My contribution to Eileeinmd's Saturday's Critters #137. Everybody is thirsty this hot summer:
I'm also linking to Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'.
Here's a couple more shots from the Common Grackle visit last week.
Carmi's Thematic Photographic 377 is Softness. I was walking Theda and we ran across this mirror someone left out by the trash.
The local crepe myrtles are so photogenic right now, I have to keep indulging.
One of the Common Grackles wants to know what everyone is looking at?
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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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I couldn't get sharp captures of these flying dragonflies, but I did get a couple pics of them laying eggs in the hot tub. (I told them it was a mistake, but you know kids just don't listen.)
Here is a male Common Whitetail:
A sweat bee on a thistle:
A Peck's Skipper, I presume.
I'm also linking to Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'. There were plenty of goldfinches along the W and O.D. trail, but this was the only one who let me get close enough for the G15:
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My contribution to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #122.
Here's little puppy Amelia!
And here's Rory. Sometimes, you need to chill your tail.
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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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My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #135. This Ashburn Bambi is less than a 100 yards from where I took videos of one who kept on eating while I was just ten feet away. (But this one didn't let me get close, i.e. behaved typically.)
This is probably a Familiar Bluet (other possibilities here):
My sister uses this dish to give the birds water:
The other night was so hot, this toad decided to take a dip and stayed there.
By the way, I uploaded the 4th video from that set I mentioned. Except it's the 1st because I uploaded them in reverse order. So I renamed them. You can see Bambi doesn't mind poison ivy one little bit.
I'm also linking to Anni's I'd-Rather-B-Birdin'. I've been trying to get some birdie pics these past few days, but no luck. So here are some older ones I haven't used before.
Amelia says Hello!
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My contribution to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #121. Here's Theda with a worn daylily fence.
These are Hemerocallis 'Kwanzo' – a triple-flowered triploid cultivar that seems to be all the rage in D.C. (I think it's them...there's also a Flore Pleno.)
This looks like it has four flowers in one:
This mockingbird held still and posed for me. It's a bit overexposed (I tried to fix them up a little):
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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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My contribution to Eileeinmd's Saturday's Critters #134. I had collected seven while using the weed whacker, I was trying to make sure no tiny toads got hurt. After I was through, I managed to get one pic in before the remaining four hopped away.
Remember that deer who hung around for photos and videos while munching away in Ashburn in June? (In the middle of the poison ivy, I might add.) I took four of them, here's a third:
I'm also linking to Anni's I'd-Rather-B-Birdin'. Theda and I went to visit the Broad Branch ducks, but there was only duckweed.
How about a birdie platter? Mrs. Cardinal is sharing well with the sparrows. (The night before, Mr. Cardinal was chasing them off vigorously. Of course, when he'd pursue one a few feet away, the others would dash for the seeds.)
Some Blue Jays decided to come visit this morning, as well:
How about a profile shot, Mr. or Mrs. Jay?
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Here is the Streambank Mock Orange carrying out its plan "Total World Domination."
Panning down...Look! I have a gardening helper! Best of all, it seemed that Mr. or Mrs. Bunny liked the crabgrass most of all. At least someone does!
I have about a million tiny toad pics from the last week. Here's another...
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My contribution to Michelle's Nature Notes (#370). Lots of weeds and thistles and such in front of the Cacapon Mountain house. I started weed-whacking, but stopped for the weekend. And now it's pouring rain. Maybe just as well, since it's tiny toad heaven. Note that both of the Cercis canadensis have leaves now, as do the two in D.C.
My camera (and I) aren't always great at replicating colors. Pictures of Lake Siri with the sun behind me work out great, though.
Mrs. Red-winged Blackbird didn't think Theda and I should be walking by the pond above Lake Siri, at all. And she let us hear about it!
Rory Orb:
I've posted pics of the tiny toads. The rain brings the frogs to the front yard, too. But they're a lot quicker!
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