I was thinking (rather mistakenly) that the garden was in a lull.
Oh there are a few things blooming, like Monarda 'Coral Reef:'
A stunning, almost inflorescent pink Bee Balm, much loved by bumblebees.
But, as I touched on in the Western Kingbird post, the garden is so much more than the blooms it flaunts.
There is bird life. Above: Male Bullock's Oriole on sugar water feeder.
the fluttering of butterflies (Western Tiger Swallowtail on Lantana)
Quick and agile Amphibians, like the baby toad pictured above. This year the garden has been inundated by toads. More specifically, baby toads.
They are everywhere ~ even in the window wells (like the four pictured above.) It's impossible to tell scale from my photos but these toads are all only dime or nickel size!!
Their population explosion has attracted another visitor:
A Western Hognose Snake!
Excuse the bad photo, I was lucky to get it at all. Apparently they feed predominantly on amphibians! A virtual smorgasbord awaits in my garden.... But hold up. Let's backtrack.
Before photographing the snake, I had noticed the smallest baby bunny I'd ever seen, quivering near the house:
He barely seemed able to move around. I wondered if he was too small to be out of the nest; which I believed to be under the overhang of my dining room bay window.
Exactly the spot the snake's head is emerging from!!!!!
Look closely at the photo above & notice the top of the bunnies head at the very bottom of the photo with the hognose snake about a foot above. I don't know what happened to this baby bunny. He was gone in the morning & I haven't seen the snake since either. I have a theory the snake could still be digesting a whole nest of bunnies...
On a happier note, the garden is again home to hummingbirds!
We wait all year for the two short months they liven up the landscape in and around our garden.
Photo below is of note because it shows the small spot of orange on the juvenile hummingbirds throat:
Over the next year, this spot will spread until it covers his whole throat in a blaze of color.
A fiery sight to behold.
I strung garden lights this year mostly for their benefit:
They love to perch, preen, view & defend their territory from the suspended strings.
Oh no, the garden is definitely NOT in a "lull."
Far from it....
Kathleen girl this post is stunning and I truly mean that.
You have captured amazing photos it could be your own mini series of wild life in the garden !
Do toads "sing" like frogs at all?
I would give anything to have that happen in my garden .. but the thing with the snake .. nope!
My heart couldn't take the drama of it feasting on baby toads and perhaps even that little bunny .. too sad for me even though i know it is nature.
This has got to be one of my most favorite posts I have ever seen.
Excellent from start to finish girl ... well done YOU !!!
Joy : )
Posted by: Joy | July 24, 2014 at 05:29 AM
Love this! I want to live in your garden, without the snake of course! Gorgeous pictures, and your words really bring it to life!! Such talent...
Posted by: Jan Barron | July 24, 2014 at 02:23 PM
Oh my gosh - how uplifting your blog was today - well except for the bunny story! Loved seeing all the wildlife that is thriving in your beautiful gardens. Excellent photos as always and great catch of the red dot on the hummingbirds neck! I so love that you are blogging again!
Posted by: Dana | July 24, 2014 at 03:01 PM
Your photos are so wonderful! I didn't realize that you were back to blogging regularly and had to look back through some of the posts I have missed.
Is it just me or does it seem like there are more butterflies this year than last year where there were so few? I actually managed to capture a Swallowtail the other day (although my shots aren't nearly as nice).
I have a baby bunny in the garden as well. I see him in the early evening near my violets (which they seem to love to eat).
Yesterday I saw I long dark tail disappearing into the underbrush in the back of the garden. I fear for my little bunny as well. Hopefully it was just the neighbour's cat.
Have a wonderful weekend Kathleen!
Posted by: Jennifer | July 25, 2014 at 06:07 AM
Great wildlife photos! Nature is so fascinating. I've had a big toad in my garden for many weeks, and then today I noticed a baby for the first time--so that's fun! I love having them there because they eat a lot of bad bugs. Plus, they're fun to watch. Great idea with the string of lights for the hummingbirds!
Posted by: Beth @ PlantPostings | July 26, 2014 at 09:05 PM
I sure enjoyed all the wildlife in your garden. I've seen bits of them all except snakes! I'm not terrified of snakes like many people are, so I'd love to see them here. I saw my favorite hummingbird out the window, so I settled in nearby with my camera. You guessed it, he promptly disappeared!
Posted by: Robin | July 31, 2014 at 08:20 PM