At the end of June, I was sitting on the front step deadheading my mini-Petunias. I heard a little scuffle about a foot and a half from me and saw a baby bird had landed next to the other planter. He looked at me and I stayed still so I wouldn't scare him. His mother flew close by chirping, but he didn't answer, wisely staying quiet with me so close. Kathryn came around the walk at that moment so she got to see him, too. The mama landed in a tree nearby and sat for a minute before flying away continuing to call for her baby. Shortly thereafter, he flew away. I could tell he was just learning to fly. I glanced at the tree again and found his sibling content to stay put. It gave me time to get my camera and snap a couple shots. The mother bird continued to go back and forth between her more adventurous offspring and this fledgling. I felt for her having to keep up with them once they left the nest. What a tough job with them going in different directions!
The beginning of July brought the arrival of baby mice to our garage. Nate and I were chatting and I happened to glance in the empty recycle bin to find it not so empty. Two small mice had fallen in and were unable to get out. I got the camera, called for the girls to come see and after a brief, "Can't we keep them, daddy?" from Kathryn and I (he he), we took them off to the woods and released them. Unfortunately, it turned out they weren't the only ones visiting our house and we just caught another yesterday which makes 5 that we've caught in a humane trap so far and does not include the two babies. We found a nest under the kitchen sink made of a pledge dust rag, tons of cat food behind the dishwasher and poop concentrated under the sink and in the storage part of the basement. As a result, I cleaned under the sink and blocked the hole, Nate pulled out the dishwasher and cleaned behind it and we thoroughly organized and cleaned out the basement storage area, much to Nate's delight. He commented that if he'd known 2 years ago all it would take to make me go through my stuff in the basement was a mouse, he'd have gotten one then! Fortunately, it seems we're on top of the problem. I think the mice we've been releasing have been returning so the last one ended up getting a bike ride to the other side of the development yesterday. I hope this doesn't deter any of our company from coming in the next few weeks... :)
Our butterfly bush has attracted several butterfly species (and the dreaded Japanese Beetle), but I'm finding butterflies are not the easiest subjects to photograph. I managed to get a pretty good one of this female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (as far as my research has indicated, anyway.) We've seen a yellow one too, but it wouldn't hold still...much like my 4 year old...And the Monarch must be on speed because I can hardly get to the window before it's outta here.
American Goldfinch in our Ash tree
Tomato Hornworm eating my Roma tomato plants! I caught 5 or 6 of these creatures and haven't seen any others thus far, thank goodness. They really creeped me out because they're hard to see and they are huge! This guy was about 3 1/2 inches long and was about a half an inch around. Blech!!
And so wraps up this installment of Lori's blog of inane occurrences in the lives of the Lee family! Until next time... :)
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