Critters, Flowers and Good Coffee

This is the bud of a Yellow 
Goat's-beard.  At the base of the bud is a frothy white mass that looks like human spit, and that is what protects the little nymph of a Spittle Bug.  Have you ever examined the gooey stuff to find what is hiding inside?  Below is the little green nymph that is on my finger...you can see how small it is.  The Spittle Bug is a plant eating insect.  

And the flower looks like this...

We have an American Robin nest by the door at headquarters.

The eggs hatched...

and we have four naked babies...

begging to be fed.  I worried those eggs would never hatch as mama would flush every time someone would enter the building.  They all made it and as you can see, they are getting so big in their little nest.

Have you ever been measured for a new finger?  I had a lot of fun just watching this little inchworm doing all sorts of movements on my finger.  The inchworm is a larva of moths.  It's irregular projections resemble twigs...its camouflage.  (Hey, I even spelled it right the first time).  Sometimes the little worm would rear up, looking much like a twig.

This is an Orange Belted Bumble Bee.  I think it is a drone as there is a yellow band after the two orange bands.  Anyway, it was acting very peculiar...digging into the ground for awhile, then flying up and around and back to the ground.

The Wild Lupine are blooming and absolutely gorgeous.

The Clintonia (Woodlily) are now through blooming.

This male Northern Parula and his mate were flitting about behind our back window.  I didn't think I would ever get a decent picture of them.  Look at his yellow feet!!!

With the turtles nesting, Bill made up these cute signs and asked if we would take them to our auto tour road and put them up.  We came across 5 Painted Turtles in no time.

We drove out to check on our photo blind out by one of the impoundments to make sure it wasn't floating again and discovered another nest...it was on the door of the blind!!!  An Eastern Phoebe nest.  We have not been back to check on it yet.

Another favorite...a salamander.  Always check under rocks, logs...really anything, as there are things that hide under there.

I am not a coffee drinker...but I like this coffee...made in Maine.  Also a nice scenic setting in this picture.

Until next time...