Showing posts with label Bees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bees. Show all posts

September 7, 2016

Wildlife Wednesday :: God's Creation

In August, when I could manage it, I retreated to the garden with my camera. Spending time outdoors, observing God's amazing creation, always lifts my spirit and reminds me that I do not have to worry about tomorrow...not ever. *

Here are the photos I took of the wildlife that visited my garden last month:

BIRDS

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbird in the evening light.

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird showing off her elegant neck.

A Blue Jay selects a peanut from the feeder.

SQUIRREL

Zipping along the fence after raiding the bird feeder.

BEES

Bumblebee working the salvia.

Leafcutter Bee, another fan of salvia. 

DRAGONFLIES

Posing nicely in the garden.

Making a meal out of a Green Lacewing.

BUTTERFLY 

Tiny Skipper Butterfly, wings spread, basking in the sun.

MOTH

Huge Polyphemus Moth, freshly emerged.

CATERPILLAR

Sphinx Moth Caterpillar on the spent tomato plants.

*Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. ~ Matthew 6:34 (ESV)

I hope you enjoyed my contribution to Wildlife Wednesday—a meme, hosted by Tina at My Gardener Says..., that celebrates wildlife in the garden on the first Wednesday of every month.

June 22, 2016

Celebrating Pollinators

Strike up the band.

Toss the confetti.

It's National Pollinator Week! 


Let's hear it for the beautiful butterflies!



Three cheers for the hardworking honeybees!



Hip, hip, hooray for bees of all kinds!



Let's sing the praises of the little hummingbirds!



And plant flowers for them all!

After all, we're the ones who reap the benefits of all they do.

**********

Click here to read more about pollinators and National Pollinator Week.

Also, thanks to Tina at My Gardener Says... for her very informative post on Pollinator Week.

May 16, 2016

The Garden of My Dreams :: Little Wings

One visit to Matagorda County Birding Nature Center was all it took for me to fall in love with the place.

The park is 34 acres of natural beauty situated on the Colorado River in Bay City, Texas. Within its boundaries are wetlands, native prairies, and woodlands which provide habitat for a large variety of birds and wildlife.

Standing in the fruit orchard searching the woods and sky for birds.
Armed with a brand new zoom lens and inspired by the beautiful scenery, I found something to photograph at every turn.

A post of nails for hanging orange halves for the birds, especially Orioles, conveniently located near the orange tree.
For the most part, John and I had the place to ourselves and I began to think of it as our own private garden—the garden of my dreams! If I owned 34 acres, I would want it to be just like this.

The peaches are almost ripe.
It would include a small fruit orchard, a wildflower meadow, and flower gardens planted specifically for hummingbirds, butterflies, and other pollinators.

There were several cooperative little wings, as I'm calling them, that posed nicely for the camera as we explored the grounds and gardens.

Tawny Emperor Butterfly

Dusky Wing Butterfly

Pearl Crescent Butterfly

Honeybee

Dragonfly

Not only did we see little wings, but feathered wings, and other things, too. I hope you'll join me next time for more photos of our nature hike.

February 19, 2016

Activity in the Garden

Our recent warm weather is stirring up all kinds of activity in Happy Camper Butterfly Garden, our little flower bed at our RV site in Matagorda. 


A faded and tattered monarch butterfly spent hours laying eggs on the milkweed the other day. I couldn't help but wonder if our garden might be the last one she visits in her life. I'll have to check for caterpillars on our next visit.

 
The bees were busy buzzing from flower to flower. Where is your hive, little bee? Is is a natural hive or one managed by a beekeeper? I wish I knew.


The milkweed is blooming and going to seed at the same time. Seeds on fuzzy parachutes will be carried by the wind near and far.


And very soon the yarrow will burst into bloom. I can already see the color peeking through. 

All this activity makes it seem that spring has arrived in February, but only time will tell if it's going to stick around.