In the wee hours of a summer morning (9 a.m. for a Lymie), I scour the flowerbeds for the impostors, unwelcome beetles who enjoy destroying the bounty intended for bees, butterflies and birds. A common checkered skipper flew up for breakfast on a neighboring salvia.
An older lady rests on a zinnia as the sun rises. Her grayish fur and tattered wings are a clue to her longevity and provoke the imagination of her many adventures. Bees don’t fear death because the story is not about them.
In our fountain-pond, we used to have floating flowers so bees and birds could enjoy the water without drowning. Unfortunately, they didn't hold up to the harshness of the winter or changing temperatures. So now I'm a lifeguard. Every night, I fish out one or two bees who've accidentally found themselves in the pond with […]
I was getting a bit worried because last April, we had crickets singing love songs every evening. This year, it's been ominously quiet. But now they are turning up in the Osteospermums by the dozens and they are growing and getting greener every day. Welcome baby katydid! Looking forward to the music of your kind!
Every morning, the ceononthus plants are covered in a variety of pollinating insects from honey bees, to bumble bees (pictured here), to hoverflies and butterflies. For the most part, they all peacefully work together, collecting pollen and ignoring me as I watch and photograph them. The bumble bee, however, can get mighty annoyed with me […]
This big boy kept me company every day this winter. During a long down time from Lyme disease, I'd lay on the sofa and watch him. He'd sit on this perch for hours, as long as the nectar was flowing. We named him Norm, because, well, he looks like Norm Peterson. "Norm! What's shaking?" "All four […]
Giuseppe the Green, turned to me abruptly. He and his cousin Luca were busy snacking on the Mexican sage and I clearly annoyed them. I always knew katydids were omnivores but it surprised me to see them chomping on the white petals none-the-less. Maybe the this time of season brings a down turn in a […]
You never forget your first photo shoot with a jumping spider. I saved Jumping Jack Flash, who's only about 4 mm and looks like a piece of lint to the naked eye, from a fatal encounter with the mighty monster Hoover. It’s not like I’m a super hero (but I won’t stop you from referring […]
Each day I see Twig, the hummingbird, perched upon a fruit tree tree. Sometimes he chooses the plum tree, other times the apple tree. His feathers soaked from the down pouring rain, weather makes no difference to Twig when there's territory and precious sage nectar to defend from his rivals. I move toward him and […]