Bug Spray

I don't like bug spray. I don't mean the kind you use to kill bugs, though I don't like that kind either, but the kind you spray on yourself so you won't get bitten by bugs. I don't like spraying chemicals on my skin (and some of them, if you read the warnings on the bottle, basically say to wash it off as soon as you can. Why would I want to spray that on myself?), I don't like that after being outside I feel like I have to wash that stuff off before I sit on the furniture. I don't like the smell. I don't like that I put that stuff on and half the time it doesn't seem to repel the bugs at all - I have put on bug spray in the past and moments later had bugs land on me. I swear I heard them laugh. But I also don't like being eaten alive by bugs, and I don't like the constant state of itchiness that I am in at the moment because I've been bitten so many times in the last few days, so today I put on bug spray when I went outside. I figured, hey, after I mow the lawn I am going to need a shower anyway (and I do tend to wait until after my bug walk to take my shower most of the time anyway, because that's one thing they tell you to do to avoid tick bites. Not that that always works) It was some sort of organic stuff, and it made no claims about ticks, but it did have a cartoon drawing of a mosquito on the bottle, so I figured it would at least work for that. And it did - I didn't get any mosquito bites, and neither flies nor gnats followed me around the yard, so I guess it worked. On the other hand, the first thing my husband said when he came home and I kissed him was, "Oh, so you put on bug spray?"

Fortunately, bug spray doesn't repel bugs to the extent that I can't take pictures of them.

Some of the more interesting things I saw in the yard today were not photographable. I saw a wren chase a chipmunk out of a bush, and then chase it back in again.

And I almost stepped on a snake. I didn't even see it was there until I saw a violent movement in front of where I was walking, and saw the snake evacuate the path I was walking on in a rapid, whip-like manner. And by whip-like I mean its tail almost whipped against my shoe. This happens all the time that I startle small animals that are sitting in the grass, and they dart into the tall grass or shrubbery, startling me, but in this case it was a double whammy of "Ah!" for the sudden movement by my feet, and "AAAH! THERE'S A SNAKE!"

Of course, I then looked into the bushes to see if I could get a better look at it, but snakes are really good at disappearing.

A more pleasant surprise was Backyard Bug of the Day:

 This is not a bug that is new to me, nor even to BBotD as a concept, though it is new to it as a blog. Seeing this bug for the first time two years ago was a major, mind-blowing moment for me in bug exploration. I could not BELIEVE that there was a bug that looks like this, and especially that there was a bug that looks like this that lives in Connecticut. Maybe I would have thought something like this would live in a tropical rainforest, or in the ocean, but not in my backyard.

Having no idea what it was, I started calling it the Suess Bug because it really looks like something that Dr. Seuss dreamed up.

 I recently found out that it is actually an assassin bug nymph. I don't know which of the many assassin bugs it grows into, because it doesn't look much like any of the ones I have seen, but that's apparently what it is.

 As an extra bonus for me today, I found the bug on this awesome flower (clematis), so I get an awesome background for it. I don't choose bugs based on the picture background, but I do like it better if they are on a plant, at least, instead of the side of the house. Or my living room floor (but for a different reason). But this was a spectacular background for this incredible bug.

The only problem with it is that it didn't want to sit still, as you can see from the pictures. And while I was thinking that at least it couldn't fly away, because it doesn't have wings yet, it disappeared while I was refocusing. I didn't even see it go. As I recall, they are pretty good hoppers...

That was a pretty big highlight of my bug walk. The following was another - Backyard Bud of the Day:

 Blue eyed grass! I love blue eyed grass! One of my favorite wild flowers! (Wait, I say that about a lot of wild flowers, don't I?). I am not sure this counts as a bud, but whatever, that's what you're getting today for a bud.

I have no idea what that green, bulbous thing is. Weirdly, this is the first time I think I have noticed it on the plant.

Okay, my observational skills may have improved since I started bug searching, but that doesn't mean I catch everything. I mean, I did almost step on a snake today.

After I found the BBotD today (which was fairly quickly after I went outside) I decided I was NOT going to find and photograph any more bugs today, because I didn't want to make my decisions harder. Of course, that's not what happened. I am withholding the best of what I found, because I am hoping to make it BBotD another day, but here's a couple more bugs for you (Don't keep reading if you want to see no weevil. I am sorry. I have to make that pun when I post a weevil):

 It's the polka dotted moth again! It was on the window last night (after midnight, so it counts as today. In BBotD rules, a day is midnight to midnight). Of course it was on the other side of the screen, so I couldn't get a good picture. OF COURSE!

 Another damselfly! Another damselfly I couldn't get close to to take a picture! This one is eating something (I.e., another bug).

 I think weevils are adorable. I can't help it. This one looks like dirt. There are others that are slightly more prepossessing, but this one is still cute.

 This is a skipper, which is a kind of butterfly. I have read that they are called skippers because of the way they fly, but before that I thought it was because when they sit, they arrange their wings like this, like the sails of a ship. A skipper is a kind of ship, right? Anyway, apparently that's not the reason. But it should be.

When I saw these on a plant I thought they were bug eggs. Then I looked through the macro lens and saw they were... this.

On that weird note, let's look at some more plants. Daily Dandelion!

So, we've been talking about rolled up leaves? I found this on the ground today:

Is there something wrapped up in there?

I found this, too:

I don't think these are an integral part of the plant I found them on...

Wild strawberry!

Don't know what this is. I just liked it.

Okay, now it is time for you arachnophobes to leave the room. I'll wait.
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Are you gone? Okay, for the rest of you, Arachnid Appreciation!

Remember the spider that was in the window last night? I got another shot of it later:

 (It looks so bright behind it because of the camera light reflecting on the glass)

This is a picture I took during the day from outside. So there is glass between me and the spider.  It should be noted that I shut the window before I went to bed last night (which would have trapped anything between the window and the screen), and this morning the spider was the only bug in there. Now, I didn't notice what, if anything, besides the spider was there before I closed the window, but...

The spider is still there (this picture was taken in the afternoon). It was too chilly this evening to open the window, but even if I did, the spider would not necessarily leave. Something might fly in for it to eat, but I am not going to make it cold in here just for that. I'll see how it's doing in the morning.

I found another appreciable spider, too:

 Hiding out among the milkweed buds, waiting to grab some prey...

... Until I touched the stem of the plant to try to steady it, and it thought I was prey, and came out. I suspect it was somewhat disappointed in the outcome (and yes, I pulled my hand back really fast. Sheesh, first snakes, then spiders...).