Author Archives: Vivia

Last week 2 caterpillars that will become tiger swallowtail butterflies helped themselves to our dill. They have not slowed down Dennis’ dill pickle-making, however. He has already made dozens of quarts from a very active cucumber vine this year. Walked … Continue reading →

Yesterday the last fledgling of our wren family flew, or rather, was chased off by mom and dad. This last one was slower to fly than the other nestling, who flew a week or so ago, and the parents had … Continue reading →

Yesterday a barred owl got tangled in the line we put in the sycamore tree to hold the wren house. Our neighbor called Dennis when she saw the owl and Dennis came home to free him. He very carefully lowered … Continue reading →

 An exciting morning here in the back yard. After we greeted our neighbor Bruce and his dog, Marcel, I noticed a ruckus over by the sycamore tree. Mr. Wren was dive-bombing a young squirrel who happened to venture into the … Continue reading →

This morning as I left the house I found an owl pellet on the front steps, with ants carrying off whatever wasn’t hair. Then, on the walk next to my car, the pelt of a rabbit that had been stripped … Continue reading →

Last evening we saw a half-dozen tiny praying mantids on our deck, so small the camera would not capture them. They must have just hatched out of the egg casing, which I could not find but it must be nearby. … Continue reading →

While sitting on the back steps drinking my coffee on Saturday morning,  I saw a wren going in and out of the wren house we hung from the sycamore, shopping for a place to raise young. His mate did not … Continue reading →