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May 14, 2016 9:18 AM CST
Name: Alice
Flat Rock, NC (Zone 7a)
Birds Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Region: North Carolina Hydrangeas Hummingbirder Dog Lover
Container Gardener Charter ATP Member Garden Photography Butterflies Tropicals Ponds
Love watching otters Jim, they are cuter than a basket of kittens.

My Turkey Vulture is back for a drink at the bird bath. They are now classified as Storks rather than Hawks and it is recognized that their diet is changing which explains why this one likes bird seed.
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Minds are like parachutes; they work better when they are open.
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May 18, 2016 9:41 AM CST
Name: lindsey
wesley chapel, fl
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Orchids Photo Contest Winner 2021 Photo Contest Winner 2023
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after a rare all night soaking rain...some critters were looking for a dry place to take a nap this morning!
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May 18, 2016 12:25 PM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
Give PEACE a chance!
Adeniums Cat Lover Garden Photography Region: California Houseplants Plays in the sandbox
Orchids Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Composter Cactus and Succulents Dragonflies Hummingbirder
Just sharing this bumble bee ..have posted it on the epis thread and gardening with bees thread...always fun to see a very busy bee!


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May 18, 2016 12:59 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Ursula
Fair Lawn NJ, zone 7a
Orchids Plumerias Cactus and Succulents Region: New Jersey Region: Pennsylvania Native Plants and Wildflowers
Greenhouse Ponds Keeper of Koi Forum moderator Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Adeniums
Seeing lots of Storks in Germany, I can somehow not relate to this Turkey Vulture being one also. Smiling

Cute little guy, Lindsey!

Tarev, that looks like happy pollinator!
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May 18, 2016 2:09 PM CST
Name: lindsey
wesley chapel, fl
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Orchids Photo Contest Winner 2021 Photo Contest Winner 2023
That's one busy bee!
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May 19, 2016 7:31 AM CST
Name: Alice
Flat Rock, NC (Zone 7a)
Birds Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Region: North Carolina Hydrangeas Hummingbirder Dog Lover
Container Gardener Charter ATP Member Garden Photography Butterflies Tropicals Ponds
Lindsey, isn't that one of the evil Cuban Tree frogs?
Minds are like parachutes; they work better when they are open.
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May 19, 2016 1:37 PM CST
Name: lindsey
wesley chapel, fl
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Orchids Photo Contest Winner 2021 Photo Contest Winner 2023
probably, Alice...This is one kind I have and the other is plain khaki colored with a chartreuse smile..
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both of them are frequent visitors to the bench..
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May 19, 2016 2:18 PM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
The one constant in life is change
Amaryllis Tropicals Multi-Region Gardener Orchids Master Gardener: Florida Irises
Herbs Region: Florida Vegetable Grower Daylilies Birds Cat Lover
They're both Cubans, but they can change color Lindsey. They're also probably eating bugs off your orchids, so that's not a bad thing. But they do also eat a lot of native stuff like smaller lizards (which also eat bugs) and native frogs, small fish and even small birds' eggs. Trust me, the native frogs are much nicer.

It's hard to justify euthanizing them at first, but since I've been diligent about it I now have an increasing population of the native frogs coming back. I hear lovely peeping tree frogs in the oaks at night, and I have a resident Leopard frog in my fish pond.

I just spray them with an antihistamine spray (Benadryl works well) then when they go to sleep I scoop them up in a ziploc bag and put them in the freezer. The UF people assure me this is a humane way to dispatch them.
Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
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May 19, 2016 4:35 PM CST
Name: Alice
Flat Rock, NC (Zone 7a)
Birds Overwinters Tender Plants Indoors Region: North Carolina Hydrangeas Hummingbirder Dog Lover
Container Gardener Charter ATP Member Garden Photography Butterflies Tropicals Ponds
I haven't seen or heard a green tree frog in years and they used to be all over our glass doors. The snake population has not increased and we still have plenty of bugs for them to eat, it must be the Cuban frogs causing the demise.
Minds are like parachutes; they work better when they are open.
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May 19, 2016 4:49 PM CST
Name: lindsey
wesley chapel, fl
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Orchids Photo Contest Winner 2021 Photo Contest Winner 2023
Elaine .. Could you post a pic of a ' good ' frog?
I hate to kill something that I can't confidently ID
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May 19, 2016 5:42 PM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
The one constant in life is change
Amaryllis Tropicals Multi-Region Gardener Orchids Master Gardener: Florida Irises
Herbs Region: Florida Vegetable Grower Daylilies Birds Cat Lover
I'll have to search back for some pics of my good frogs. But here's a link to the UF site about Cuban tree frogs:
http://ufwildlife.ifas.ufl.edu...

Their most obvious identifying feature is the round toe pads. But a lot of mine, especially the bigger ones, are that pale beige color, and I think it's because they live near my cream-colored house. Your house is beige too, isn't it?

I never see the little tree frogs but can hear them any time I go outside at night now. They make a lovely peeping chirpy noise. I have Southern Toads that are warty and make a high whistling sound. I have the big Leopard frog in the pond that has a pointy nose, beautiful leopard spots and a pronounced stripe along her chin (the big ones are usually female). I've also seen Spade-footed frogs that are yellow and brown randomly spotted/striped. I think this is my Leopard frog, see the pointed toes and nose?
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This is a baby Cuban, just recently climbed out of the water and lost his tail. They're pretty and very quick when they're little.
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These are two Spade-footed frogs mating in my swimming pool. I rescued them with a net and re-located them to the fish pond. I'm sure the pool chemicals aren't good for them.
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I think this is a young Southern Toad singing on a lily pad in my pond. The mature ones have a double "bubble" under their chin when they're singing.
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Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
Last edited by dyzzypyxxy May 19, 2016 5:47 PM Icon for preview
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May 19, 2016 5:54 PM CST
Name: lindsey
wesley chapel, fl
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Orchids Photo Contest Winner 2021 Photo Contest Winner 2023
ugh...so ALL of my frogs are BAD frogs... Blinking
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May 19, 2016 6:32 PM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
The one constant in life is change
Amaryllis Tropicals Multi-Region Gardener Orchids Master Gardener: Florida Irises
Herbs Region: Florida Vegetable Grower Daylilies Birds Cat Lover
No! The good ones are just undercover until you get rid of the bad ones. The more Cuban tree frogs you get rid of, the more good ones will show up.
Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
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May 19, 2016 7:13 PM CST
Name: lindsey
wesley chapel, fl
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Orchids Photo Contest Winner 2021 Photo Contest Winner 2023
hmmm. so just to confirm...anything with a round toe pad is bad...i want something with a pointed toe pad?
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May 19, 2016 8:07 PM CST
Name: Elaine
Sarasota, Fl
The one constant in life is change
Amaryllis Tropicals Multi-Region Gardener Orchids Master Gardener: Florida Irises
Herbs Region: Florida Vegetable Grower Daylilies Birds Cat Lover
Well, it's not quite that simple, there's at least one more bad one and it has pointy feet. But it's a toad, and a lot bigger probably than what you're likely to see.

http://www.wec.ufl.edu/extensi...
Elaine

"Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm." –Winston Churchill
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May 20, 2016 5:56 AM CST
Name: lindsey
wesley chapel, fl
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Orchids Photo Contest Winner 2021 Photo Contest Winner 2023
ok...thanks for these links. I'll add a stop at CVS for some benydril spray today!
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May 23, 2016 8:36 PM CST
Name: Patty
Sarasota, Florida (Zone 9b)
Tropicals Plumerias Orchids Garden Photography Birds Garden Art
Miniature Gardening Cat Lover Butterflies Bookworm Bromeliad Region: Florida
Awww....even bad, I just can't kill living things. I just can't! I like all the critters.

That turkey vulture cracks me up on the birdbath, and I just can't picture them chowing down at the feeder either! Hilarious!

I was working in my backyard and the gray owl spent the day where the brown one has been hanging out, but now that my son spent a few hours working a stump grinder close by I haven't seen either of them for a few days now Thumbs down :
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Then he makes himself all round and fat:
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May 24, 2016 11:14 AM CST
Name: Patty
Sarasota, Florida (Zone 9b)
Tropicals Plumerias Orchids Garden Photography Birds Garden Art
Miniature Gardening Cat Lover Butterflies Bookworm Bromeliad Region: Florida
Yesterday while I was out in the yard, my neighbor called me over to help....

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She couldn't believe I just picked him up bare-handed, kept trying to hand me a rake & gloves (not even sure what she wanted me to DO with either of them as far as getting the snake goes!) Rolling on the floor laughing

A few pictures and I re-homed him in my yard!
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May 24, 2016 11:25 AM CST
Name: tarev
San Joaquin County, CA (Zone 9b)
Give PEACE a chance!
Adeniums Cat Lover Garden Photography Region: California Houseplants Plays in the sandbox
Orchids Plant Lover: Loves 'em all! Composter Cactus and Succulents Dragonflies Hummingbirder
I guess your neighbor just wants to protect you from getting salmonella..looks like a docile snake...but am no snake fan either..I would probably run away and let it slither through its merry way. Smiling
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May 24, 2016 11:30 AM CST
Name: Patty
Sarasota, Florida (Zone 9b)
Tropicals Plumerias Orchids Garden Photography Birds Garden Art
Miniature Gardening Cat Lover Butterflies Bookworm Bromeliad Region: Florida
Hilarious! Tarev! It's merely a beautiful red rat snake...harmless and pretty! I've always liked snakes...even had 2 ball pythons at one point, till my ex made me get rid of them if I wanted to get a parrot. Which I did...and now own a hen eclectus instead of 2 snakes!.

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