We'd enjoy whatever picture you want to share with us, Larry. Not to brag, but I've got a mailbox in my garden that I intended to be used for storage of small garden tools that's wound up being a wren house. There are a nest of them in there now - I leave the door ajar for them - and the Mama goes back and forth (and I can hear their high-pitched peeping as she comes and goes) and she's steadily feeding them.
Too bad you're not here - you could sit on my front porch all day and see and hear SO much wildlife. Hummingbirds at the feeders on the end of the porch, the flute-like notes of wood thrushes, the merry song of orchard orioles, the wooden clucks of cuckoos, the "clicking" of summer thrashers, and the list goes on and on. What's really great is to go out at night and hear barred owls with their "Who cooks for you?"! They may be destroying the Gulf and the animals in it, but so far, nothing's destroyed the wildlife here, not even Hurricane Katrina and the additional destruction of woods to clean up fallen trees.
I'm glad you're enjoying your cheap camera, like Susan and I are enjoying ours! Surely, if you sit outside for long enough, something on wings will land in your yard and give you a picture to make?!
Sherry

Larry,

Just like Sherry said, we'd enjoy anything you photograph. I'm glad you are enjoying your new camera. Some of the little point and shoots are incredible.

Sandy

Ditto! You live in such a different area than the rest of us. Any picture you take would be interesting to me in the burbs of Ohio. Let us know what you would like to see pictures of and we will bring some butterflies to you.
-Elisabeth

Good photos have gotten much cheaper in the last few years. Wish cars would follow that trend. : )
Maybe you can find something to put out for bait to attract them close to your porch; watermelon, rotten banana, etc.
Glad to see you posting on the forum Ladobe. My daughter is ready to buy a new camera (she hasn't been able to find her old one). I'll be watching to see how your photos turn out.

Hi Larry, Just take some pics from your front porch; it'd be fun to see what you look at everyday. Post some pics of your plants too. Rocks can be cool. I agree with Elisabeth--you would have a completely different landscape than what we have.

MissSherry--What a great idea about the old mailbox--both as a storage area and a nesting box. Better than leaving things out in the garden like I am prone to do. Sometimes it can be two weeks before I find my missing spade and cultivator. :)

Napa Valley is about the same although we have had robins nesting and a few butterflies (mostly anise swallowtails and paper whites) flitting on sunny days. I just keep plugging in my nectar plants. Bees do seem plentiful

I did read on Zerces newsletter that almost everything that depends on a habitat to nectar and lay eggs in is having major problems.

Penny

Penny, what is a paper white butterfly?

Ladobe, I'm sure you have a beautiful landscape. I remember your photos from years past.

My hummingbird feeders just happen to be attracting Red Admirals, Question Marks, Tawny and Hackberry Emperors right now! Silly B boys!

The darned Pipevine mama was in the front yard today laying eggs on what little is left of the A. tomentosa after the hail took it down. Don't they know there is not enough foliage there to feed their young?

Susan

Sherry - As you know I had lots of wildlife at my ranch house, and some here lasat season as well, just not as many or as diversified.

Sandy - Haven't used it yet except for the test pics, but I hope to get outside for a while today.

Elizabeth - Yes the desert landscaping is quite enjoyable to the eye, has very little upkeep and uses very little water. For the bugs, I can see thousands of species from all around the world by just opening a cabinet and sliding out a drawer in my synoptic collection. ;)

Christie - You can't attract what's simply not present in your area. I've been out enough and have big picture windows that are always open, so if any wildlife was around I'd have seen some of them. Plus Bandit's (my attack parrot) cage is in front of the front window 24/7 and he always alerts me when he see's or hears other birds, the UPS truck or golf carts. LOL

BG - I'll try to get out today and take a few around the place.

Penny - The leps and some other species have been declining here for years due to the huge invasion of new residents the last dozen years and the resulting habitat loss from building enough homes for all of them. Our honey bees are Africanized now, and that in itself seemed to reduce the numbers of them.

Susan - That common name thing again. Being in CA I'd guess she is referring to one of the Pierinae.

Larry

Way off topic, but here's a picture to get by with until I get out and take some new ones. Hey, it does fly! LOL

A shipmate from my squadron days sent this picture to me for Memorial Day. It's "my" plane at Naval Air Facility Astugi, Japan when my squadron was on its way back on line in the Tokin Gulf for their 6th tour of duty in Vietnam, this time on the USS Midway. The picture and email sure brought back a lot of memories on a day to remember my service friends who never came back from Nam.

{{gwi:492611}}

Hi Larry, would love to see a picture of Bandit, your drawers of bugs, or whatever, if there are no pictures of butterflies!

I meant Cabbage White butterflies. Usually with all our mustard they are around all year. Even their numbers have dwindled.

My friend across the valley just had eggs laid from PVS so I still have hope.

Penny

That airplane is cool, Larry! Looks like the pilot should have goggles on and a scarf blowing behind his neck! :)
Sherry

Larry! I'm surprised you didn't include the Latin name of that jet. ;)

Sherry - With an op speed at just under 700 mph I doubt you'd want the canopy up on an A-7 even if you did have goggles and a scarf. LOL

Jeff - In Latin it would be an A. septem thorax duos.

Without a designation that probably made no sense even if you do know some Latin.

Officially this is a Vought A-7B Corsair II Light Attack Aircraft.

A. septem thorax duos

A. (A)
septum (7)
thorax (corsair)
duos (2)

I guess you had to be there... LOL.

Better late than never I guess. With the coming of the closer to normal hot weather a few critters have showed up suddenly. Saw a few bushtits today picking small gnats off the false yucca blooms, and at dusk while sitting out front I heard some quail call as they were flying up to roost in the grove of trees just over the wall from me. I just came in again (about midnight) and there was a few lacewings and indescript tiny gnats at my outside light, and a itty-bitty baby praying mantis after them. And (drum roll) my first lepidoptera of the year, a Noctuid moth. Was up about 12' right next to the light, so no picture (as if we really want to see a picture of a stinky gray moth - LOL). Still no hummers or song birds or real butterflies, but maybe a few will start showing up in the next few weeks.
Larry