In Jo's Yard - 35 More Critters

Dec 27, 2018 – More small wildlife is showing up in my yard – much to my delight!  This afternoon, walking through the garden, I spotted what looked like a green blob in my Florida Privet.  Taking a closer look, I found a little frog, about 2-1/2 inches long, resting on the stake that straightens the Privet.  A little research and I concluded he was an American Green Tree Frog.  What a handsome fellow!  Their bodies are usually green in shades ranging from bright yellowish-olive to lime green. The color can change depending on lighting or temperature. They are found in central and southeastern US.  American Green Tree frogs consume flies, mosquitoes and other small insects like crickets.  I’m happy to have him in my yard. 

I watched from my office as a finch flitted from Simpson Stopper to Flatwood Plum tree to Florida Privet.  I wanted to get my binoculars to get a better look, but I could not take my eyes off him. 

In the evening, I took a drink to the glider and tried to coax my cat to enjoy some fresh air.  Generally, Kocka just takes up a sentry pose at the door to the laundry waiting patiently to be let back inside.  But this night he decided to explore the path between the house & the wildflower garden.  We were both startled when a rabbit skedaddled from under the tropical sage, headed across the driveway to the neighbor’s yard. Kocka headed back into the garage!

The Monarch Butterflies seem to be gone, but a Cloudless Sulphur butterfly appeared, zipping around the Tropical Sage and Blanket Flowers briefly.  Such a lovely lemon yellow color! 

And after dark, I spotted a Southern Toad on my walkway.  Southern Toads burrow in the soil or under cover objects in virtually any urbanized or natural terrestrial habitat.  Their call is a combination of a hum and a whistle!  Their diet consists of ants, bees, beetles, crickets, roaches, snails, and other invertebrates.  I’m not so happy about the bees, but the rest they can have!           

  
                                                        American Green Tree Frog

                                                 

                                                                                 Southern Toad

        

In Jo's Yard - 34 Rain

December 2018, I saw both Eastern Blue Birds & North Carolina Cardinals in the yard in Flatwood Plum trees and on my glider.  The Northern Mockingbird is eating the red berries in the Yaupon Holly by the garage. 

December 14-15 (2018), rain and severe thunderstorms were predicted throughout the day.  We could use some rain!  There was gentle rain in the morning and early afternoon.  Late afternoon, the downpour started with some rumbles of thunder and a few flashes of lightning.  I was awakened at 1AM by the sound of driving rain and lay awake for a while saying a few prayers that we all would be safe from disasters like sinkholes, a phenomenon that I don’t particularly understand and definitely don’t want to experience.  Saturday morning, I took a deep breath and went out to pick up the newspaper and check out the yard. 

The plants, shrubs, trees all seem to have survived the drenching very well.  The frog fruit looks greener in some places.  The swamp twinflower seems to have spread overnight.  Surely, I tell myself, I will see the rain lilies after this drenching in just 3-4 days!  (spoiler alert:  Not yet)  There is some standing water along the north side of the house, and along the west and south property lines, but that would have been there even with just grass.  I still have a lot to learn about the Florida climate and native plants, but my yard seems to be doing well for now. 

In Jo's Yard - 33 Birdhouse

November 2018, Tom and Judy (my brother and sister-in-law) come here for Thanksgiving.  Tom delivers the birdhouse that he made for my birthday.  He installed it in the late afternoon.  The very next morning – Bluebirds were checking it out!  I understand they won’t be moving in anytime soon, since nesting is in the spring.  But I am thinking “Build it and they will come!”  Two of my neighbors decided to follow my example and got some birdhouses from the local box stores. 

In early spring, 2019, they each get bluebirds, but I get a House Sparrow.  The House Sparrow never really builds a nest – he just claims the birdhouse to keep any other birds from getting it!  However, in late June 2019, after the house sparrow left, I made sure the birdhouse was clean and bluebirds DID arrive.  I enjoyed watching them go in and out with bugs collected from my yard.  In July, after the fledging left, I checked the birdhouse and there was a beautiful, neat nest left behind.  I cleaned it out – ready for the next breeding season!

                                                   Bluebirds check out the neighborhood                      

Checking out the interior accommodations 

Empty Bluebird nest after a successful breeding in 2019