Raven Ridge Gardens: fauna

Showing posts with label fauna. Show all posts

Sunday, January 10, 2010

January in the Garden 2010 - Quail Chatting on the Backyard Fence

I wouldn't normally have taken this shot because the sun behind the quail was washing out the colors. But how often does a shot like this present itself?

Hardly ever.

Sometimes you gotta go for it.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Autumn in My Garden 2009: Millipedes

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I found this millipede while weeding in the garden.

It curled up into a tight little ball about the size of a nickel

and wouldn't come out for the longest time.

When it finally unrolled itself,

I barely had time to take a few photos before

it slipped away out of sight.

Copyright © 2006-2009, Raven Ridge Gardens. All rights reserved.

Saturday, October 03, 2009

Autumn in My Garden 2009: Golden Brown Caterpillar

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Gently munching away on a strawberry leaf, this is one

very small caterpillar.

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Summer in The Garden: Shadow of a Damselfly

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Sometimes I become so fixated on my photo subject that I fail to see what is right in front of my eyes, or lens.

Here, I was so intent on the damselfly I didn't see the perfect shadow it was casting on the rose leaf.

Serendipity takes center stage.

This is my entry for this weekend's Shadow Shot Sunday over at Hey Harriet's. Click on over and check out all the beautiful shadow photography.

Click on the photo above to see the detail. Use your back button to return to the post.

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Summer in The Garden - Soft Green Mystery Moth

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Firmly clinging to the back door this morning was a delicate, light green moth that I've not seen before. I'm trying to key it, but if any of you gardeners know its name, drop me a comment.

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Baby Swallows Almost Ready to Fly

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I know it's a grainy photo, taken through both a screen and a window pane. But they're right outside my window! Tucked under the eaves. Showing no fear whatsoever. I could reach out and touch them. But I won't. The feathers lining the nest are from my white chickens.

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Spring in My Garden - A Bee on Rose

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The bee had just emerged from the center of the rose, drenched with pollen dust. Click on photo to see the effect.

Monday, January 19, 2009

Rana Aurora - Red-Legged Frog

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This great critter hopped across my foot as I was walking between the house and my office the other day. They are so cool. The Red-Legged Frog is on the California Endangered Species Watch List in other parts of the state, but seem to be holding their own up here. Still, we don't see them very often so I was glad to cross paths with this one.

Please don't get excited - the frog wasn't harmed in any way and I wanted to show how very, very long and big this one is. The biggest one I've encountered. He/she was released just after getting his/her photo taken and quickly hopped into the ground cover. Me, I've never been able to resist lizards, snakes, frogs, knewts and salamanders.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Summer In The Garden #9 - Dragonfly

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Caught with a flash yesterday evening, this lovely dragonfly was still clinging to the large Brandywine tomato leaf tonight, 24 hours later.

Friday, July 11, 2008

The Hatchling

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Yesterday morning this was empty and . . .

this was drying her wings nearby.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Sulphur Butterfly Chrysalis

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Attached to the side of the greenhouse by what looks to be one very slender thread, I believe this is the chrysalis of a Sulphur Butterfly. It stands to reason given this. I'm hoping to catch it hatching in a few more days.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Honeybees and Poppy Seeds

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Honey bees. We've been bemoaning the loss of honey bees in the garden for several years now. When the poppies started sprouting up every where this spring, I left them alone even though I wanted to spread the compost pile in which they were growing throughout the garden. I'm so glad I didn't. Honey bees are here in full force. A little wild, a little agressive, but I give them a wide berth and we get along just fine.

Pollen depleted

Visions of poppyseed cake!

Do click on the bee photo to get a close up. One is in flight. Lucky me.

Monday, June 30, 2008

Mystery Moth

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Unidentified moth (?) at dusk in my garden.

These particular photos will be a bit fuzzy if you click on them to see the larger image because I didn't have my camera set for low light.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Yellow on Yellow

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Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Stumpy Rides Again And Lives To Enjoy Another Day

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A year older and none too wiser, Stumpy was not pleased that Lily had been tossing him into the air and rolling him around on the ground moments before I intervened and snapped this photo. He stayed in this posture of pissed-off-ed-ness until finally realizing that I, unlike Lily, wasn't going to subject him to the same indignities. Luckily the tail stayed intact. This time. Unfortunately Stumpy was not going to suffer being put back in the greenhouse for safekeeping and scampered into the tall grass where I was not going to follow. That menacing look commands respect. Please click on the photo for Stumpy's close-up.

Thursday, June 05, 2008

Pardon Me, Snake

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I wish I could say that I just happened upon this gorgeous creature while strolling through my garden, but the truth is I was striding with great purpose from the house to my office and almost stepped on it. Not my favorite way to encounter snakes, even relatively friendly ones like this California Red-Sided Gartersnake, as it takes my heart forever to calm down. (Alwyn, are you reading this?) Please do click on the photo to see the close up. It's beautiful.

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

One Very Wet Bumblebee

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I often wonder how these tiny creatures survive our harsh winters. Taking shelter under a drooping flower somehow doesn't seem like it would do the trick. But the bees are out in droves every summer so I guess they know what they're doing.

Monday, November 12, 2007

Coastal Giant Salamander

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This is why we keep the edges of our property wild. In years past we would see many of this type of salamander through out the seasons. Now we come across them only once in a great while.

My son and I gently placed it in this shallow container for photo purposes only. We quickly put it back where it was found and it went on its gentle, merry way. Contrary to what I've read about these critters on line, I've picked them up numerous times and have never been bitten nor had one even posture that it would like to bite me. Still, given the warnings about their aggressive nature, I would not encourage more human interaction than the occasional photograph.

Tuesday, November 06, 2007

Praying Mantis

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Holy Moly! A praying mantis. In my garden. I've never seen one here. Nor anywhere else in this damp coastal area.

Preferring dry, warm to hot weather, there were hoards of these in my Sacramento Valley garden. They're wonderful to have around because they eat so many bugs that are harmful to plants.

There is a downside to having too many praying mantids: they have voracious appetites and will eat just about anything they can get there "hands" on, including beneficial insects and the occasional small bird. Click on this link for just such a documentation but, I warn you, it's not for the faint of heart.

Me, I'm rejoicing in the fact that one of them has found my garden.