Tag Archives: Wildlife

Waiting on Door Dash

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What a lovely surprise to wake up recently to this Cope’s gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis), who had parked itself on our front door handle…obviously, waiting for its meal to arrive. These frogs, which typically live for 7-9 years have a voracious appetite for both insects as well as other frogs.

Despite going in and out constantly through the morning, it remained in place for over 8 hours. I can only imagine the suction cups made the up and down motion of the door handle feel a bit like a ride at the fair. We assume the order from Frogs-R-Us must have arrived, since the door handle had been vacated by days end.

Image of a Cope's gray treefrog perched on the door handle.
Cope’s gray treefrog

Pink Beauty

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Looking good in the garden now is Callicarpa americana ‘Welch’s Pink’, discovered by former PDN’er Matt Welch in East Texas. This is pink fruited form of our native American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana. The fruit are an important fall food source for many species of birds.

Close up of Callicarpa americana Welch's Pink with it's wonderful pink berries
Wide pic of Callicarpa americana Welch's Pink with it's wonderful pink berries

Here’s Looking at You, Kid

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While weeding in the garden last week, I had the strange feeling I was being watched. Sure enough, a Fowler’s Toad was watching my every move from his subterranean summer timeshare. These particular native toads like to live near water, so our rain garden provided the perfect habitat. Ecologically healthy gardens make great homes for an array of cool wildlife.

Cherry Bomb

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The superb (and spineless) Ilex ‘Cherry Bomb’ is looking amazing in the garden this week. Our specimen is now 22 years old, and measures 35′ tall x 15′ wide. It originated at the US National Arboretum as part of Dr. William Kosar’s breeding program, and is a 1959/1960 seedling from Ilex ‘Nellie R. Stevens’, most likely a hybrid with the spineless Ilex integra.

It was sent around to different growers for evaluation trials under a code #, and was later determined to not have enough value for northern US growers, so a destruction notice was sent by the National Arboretum.

Like some characters in the slasher flicks, it wasn’t completely destroyed, as propagations from the holly managed, quite improperly, to make its way to the deep south, where growers found it quite extraordinary, and in the 1980s, it was given the name Ilex ‘Cherry Bomb’ by Dr. Dave Creech of Steven F. Austin University. This wonderful plant is now a staple in the Southern nursery industry.

Snackin’ in the garden

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Mantis-cicadaIn the dim pre-dawn light, I was making my morning trek to retrieve the morning newspaper, when my attention was pulled to a pain-like screeching coming from the garden.  It wasn’t hard to follow the noise, which turned out to be a hungry praying mantis, squeezing the life from a still struggling cicada, who’d found itself in the wrong place at the wrong time.  There are so many wonderful opportunities in the garden to observe nature if we just slow down and be mindful of each moment.

 

Kildeer nesting in the garden

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Kildeer nesting at JLBGMost birds in the garden have the good sense to nest in relatively safe areas like trees, but not killdeers.  I almost ran over this nesting killdeer with the golf cart yesterday. Fortunately, they have rather loud voices.  We’re not sure if this is mama or daddy, but the babies can’t be far off.

 

Anole Love

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We love our color-changing, native Carolina anoles.  He are some recent photos from the garden.Anole on yucca leaf

Hello…need some auto insurance.  Just kidding!

Anole on yucca leaf3

 

 

 

I’m looking for a mate…are you a mate?

Anole love

That’s more my speed…love in the afternoon…at Juniper Level Botanic Garden.