What interesting creatures live in your garden?

[sumi]

I had a feeling of deja vu the other day when I filled the pig's water bowl and only a trickle came from the watering can's spout. This time it was a snail.

I'm not sure what the attraction in our watering cans is?

I also had some visitors in the garden last week

 

[so lucky]

I found this cute little guy in the lawn this afternoon. We identified him as a Cedar Waxwing. I put him on a low branch in the nearest tree and watched for the parents, but so far, no one has showed up to feed him. I heard them call earlier, but not in the last few hours. I'm leaving him out there tonight, hoping a cat doesn't get him in the night. You may have to scroll down to get the whole picture.

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The Waxwing was gone from his perch this morning, so (hopefully) maybe the parents helped him go somewhere safer.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Two more pics from today

The first was taken through my patio door which is why there's all that mesh in the way (screen door) Sorry about that (you'll see why it was unavoidable later).

If you look closely, you will see a starling perched on the rim of the tan pot. What you won't see are his 4 friends which are wandering around IN the pot, or the three or four dozen that flew in and out over the time I was looking. The birds were literally going CRAZY in that pot. I don't know if they were eating seeds off the summer savory in there or the wood sorrel around the savory's base, but SOMETHNG was attracting the interest of the whole flock, as well as a few non starling hangers on (most notably a grey bird with a reddish belly; a titmouse, I think). NOW I think I know what has been chewing on the flowers of mystery plant #3 across the stairs!
This second fellow showed up when I was checking on the rice beans. It has got to be one of the biggest inchworms I have ever seen around here. If he had been green instead of brown (or it had been later in the year and the vines were dying off I'd probably have assumed he was a rice bean pod! (actually since he was originally on the end of a left stalk, I actually DID think he was a pod, until he attacked my finger!)

 

[sumi]

My son found this cocoon today, when we went for a walk. It measures just over an inch long and it's strangely "hairy":

Over the years I lived here I've seen some interesting cocoons, even some made from thorns, but I've never seen one of these.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

I'd guess some sort of moth. The hairs were probably part of the caterpillar and got imbedded (it happens with a lot of hairy caterpillars here). If this was the US, I'd guess one of the large Saturniidae (silk) moths, like a Luna or a Polymepheus. But where you are.....any guess.

 

[sumi]

Thank you! I think I'm going to put that somewhere save and wait and see what crawls out of there.

 

[so lucky]

Thank you! I think I'm going to put that somewhere save and wait and see what crawls out of there.

I believe I would put it in a container with a lid, in case a little hairy monster comes out.

 

[Carol Dee]

I believe I would put it in a container with a lid, in case a little hairy monster comes out.

LOL

 

[sumi]

I'll come back and tell you all about it.

 

[so lucky]

Speaking of cocoons and such, I have a big patch of volunteer parsley that has been host to about 15 swallowtail caterpillars. Now that they are nice and big, I suppose they will turn into cocoons soon. Will they leave the parsley patch? Is there anything I can do to protect them? I did find one on a concrete post across the yard; I started to pick it off the post but it seemed to be attached, so I left it even though it seemed to be in a vulnerable position. I know swallowtails aren't endangered like Monarchs are, but they are still pretty.