Chickadee Photo Art

What’s in Your Backyard ?

// July 21st, 2010 // No Comments » // Birds of Manitoba, Dragonflies-Butterflies-Moths, Insects, Wildflowers

Welcome back to my website & thanks for visiting !

You don’t have to take a trip to see nature because it is always around us even in our own backyards.  You can plant certain flowers that will attract butterflies ( Monarchs like the milkweed plant ), others will attract hummingbirds and so on.  Today a few photos from my backyard as I was  outside enjoying the sun and puttering in the garden for a few hours.

Above:  Butterfly gathering nectar from a Joe Pye plant      Below:  A House Wren chattering on the garden fence.

Below:  A few photos of bees gathering pollen

Below:  Not sure if this is a wasp or bee but if was flying around with a large piece of plant leaf and then landed.  A leaf-cutter of sorts.

Below:  This is a domestic garden plant that was tagged “Love in the Mist” when I bought one a few years back.  It seeds itself every year and produces these beautiful delicate flowers in blue and purple tones.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Six Spotted Tiger Beetle “Cicindela sexguttata”

// July 2nd, 2010 // No Comments » // Boreal Forest, Insects, Whiteshell Provincial Park

This photo was taken at the Petroforms site in the Whiteshell.  One could not miss seeing this brightly coloured metallic green beetle scurrying across the rocky path.

They are found in the deciduous forests and do not bite humans unless handled. This beetle can have white spots on its shell, usually numbering six but some beetles have a few spots or none at all. They live in woody places and like shady openings such as dirt paths and fallen logs to hunt. Their prey includes caterpillars, ants and spiders. The beetles stay in larvae form for one year before pupating and has a total lifespan of just under 5 years.

Enjoy!

~Sharon

Spider – Orb Weaver

// June 23rd, 2010 // No Comments » // Insects

So, in previous posts I mention that spiders are not exactly one of my favourites but admit they are interesting.  One thing for sure, they are all hairy.   This is another spider found in my garden area, pretty sure it is another orb weaver.  This spider  had a good size the body and was about 2.5 cm around ( 1″ for the non-metric crowd ). When I came too close to it the front legs went up in a defensive position.  I had no intention of getting that close !

Enjoy!

~Sharon