Nutkin and Chipmunk

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #139. I don't often see Nutkin and a chipmunk together in the backyard, but here they are. (Pics are from the 2nd floor, the remote+tripod option is out for now.)


For Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin', here are Mr. Cardinal and his sparrow friends:

Last but not least, a Tiger Swallowtail on butterfly bush:


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1st Tiger Swallowtail Of 2016

My contribution to Michelle's Nature Notes (# 372).

This is the first Tiger Swallowtail I've been able to snap pictures of this year. Generally I have tons of pics of them by June. Same with the Monarchs (btw, I have zero Monarch pics this year).


Speaking of my old elementary school, I was walking Theda and spotted this chipmunk on a stump next to the path. Theda was looking ahead and never saw it.

The local crepe myrtles are strutting their stuff:

Here's an article about pruning them. I see people around here that cut theirs back to post stumps every year.

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Gray Tree Frog, Chippie Battle

My contribution to Michelle's Nature Notes (#371).

North-side Chippie and South-side Chippie had a battle over the seed plate one morning. Three separate bouts (in a few seconds). I tried to get a pic of the battling fuzzballs, but they were too quick. This is the only pic I got (from the 2nd floor) that included both of them.

North-side Chippie conceded the dish and had to wait on the perching branch, as modeled by Nutkin here:

Here's an Ashburn bumblebee. If you click for a larger pic, you'll see a bee face full of pollen.

This is a gray tree frog. It sometimes hangs out in my sister's compost bin, which is cool, moist, and has lots of bugs.

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Pecking Order

My contribution to Michelle's Nature Notes (#370). Here's a Blue Dasher:

I'll run out of tiny toad pics someday. But today is not that day!

The pecking order at the seed platter is Nutkin, Chippie, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Sparrows. In fact the other day there were four Blue Jays lined up on the "landing branch" watching Chippie, who is much smaller than any of them. But Chippie has to take a back seat when Nutkin shows up.



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Squid Pro Quo

My contribution to Michelle's Nature Notes (#369)

Here are a couple more pictures my brother-in-law took in St. John. These squid won't let you get much closer without squirting black ink and jetting away:


Here's a couple of my own from the backyard. I thought chippie was getting most of the seeds. Wondered how he or she could eat that many. The other day, I saw that there are two of them (at least).


I have some flower pics, too. These Ashburn tiger lilies are growing wild on the Washington and Old Dominion Trail.

But they don't have triple blossoms, like several patches I walk by in D.C.


How about a bee?

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North-Going and South-Going Mockingbirds

My contibution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #130.
This is a sweat bee on a thistle flower, I believe (my guess is Halictus ligatus).

Here's an Ashburn chippie:

And a Peck's Skipper:

I'm also contributing to Anni's I'd Rather B' Birdin'. This pair of mockingbirds were having a face-off on the access to the Washington and Old Dominion Trail. Every once in a while, they'd fly 3 or 4 feet up in the air, but still face to face and not giving an inch.

They reminded me of The Zax by Dr. Seuss:

The day before today,One day, making tracks
In the prairie of Prax,
Came a North-Going Zax
And a South-Going Zax.
And it happened that both of them came to a place
Where they bumped. There they stood.
Foot to foot. Face to face.

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Black Rat Snake Fence

My contribution to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #116. And I'm also linking to Michelle's Nature Notes (#366).

This Black Rat Snake visited my sister's backyard on Sunday.

He (or she) was pretty mellow...didn't even get too angry when I pulled his tail to keep him from going through the fence too soon.

"Nice to see you, but I have an appointment next door."

The End.

Here are a couple pictures from the backyard in D.C. that I've had sitting around:




Carmi's Thematic Photographic 372 is Monochrome. Here's Monochrome Theda!

Last but far from least, here's another fence + Amelia:

UPDATE: By popular demand, here is Monochrome Amelia:

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Birds, Bees, Chippie

My contribution to Michelle's Nature Notes (#365).

The birds are cautious around Chippy, even the Cardinals (who otherwise can be pretty territorial about the seeds).

Bee seeing you again soon!


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Gotta Fly!

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #128. I know I've been featuring Chippie a lot, but...so photogenic!


Theda and I visited the ducks at Broad Branch yesterday:


I'm also contributing to Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'. Here's some of the platter birds from the yard:



nice to see you, gotta fly!

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