Birds,Blooms, Bugs, and a Toadgloo

Category: Garden Wildlife | Posted: Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:08 pm

The other day I had some interesting bird feeder guests arrive. They have been to dinner before and always like to come up and see what I am doing:

These are sandhill cranes. They are very curious and although they are quite big, they are very gentle. They are fascinated in my 2 year old daughter. Maybe because they are such great parents themselves. They came to greet us the day we moved in, and from time to time they stop by. They'll eat bird seed off the ground, peanuts, and they like a bit of bread. I try to give them a hearty whole wheat to give them a more nutritious snack. They don't gorge themselves on the bread, but seem to enjoy it as more of a treat, and to be social.

I've got some new blooms that are very pleasing to me!

This is a Peach Passion Sunflower. I will be growing these again! They are so sturdy and have branching flowers! Some to cut and some to leave on the plant!

This is a bloom from my Blue Fortune agastache. It doesn't look like much I guess, but it's the first from the plant. I read the flowers taste like rootbeer, and what do you know? They do!

This is my 6 year old's Zinnia. It's a Burpeana Giant that he planted from a seed.

This pretty rain lily opened this morning. I am glad I got to get a picture, because our hot Florida sun will fade it very quickly to a pale pink.

If you remember my "Weary Traveler" story then you might like to see one of her offspring!

I've brought this little guy inside to make sure he gets all the TLC. There are still a few others out there but I think something has eaten a few of them because there are less now.

Also, my gulf frittilary pupated on Saturday...I actually got to see it happen this time, I wish the pictures were better, but here's one with it happening:

I've been getting more and more butterfly visitors! This is a peacock butterfly and it might be a male because this is what I've read: The male of the species displays a unique territorial behaviour, in which they stake out a territory typically 15 metres in diameter that contains larval host plants. They perch in this area and aggressively protect it from other insects and other male white peacocks. He's spent the night on our covered front porch and has been right next to my butterfly area for about 20 hours! I haven't seen him chasing other butterflies, but it might be interesting if he does!

I found these weird little "caterpillars" on my milkweed plant when I was looking for monarch caterpillars:

Somehow they don't quite look like caterpillars, and I found a pupa:

Now this pupa doesn't look like a butterfly or moth pupa. It looked like a fly pupa to me. I found out there is a kind of fly called a Syrphid fly that eats aphids. I had been having some aphid issues on this plant, but lately I'd noticed much less. So these little "caterpillars" are maggots! Yuck, right? Well, they are prettier than maggots and they are helping my aphid problem so they are welcome to stay! I brought the pupa in so I can see it hatch, but the monarch caterpillar ate it...I guess he was hungry!

I got a little rubber ball at the dollar store and I was going to try and make a hypertufa sphere shaped planter, but somehow I started forming something else......a Toadgloo. I've filled it with a thick layer of soft dirt for a nice bed for the toad. I think it looks very quaint, like a little hobbit hole. I actually prefer this look to my other toad house....very natural!

Today I want to try and mount my bird bath on the stump. The stump is uneven and what we need is a chainsaw to even it, but we aren't ready to buy it yet. So I think I am going to use hypertufa to build it up to even it out. This should be interesting!

Last edited: Tue Jul 03, 2007 12:10 pm

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eileen wrote on Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:26 pm:

I really enjoy reading your blogs about everything that visits and grows in your garden Anna!!! I thought I was lucky getting a female pheasant to visit but she's not nearly as pretty as those sandhill cranes. I love the little toadgloo (what a great name for it btw)at looks as though it's just grown up out of the soil.

bethie wrote on Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:29 pm:

I just love the peacock butterfly. I'll have to enjoy him vicariously. It's great to hear you are instilling a love of Nature in your children. I have some "toad abodes" and actually had a toad in one. How lucky you are to have cranes visiting!

hummingbird3172 wrote on Tue Jul 03, 2007 1:53 pm:

Thanks Eileen and Bethie!

The cranes are very common in this area, almost a constant fixture. They seem to prefer a leisurely stroll to flying(although they fly beautifully) and love to check out what people are doing.

The peacock butterfly is awake and does seem to be guarding the flowers. I wonder if he was attracted to the "puddle" I created?

cajunbelle wrote on Tue Jul 03, 2007 6:01 pm:

Love the toadgloo, what a great idea, thanks for sharing. I enjoy you blogs they are very interesting and informative.

desertflower wrote on Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:30 pm:

Love the toad house. I made one almost exactly like it aout of hypertufa and my hubby laughed at me. Now I feel smart lol he just doesn't know what a toad house is.

daff wrote on Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:48 pm:

I love all your pictures hummingbird, keep sending them xxx

hummingbird3172 wrote on Tue Jul 03, 2007 8:49 pm:

LOL, I think it is a very toad-friendly design. I was actually out looking for a toad today so I could show him the new house.....couldn't find one. It was going to be a sphere planter, then a gargoyle face planter, and then it evolved into a toadhouse.

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