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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Swimming Pool Iguana

My contribution to Eilleeninmd's Saturday's Critters #132. I saw this Five-lined Skink in a familiar skink spot on the W and O.D. Trail earlier in Juue.

After checking the spot on many walks, I finally got another chance. This time Mr. or Mrs. Skink held still for 1 closeup (but it's overexposed :P ):
Here's a much bigger lizard. My sister and brother-in-law visited St. John, and this iguana shared their pool.


Carmi's Thematic Photographic 374 is Lightbulbs. Once again, the only non-nature pics I took were when I was stuck in traffic. This time on the Beltway near McLean. Plenty of lightbulbs, though!

For Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin', I'm back to the backyard sparrows:

And up the street at my old elementary school: Dustbath!

One last pic: a nice blue hydrangea:

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Ashburn Bambi and More

I got all backed up with my weekly contributions, this week.

I'm too late for Michelle's Nature Notes (#367). But you should go visit her anyways! Here's another pic of the Black Rat Snake from last week. So cooperative!

Thursday's come and gone. Here's Amelia for TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #117 (I'm too late for that one, too. Just didn't have my blogging shoes on this week :P ).


I'm not too late for Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #131. Here's a sweat bee on a thistle flower:

Here's an Ashburn Bambi. Usually they run away when they see me, or shortly after. Not this one! A jogger came by. A plane went overhead. A couple people on the trail behind me stopped their bicycles to watch. And Bambi kept on eating about 10 feet away.


I've got four of these, I'm saving two for later.

I'm also linking to Carmi's Thematic Photographic 373 - In the metal.

After checking my June photos, this is about the only metal I took snaps of. It was rush hour traffic and this car had cut in front of me FOUR times. (Note the four minute difference between the two pics, and this after he'd aggravated me enough to take his picture in the first place.) For an encore, he cut in front of the car behind me a couple more. Obviously, the weaving in traffic approach was getting him no where, but he just kept on doing it.


And now for something pleasant again: Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'. Some of these are house finches, I'm not sure who that is in front though.


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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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First Dragonfly and Butterfly Pics of the Year

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #129. Here's my first dragonfly picture of the year, a juvenile Common Whitetail:

First butterfly pics of the year: A Fiery Skipper. (I think, skipper identification can be tricky.)

I'm also contributing to Carmi's Thematic Photographic 371 - By the water's edge. Here's a pair of mallards at Broad Branch creek in D.C.

Remember that place that had a horse roaming outside on the horse trail? It seems the chickens get to come out and play sometimes, too. I thought I'd get a pic before seeing if I could get closer (I'm also linking to Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'):

Turned out to be no problem. They all ran right up.


It's been a while since my left foot made an appearance:

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Fences, Dogs, and Roses

My contribution to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #115. Here's Amelia from Mid-May:

In addition to the Streambank Mock Orange birdie bush in back, we have a birdie bush in the front yard. It's a sprawling and very thorny rose:



Never forget to stop and sniff the flowers!

One more of Amelia, from this morning:

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