Our Yards

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Family obligations have still made it impossible for me to get out and do some birding and wildlife watching. Luckily, our yards have continued to be fairly busy.

Gulf Fritillaries have been visiting daily to lay their eggs on our passion fruit plant. 

Monarch butterflies pop in occasionally, although their caterpillars appear to have disappeared from our milkweeds. 

Several different dragonfly species turn up every day.

As usual, there are anoles everywhere. However, this year we seem to have almost as many mediterranean geckos.

All of our resident birds are around every day. We're always pleased to see our Northern Cardinals, Carolina Chickadees, Carolina Wrens, Downy Woodpeckers, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Blue Jays and Tufted Titmice (below).

We're much less pleased to see hordes of White-winged Doves and House Sparrows arrive whenever we put birdseed on our back fence. Still, we can't help but like this one young House Sparrow who spends ages sitting on the fence and trying to beg food from all the other birds that come by, irrespective of their species.   

For weeks we've seen only the occasional House Finche but yesterday we were glad to spot a male and a couple of females at the feeders.

Male Ruby-throated Hummingbirds arrived about ten days ago. Now that fall is fast approaching, it shouldn't be long before lots of females drop in on their way down to Mexico.

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