Remember that big ugly green tomato worm you killed? If it would have been allowed to live it would have ate your tomato plant up then turned into a humming bird moth. Al
Wow Al so many photos I didn't know where to begin I loved looking at your photos especially the frogs and the deer. Those frogs are amazing with their camouflage ability. And yes those deer are absolutely beautiful, I agree. I am not a big fan of those caterpillars though. Something about them always freaks me out a bit. I think it is the contrasting colours. Superb photos
I think that many don't care for the catipillers because they have been taught EU a worm and it is eatting our plants. THATS BAD. When you stop to think of what they will become it sheds a whole new light on them and one tends to add a bit extra for them. Al
I love having wildlife in the garden. My grandfather taught me to plant extras for the critters and you won't be mad at them for doing what nature tells 'em. So I plant extra veggies and flowers.
Well done Mark. A man after my own heart. I even plant 'weeds' to help the wildlife along. Do you have an organic garden by any chance?
I don't mind the small animals, except the squirrels are constantly burying things in the garden. So I have to keep pulling up walnut trees, oak trees and one year they hauled field corn by the truck load over into my yard and buried it in the garden. Had to keep pulling up corn stalks out of the perrenial garden. The deer don't bother the garden very much, it's too close to the house. But the raccoons are very detructive. They dig up stuff just to be doing something. I spend most of my summers trying to find ways to keep them out of my tomatos. They are the main reason I don't plant sweet corn!
Wow, Al! Just had a look at all your photos, they're great, especially the toad and caterpillars. Because our farm is surrounded by forest we get lots of deer(mostly roe), foxes, which we have to shoot because of our livestock (a pity cos I love them, but if they get into a poultry run they will slaughter everything, not just take one to eat...), badgers, rabbits (which occasionally go into pies), and loads of birds. The buzzards are the best, I could spend hours watching them ride the thermals. I let nettles grow here and there, and other weeds, for caterpillars. We have four ponds and planning on another one! So lots of beasties. Boy would I love a pet skunk! (descented though...)
Wow, love the photos they are so enjoyable We live in the country so we have alot of wildlife We have lots of deer,racoons,o'possums,rabbits,turtles,lizards, armadillos,skunks,squirrels,a large variety of bird and butterfly species,mole,foxes,coyotes,bobcat. So many to list, I'm sure I've left some out My Father-in-law is a butterfly collector.He has a large collection of butterflies from all over the world.His collection is so interesting, and he has lots of stories about all the places he has traveled.He is also a bird taxidermist.He has all kinds of birds he has mounted.He makes beautiful displays with the birds and butterflies. When he makes duck displays he makes the duck look like it is taking off out of the water. The 'water' is clear acrlyic (sp?) that he molds.He even makes the splashes in the water spill over. Hard to discribe here but he does such beautiful work. I'll have to post some photos!He also paints portraits of birds and butterflies. He calls himself a nature naturalist. I call him a very interesting and wonderful person!
OOOOOOOOOOOO would to see lots and lots of piccies Julie!!!! Wish I could borrow your father in law so that I could listen to his stories.
Eileen I will post pics of his displays have to dig out the photos and scan them first My father in law loves to sit and tell everyone his stories so he would certainly enjoy your company
I love the wildlife! Last year was my first year gardening and this little guy flew into my life! This is Jay the baby BlueJay I finished raising. We had just had a nasty storm blow through and I was outside in the yard checking to make sure everything had made it through ok. I happen to look up were I had a honeybee hive and saw this little guy trying to catch a bee. He had very few "adult" feathers and was mostly covered in the baby down. He suddenly flew at me and landed right in my hand! And just looked at me , squaling. So I lifted a peice of wood up off the ground and set him down so he could get his meal. After that, he slept in my closet on the top shelf and during the day he was outside in the yard and learning to fly around. I fed him mostly by hand for the first few weeks. Then he learned to catch his food. He was with us about 4 weeks. We had another big storm blow through and he was caught outside. I know he is fine. He was flying quite well and learning to catch his food in flight. I just miss him! That pic was of him hamming it up for the camera! He would strike a pose everytime he saw it. Aint he cute? The other day I saw a bird making a nest in ym tree so I had a little talk with her about her taking care of her babies and not me! While I loved that little guy, it was hard work being his mama.
Awwwww! That's such a good story You get so attatched to animals when you nurse and help them out,it's hard to see them go! Maybe the Mama can keep up with all of her babies this year!
He's so sweet Denee neither wonder you missed him when he'd gone. What a great photograph - he looks sooo cheeky!! It is difficult playing the parent role in a birds life isn't it? I was mum to a baby blackbird a few years ago. She used to wake me up at 6am for her first feed and woudn't go to sleep until after 10pm!!! She had feeds every two hours - worse than any of my children. I still see her around the garden but she won't let me too close these days. I can always recognise her as she has a little white patch on her chest.
I do miss him alot! The first few weeks after he left, I was walking the streets around my house looking for him. Everytime I see a bluejay now I think about him. We moved from that house so I dont know if he came back.
