Frog on the frog?

The last couple of days critters of all kinds have been bustling about the garden and near the house. They seem to have a sense of urgency about them. Could it be that they are sensing the gloomy, frosty days of winter looming down on us this Friday and therefore are moving to warmer quarters? Others seem to just be loading up on nectar and food, like these butterflies. So focused was their intent, my presence did not seem to bother them at all.

Cardinals were binging in the birdie bird feeder….

and grasshoppers were everywhere – even stuck to the window, in a in-your-face kinda way. If you click on the image to make it larger you can even see the neat sucker-like structures the grasshopper has on it’s legs which allows it to stick to the window so effortlessly .

Moving cautiously along, a tarantula making it’s way across the driveway toward the house. I actually spotted it’s progress from the upstairs bathroom window – that’s how big this guy/girl ( I didn’t check to verify 🙂 ) was. Anyway, I rushed down, snagged the camera, took a couple of shots and then gently and very respectfully (don’t want to anger a gigantic spider, mind you) guided this fella back into the garden. As much as we love the critters here, we usually like to keep them out of the house when they wish to visit with us.

A Coopers hawk, or Sharp-shinned hawk (we are not sure which one), took a rest stop in the birdbath. We have dozens of white wing dove around here and I am sure he was looking for breakfast, while enjoying his morning beverage. I am happy to say that the songbirds were very quiet and out of sight while he took his time soaking his toes.I took this picture through a not-so-clean window :-D. I sure wish I could have had a cleaner shot, but any movement from the house and this guy was gone.

Lots of migrating birds were spotted today as well. While outside cleaning the pond and pushing the tropical water lilies into the deeper end so they wouldn’t freeze, I heard, and then spotted two flocks of geese flying in their characteristic V shaped formation toward the southwest.  I wished them a safe and speedy journey and a peaceful and pleasant stay in their winter habitat. I sure wish I had a picture of them, and I will be more vigilent in the spring when they make their way back into the northern parts of the country.

So that’s it for now. I am sure more critters will appear, or maybe not – since temperatures are forecast to stay below 40 for more than a week here. Time to bring in the firewood and cover the veggie garden again. In the mean time I will bask in this sunny picture of Copper Canyon Daisy and Blue Spires Sage to keep me going during the gloomy days ahead.

The green blanket in the background is our frost covering which we’ve distressingly had to use since mid November. They work great except when temps go into the middle 20’s.