Mama Wolf Spider

All of my recent discoveries seem to have been in my vegetable garden beds and this is no exception. I was cutting down the fallow vines from this spring's sugar snap peas (Yum!) and I was busy chopping them up for composting when I saw this wolf spider (Lycosidae) with her spinneret-attached egg sac ambling amongst the stubble.

Lonely Snake Egg

Another garden bed discovery. Whilst I was turning over the soil, this small soft egg appeared. It was alone when I spotted it and I did not find any companions. It is too small to be a box turtle egg and I do know that some snake eggs can be this size. I carefully moved it to a safe, nearby compost pile.

Update: I have determined that this is a skink egg.

The flycatcher expectantly follows me

As my mower flushes its fodder from the grass.

Two for One

I spotted this young fowler's toad (Bufo fowleri) in the vegetable garden. I was surprised that he remained still sufficiently long so as to allow me to take a picture on a ruler.

Not but a few minutes later, I uncovered old Scarback in the same garden bed. He had buried himself under some mulched grass clippings.

All is Well

At dusk in the woods,

a gentle rain heard

on the canopy,

fireflies alighting,

peepers croaking,

and the final calls

of the peewee.

Overnight Deluge

We received over 5 inches of rain between 3:00 am and 8:00 am.