Most Common Skipper

Fiery Skipper - characterized by short antennae, small black spots on the hindwings and the golden color. One of the most common and active skippers found in gardens.

A Boy and a Kite

William flying a kite at Grandpa's house.

Dolichopodidae (Long-Legged Fly)

Dolichopodids are small slender flies, which are usually brilliantly colored with metallic hues. They are characterized by 2 long wings and long slender legs. They are a beneficial garden insect and are a predator of mites, thrips, aphids and insect larvae.

Butterfly Ballet

Time for a Drink

A wasp stops for a drink at the bird bath.

Hummingbird Feeder

The Hummingbird feeder has been a busy place.

A Tiny Moth

Interesting feather-duster antennae

Brown Thrasher

The Brown Thrasher is a large, skulking bird of thickets and hedgerows and has one of the largest song repertoires of any North American bird. It is a relative of the Northern Mockingbird.

Two Tigers

Two Tiger Swallowtails at the butterfly bush.

The one on the right has had a rough summer.

A Pair of Garden Spiders

The male garden spider is smaller than the female and builds a smaller web nearby the female's web.

What's a Dewlap?

A dewlap is a large pink fan of skin on the neck of green anoles. Male anoles will bob their heads and extend their dewlap as a territorial defense to warn an intruder or in courtship.

Pearl Crescent

The Pearl Crescent is a fairly small butterfly and one of the most common meadow butterflies.

Hummingbird

Hummingbird visiting the butterfly bush.

Wasp

This wasp was identified as a Scolia nobilitata
by the folks at bugguide.net.

Nesting Time

A Brown Thrasher nesting in the Loropetalum.

Catch of the Day

A fly caught in the web and wrapped in silk.

A two-lined spittlebug all wrapped up,

Black-eyed Susan

A partly cloudy sky adds a nice backdrop
to this Black-eyed Susan.

Molting

Garden spiders go through several molts (shedding their exoskeleton) before they are fully grown.

Black and yellow garden spider and the shed exoskeleton.
With each molting their color becomes more pronounced.
See previous photo posted on June 24th.

Red Canna

Fun at the Playground

Jack and Annaka enjoy time at the playground.

Pink Crape

The pink crape myrtle is blooming, it must be July.
Native to Asia, the crape myrtle is very common in the southern US,
having been introduced over 150 years ago.

Colorful Caterpiller

Climbing up in the World

Color Accent

I was testing out an interesting feature on the camera that allows you to select one color and the rest of photo is black and white. I like the effect and need to experiment with it some more.

Ethan at the Beach

Children and Nature

Richard Louv in his book, Last Child in the Woods, brings together cutting-edge research showing that direct exposure to nature is essential for healthy childhood development - physical, emotional and spiritual.

"If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder ... he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in."

from Rachel Carson's The Sense of Wonder

As a grandfather I feel an obligation to encourage my four grandchildren to explore nature and to know God's creation.

Grandpa and William explore a spider web.

Fireworks in the Neighborhood

Decorating for the 4th of July

William putting a flag on Grandpa's mailbox.

Yellow Canna

Delta Flower Scarab Beetle

This beetle has distinctive markings and very long rear legs. The name "delta" refers to the triangular pattern on the body, which resembles the Greek letter, Delta
Spec