Bugs and Birds around your ponds

[CountryEscape]

OK, I must say I'm a bug and bird fanatic, and more so since I dug my 2 ponds this past spring and last year spring. I wonder if anyone else likes them as much as me. Here are a few of my favorite photos I've taken lately. Seem to have an abundance of Praying Mantises in my yard this year.

And this Garden Spider is the first one I've seen in many years. I remember them fondly out the windows when I was in grade school.

Remember the fuzzy caterpillars, supposed to determine winter weather? I spotted this guy a couple of weeks ago. Think the brown means mild winter ... again? That would be nice!

This red fuzzy "ant" is actually a wasp without wings!

And love watching the hummingbirds. Actually, the Praying Mantis on the hummingbird feeder was "preying" on the hummers! At one point, it lunged at the hummer feeding on the other side. Not sure what he thought he would do if he caught the bird!

OK, that's it for now, feel free to share your pictures now and in the future! Bugs go with ponds, and so do birds, and I sure have noticed far more of them both since I've had my ponds, since I spend so much more time outside now.

 

[brad_A]

Probably looking to do this:

http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/bwdsite/learn/hummingbirds/mantis-hummer.php?sc=migrate

 

[sissy]

praying mantis cute ,spiders you can have them ,don't like spiders or ants .We get to many kinds here that bite and make you sick .

 

[Fishylove]

WOW. That's creepy. I knew I didn't like those things for a reason!

 

[kougs]

that's one kewl but freaky spider.

 

[j.w]

Gosh didn't think a praying mantis was a fast catcher! Amazing! I save all the bugs here.......it's my job. I'm not so lenient w/ the mosquito's tho or the biting flies that land on me! Something that is trying to suck my blood or kill me I must eradicate. I do have my limits ya know
Neat pix CE. I think my hummers have left here for the year. I stopped filling the feeder as I never see them anymore. And I saw a fuzzy tan caterpillar on the road the other day. Sure hope we have a mild winter or maybe no winter at all. Hoping for some of that global warming they are always talking about to give us a year round Summer this year. So far it's working :razz:

 

[pecan]

So cool Country! I love the pictures. The praying mantises face shot is so neat and I love the hummingbirds.

Praying mantises are a good omen too.. If you are superstitious

I think I find as much joy in watching the birds, the bees, the dragon flies etc. as much as I enjoy watching my fish. I am always amazed by the activity that surrounds my pond... It's down town nature

BTW, I mixed many varieties of plants throughout my yard that hummingbirds love and this year they came in force. There were several different types, but my favorite were the green hummers with the pink chin.

 

[CountryEscape]

You're lucky to have several varieties of hummers, Pecan. In IL I think we only have the ruby throated hummers, but they are sure pretty. This year, I've not seen a mature male, although I'm sure they are there. I think some of the feeders right now are babies from this year, as a few have the beginnings of the ruby throat, so assume they are young males.

 

[humbirdlover]

Probably looking to do this:

http://www.birdwatch....php?sc=migrate

I do not like this, had no idea. I like mantis but never will one get close to my feeders, while I'm on guard!

 

[CountryEscape]

I agree, HBL. I had no idea the PM would be able to catch the bird, much less keep a hold on it and kill it!
I saw this almost 5" (not including it's front legs stretched out) Praying Mantis on the ground while I was mowing. I had to shoo it away so as not to mow it and kill it. At one point, it actually lunged toward the mower. Haha No fear, that's what it should be called!

This butterfly kept posing for me on top of my sedum, and the honeybee was easy to photograph, too.

Was out at the barn, spotted this small wasp dragging a wolf spider kill! Spider looked bigger and heavier than the wasp, who was really trucking across the concrete and then went under my horse trailer before I was able to capture the shot.

Small black wasp and an extra large grasshopper. My frogs like the grasshoppers ... I know, I'm mean, but it sure is fun to see the frogs come swimming if I toss in something besides fish food!

Anyone know what kind of bug this is? Never seen one like it myself.

 

[humbirdlover]

Could it be a lace wing? Kinda cool looking...My grandson has some sunperch in a small farm pond behind our house. I love throwing the grasshoppers in and watching them grab them, LOL. do you have stink bugs?

 

[CountryEscape]

Yep, I have stink bugs, but this guy was pretty long, and it does have very lacy wings, can kind of see through them. I'd say the bug itself was about 1.5" long, and stink bugs around here are more like .5" long.
I was sad to read this about the Garden Spider:

"Young spiderlings overwinter within their eggs. In spring, they hatch and disperse. Garden spider egg sacs are nearly the size of adult garden spiders and are attached to webs. When spiderlings hatch, they are thus in close proximity to captured prey and will not go hungry. Female garden spiders die soon after laying their eggs and are not able to protect or assist their spiderlings."
However, the web is still occupied by a Garden Spider, although I'm not positive if it's the same one, or a smaller one. Could be the same one just looks smaller with all those eggs out of her belly. But, it also looks very vibrant ... can't imagine another one was waiting in the wings for the older one to die, to grab her spot! We shall see. I guess if another egg sac appears, I'll know it's a second spider.

 

[humbirdlover]

Seems like there's a lot of critters that either die or abandon there young..Geez. I haven't gotten over that mantis killing the humbird yet Saw two today, and gave both a whack with the broom, LOL they flew over to the bushes.There's a bunch of egg sacs around, so will be over run with them next spring. I had a friend that got a real tree one year for Christmas. Got up one morning and her window was full of tiny mantis! One good reason to use fake...

 

[CountryEscape]

Actually ..... when I was a kid, it was cool to have a Praying Mantis IN your house. Put it in your window, and you will not have any flies or bugs in your house. They eat them all! Also tried to talk my mom into getting a box turtle for the basement, but once our basement was finished, he had to go to my friend's basement. LOL Same thing, they eat all the bugs in the corners and you never know they are down there!
Keep in mind Praying Mantises are NOT aggressive! They try to act that way, but those pics I posted, I was within 5" of them, and they just looked at me. Really cool bugs, and they eat other bugs. I doubt eating hummers is a typical food for them. That was a freakish situation to say the least!
One of my fondest "bug experiences" as a child was finding a "litter" of Praying Mantises on our huge slide. I sat on the steps all day long and watched them. They are only about 1/4" long when they first hatch. Soooooo cute! Miniature sized PM. Smallest one I saw this spring was 1/2" long.

 

[humbirdlover]

Here's a pic of a lacewing. They are real small and very beneficial


Oh I didn't hurt the mantis, just moved her to different digs..