Sphinx moth

Sphinx and hawk moths are common pollinators and are known to collect nectar from flowers. As caterpillars they feed on a huge diversity of host plants and as adults they prefer nectar over flowers. Because of thier large size and ability to hover slightly mid-air while feeding they are sometimes mistaken as hummingbirds. This one was the size of a half dollar coin.

Amphibians

Fowlers toad and probably a Leopard frog (but maybe a Pickerel), both of which i found in my back yard today. It was a rainy day.

Northern Green Frog

The northern green frog dwells in marshes, swamps, ponds, lakes, springs, and other aquatic environments. It is active both day and night. In captivity they will live for 10 years. Crickets, night crawlers and meal worms are sufficient in proving an adequate diet.

Finch Update 2

Coin Bug

I am reading a Manga series called Delicious in Dungeon. It is about a group of adventureres making their way through a dungeon and creating new recipes as they try to live off the land. There is a magical creature described in the first book as having the apparance of a treasure coin, but being alive. This is what I immagined it to be like.

Grasshopper

Grasshoppers are a group of insects belonging to the suborder Caelifera. They are among what is probably the most ancient living group of chewing herbivorous insects, dating back to the early Triassic around 250 million years ago. Grasshoppers are plant-eaters, with a few species at times becoming serious pests of cereals, vegetables and pasture, especially when they swarm in their millions as locusts and destroy crops over wide areas. They protect themselves from predators by camouflage; when detected, many species attempt to startle the predator with a brilliantly-coloured wing-flash while jumping and (if adult) launching themselves into the air, usually flying for only a short distance. This one was blended in seamlessly with the concrete.

Blue heron

Take flight

Katydid

Katydids are a large group of insects in the order Orthoptera, related to grasshoppers and crickets. Some katydids have been called long-horned grasshoppers because of their long and slender shape, but actually katydids are more closely related to crickets than to any type of grasshopper. There are about 6,400 species worldwide, with the greatest diversity in the tropics. During the day they rest in a specific diurnal roosting posture to make them look even more like just a leaf on the plant. Wing form varies widely, with most having long wings that cover the body, but some species have short wings or are nearly wingless. They tend to be poor flyers, and some only flutter their wings during leaps. Every so often a pink katydid shows up. It’s been estimated that pink coloration occurs in one of about 500 individuals, a condition called erythrism. It is caused by recessive genes, similar to the situation for albino animals. The New Orleans Audubon Insectarium acquired a pink male and a pink female katydid to produce a brood of pink katydids which are now on display there. These individuals would really stand out in their normal green environment and therefore would not be likely to survive as predators could find them too easily. But in the protected insectarium they grow and live just like regular green katydids.

Antler

This is very exciting for me. I found this in my back yard. You can see some defined bite marks in the center. We have three different groups of deer that frequent our yard. This must be from the bachelor heard.

Bird seed ornament

3/4 to 1 cup birdseed

1 packet of gelatin (unflavored—I use Knox)

1/4 cup boiling water

Cookie cutters, lightly greased*

Twine and/or ribbon

Parchment or waxed paper

Combine the gelatin and the water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer, stirring constantly. Keep stirring until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Remove the pan from heat and allow the mixture to cool for one minute. Stir in 3/4 cup birdseed, adding extra as needed until all the liquid is absorbed. (You won't want to add much more than 1 cup, otherwise there won't be enough "glue" to bind the birdseed once dried.)

Place the cookie cutters on a parchment or waxed paper on a baking sheet. (You can make the ornaments right on the counter, but a baking sheet allows for them to be easily moved aside later.) Fill each ornament halfway with the birdseed mixture. Lay a piece of twine down the length of the cookie cutter. Fill the cookie cutter to the top with remaining birdseed mixture, making sure to pack it down firmly. Allow the ornaments to dry for several hours or overnight. Once completely dried, gently press the ornaments out of the cookie cutters. If desired, add a decorative ribbon and hang on a tree branch for the birds to enjoy!

1 cup of water, 4 little packets of gelatin (one whole box) made 10 ornaments.

Snake skin

Went for a walk in the park today, E found a snake skin under a rock.

Botanical Garden

Check out the giant butterfly and the small brown, tan, and red bird in the upper right quadrant of this other picture. Desert biome at the Botanical Gardens downtown.

Red squirrel

The American red squirrel is one of three species of tree squirrel currently classified in the genus Tamiasciurus, known as the pine squirrels (the others are the Douglas squirrel and Mearns's squirreli). American red squirrels are widely distributed across the North American continent. Their range includes most of Canada, the southern part of Alaska, coastal British Columbia, and the Rocky Mountains and boreal forests east to the Atlantic coast. American red squirrels are abundant and not of conservation concern throughout much of their range. However, an isolated population of red squirrels in Arizona has experienced considerable declines in population size. American red squirrels experience severe early mortality (on average only 22% survive to one year of age). The survival probability, however, increases to age three, when it begins to decrease again. Females that survive to one year of age have a life expectancy of 2.3 years and a maximum lifespan of eight years.

Stick Bug

Stick insects—also known as walking sticks—live in tropical and temperate forests all over the world. Related to grasshoppers, crickets, and mantises, these insects are usually brown, green, or black. They’re also the world’s longest insects. The largest one ever found stretched 22 inches with its legs extended.  This one was about 7 inches long.

Honey bee

Bees

Fossils

I added some new fossils to my collection. I think it's like a sardine or something.

Dino Trouble

My dinosaur pal was left behind at the hotel. The least I could do is show him a good time. We ate cookies, got our nails done, went for a dip in the pool, than caused a little chaos in the lobby.

Sunny Day

Possibly the only day in the last two months it hasn't rained. Lilly and I enjoyed a little porch time.