Cardinalis cardinalis

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #150. And I'm also linking to Anni's I'd Rather B' Birdin.

We got to West Virginia late yesterday afternoon and the local birds haven't found out there's food on the porch again (yet). Fortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal were strutting their stuff in the backyard in D.C. yesterday.



Update: They're here!



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Theda Morning Glory

My contribution to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #136.

Vines can be a pain, but morning glories are so pretty.

It's getting really spooking around here!

How about a bee?

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Fall Critters

My contribution to Michelle's Nature Notes (#397). And I'm also linking to Carmi's Thematic Photographic 386 - Autumn.

The leaves are starting to change on the Streambank Mock Orange:

I know I've been posting a lot of sweat bees lately, but their colors go so nicely with the flowers:

Theda is loving the cool weather and sunshine:

Gray Catbird

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #149. This is a Red-eared slider from Ashburn earlier this month.

A couple days later, I saw the turtle sunning on the bank:

Also from earlier this month, a Common Buckeye:

I'm also linking to Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'. Both mockingbirds and catbirds were all over the pokeberries earlier this month, but the catbirds were too shy to let me get a decent pic. Turns out I got one after all.

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Sweat Bee

My contribution to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #135.
This is the elementary school I went to.

I'm also linking to Michelle's Nature Notes (#396).
This is a sweat bee.

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They Always Look So Guilty

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #148. And I'm also linking to Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'.

Here is Mrs. Cardinal taking to the air.

I'm raven about this crow. (Or the other way.) Unfortunately the sun was on the wrong side for great pixels, but the (big) bird was so focused that it let me get closer than they usually do.

Carpenter Bee


Grass Spider:

This is Trichopoda pennipes:

The Carpenter Sisters:

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Giant Spider Season

My contribution to Michelle's Nature Notes (#395). And I'm also linking to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #134.
Here's an Ashburn chicken:

It's GIANT SPIDER season!!!


Here's my fence. It's a bit wild and wooly in the front yard, but the new Cercis canadensis is loving it.

Also from the front yard, the real deal: Beware the guardian grass spider (and all her sisters):

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Fall Bees, Butterflies, and Birds

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #147.

Perhaps you'd prefer a butterfly, like this Pearl Crescent?

I usually see Great Spangled Fritillaries. Here is a Variegated Fritillary.

I'm also contributing to Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'. This mockingbird will direct you to the animal clinic:

The vultures are very happy that we build power line towers for them.


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Great Golden Digger Wasp

My contribution to Michelle's Nature Notes (#394). There were a couple of whitetail deer eating behind the shed in my sister's backyard, so I used the shed as cover to sneak up on them. But they took off as I pressed the shutter, so this is all I got:

The Great Golden Digger Wasp is a benign, gentle wasp currently being studied by scientists for its behavioral responses.


I'm also linking to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #133. You've seen these horses before...


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Peck's Skipper, Dogs, Sparrows

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #146.
I usually call these Peck's Skippers, although I might be wrong.

Here are Mikey and Amelia:

I'm also linking to Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'. I saw this flock of sparrows next to a fence, and tried to take a shot. They all took off:

I was out walking Theda, so when I came back I tried to be a little sneakier.

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