I have been helping 'my' wrens fledge all morning. Everything went pretty well, except the one last little one with down ears ( so cute), could not figure out how to get out of the screen enclosure. It was hanging like a bat at one point and so help me, a cardinal came over with the mother wren on the outside of the screen and tried to help show it its way. I finally ended up catching it and putting it on the outside of the screen and sure enough the mother was right there to take over. As life will have it, the hawks in the nest next door were also fledging. Made me a nervous wreck, but realized the hawk was giving flying lessons, not hunting, and that was pretty amazing to watch as well. As for florida gardening, I didnt get much of that done. I can just hear that wren out there. How they can tweet like that all darn day is amazing for such a wee bird.

I was out on the porch, drinking my second cup of coffee, and my cat, Puff, was lounging there as well. Suddenly she sprang up and jumped onto the top of an Adirondack chair-back, peering outside the screened porch. Low and behold there was a hawk astraddle some sort of bird. After a few moments, the hawk, with captured bird, flew away.

My cat caught a lizard; does that qualify?

Hetty, only if it was a Cuban anole and not the native kind. We want to teach the cat to catch the right kind.

We hardly see the native ones here anymore

Seriously, as much as I hate to kill things, since I've been eradicating those invasive Cuban frogs, I've seen more native anoles and native Green Tree frogs. The good thing is, the anoles seem to get along just fine. I read somewhere that they tend to like different types of environments and so they don't run into each other as much as you would think. Right now, mine are all looking for love. The males are doing that throat thing, along with the head-bobbing, and push-ups. Spring is in the air, indeed.

Same here, Melanie. There's a lot more 'tweet tweet' of tree frogs at night, and less of that 'brap, brap' of the Cubans, which makes me happy. I've still never seen a green anole in my yard, though. Still waiting and hoping they make their way back. I've seen lots of birds - bluejays, cardinals, titmice and wrens - and at least 3 different kinds of butterflies go by my window just since I've been typing this. The Zebra Longwings roost in my shady border area at night, which is really neat although I have to be careful not to disturb them.

I caught a possum in my trap again this morning. Second time in a week . . . it could be the same one as well. They're not renowned for their intelligence. Unlike Mr. Smartypants Raccoon who has not made an appearance the last few nights! He's probably figured out that he should come on the weekends when I really don't want to trap him.

I still don't see a lot of the green anoles (which can sometimes be brown) but I do see them enough. And before, I wasn't seeing them at all! The Cuban Frogs like to live in my bromeliads so I have to go around every so often with my stick and push it down into the bromeliad. Sometimes they jump out, sometimes I think I impale them to death. Last time I did it, I injured one, it hopped out, and a White Ibis got it! Good bird! I also had a Sandhill Crane pick one out of my bromeliads. If only I could train them.

Has anyone else noticed a lot of dragonflies this year? Two years ago we had so many, and then last year it seemed like there were far less. But this year I've got tons around the house. All different colors and sizes, too.

Must be wildlife week around here. I actually saw a heron (huge) just taking off after having a buffet breakfast at my little goldfish pond. Down one fish. I had taken the framed net cover off a week ago as it was looking rather tatty. My son said he would make another frame, with screening, or something, for me this weekend. I'll set it on top of the pond, resting it on the rocks and take it off when I want.
Then I've seen a black racer a few times -- a very long one (don't know if it's the same one or if there are two).
Frogs have spawned in my big water pot out front, where I have the papyrus. I know it's the Cuban frog because I saw it on top of my compost bin and I needed to find out by seeing if I could move the skin on its head. It actually allowed me to touch it. The skin was fused - so it's Cuban. Then it hopped off. I know where it's lurking now so I will have to catch and dispose of it. The tadpoles are now easy for me to get rid of. I just put a little piece of bread in the water; wait until they have flocked to it and then scoop it all out. Will finish doing that job tomorrow; probably one more scoop should do it.

I also noticed earlier this week a mass of bees congregating on the side of a very large pot, on top of which I have a big bird bath. There were hundreds of them. I actually moved the bird bath piece a little - they were all around me but not at all aggressive. I realized then that there must be enough space between the bird bath and the pot (which has a huge drainage hole in it; so that's where they're going). This is in the flower bed on the side of my driveway. They have moved into the pot, I believe as there isn't a mass outside anymore; but there are quite a few bees coming and going. I'm not too happy with the spot they've chosen, but I'll let it be. I don't know enough about this subject so I guess I'll have to do some research. I just wanted to make sure they weren't the Africanized aggressive bees. Thinking about it, I was rather stupid moving the bird bath to do some checking; but then I just had a feeling by the way they were flying around that they weren't the aggressive ones. Those blighters will follow you for hundreds of yards to sting you and unless you can get indoors away from them, they will continue to attack you.

I've had raccoons pooping in my pool some years ago; on the steps. Yuck - what a job to clean up. I understand they don't have salivary glands and so they like to dunk their food in an water available. Probably that's what it was doing and figured that while it was dunking it might as well be pooping too ! I haven't had one around for a few years now. Possums now and then I still get.

I saw one of those Cuban frogs tonight but it was way up in the entryway on the outside of the house. I see them there sometimes when I go for food runs (tonight it was to Starbucks). It was "safe" for now but Dad and I may have to tag-team them. Like maybe I spray it with a hose and when it jumps down Dad can whack it. You're braver than I am, Elfie. No way I would touch one! I'll let caterpillars crawl on me all day long but most other things freak me out. I know, I'm silly.

As for the bees, we just had three men in New Port Richey that were stung over 50 times each. Here's the article: http://tbo.com/pasco-county/pa...

What it doesn't say is that they were trying to get the honey out of the hive. That was on the TV news. Also, the next day a professional beekeeper came and took the hive. With all the talk of colony collapse disorder and bees disappearing, I always wonder if beekeepers are like, "Yeah! Free bees!" Does anyone know any beekeepers that have done this? Do they keep the bees or just relocate them to a safer "wild" area? Also, I had no idea a hive could have 20,000 to 30,000 bees. Wow!

Friends of mine are beekeepers. They relocate bees all the time. It's fascinating to watch them work.

You want to talk wildlife, I went to Paynes Prairie State Park yesterday & the Bison were everywhere. 4 were walking along one of the hiking trails, stopping to roll in what must be a favorite sand pile. It was awesome!!!!
Also went to the Butterfly Plant Sale at Nat'l History Museum in Gainesville. I'm now stocked up on Host plants so hopefully no more starving cats. Sad news, the local Butterfly Farm closed down the end of Feb.

Off to teach a quilting class so no gardening today - besides way it looks, it is going to be wet out there all day.

I still haven't visited that butterfly exhibit up in Gainesville. I'm actually taking a break right now from volunteering at MOSI so I can pursue some other projects so maybe that's one thing I can do. I also needed a bit of a break because I was starting to feel burned out and like I was neglecting my own garden at the expense of the museum. When you have chronic fatigue, you have to make choices like that. I won't lie, it's no coincidence I'm on hiatus while it starts getting really hot. I may get bored and go back sooner than I expect, but for now I'll probably take the summer off. I have some traveling planned, too.

Speaking of traveling, I once went to Nebraska as a Girl Scout and saw buffalo. Ate some, too. They cooked it just like my dad makes pot roast with carrots and potatoes. It was pretty good. But I liked seeing them roaming around even better. Oh, but their version of cornbread was all wrong. My Dad's West Virginian - cornbread is like a host plant food for them. And you don't put sugar in it!

My brother woke me up this morning making noise in the kitchen so I guess I'm gonna grab breakfast, pack my backpack full of water, and go visit my favorite preserve! I haven't been there in...well, don't know. A long time. It's one of the few places I see Zebra Swallowtails which are my favorite butterfly. Not to be confused with my avatar, the Zebra Longwing. Plus, I want to make sure the Redbay and Swampbay trees are okay because that laurel wilt disease is really becoming a problem from what I hear. Hope I have some good pictures to share later!

Melanie, I am delighted to hear all you're doing for native wildlife. Good for you! Do you put the Cuban frogs in the freezer then throw them away? I'm a bit squeamish about killing stuff...to me that would be the most "palatable" way.

I still don't have a lot of visitors to my butterfly garden. Some wasps, and one bee that looked drunk. I picked him up and he flew off my hand just fine after a moment. Weird. Lots of dragonflies, too!!!

Pool guy found a king snake that was utterly beautiful and very docile. He wrapped it around his wrist and I told him to take it far out east away from this stinkin' poisonous golf course next door to me!!!!

Been taking care of lots of orphans at Wildlife Inc. here in Bradenton Beach. Here is my favorite little screecher and an impossibly adorable armadillo.

O my lord those are beyond cute. Hate to think that when bigger the owl would want to eat the armadillo....or maybe nothing eats them with that hard shell.

Other than man, I don't know what predator can get to and kill an adult armadillo.

Aww, the owl is adorable. I don't think those ones get much bigger than that, do they? I hear them in my trees at night, at least I think that's what I'm hearing . . .

Yep...man and his car. We used to have them around here, but havent seen them in a couple of years. I will say, they can be a mighty uncute problem when digging under the foundation of the house.

Very humid out today...suppose to be really hot. I so wanted to finish planting my daylilies, but I dont think its gunna happen today.

It is heavily cloudy, damp, and downright chilly here. We are due to get heavy thunderstorms from mid-afternoon till around midnight, and then it is getting down to 50F. All my tropical plants will just have to suck it up for a couple of chilly mornings.