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:

Party Crasher

My contribution to Michelle's Nature Notes (#392). Here is the Mystery Birdie Bush (Streambank Mock Orange) full of birds waiting for their morning seeds.

You won't believe what happened next! (Of course you will...Nutkin crashed the party and ate almost all of the sunflower seeds.)

So this morning. Mr. Cardinal has the run of the place...

And then...

How about a bee?

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Mystery Birdie Bush update

My contribution to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #128. Note the leaves fallen on the ground.

And Mr. Cardinal:

So it's already Friday night and almost time for Saturday Critters.

Update: Also linking to Eileen's Saturday's Critters #142. And Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'.

Here's a Snowberry Clearwing shot I haven't used yet:

And a mockingbird lurking near the pokeberry shrubs:

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Campsis Radicans Fence

My contribution to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #125. This is a Campsis radicans, aka hummingbird vine.

One day, a flock of mockingbirds lined up along the construction fence at my old elementary school. Here are two of them:

Here's the Streambank Mock Orange. Note that the giant bin being used for the neighbors' 10 month long reconstruction project is finally gone. Not gone: the bazillion mosquitoes that grew up in that bin.

And here's an Ashburn dragonfly (female Eastern Pondhawk - Erythemis simplicicollis).

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Surprise Garden Helper

My contribution to TexWiscGirl's Good Fences #120.

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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Magical Mystery Birdie Bush Revealed

My contribution to Eileeninmd's Saturday's Critters #125.
If this isn't a Streambank Mock Orange (Philadelphus hirsutus), I'm a monkey's uncle!


Here's a picture from January when I first started wondering about the birdie bush. (The male cardinals were much more willing to hang out together back then...now they're very territorial.)

In March with the snow on:

I'm also contributing to Anni's I'd Rather B Birdin'. Here are some of the usual suspects next to the Streambank Mock Orange:

Tulips are almost all done around here, but Irises are coming out. Happy Mothers Day!


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