The Birds, The Bees, The Babies...oh my...

 We seem to have a record number of begging mouths this year!

  I've spent the past few weekends doing chores in the crazy gardens that we (and the birds) planted. Sometimes it looks a little out of control (ask our neighbors,) but the wildlife sure enjoys it! Three Oriole feeders that magically become empty everyday...thanks to the Orioles(duh!), the Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, the Northern Cardinals and those stoopid relatives of Bobb, the Eastern Chipmunks. We may have to take out a loan to pay for jelly and seed...

Then there's all the flowers and all that attend to them...besides me and The Doodles...

 

 These poor Red-bellied parents have a seemingly endless task of shuttling seeds and nuts back and forth to their lazy kid.

I know that feeling!

 Into the gaping maw...and the endless pit of a stomach.

 Did I mention the fantastic number of Baltimore Orioles this year?

 They seem to fly in and out to our 3 feeders from sun up to sun down.

 Waiting not so patiently for a turn...

 I'm getting the evil eye because the feeder is getting low...bossy little beggars...

 A very small bee!

In early spring, right after the snow melts, the gardens look barren and we wonder if anything will come back to life. Then, BAM! Everything turns green, the flowers flower and our barren yard can no longer be seen due to the mass of plants that have overrun our humble abode.

There's something for all appetites here, nectar for birds and insects, and insects for birds and insects for insects, and birds for birds. It's a carnivores paradise...and one for veggie heads like The Doodles too!

 This is a mystery bug to me. It looks like either a true bug or a weevil of some sort.

Anyone have a clue out there?

 Wait a second....that's a B25 Mitchell bomber!

We see a little bit of everything in our corner of the world!

 Oh my, a Bumbly Bee on Bee Balm.

How clever of him.

 And a Bumbly Bee on Echinacea...hmmm...yummy.

 Did you know...you can pet Bumbly Bees?

Mine are well trained and very friendly.

Really.

 As I've mentioned in the past...we are overrun by these furry little imps.

"GET OUT OF THAT BIRD BATH! IT'S FOR THE BIRDS!"

 They use the fence rails as their expressway...so they can escape my wrath quicker...

 Speaking of brats, this Eastern Fox Squirrel learned from his mother how to jump on the feeder and swing it around so the seed falls out.

Damned kids...

 This is an Eastern Garter snake. A friend told us it's a female...and pregnant!

They live somewhere in the back gardens.

I hope they like chipmunks.

 Did you know...The Eastern Harvestman isn't actually a spider?

It's true. 

Click on his name to learn more.

Wow. You learned something here.

Amazing isn't it?

 Then there's the bazillion(not really a bazillion) species of Flower Flies.

I gave up trying to figure out which one is which.

 They mimic bees, wasps and yellow jackets and are wonderful pollinators of flowers.

They're very small, they sometimes hover,

AND they don't sting.

 A half inch of pollinating madness!

 They have gorgeous patterns and colors.

 Cute butt...

 Hmmm....so many different flowers and so many names to forget...

 The Gray Catbirds are always singing and calling...and eating little wormy things.

 Babies to feed!

We have at least two families coming for lunch and dessert!

 Long-legged Fly, Condylostylus sp.

Yep.

Maybe.

 It's amazing what you can find when you look closely around every plant in your garden.

Try it.

Get off the internet, get outside and look.

DO IT NOW!

Then come back in and look at my bloggity some more.

Thank you.

 

 Crazy Mourning Doves.

Always bickering.

Or falling off the feeder...

Not so graceful.

 

 It's a native...uh...pretty flower.

Yea, that's its name.

 

 Ooooh....psychedelic!

 

 Speaking of weird...and not me!

This is a species of Plume Moth.

Very weird.

 

 Wow...you're still here reading this stuff!

Great.

This is a...are you ready for its clever name?

I'll give you a hint:

It's red, it's on milkweed and it's a beetle.

Wow, you're good, a Red Milkweed Beetle.

How did you ever guess?

 

 Since we're talking about clever and appropriate names...

This is THE Tumbling Flower Beetle you've heard so much about!

Click the name to get many exciting and wondrous facts!

 

 Those milkweed florets are only 1/4 inch across.

That is one small tumbly beetle!

 

 Moving up in size as well as appetite...

this Red-tailed Hawk juvenile is sitting on this utility pole behind our house as I write...

screaming and begging.

If I were his father, I'd tell him to shut up.

On and on...and on...and on...

 This little fuzz ball of a raccoon came to our pond quite frequently to take naps on the warm rocks.

Isn't he a cutie?

Thanks for visiting our home and gardens!