and the movement caught my eye, else I'd have overlooked her.  (You would think it would be difficult to overlook a two-foot tall web, wouldn't you?) I made it home without disturbing her the third day after discovering her; she was even calm

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 Buckeye before.  Buckeye after. Black Swallowtail before. Black Swallowtail getting ready. Black Swallowtail in between. (Simply had to show a close-up of the shed skin.) [Argh. Somebody or something disappeared the chrysalis. Rats. Was hoping for a good emergence series. Phooey.] See the new blog header for the adult black swallowtail. ;o) Monarch caterpillar. Monarch getting ready-

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Well, not so lovely. It's sea-lavender (Limonium species). Found in salt marshes. Smells like it too, I recall from when we'd bring some home in late summer when I was kid. Below, Salicornia (pickleweed, saltwort, glasswort) also adds color to the autumn saltmarsh. Here it is in late August, just starting to turn red. [Huh, who knew? It's a flowering plant. Not that it has flowers that you'd

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The only way to navigate the marsh trail at the Wetlands Institute a few weeks ago was barefoot. (I happen to love the smell of marsh mud, but it can really stick with you. Wouldn't have been so bad had I thought to rinse inside the cuffs of my jeans…) The puddle held its bitty wee tiny minnows (marshland = nursery) and the creeks on a low tide held mud snails. Lots and lots of mud snails, most

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Yeah, I know. It's Thursday. (And this is a Blue Dasher.)

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Bet you think this won't end well... Hah! Wasn't what I expected, either. The only slight of hand in this video is that you can't see the glass aquarium that held up the leaf tip--temporarily, anyway; it did fall a minute or two later, taking the caterpillar with it. Poor wee beastie appeared a bit shaken after it had booked across the bottom of the tank, so I returned it to another

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It has been estimated that most young living things have a pretty lousy chance of surviving their first year. (Roughly 10-50% depending on who and what is calculating/being calculated.) The odds go up significantly if you can make it through that first critical year, and often increase with increasing experience/age. This young laughing gull wasn't one of the lucky ones. (That's ok; with the

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Everyone fit: birds, fish, snake, cats and dog! Okay, so minivans, especially those with stow-away seats, have their uses. Still don't like 'em for everyday use. One reason I have goldfish and not tropical or saltwater fish: they're fine in a bowl. Or a pretzel jug.  Ditto on bettas.  :o) Here we are post-"imminent tornado" warnings (north Delaware). Budgies and doves in the other

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Can't compare to Bitstop's amazing ship photos, but I'll keep trying! That drifted past while we were eating a late lunch. The damn thing is as big as my house. Possibly even a bit bigger than my house... Much, much bigger than my house but I like it much better than those other ones. Not unhappy with the shots, but I must plan ahead next time. (Although I am getting smarter: I knew I'd be

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And still hitting paydirt at CMBO Goshen. Still in the mountain mint. Gotta get me some of this plant!!! European Mantid, Mantis religiosa; yup, this one's the "real" Praying Mantis. But it isn't one of our native mantids. (Obviously, if it's called a European.) Most North American mantids, native and introduced both, are on the small side (under 3"); Chinese Mantids are the huge ones (over

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The gardens around Cape May Bird Observatory's Center for Research and Education may look a bit worse for wear, but if you walk slowly and look closely, there is much to see. If a recently posted critter photo wasn't taken at my house, chances are it's from the CMBO property. Here are a few more:   Partridge pea, growing like, well, a weed. But oh-my-gosh, it's a native! I can't get enough

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With the weather. (Those are not raindrops--I finally had to hose down everything on the decks last week. When I wrote this, I was watching a nasty storm--sliding north of us and leaving us only with some rather spectacular light. *phbbbt* As I post this: ditto, but without the neat sun and clouds look.) One of the few plants that I've bought that has not only survived in spite of me but is

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Sorry, they are the only critters who (mostly) sit still long enough to have their pictures taken. Pick your favorite common name: yellow garden spider, black & yellow garden spider, common garden spider, orb weaver, Argiope aurantia... Don't care what you call her except wonderful: that sure looks like a green head fly to me. (Ok, so it has green eyes, not a green head. Whatever. That's what

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Caused me to dodge, she did, when she winged across the deck past my head... Of course, she looks nothing like any illustration in the guides--those show males, whose wings are flat and wide across the top of the body. Personally, I think she's more interesting. Bit unusual beastie in that a tree cricket's mouth parts jut straight out, unlike most crickets and grasshoppers whose choppers are

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To those who wait. Unless one is waiting in the wrong place... The MO of a crab spider is to hide motionless and ready to grab a quick snack, usually near the tip of a plant that is in a zone of high insect activity and often somewhere that provides at least a hint of camouflage. But this little one may go hungry a bit longer than it should have to. The only reason I found it, even though I

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We'll now take a brief break from the creepy crawlies... (Sorry, lots more neat spider stuff to come!) "If it blooms, it's not a weed." Unless it's where you don't want it. Then it's toast. I am ruthless when it comes to wood sorrel (Oxalis) in the deck containers, native though it may be. I find it a lovely little wildflower, but it seeds itself everywhere. Prolifically. At least it makes a

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Another variety of spiny spider is also living on my front deck. This one is an Arrow-shaped Micrathena and is kindly (wisely) living amongst the hanging plants under the umbrella, so she isn't in my way. A half-inch long spider against a busy background isn't easy to photograph (especially without a macro lens) and I'm afraid I scared the beejeebers out of her at first try. She leapt off her

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Nor even an ant. Despite the common name of Velvet Ant, it's actually a female wasp that for some lost-to-time, left-instead-of-right evolutionary turn is wingless. (Well, it obviously works; sometimes that's the only reason biology needs.) [ED. NOTE: She's relatively large as wasps go--about 3/4 of an inch long.] It just so happens that I had found a male--who has wings (all the better to chase

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A different hairstreak on another patch of mint. (Yes, I looked it up; butterfly id is downright easy compared to dragonfly id. Okay, well maybe not the skippers… Oh, you want to know what it is? Red-banded Hairstreak.) Definitely a pollinator, whatever it is. Iridescent green like some flies (or are those little lovelies bees?) and body-striped like a wasp. My insect guide is far too general,

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Seriously. Creepy. Spider. I believe this is a Spined Micrathena. I like spiders. But this one... It's the distorted body shape that does it. Or perhaps the glossiness. And the posture. Eew.

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Hot pink, that is. Bougainvillea--a new plant for me. It was on sale, of course. The painful-to-look-at pink flowers were a wonderful surprise. This photo was over-exposed and trying to tweak it back wasn't working, so I took the color out of it instead. Who knew it would look better that way? The bougainvillea was nearly a perfect match for the mini-mandevilla that was also on sale... Pink

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Actually, she's matured a bit from when I first saw her. She's not nearly so loud as she was; you can see that the dots and dashes along her tail are no longer bright lime but are shading into turquoise... This is a female Eastern Pondhawk; the males are actually a light powder blue all over. I'll say it again: dang confusing dragonflies. Good thing they are so wonderful to look at.

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That cantaloupe seeds were so tasty? Even when cooking in such a slimy soup that the bird had to shake them off before cracking them open. (The dish of fruit peelings was put out for the butterflies but then we actually had rain!) This female cardinal didn't seem to mind the mess--she was back the next day for more. (Yes, I did try to dump off most of the rain water.) Shouldn't be surprised,

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It's rather surprising to many (it was to me) that the prickly pear cactus is native to our region. (Eastern prickly pear, Opuntia humifusa, also called devil's-tongue in the native plant data base I have. Momentary panic over, that it wasn't actually a native: case in point for why most hardened scientific types prefer scientific rather than common names...) I suppose a sandy, and therefore

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Yeah, you kind of think they would be… A male Seaside Dragonlet (see what I mean about fantastic names?), an older one as the dusty bloom along his tail attests. [Hmm, I must remember to ask about those tick-like bumps along his back…] A female of the same. And another, younger, female Seaside Dragonlet. Confusing, confusing, confusing! Many of the seaside dragonlets flitting around a local

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High noon (or close enough to it as makes no difference) on a mid-July day is no where near an ideal time to be shooting photographs but you take what you can get when you can get it (and then tweak it later). The underside of an orb weaver (garden spider). The zigzag is called a "stabilimentum" and theories as to its purpose range from structural support to visual warning to keep too-large

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After a rather vociferous early spring, the gray treefrogs (northern persuasion) in my yard have calmed down their calling. (Odd, as everyone else seems to be reporting higher activity in the recent rains.) I hadn't been able to follow their quacking to an actual frog even when I was sure there was one somewhere on the front corner of the house (possibly in the downspout--smart frog). It was

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Green snake in a tree, sure. Black rats and even racers, definitely. All three are considered somewhat arborial. But a young garter snake? That was surprising. It is even more surprising that I didn't walk smack into this little fellow, given that it was hanging practically at eye level right over the path to my deck. Luckily for both of us I did notice it when I walked back, and it even

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A maelstrom? A seethe? (No no no, that's vampires...) What do you call a dozen or so gigantic dragonflies hunting en masse over your driveway? I know what I'd call an under-dressed, repellent-free person who goes outside in an attempt to video them: stupid. [Trust me, the blurry little objects zipping back and forth are easily 4+ inch long dragonflies. And maybe a close-up mosquito or

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The metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly (here, a mourning cloak)--the breakdown of tissues into goo that reforms itself into completely different tissues all on the say so of the specific structure of its chemicals--comes as close to being magic as anything I know of...

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(hosta/hostile...get it?) This crazy plant has been so happy this year it has spread across more than half the width of my front deck. I loved it in that location, but it has been banished to a little niche in front of the deck because I wanted as much floor space as possible for the Monsteras and Philodendrons. Uh-oh... She lost a handful of leaves but Big Momma M made it through the winter,

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The shubunkin (showy name for a slightly-fancier-than-basic goldfish: a matt-finished, calico-colored [although with age, s/he's losing what color s/he had at half this size] fish, in this case "Bristol shubunkin" because of the long flowing tail: I knew that goldfish handbook would come in handy some day!) seems to be reveling in the bigger tank I finally cleaned out more than a year after the

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You probably think I'm exaggerating when I say the ticks wait for me on my front steps.Even people familiar with the preponderance of bloodsuckers in southernmost New Jersey probably feel I'm overstating the matter.I'm not. They truly are everywhere. Even in the fish tank.

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Most of us probably think first of herbaceous (soft stemmed) plants when we hear the word "flower".But trees (as well as shrubs and other woody-stemmed green things) also produce flowers.Not that all tree blossoms are so conspicuous as this. This, the blossom of a tuliptree (erroneously "tulip poplar", but sometimes yellow-poplar or white-poplar; officially Liriodendron tulipifera [hooray for The

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This is not at all what the manufacturers of this hummingbird feeder intended with the built-in ant well at the center of this particular design, but for this male American goldfinch it makes a great place to take a sip of water on a warm afternoon.When filled with water and with the feeder hanging, the well is meant to stop ants from crossing from hanger to feeder top and ending up in the

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Sephy was only allowed to stay up there because she's the smallest cat in the house. (Normally she isn't supposed to be up there either, but she looked so cute I couldn't resist leaving her alone to see what she'd do.)It's possible the fish may have even been teasing her. More likely begging, though.(Yes, the tank needs a water change; we're coming off a round of medication and since whatever

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Dracaena reflexaI only went in to purchase a pressure washer. To clean the decks in order to put out all of the houseplants I already own.Can't believe I spent what I did on this. I may buy too many houseplants, but I buy 'em cheap.Forgot I needed pipe brackets, too. I have to go back. ::whimper::

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Trumpet (sometimes Coral) Honeysuckle. The hummingbirds like it, for obvious reasons. (Ever wonder why hummers have such long bills?)And it's native!

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Just not the stage of the plant that most of us normally see.Heck, I've known the little patch (too small for me to risk harvesting, and I love asparagus) was out there, and that the spears everyone sees in the produce bins turn into a lovely tall, frilly plant.But I just this week I finally noticed the beautiful little bell flowers it also sends out.Charming plant.

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One of my favorite flowers, iris.I'm quite partial to these little "Dutch" iris, of course: such an intense shade of purple! (Although a neighbor round the corner has full-size purple-and-whites that are absolutely stunning...)And the seed pods are really neat, too.These pale by comparison (I don't actually try for bad puns, honest) but they have an aroma reminiscent of grapes…[These photos were

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*thump* *thump* *thump*You may recall that sometime last fall my beloved Nikon CoolPix froze up on me just when I wanted to take a photo of a stunning rising autumn full moon... Subsequent tries resulted in the same "Lens Error".So I bought an SLR. (Oi, vey.)I finally tracked down the info I needed to ship the CoolPix back to Nikon for repair.Form filled out and ready to submit? Check.

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-34362192360184600532011-05-03T14:08:00.018-04:002011-05-03T14:36:44.132-04:00

Such hubris we humans have, “improving” upon Mother Nature…Okay, so I’m as guilty as the next person for buying into it. This is, obviously, a dwarf variety of columbine.Hey, the poor plants were suffering a long and lingering death as discounted, past-their-prime flowers at a retail store and besides, they’re purple!One of the taller varieties (see above rationalization) seeded itself into the

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-76206151882812522011-05-03T14:02:00.007-04:002011-05-03T14:08:02.908-04:00

Didn’t get a lick of housework done yesterday. Or yard work, for that matter. (What will the new neighbors think?*)But I now have a really cool dish garden… (Yes, that’s moss. And a dead tree branch with lichen. So?)* Not that I much care. They knew what they were getting when they bought the (abandoned and foreclosed upon) place. If they can put up with bulldozers, a crane and dump trucks (and a

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-60433094628800579032011-04-25T15:48:00.039-04:002011-04-28T16:42:42.428-04:00

The weather was fine (okay, it was actually ridiculously hot for an April afternoon, something that is happening far too frequently in recent years if you ask me) and I had the holiday off, so I decided to take a ramble through one of our local parks, Belleplain State Forest, with a local New Jersey Audubon/CMBO program.Fiddleheads.Blueberries-to-be! (You may be able to tell I'm shooting over my

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-89932956618409768992011-04-25T15:31:00.007-04:002011-04-25T15:45:47.016-04:00

And here’s the proof that I have wetlands! Had wetlands. This is a good thing when you are a biologist. My oldest property survey, kindly left to me by the former owner, says it too. (Too bad nobody paid attention to any of that when they built a house in my front yard. I had an entirely new wetland when it decided to rain in earnest again last year after too many years of drought...)Wetlands/no

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-29348811143862453752011-04-21T17:12:00.017-04:002011-04-25T15:29:12.133-04:00

Talk about “Nature from the minute to the infinite”…! How about these teeny-weeny, itty-bitty, can-they-possibly-get-any-smaller flowers?There are at least four or more varieties of this basic model—basal rosette of leaves, some longer than this and with scroll-worked edges, 4-petal white flowers on a stalk—scattered around my place, but I’m not crazy enough to even wish to key them out. Even if

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-6127617082977942682011-04-21T16:57:00.011-04:002011-04-21T17:11:17.021-04:00

…A week makes.The hosta pot last week. (I had rescued one plant out of the front “garden” when I first moved in and put it in a pot on the deck. Moved the resultant small clump to a gigantic planter last year and—wow—what a happy, happy plant…)The hostas this week.The violets this week. (The long-leaved plant gets to stay until I decide if it’s a goldenrod or not…)Another planter volunteer,

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-89279522044409684172011-04-19T18:08:00.020-04:002011-04-21T17:44:13.527-04:00

Everybody was out enjoying a warm and sunny afternoon last week. This cabbage white (?) female Falcate Orangetip [oh now doesn't it just figure? I didn't look it up and it was a special butterfly! The males have the orange tips, by the by] looks like it’s been out and about quite a bit already and on much less congenial days than this one was. (It’s nectaring on some kind of mustard. Think it’s a

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-55565379338676829312011-04-19T11:14:00.011-04:002011-04-19T18:06:16.382-04:00

Ooh, look, it’s an ornamental cherry tree! How… unimaginative. (Thank the heavens it isn’t one of those weeping ones that have oh-so-obviously been grafted onto some other tree’s trunk.) Numerous ornamentals came with the purchase of my house and yard but none were too obnoxious*, and a few I rather like.*sigh* I must admit that the cherry is stunningly lovely for the few days it’s in full flower

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-58005150236842030782011-04-13T18:07:00.016-04:002011-04-13T18:57:11.360-04:00

I did warn you, my readers, (once… off-handedly… some time ago…) that lack of inspiration for a blog post would likely result in cat photos.*puuurrrrrrrr* She's getting skritched under the chin, not mauled. Although one of our county veterinarians was a tad bit overzealous with their spay/neuter ear-notching. "Ear-chopping"?Persephone, the newest (with us about six months now) and youngest member

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-10611367632379101152011-03-20T10:10:00.008-04:002011-03-30T18:40:01.552-04:00

Being on the beach too early for the "super" moonrise did grant me an encounter I could easily have missed, one that made almost as great an impression as a blood red moon.It has been said that we are all drawn to the sea…"I'm here, I can't leave without seeing the ocean!" she exclaimed, rushing past me, apologizing when she thought she might be walking through my shot. How could a wanna-be

Wren nests in...http://www.blogger.com/profile/17892263703645385206noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4148652329299229601.post-77102925053115858272011-03-20T10:03:00.008-04:002011-03-20T11:30:19.633-04:00

Camera? Check. Tripod? Check.At the beach on time? Check. Early, even.So early that I was losing my concentration (and vital body heat) and missed the exact moment of the moon rising. Oops.Granted, I had been looking too far north and for a bright spot on the horizon, not for a subtle red glow right in front of me.Prepared by having practiced shooting at infinity? Ah, no... Oh, well.Still. Wow.

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