Guests to our garden
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- tsbccowboy
- Posts: 371
- Joined: Feb 29, 2004 2:48 pm
- Location: Apple Valley, Minnesota 44°43'39.50"N 93°14'52.40"W
- Contact:
Guests to our garden
Guests to our garden, both invited guests and party crashers. Who or what has been a guest to your garden (friends, family or "other")? I guess friends and "other" may not be mutually exclusive, I hope family and "other" are mutually exclusive, but who knows.
My "other". Doing my 6am walk around the gardens I noticed this huge, prehistoric tail sticking out from under a rock. At that time of day I can function well enough to walk around the gardens but to see something out of the ordinary totally startled me. Turns out it wasn't a rock but a snapping turtle (it had about a 10" long shell). I ran in the house a grabbed my camera.
The turtle was probably more scared of me than I was of him/her.
The turtle tried going through the Hosta plants so I grabbed the turtle and relocated it to the park across the street, where there is a big pond.
The turtle is heading for the pond.
You never know what you may find in the gardens.
Who or what were your garden guests,
Cowboy
My "other". Doing my 6am walk around the gardens I noticed this huge, prehistoric tail sticking out from under a rock. At that time of day I can function well enough to walk around the gardens but to see something out of the ordinary totally startled me. Turns out it wasn't a rock but a snapping turtle (it had about a 10" long shell). I ran in the house a grabbed my camera.
The turtle was probably more scared of me than I was of him/her.
The turtle tried going through the Hosta plants so I grabbed the turtle and relocated it to the park across the street, where there is a big pond.
The turtle is heading for the pond.
You never know what you may find in the gardens.
Who or what were your garden guests,
Cowboy
- kHT
- Posts: 10379
- Joined: Oct 31, 2001 8:00 pm
- USDA Zone: 7-8 Z-nial
- Location: PNW, some where over the rainbow?
Re: Guests to our garden
Wow, that beats the stray dog and it's owner that run into our yard. Or the balls we have thrown in just because they want to play in the street.
Or the Sheriff deputy sent over to get the ball because we won't go pick up the ball that was thrown into the yard. We have many visitors, last year
we opened up our gardens to over 450 folks that toured, it was a long summer of fun. We are in hopes this year of a peaceful one as the garden won't be open while we do some projects. Starting off with killing the lawn and reseeding.
Love your turtle and glad he was taken across the street.
Or the Sheriff deputy sent over to get the ball because we won't go pick up the ball that was thrown into the yard. We have many visitors, last year
we opened up our gardens to over 450 folks that toured, it was a long summer of fun. We are in hopes this year of a peaceful one as the garden won't be open while we do some projects. Starting off with killing the lawn and reseeding.
Love your turtle and glad he was taken across the street.
karma 'Happy Toes' (kHT)
The Goddess is Alive and Magic is Afoot!!!!
I'm just a simple housewife.
The Goddess is Alive and Magic is Afoot!!!!
I'm just a simple housewife.
- tsbccowboy
- Posts: 371
- Joined: Feb 29, 2004 2:48 pm
- Location: Apple Valley, Minnesota 44°43'39.50"N 93°14'52.40"W
- Contact:
Re: Guests to our garden
- tsbccowboy
- Posts: 371
- Joined: Feb 29, 2004 2:48 pm
- Location: Apple Valley, Minnesota 44°43'39.50"N 93°14'52.40"W
- Contact:
Re: Guests to our garden
Re: Guests to our garden
I love the turtle. It looks just like a fake one I have in the garden.
I can't resist posting these visitors. They are not in my garden. They came from a friend in Australia. She has also sent me pictures of kangaroos and koala's. These are Tawny Frogmouth's. At first they look like wood. She told me they are nightjars not owls.
Tawny Frogmouth 1 by mctavish6, on Flickr
Tawny Frogmouth 2 by mctavish6, on Flickr
Tawny Frogmouth 3 by mctavish6, on Flickr
Tawny Frogmouth 4 by mctavish6, on Flickr
I can't resist posting these visitors. They are not in my garden. They came from a friend in Australia. She has also sent me pictures of kangaroos and koala's. These are Tawny Frogmouth's. At first they look like wood. She told me they are nightjars not owls.
Tawny Frogmouth 1 by mctavish6, on Flickr
Tawny Frogmouth 2 by mctavish6, on Flickr
Tawny Frogmouth 3 by mctavish6, on Flickr
Tawny Frogmouth 4 by mctavish6, on Flickr
- kHT
- Posts: 10379
- Joined: Oct 31, 2001 8:00 pm
- USDA Zone: 7-8 Z-nial
- Location: PNW, some where over the rainbow?
Re: Guests to our garden
He is really cool. Beats the herons we have roosting in the neighbor's tree.
karma 'Happy Toes' (kHT)
The Goddess is Alive and Magic is Afoot!!!!
I'm just a simple housewife.
The Goddess is Alive and Magic is Afoot!!!!
I'm just a simple housewife.
- tsbccowboy
- Posts: 371
- Joined: Feb 29, 2004 2:48 pm
- Location: Apple Valley, Minnesota 44°43'39.50"N 93°14'52.40"W
- Contact:
Re: Guests to our garden
Can we say camouflage? That Tawny Frogmouth could be hard to spot.
- tsbccowboy
- Posts: 371
- Joined: Feb 29, 2004 2:48 pm
- Location: Apple Valley, Minnesota 44°43'39.50"N 93°14'52.40"W
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Re: Guests to our garden
Re: Guests to our garden
Some garden critters:
And something you want around to take care of bad garden critters: And a short video of the snake:
Black Rat Snake
And something you want around to take care of bad garden critters: And a short video of the snake:
Black Rat Snake
Ed McHugh, Sicklerville NJ
Mockingbird feeding juvenile yellow raisons - never leave home without them.
Mockingbird feeding juvenile yellow raisons - never leave home without them.
Re: Guests to our garden
Our yard is home to many snakes. Mostly Garter Snakes and Brown Snakes. The handsome fellow
below was identified as an immature Black Snake.
And a reply to the Katydid picture above:
For shear beauty, nothing beats an Assassin Bug:
below was identified as an immature Black Snake.
And a reply to the Katydid picture above:
For shear beauty, nothing beats an Assassin Bug:
- DelawareDonna
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Mar 01, 2015 10:24 am
- USDA Zone: 7A
- Location: Wilmington, DE
Re: Guests to our garden
Wow! Awesome photos. This huge snapper came up from the creek that flows behind my hosta garden. I found these photos dated 1995. I remember I was sitting on my patio, absorbed in a book, heard a slight sound, looked down and he was 1" from my big toe.
Manny the mantis is straddling two Ginsu Knife leaves.
Manny the mantis is straddling two Ginsu Knife leaves.
He who plants a garden plants happiness
- tsbccowboy
- Posts: 371
- Joined: Feb 29, 2004 2:48 pm
- Location: Apple Valley, Minnesota 44°43'39.50"N 93°14'52.40"W
- Contact:
Re: Guests to our garden
Way cool garden guests!
With all these cool guests to our gardens it raises a question, are they guests in our gardens or are we caretakers for their gardens?
Cowboy
With all these cool guests to our gardens it raises a question, are they guests in our gardens or are we caretakers for their gardens?
Cowboy
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- Posts: 12
- Joined: Mar 03, 2015 6:37 pm
- USDA Zone: 6
Re: Guests to our garden
Loving all the guests to your gardens everyone!
Great idea for a thread, Cowboy!
Now my visitor here is not an uncommon one, but the fact that it landed on a hosta flower stalk and allowed me to get close enough to take a picture is unusual. I didn't have a good camera on hand at the time, so picture quality is rather poor. But I still appreciate this photo and the trust this little bird had in me.
Great idea for a thread, Cowboy!
Now my visitor here is not an uncommon one, but the fact that it landed on a hosta flower stalk and allowed me to get close enough to take a picture is unusual. I didn't have a good camera on hand at the time, so picture quality is rather poor. But I still appreciate this photo and the trust this little bird had in me.
-
- Posts: 12
- Joined: Mar 03, 2015 6:37 pm
- USDA Zone: 6
Re: Guests to our garden
". . . are they guests in our gardens or are we caretakers for their gardens?" I'd say BOTH, Cowboy!
- tsbccowboy
- Posts: 371
- Joined: Feb 29, 2004 2:48 pm
- Location: Apple Valley, Minnesota 44°43'39.50"N 93°14'52.40"W
- Contact:
Re: Guests to our garden
Please keep the garden guest photos coming! Love the "guests in our gardens".
Newhostalady, it seems like a Hosta flower stalk couldn't support a bird the size of a cardinal but they do. Cool pic.
A pair of mallards have been visiting every year for a long time. I think they just like to see what changes have been made to the gardens from year to year.
The ducks show up every year
6/1/04
Duck visiting
5/10/07
The Ducks visited the gardens
5/28/13
The Ducks visited the gardens
5/28/13
Mallard pair
5/13/14
The mallards & I have a disagreement. They do laps in the pond. They simply switch places and count it as a lap. I contend it is only a half of a lap.
More garden guest photos please,
Cowboy
Newhostalady, it seems like a Hosta flower stalk couldn't support a bird the size of a cardinal but they do. Cool pic.
A pair of mallards have been visiting every year for a long time. I think they just like to see what changes have been made to the gardens from year to year.
The ducks show up every year
6/1/04
Duck visiting
5/10/07
The Ducks visited the gardens
5/28/13
The Ducks visited the gardens
5/28/13
Mallard pair
5/13/14
The mallards & I have a disagreement. They do laps in the pond. They simply switch places and count it as a lap. I contend it is only a half of a lap.
More garden guest photos please,
Cowboy
Re: Guests to our garden
I have really enjoyed looking at these critters. Now I would love to have a turtle in my garden. Meanwhile here are a few pictures of some of my other guests.
4-30-13 (22) by mctavish6, on Flickr
152846~3 by mctavish6, on Flickr
This was posted to ask if this guy was a good guy or a bad guy. I can't remember what it's called but he is good so I welcome more of his kind.
IMG_3413 by mctavish6, on Flickr
Yes. I name my friends
Big Ben and Little Ben 9-12-13 (7) by mctavish6, on Flickr
Frogs are magic. I always love to see them big or small.
4-6-13 (9) by mctavish6, on Flickr
This one is helping a friend.
4-6-13 (2) by mctavish6, on Flickr
A small guy with a big voice
5-30-13 by mctavish6, on Flickr
Cowboy, I think your ducks need a bigger pond!
4-30-13 (22) by mctavish6, on Flickr
152846~3 by mctavish6, on Flickr
This was posted to ask if this guy was a good guy or a bad guy. I can't remember what it's called but he is good so I welcome more of his kind.
IMG_3413 by mctavish6, on Flickr
Yes. I name my friends
Big Ben and Little Ben 9-12-13 (7) by mctavish6, on Flickr
Frogs are magic. I always love to see them big or small.
4-6-13 (9) by mctavish6, on Flickr
This one is helping a friend.
4-6-13 (2) by mctavish6, on Flickr
A small guy with a big voice
5-30-13 by mctavish6, on Flickr
Cowboy, I think your ducks need a bigger pond!
Re: Guests to our garden
This is either a Cooper's Hawk or a Sharp-Shinned Hawk. It spends a lot of time in my yard and gives new meaning to my "bird feeder".
A Pileated Woodpecker visited my suet feeder in February. This big boy can grow to 20". After 40 years feeding birds, this was a first.
A Long-Eared Owl roosted in a mature spruce in my yard.
A Pileated Woodpecker visited my suet feeder in February. This big boy can grow to 20". After 40 years feeding birds, this was a first.
A Long-Eared Owl roosted in a mature spruce in my yard.
Re: Guests to our garden
As I look at the photos I recall others:
Not really a "guest" more of a "party crasher" A duck inspecting the new fence we put up to keep the "party crashers" out Gray Tree Frog - I always thought they were green
Not really a "guest" more of a "party crasher" A duck inspecting the new fence we put up to keep the "party crashers" out Gray Tree Frog - I always thought they were green
Ed McHugh, Sicklerville NJ
Mockingbird feeding juvenile yellow raisons - never leave home without them.
Mockingbird feeding juvenile yellow raisons - never leave home without them.
Re: Guests to our garden
And you can always find a butterfly.
Ed McHugh, Sicklerville NJ
Mockingbird feeding juvenile yellow raisons - never leave home without them.
Mockingbird feeding juvenile yellow raisons - never leave home without them.