garden wildlife

[low_delta]

Cyn and I were sitting on the bench in the garden tonight, because the weather was so perfect. I heard a buzzing, and then sort of a whumpf as it stopped. When I got a glimpse of it, I thought it was a dragonfly for a moment, but it was a hummingbird. It darted around for a bit, checking things out. We didn't move, so eventually it came in to the bee balm, which was right next to Cyn. It seemed to remain wary, but went for a couple of blossoms. I felt like I had a mosquito on my forehead, so when it went behind the flower, I moved to brush the bug. The hummingbird saw me move, and fled.

It was pretty cool to be that close to one. I had never seen one in person until a couple of years ago, and never in our yard until this spring.

Later, I looked down and saw a really big beetle near Cyn's feet - like nearly under them. I didn't want it to get squished, let alone Cyn to freak out, so I flicked it back under the bench. "What?" "Nothing. Don't look." "Why? What is it?" "Nothing." "Oh ick! A June bug." "No, June bugs are nowhere hear that big."

It wasn't moving, so I figured it was dead or dying. A few minutes later, I saw it climbing on the hosta, so I guess it was just playing possum.

If you know hostas, this thing looks about four inches long.

But it's a small hosta. It's probably three quarters of an inch wide, though. Definitely the biggest beetle I've ever seen around here.


This was when it was playing dead, so its head is down, and its antennae in.

Comments

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

eeeeeeeeW.

When I was visiting Lynda I watched the hummingbirds flit about in her yard. There is a hummingbird feeder, and almost every time I looked at it, there was at least one hummingbird in it.

When in flight they flap their wings at a rate of 50 times per second, and as much as 200 times per second when in a power dive, which is a mating ritual practiced by male Hummers. Hummingbirds can fly forward, backward, and they can hover. They have also been known to fly upside down. Hummingbirds are quite relaxed around people because of their ability to hover and fly backwards. They know they can get away quicker than humans can react. They are curious creatures and will often hover right in front of your face studying you.

I've always felt you have to be a very calm and peaceful person to have hummingbirds in your yard.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I need to put our feeder up. The flowers they like are starting to dry up.

:-)

[pondhopper.livejournal.com]

I love hummingbirds and we don't have them in Spain. One of my biggest delights in the summer is to sit very quietly in jeanerk1's living room and watch the hummingbirds at the feeder by the window. They're almost always there.

That beatle is a giant! If it had a rounder body it would almost look like a huge ladybug.

[roadskoller.livejournal.com]

OHMYGAWD!!!! That was by Cyn's feet??!!!!!!!!!

[cynnerth.livejournal.com]

I was barefoot too!!

[roadskoller.livejournal.com]

*runs away crying and screaming!!!!!*

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I know! She could have been killed!

[roadskoller.livejournal.com]

Bug germs are the worst!!

[vocalista001.livejournal.com]

So how big WAS that bug? If your hosta leaves are as big as my hosta leaves, that bug's more like the size of a chipmunk than a bug. Heck you could put it on a leash and take it for a stroll.

[low-delta.livejournal.com]

I found it dead today. It is just under an inch long, by half an inch wide. That's a tiny hosta. :-)

Someone in the gardening community identified it as a grapevine beetle. Eats dead plant matter.

[mummm.livejournal.com]

What an interesting beetle!

I love when we are sitting on the patio on the swing or just at the table out there and the little hummers come flying up. Last year they didn't even really care if we were there. Sometimes they would fly up and practically stare Robert in the face!