The birds have had to eat flower and plant seeds, insects, berries, and other sources for food when they visit the quiet wild. The backyard became the site of frequent, very unwelcome furry visitors, so we had to put away the bird feeders. Thankfully, birds know how to find their own food without us! The birds still frequent the quiet wild to visit the bird baths and rest in the bushes and trees. Lately, I have noticed several fledglings resting on the arbor or fence tops as they wait for food from their parents. The baby Eastern Bluebird below visited one of the bird baths.

This little guy sat on the top of the arbor for a long time, waiting for its parent to bring it something to eat.

In this image, he seems to have noticed me taking his picture. He looks less than pleased!

Two fledgling Eastern Bluebirds on the fence.

I think I caught the same bluebird who doesn’t like to have his picture taken!

Male bluebird, fence singing.

I have seen many more brown anoles lately. This lizard looks positively prehistoric! He is really showing his colors!

A dragonfly rested at the top of the maple tree for a long time. Its wings are almost completely transparent, the blue sky visible through them.

Several plants in the quiet wild serve as host plants for many different kinds of butterflies and moths. I recently planted several different kinds of grasses, and the Clouded Skippers have multiplied! I caught this one enjoying the sweet Ruellia flowers.

We are definitely in the dog days of summer, but we have had enough rain that the plants are not suffering too much. There are still lots of blooms in the quiet wild!

I love the shadows on this Wild Rose.

Abutilon

Marigold

Turnera bloom

Crab Spider in the Turnera

Assassin Bug in the Sweet Tansy

Lily

I do not see many mushrooms in the flower beds, but when I do, they are so unusual. These had lovely curls on their tops, and the ridges underneath are so interesting. These were hiding under the Torenia plant.

I love the bright, vibrant shades of pink in the Rose of Sharon Hibiscus.

I have been taking more photos showing changes in light and reflections to use as resource pictures for my art. I love the way the light behind this hibiscus bloom makes the fly visible as it sits on the back side of the flower.

Speaking of light, I leave this post with two images I took in the early morning when the light first appeared over the fence line. This first image shows the handiwork of a spider in the mint blooms. Spiders work hard overnight building their webs. The intricacies always amaze me.

This last image also shows the light behind the mint bloom, but also reflecting off the grasses. The light that shines through the fence posts casts interesting beams in and around the plants. If you look closely by zooming in on the image, a rainbow of colors is visible towards the top. Nature and the physical world produce such stunning sights. You just have to take the time to look for it!

Until next time…