Wednesday in the garden: Before the rains came

I was doing some tidy-up pruning in the garden today before an afternoon shower drove me inside. But before the pruning, I documented with my camera some of the things I saw around the garden.

There was a bit of activity at the bird feeders. These Blue Jays were checking out what was on offer at the table. They look a little disheveled because they are beginning their molt. They'll be losing all their old worn feathers and growing bright new ones.

This juvenile Red-bellied Woodpecker hasn't got his distinctive red head and belly feathers yet, but he's learned where he can find a tasty meal.

In the goldfish pond, the water lilies are flourishing.

This Giant Swallowtail butterfly was very busy on the blooms of the 'Pride of Barbados'. 

These flowers are favorites of many butterflies.

The Sulphurs seem to prefer the flame acanthus (Anisacanthus wrightii) blossoms.

Sulphurs are numerous in my garden in late summer and fall.

And the Gulf Fritillaries are numerous throughout the year.

They like the flame acanthus blooms as well.

A red skimmer dragonfly came calling.

  
And in the pond, the newest resident decided to show himself. I think I'll call him Jeremiah.

I've been trying to get a decent picture of this bullfrog for several days, but he's never bothered to cooperate. At least today he showed me his back, and I was surprised to see the colorful pattern that the camera revealed. From a distance of ten to fifteen feet and with my naked eye, the frog just looked gray-brown.

He decided to take a stroll into the variegated lirope that borders the pond.

But he no sooner made it into the grass when his visit was cut short by Rudy, the Mighty Hunter, and he had to jump back into the pond.

And then the rains came and Rudy and I had to take cover, too.  

Wednesday in the garden: Bullfrogs

I was seated in my meditation spot by my goldfish pond earlier this week when I sensed movement at the edge of the pond. I looked up to see a slimy gray-brownish monster climbing out onto the rocks.

Image from the Internet, courtesy of MurrayState.edu. 

A bullfrog! I had no idea there was such a creature in my backyard. 

This one looked as big across as my hand - I don't think I'm exaggerating. It covered most of the large rock where it rested. According to my field guide, they can grow 3.5 to 6 inches long and the largest one recorded was 8 inches long. They can weigh more than a pound and they are, of course, used as food by some people, although I've never eaten one. (My husband says they taste like chicken!)

I was shocked to see the bullfrog because I'm used to seeing the small leopard frogs or tree frogs around the pond; although, now that I think of it, I haven't seen any lately and the bullfrog may be the reason for bullfrogs eat other frogs. In fact, according to what I've just read, bullfrogs will eat just about anything they can get their wide mouths around.

And it is a wide mouth.

They've even been recorded capturing and eating small birds and mice.

The American bullfrog is endemic throughout the eastern and central U.S. and may be found near any aquatic habitat. Such as a goldfish pond. It has also been introduced to other areas where it sometimes becomes a pest because of its voracious appetite which has occasionally led to the local extirpation of some other amphibians and reptiles. (I do hope that hasn't happened to my local frogs.)

So, how did this one come to be in my backyard? Spring Creek and its adjacent wetlands are less than a mile away, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised.

Maybe he saw my little meditation buddy and thought he would be welcome here!