Creepy, Crawly, Slithery

All I have to say about today's bug walk is, HARRUMPH.

Also, I don't know if we actually made it to 80ºF as forecast (I forgot to check before midnight, when the weather station resets), but we certainly got close. Quite warm for October.

The creepy, heebie-jeebie level of the blog is higher than usual today. You've been warned.

But before we get to the bugs, I found this today:

A reminder of how life in the wild works. I find this kind of scene occasionally, where there is nothing left of a bird (usually a mourning dove, for some reason) is a pile of feathers on the ground. It's not gross, because there's no blood or corpse, but there is something... dramatic about it. I know what went on here, and I know that some predator, probably a raptor, but it could be something else, has had a successful day, and has been nourished to carry on with its life, but another bird is now nothing but a pile of feathers. Maybe it's not as profound as I think it is. It's life.

I saw ladybeetles flying around again today when I looked out the window, but today I actually saw them when I was outside, too.

Backyard Bug of the Day:

 Ladybeetle.

 There was a bit of wing flexing, and eventually it flew away.

 Another, on the side of the house, probably looking for a way in.

On a hummingbird feeder

 On another hummingbird feeder. A nice look at some different colors.

There were also lots of crane flies flitting around, and some insects that were too small for me to see what they were, but I didn't get pictures of those.

Random Bugs:

 Robber fly

 Leaf-footed bug

 Ants

Today I actually have just as many spiders as I do species of insects. Arachnid Appreciation:
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 I found this on the porch light late last night. It looks a bit like it's been squished, but that's just the way it is sitting with its legs all askew.

Backyard Reptile of the Day:
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 Baby snake in the garden

 I think this is either a juvenile eastern milksnake, or a juvenile black racer.

 

 Is that a tongue I see?

 Yes, yes it is.

 It was not keen on my scrutiny. Eventually, when I moved to another position to try to get a better look at the pattern on its head, it turned and charged at me. I jumped aside, and felt chagrined that I had just lost a game of chicken to a baby snake.

 So this is the best shot of the pattern on its head. Taken before I moved, and therefore before it charged.