The Flickr Faveswinner Image Generatr

I was pruning our two biggest butterfly bushes (our severe winter almost killed them) when suddenly this bright green popped out at me! It's kind of early for Green treefrogs who like warm weather - I haven't heard them calling yet. He was big too - about 2" long. He only moved when I shook his perch to trim twigs out of the way - pulling his footies out from being tucked beneath him and opening his eyes a bit. He would stay there till dusk. Kind of looks like glossy green plastic, doesn't he? They truly don't look real and you'd think they would be found in the Tropics. Our yard Green treefrogs put these guys on the distribution maps for our county - they are not (yet) found north of our yard.

Georgia yard - this week

He's best up close if you have the time:

www.flickr.com/photos/vickisnature/13993752355/sizes/h/

Winner, Faves, 10-29 faves, 4-14
Winner, You Rock, No birds bugs babies, 5-14
Winner, Game, GAME, 5-14
Winner, Game, gamex2, 6-14
Winner, Storybook, Frogs, 7-14
Winner, Game, gamex3, 10-14
Winner, Storybook, Through the woods, 2-15

on the pond behind our house, Georgia
from August

Come visit me in July & August when it's HOT - and we'll go find Halloween's!

Winner, Faves, 1-9 faves, 4-14

at the pond behind our house - Georgia

Happy Dragonfly Thursday!

Winner, Faves, 1-9 faves, 3-14
Winner, Game, One medal, 3-14

I was shooting some flowers on the deck when one of our Pine warblers came down to eat and check me out - allowing for some close shots. They're very tame. Yesterday at 4pm I was in the right place to watch 1,100 more Sandhill cranes go over! A birder pal was waiting for them a few miles to the north but few showed up ... which means they were heading for the next big roosting area in Hiwassee, Tennessee before dark.

For frog fans: here's a video of Spring peepers & S leopard frogs outdoing the chorus frogs. I also heard foty American toads (a high whistle) and found their eggs:

www.flickr.com/photos/vickisnature/12674416305/

I'm supposed to be in a sling from my fall but I'm not being a good patient. Happy Feathery Friday!

Winner, Faves, 10-29 faves, 3-14
Winner, Pre-game, Yellow, 3-14
Winner, Game, Yellow, 4-14
Winner, Game, gamex2, 5-14
Winner (Sweep), Game, gamex3, 5-14
Winner, Storybook, Anything goes, 6-14
Winner, Big Momma, The Mother of All Challenge Groups, Yellow, 6-14
Winner (Sweep), Storybook, Through the Woods, 7-14
Winner, Grandmother, The Mother of All Challenge Groups, 10-14
Winner (Bronze), Foto competition, Yellow, 12-14

Georgia yard

Winner, Faves, 1-9 faves, 2-14
Winner (sweep), Game, Dof, 2-14

Georgia yard

Oh to be July again! Warming up slowly here. If you have snow - be careful out there. Have a good weekend ...

Winner, Storybook, Insects, 2-14
Winner (Unanimous), You Rock, Anything goes, 2-14
Winner (Sweep), Faves, 30-49 faves, 2-14
Winner. Faves, Favored, 2-14
Winner, Big Momma, The Mother of All Challenge Groups, Storybook winners, 2-14
Winner (Sweep), Game, Barbed wire, 6-14
Winner, Game, gamex2, 6-14
Winner (Sweep), Game, gamex3, 7-14
Winner (Sweep), You Rock, Rock On, 7-14
Winner, Faves, Top Seed, 7-14
Winner, Faves, Favorite Son, 7-14
Winner, Storybook, Through the Woods, 7-14

We have a family of 3 bluebirds that always show up together: two males and a female. I wonder which male will get the best bluebird box! Eastern bluebirds are usually our earliest nesters ... they will start checking out our bluebird boxes soon.

Georgia yard

Winner, Faves, 1-9 faves, 1-14
Winner, Storybook, Anything goes, 2-14
Winner, Game, Garden birds, 5-14

in 2014! Let's all have a great season ahead. Happy New Year !!!

Winner (Unanimous), You Rock, Anything goes, 1-14
Winner (Sweep), Game, Insects, 1-14
Winner, You Rock, Rock On, 1-14

Dragonfly of the Day, Dragonfly Gallery, 3-1-14
Dragonfly of the Month, Dragonfly Gallery, March 2014

Winner (Sweep), Faves, 30-49 faves, 5-14
2nd place, Super Shots, April contest, 5-14

Female Blue dasher at the wetlands
Georgia

I saw a lot of females this season perched along fields & woods edges. They had a good year. Females are small - sometimes tiny dragonflies (not much more than an inch long). Shot with the Canon SX30

Happy Hug-a-bug Tuesday!

Winner, Challenge Factory, Pretty bugs, 12-13
Winner, Storybook, Something good - 10-25 faves, 12-13
Winner, Faves, 10-29 faves, 1-14
Winner (Sweep), Game, Nature macro, 9-14

Black swallowtail caterpillar munching on fennel

Happy Butterfly Monday!!!

Winner, Faves, 1-9 faves, 12-13
Winner, Storybook, Anything goes, 12-13
Winner, Storybook, Through the woods, 1-14
Winner, Game, Described in one word, 3-14
Winner, Big Momma, The Mother of All Challenge Groups, Green, 3-14
Winner (Bronze), Foto competition, With a curve, 11-14
Winner (Silver), Foto competition, Green, 12-14
Winner (Gold), Foto competition, 1-15

yesterday at the wetlands, Georgia

The meadowhawks were still flying yesterday and to my surprise - a spreadwing popped up! I hadn't seen the spreadwings on the last two visits and thought they were done. Shot with the 100mm macro lens.

View large: www.flickr.com/photos/vickisnature/10420209946/sizes/l/in...

Winner, Faves, 1-9 faves, 11-13

I don't remember when I saw the last Halloween of the year, but that's how it always goes. You look around one day and realize you aren't going to see another until next summer. And with some dragonflies & butterflies & birds, it may be 2-3 years before you see another. That's why you have to fully enjoy every one of God's creatures when you see them.

Dark and overcast here all week with rain coming - I hope the last few dragonflies I have flying will still be out there when the sun returns. Have a good Wednesday ~~

pond behind my house, Georgia

Photo of the Week, Admins Pick, Defender's nature & macro, 10-25-13
Runner-up & Front page, Nature's Platinum Carousel, Fortnightly contest, 11-13
Winner, Storybook, Anything goes, 11-13
Winner (Sweep), Faves, 30-49 faves, 11-13
Winner, Faves, Favored, 11-13
Winner, Game, Brown, 11-13
Winner, Storybook, Through the woods, 11-13

I was checking the flower garden yesterday morning and this treefrog caught my eye sleeping in the pink hibiscus! We hear zillions of them calling in the summer but this is only the 2nd one I've photographed in the yard. The first one was a county record - it wasn't known that they existed this far North in our area. They were once found just south of the Fall line but their range is expanding per John Jensen. The little caterpillars are devouring our hibiscus - they even crawled on the little guy who remained all day without moving. We also have Gray treefrogs here.

Here's what Green treefrogs sound like - they call mostlly at night - plus more info. This individual was over 1 1/2 inches long and looked very healthy:

wwknapp.home.mindspring.com/docs/green.tfrog.html

Thanks to GeorgiaInfo - I didn't know that this guy was our state amphibian!


Winner (Unanimous), You Rock, Anything goes, 8-13
Winner (Sweep), Storybook, Where the wild things are, 8-13
Winner, Challenge Group, Something green, 9-13
Winner, Faves, 20+ faves, 9-13
Winner (Sweep), Game, 2nd chooses, 9-13
Winner (Sweep), Storybook, Through the Woods, 9-13
Winner, Game, gamex2, 9-13
Winner (Sweep), Game, gamex3, 9-13
Winner, Big Momma award, The Mother of All Challenge Groups, No birds/bugs/babies, 9-13
Winner, Faves, Favored, 9-13
Winner, You Rock, Rock On, 10-13
Winner, Faves, Top Seed, 10-13
Winner, Grandmother, The Mother of All Challenge Groups, 10-13
2nd Place, Super Shots, Monthly Contest, October 2013

Winner, Game, Game On, 11-13
Winner, Faves, Favorite Son, 11-13
3rd place, Colors of the Heart, December 2013 Monthly Comp, 12-13
Winner, You Rock, Rock Concert, 1-14
Winner, Storybook, Monthly Beanstalk Climb-off - People/Animals, 2-14
Winner, Storybook, Quarterly Gold Coins contest, 8-14
Winner (Bronze), Foto Competition, Could be a magazine cover, 10-14
Winner (Silver), Foto Competition, 11-14
Winner (Gold), Foto Competition, 12-14

Milkweed bugs are finally showing up on the scarlet milkweed - I think these are Large Milkweed Bugs but Lacey will know. If you're in the South, now is the time to put milkweed out for the Monarchs, so call your nursery. Just one potted plant will help them. This tall plant has survived 2 winters in our garage. The bokeh is a pink hibiscus bud & blossom - they're still blooming but will wrap up soon.

Georgia yard

Winner, Faves, 1-9 faves, 8-13

Lužánky park, Brno, Czech Republic.

Mahen's Theatre, Malinovského sq., Brno, Czech Republic.

We stopped at Bill Greenwood's restaurants "Swallow at the Hollow" & "Greenwood's" yesterday while out photographing butterflies, and their butterfly gardens were buzzing with Cabbage Whites. One very large black lady Tiger was nectaring on this giant zinnia - the orange was visibly reflecting off her wings. A very colorful garden.

We had a 2-hour deluge yesterday after we got home so everything is soaked again and it will be overcast today. Tomorrow should improve. Have a good weekend!

Winner, Faves, 1-9 faves, 8-13

Lidicka st., Brno, Czech Republic.

These identical boathouses caught my eye, in Flam, Norway, right at the very end of a very big Fiord