She's Eating the Babies!

I stopped by to check on the Fishing Spider babies the other day. You can read all about the over at www.beautifulwildlifegarden.com. Mom seemed to be gone but the spiderlings looked to be doing ok on their own.
Well, yesterday I stopped by to check and I saw some motion as I neared the bluestem grass bunch. There, to my displeasure was a female regal jumping spider (Phidippus regius) chowing down on MY babies! She tried to duck and hide behind the stems of grass and in the spiderlings web, but I caught her in the act. The big meany (but she is kinda cute)! No wonder in nature we don't have a thousand fishing spiders walking in tandem after the birth. Probably very few make it through to adulthood. Survival of the fittest spider style.

Fishing in the Culvert

The shadow flew overhead and I saw the bright white as an egret landed by the culvert. They are such majestic birdies. I'm not sure exactly what type of good eats there are, but I suppose since the water levels are relatively low for this time of year, it might just be an easier spot to dine than, say, my pond. As I approached to get a closer shot, birdie flew maybe 20 feet away, working his (her?) way down the block. I watched for a little while and eventually (s)he took off. I love watching the takeoffs and landings. A naturally better experience than a trip to the airport.

Rockin and Rolling Caterpillar Style

I was out looking for the caterpillars of the Variegated Fritillary butterfly on the Maypop the other day. I had seen the butterfly laying eggs a while back and wanted to see if any progress was made. No luck…I think perhaps the ants ate all the eggs. Too bad, but I will continue to monitor and hope for the best.

Out of the side of my eye, I glanced over at a groundsel bush (Baccharis halimifolia) and watched with amazement as this bagworm was rocking and rolling and swinging the bag back and forth as it voraciously ate away at the leaves of this Florida native shrub.

Until recently I hadn't really paid too much attention to bagworms, thinking they were merely cocoons awaiting emergence of the concealed occupant. Well, again I was astonished by the critter within as at least an inch or more of caterpillar was leaning out of the bag while it dined away. Of course as I got close the resident retracted and went back to "playing possum" (thanks again to Carole Brown for the apropos terminology).

I've tried to find it again thinking I would perhaps capture it and raise it in captivity to learn a bit more, but alas, my decorated friend was nowhere to be found. Perhaps he read my mind and decided to continue the ride on the wild side, hiding from my thoughts and anticipations.

It Just Never Goes Away

OK, I live here for 6+ years and I've "eradicated" the invasive Elephant Ears (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) that the prior owner seemed to live for. And yet, once again, they rear their ugly heads. Yes, this is the problem when people landscape with exotic species.

My Class II Invasive "ears" grow on the septic side, where they dig in next to the a/c unit. I don't always go over to that side of the yard, except to mow the septic area and cut back anything that attempts to grow around the a/c or creeps under the house. I was quite surprised that they had gotten so huge and out of hand. I mean, it really hadn't been THAT long since I mowed. Pretty much I have to mow every 4 days….it's rainy season, after all. But, that is a problem with invasives. They grow so unbounded and quickly that it can make your head spin.

So, I grabbed my trusty shovel and dug out the culprits and have them hanging upside down, roots to be fried by the sun until no longer viable. That is unless I find someone with a nice burn pit.
I suppose they are once again eradicated…until next time they pop up. Curse you invasives!

As one disappears another moves in

Well, as predicted in the last article, the birds were brainless.  Two days after the photos of the mockingbird eggs were taken, the nest was emptied.  I gave it a day or two to see if the mockers would try again.  No takers. 

 

As if on queue, I spotted a pair of bluebirds dragging pine needles to the nesting box merely feet from the mockingbird nest of demise. 

 

To avoid any type of confrontation, I removed the mockingbird nest to a better location (in MY view).  I don't want the bluebirds jumpy or uneasy about tending to their next brood.  I just hope that whatever reached in and grabbed the mockingbird eggs doesn't have the ability to circumvent the metal baffle that I fashioned around the bluebird nesting box post.  That location has thusfar escaped any "horror" from something up the food chain and I'm hoping to keep it that way.

 

Been a rough go for nesting birds this year.  The doves opted to attempt a second try in the oak in the front yard.  There one day cooking two eggs, gone the next....a pulled feather in the nest all that was left. 

 

Ahhh nature....sometimes a little hard to take!

Bird Brains

So, I spot the mockingbirds building a nest in a low growing holly (probably a cultivar, a gift from friends when I moved here).  It is maybe 2 ft high and located several feet and directly in line with the front of the bluebird nesting box.

 

Now the mockingbirds are nasty to the bluebirds and I personally don't want them taking up residence where they might prevent the bluebirds from nesting.  There are dozens of alternate nesting sites for the mockingbirds and more mockingbirds than you can count.  The bluebirds only nest in nest boxes (although I have some who are making use of the purple martin house (see article below), but that too is an enclosed area.  Doesn't seem fair that the mockers are hanging out in the bluebird area.

 

I went out and removed the start of their nest and pointed toward the oak in the front as a better neighborhood.  Next day, they were still trying to build.  I once again removed the sticks and such and since this one was a bit more formed than the last, I took the nest material and placed it in a crook in a young oak I have not too far away.  I was sidetracked and didn't pay attention for a couple of days.

 

Lo and behold, the dang birds built a nest inside of 2 days and layed an egg so that I can no longer touch it.  One day later we have a second egg (that's when I took the picture).

 

My concern is not only that they are mean to the bluebirds, my other concern is that this is BELOW the head height of a certain English Setter who would just love to play with the babies when they hatch, or mom while she is cooking the eggs.  I also envision the snakes thinking they have come upon the best breakfast bar in the world.  The snakes often get into nests 6 or 7 foot high up in the trees, so this low spot is just an easy target.

 

Who knows why they insist on this shrub but they do.  Now I see where the phrase "bird brain" comes from.  They aren't too smart!

Condo living for bluebirds?

I noticed someone flying over toward the purple martin house with nesting materials in their mouth.  I was too far away to see the species, but the long pine needles were evident sticking out on each side of the bird, like whiskers on a cat.  Purple martins appear each year, but fail to move in.
   

I grabbed the field glasses and took a gander.  Well, what do you know, it is a bluebird.

Now, I did have two fledgees of bluebirds out of that condo in the summer of last year.  And the nestbox was only used for two broods in 2011 although in past years it has been used for three.
   

I will have to pay close attention to see if the nest box is used a third time this year.  The baby bluebirds from 2012 brood 2 are a due to fledge this week.  I was saddened that only two of the five eggs hatched, but the two babies look plump and healthy.
   

Now I wonder if perhaps the adult pair that use the nest box try to get an early start on brood 3 by making use of the martin house.  They can build while the young ones are still home in the main house.  They are building in the lower level, unit 1.
   

Of course I'm not sure how the Martins are going to feel about someone moving in.  Maybe they rented it out to the bluebirds, after all, it does have a wonderful water view and I'm sure they could get a tidy sum for it.

p.s., The bird hanging upside down in the photo is a decoy to entice the Purple Martins to move in.  We don't have acrobatic birds...except the plastic ones.