Wednesday, June 5, 2019

Wildlife Wednesday June 2019

Observing wildlife in my garden is one of my favorite things and sharing some of my sightings on Wildlife Wednesday is always fun.  Wildlife Wednesday is hosted by Tina at "My gardener says..." on the first Wednesday of each month and we've had quite an array of wildlife visitors in the past month.

Black-chinned hummingbirds are busy at the feeder this time of year.  Staking out the feeder instead of real flowers makes photos easier.  I prefer to see hummers on flowers in the garden but it's also fun to watch from the kitchen so this is my usual view.


Those wings are fast!


Never thought of it but they probably fly through spider webs often as this bit of gleaming web clinging to a beak demonstrates.



Speaking of spiderwebs.  The artist seems to have abandoned her work.



Hummingbirds usually flock to Salvia Amistad but this month the bees have taken charge.  Instead of climbing inside the flower tube they headed for the corolla at the back of the flower.


What's up with this?



After observation it's definitely a pattern.



Research revealed that salvias have a tiny opening in the Corolla tube for nectaring.




Nectar is collected through the proboscis and stored in a honey sac which is returned to the hive for making honey.




Pollen is high in protein and the food source used to nurture bee larvae.  It's important to have both sources.



The "plant formerly known as a weed" is hosting swallowtail caterpillars again this year.  Through posting on native plant websites I have tentatively identified it as Prairie Bishop.


Dill-like foliage supports all stages of larvae growth.  I have made a point of leaving it in the garden since discovering swallowtail caterpillars love it.




The plants are still widely spaced so when the caterpillars reach the end of the line I move them (branch and all) to a new plant which seems to work.



 Not enough info to identify this moth but the angle is cool.


I think this is the same moth.  Usually it's bees on the Monarda citriodora or Beebalm.


While the caterpillars were chowing down there was a trend to faded tattered butterflies in the garden.

Spicebush Swallowtail


Crimson patch butterfly



Bordered patch inside and...


...out.


Faded Gulf Fritillary


Our rainy spring has brought many bugs and insects to the garden.

Young Katydid on a rose.


A green assassin bug stalking a small bee.

 
For the last few years a Whitetail doe has chosen our yard to hide her newborn fawn.  I may have walked past the little fawn several times before I noticed.  They had already moved to the neighbor's yard before I got outside with the camera.

Fawns will immediately drop down and stay quiet when scared.


Mom thinks three's a crowd.


Time to move on.  A bit wobbly, probably less than two days old.


So cute!


Couldn't let the deer have the last word this time!


Tina's blog has fun stories on wildlife in her garden.  You can find more at "My gardener says..." in the comments section.

12 comments:

  1. Amazing captures, Shirley! Your garden is full of wildlife of all kinds. I agree: The hummingbirds are so fun to watch--at the feeders and at the flowers!

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    1. It's amazing how much I find out there. Hummingbirds are the best entertainment right now.

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  2. You really had a good show this past month. Kudos on your bordered patch shots. I never get those, they just always flit away as soon as I try to focus the camera. I think they're such pretty butterflies. I love it when you end with the deer, but the hummer was a good touch. Thanks for joining in!

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    1. It's so much fun to go through my photos each month and see just how much wildlife we have here.

      I like to mix things up, keep it interesting.

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  3. Wonderful photos as always, Shirley! All of a sudden, there are LOTS of active spiders here, which seems off-schedule. Fall is usually our big spider season. The observation of the bee with the Salvia is interesting - I'll watch for that now. The LA Times had an article on discovery of a rare albino fawn this morning. Apparently abandoned or orphaned, it was sighted sleeping along in a roadway by a truck driver and has been taken in by a wildlife rescue service to be raised and eventually released with other orphan fawns when old enough to survive on its own. They named it Spirit.

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    1. That's a beautiful story Kris. I'm so glad to hear it's being cared for. We also seem to have more than the usual number of spider webs.

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  4. you have a lot of wildlife in your garden, but I do think that baby fawn steels the show, they are so lovely, Frances

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    1. They charm us every year about this time.

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  5. New to your blog and enjoyed your photos so much!
    Phyllis

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    1. Thank you for reading and commenting Phyllis!

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  6. All the fauna you've captured on all the green flora is amazing, S. Fox! This weekend's visit to the botanic garden I'll need to rest more and use the video function on my iPhone for the hummingbirds and butterflies.

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    1. Amazing for a suburban lot. It's a lot easier to capture hummingbirds and butterflies with video or multiple photos.

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