I had the best day ever!

The kids came over today to celebrate Mother's Day. We provided the shish kabob, and sausage, Jean-Luc BBQ'd and they brought salads. After that, we had outdoor play. There is something about a three-year-old and dandelions!
The bugs are bad this year.

Wetland walk

We had an amazingly buggy walk in the woods!

Home time!

Hummingbird moth and lilacs

Snowberry clearwing

Hemaris diffinis

The Snowberry Clearwing is a moth of the order Lepidoptera, family Sphingidae, AKA hummingbird moth, because of its similarity to the bird. It has a long probiscus, which it uses to eat. You can see it, somewhat, in the photo below.

Daisy and the dock spider

They are huge. I was reaching in to get some cracked corn for the bird feeder, and spotted this monster! It was the size of Daisy's ear!

I did NOT scream like a girl! (I did when I stepped on the snake last year - sheer surprise!)
However, I brought it onto the asphalt to take a photo, and Daisy decided to give me some help. It was headed into the garage.

Once it spotted Daisy, it began hopping to get away. This just encouraged her.

Suddenly, it hopped up on her and deliberately got up on her and behind her ear where she couldn't reach it. She looked around and around, mystified as to where it went. I giggled.

I know they bite, so I rescued her!

Truthfully, I presume it is a dock spider, as it is HUGE. We often saw them around the lake. Living in a wetland, as we do, there is lots of moisture for them.
I hope you like the photo sequence as Daisy loses sight of it!

CC # 267

  Further research, from a bug book, tells me it is a "six-spotted fishing spider" (Dolomedes triton).
The myth is that they eat fish.
The females get to be 15mm, males, 10mm long.
They eat water striders, and other water bugs, and hang around water.
The females often eat the males during courtship.
She carries her eggs in a silk bag in her jaws.

Rose-breasted grosbeak in song

Rose-breasted grosbeak in song from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
He landed on the branch, near the bird feeder. He's a handsome fellow. You can hear my goldfish pond in the background, as well as traffic, but he sings over it all! The female doesn't have the rose-coloured patch, and she is brownish.

A giant leap for Phoebe-kind

You'd think, with four cats about, Phoebe would build a nest a little farther away. The nest, as my faithful readers know, is in the open part of the shed, on the left. Dear wee Daisy, who has inner bigness, spots her from time-to-time, and heads over to the shed, but so far (knock wood) we are good.

Daisy, my climber!

Thing is, the garden is a perfect spot for a bug catcher! And this amateur gardener is happy she is about catching bugs. In this photo, she sits on top of the branch that decorates my garden. Can you see her?

Nah, me either. I have is a closer shot! Hooray for the zoom lens. (It was a gift! An early birthday present last year!)

phoebe egg - the first one

As she dives and catches bugs, in the blink of an eye, I am both impressed by her skills, and happy she is working to lower the bug population!

Now there are five!

PHOEBE
She sits atop the branch
cats patrol, I blanche
bugs, they catch her eye
happy, I can't deny
love to watch her antics,
'bout bugs I ain't romantics!


Phoebe from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Amazing little birds.

Rainstorm video

Rainstorm from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
Don't you love the sound of the rain?
We had a big thunderstorm go through. After last year's drought, it is very welcome around here!

Indigo bunting bird hunting!

With great excitement, the Indigo bunting came back this evening. I've neve seen one until today. I realized, from my walkies video a day ago, that this was the bird singing in the trees on my walks in the wetland. Checking it out in my bird book, I was able to name it, and went to the Cornell University website and verified the song! Sure enough, there were happily singing in the trees.  I couldn't capture a photo at all until it came to the feeder.

Birds galore and tadpoles!

We headed off to the frog pond for walkies yesterday. We'd had a big rain, and then the sun came out.
I knew a walk was in order.

Teeny spring peeper tadpoles

 A male mallard was swimming about. He did not fly off.

 The swimming tadpoles were a bit trickier to photograph!

Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)
poisonous - grows in the wetland

There were two hanging out together.
The camouflage is amazing.

Daisy didn't want to go home!

This is a fun story!

Mrs. Grosbeak was on the Catulpa tree branch.

I tried to focus the camera on Mr. Grosbeak, in the tree, when suddenly he swooped down and landed beside her.  She had spotted him up in the trees, raised her wee bottom as he approached. Then assumed the position. I was giggling so much, I missed the actual encounter! Happy couple in the spring air!

Next to come to the feeder was the woodpecker. I love how it holds on with its tail!

The blue jays were raucous on the backyard feeder.

Grackles as busy

The Horse Chestnut
still hasn't unfolded after the frost.
The flower buds seem OK.

Mid-day thunderstorm and sun shower!