It was early August when I visited Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales. I knew there wouldn’t be a lot of birds there since fall migration hadn’t started yet but I was ready for a road trip. There were a lot of other flying critters though so I had a fun morning torturing myself trying to get pictures of little things buzzing around.
I found this spiny orb weaver with a bee in his web.
The big huge milkweed plant at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo was covered in these icky bugs. I didn’t see any caterpillars in early October on the plant which is usually filled with them. I know it’s late for caterpillars but there are usually still a few. It’s warm through December here. I hope they don’t kill the plant.
A few other small critters creeping around the gardens.
There were still lots of swallowtails flying around.
The young wood ducks were starting to get their colors in including that young male hiding behind the big leaf.
My internet was down and I had just finished lunch, The weather was cool and I knew there wouldn’t be many more days like this so I grabbed by camera and macro lens and went outside for a quick walk around the yard. All of the shots were taken in my yard including the purple flower which I realized as I got up close that it was covered in little green bugs. The red spider is a spiny orb weaver and is harmless.
Flowers on the trail at Possum Branch Preserve.
The fields were covered with these pink puffy plants. And they were covered in bees.
It’s always a nice quiet walk at Possum Branch Preserve. It’s a hidden gem right off of a busy main road but most people don’t know it exists. It never closed down so I’ve been going there for a long walk a few times a week since it’s close to home.
Linking to Saturday’s Critters
Color coming out in early April at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo. Yes, the gardens were open during the big shut down. I went around 8am and there were very few people there. Most probably thought it was closed. It was nice to walk around in the quiet garden.
Watching these crazy parakeets getting sticks for their nests.
Not many birds in early April. The usual blue jays and wood duck couples. The wood ducks usually have babies here in the summer but they go into hiding and it’s hit or miss seeing them here.
Caterpillars were on the milkweed but those pesky milkweed bugs were taking over.
Little critters creeping or buzzing around the butterfly garden at the Florida Botanical Gardens in Largo.
A few of the blooming things.
The waterfall at the nature center. Years ago I would see green tree frogs hanging around this area but I haven’t seen any in a long while.
Something growing around a tree stump. Looks like icing (of course, I have sugar on my brain).
A tiny oasis in the heat.
Driving into the park, I caught a deer getting a snack in trees.
Creepy little critters.
Cute bigger critters.
Someone had left bird seed along the boardwalk earlier that morning. Only the titmouse and cardinals were eating it.
A few other flying critters including the grackle on the right getting nesting material.
This little common yellowthroat was checking me out. They usually hide deep in the bushes but he was not shy.
Some of the pretty things along the boardwalk.
Monarch caterpillars in the backyard this past couple of months. In late December, they all disappeared and the leaves were stripped so we cut back the milkweed plants.
Our milkweed plants were overrun with the above bugs. The caterpillars didn’t seem to mind. We didn’t want to spray the bugs since the butterflies would be on the plants. Since we cut the plants back the bugs are gone, although I’m sure they will come back once the plants start to grow back this spring.
This little guy was watching me take pictures of the bugs. I kept asking him why he didn’t eat them all. He said he preferred fries.
Wasps on the Bismark palm tree.
Usual visitors in the backyard, an osprey on our neighbor’s sailboat mast and a phoebe with a snack on our fence. The phoebe is pretty skittish so I had to take the above through the bedroom window.
A full moon in December from the driveway.
More pictures from my trip to Sweetfield Farm for the sunflower festival this past summer. So many little critters hanging around the fruit and flowers.
