Creatures We Encounter - Episode XIV

What I love about these posts I call Creatures We Encounter is that for the most part the animals we observe are in or around our own yard. Have I ever mentioned we live in a suburban area? We could walk to the grocery store, an arcade, and an office supply store. Five restaurants are under a half mile from our home. It is suburban sprawl, which I never thought was ideal for finding fascinating creatures. I'm happy to be wrong.

Just the other day, one of my daughters and I sighted this bird from our dining room window. We quickly pulled out the binoculars and settled in to observe and possibly identify it.

We hoped the half dozen neighboring houses weren't watching us, because as we pointed the binoculars toward the trees above their houses, it completely looked like we were snooping and not bird watching...especially when I darted out the back door, pointed my camera in the direction of their houses, and snapped a few pictures of the bird.

Creatures We Encounter - Episode XIII

It all centered around the grill on the back patio during October. First our youngest discovered this critter.

After startling it in an attempt to touch its back, our boy followed it about the yard. He was determined, but unsuccessful. A lesson in agility, flight, and eluding a possible predator was experienced.

Later that month, we found this egg sac.

We soon found that momma spider was not far away.

Creatures We Encounter - Episode XII

Of course we saw many local farm animals at the fair, including the imported, but now local alpaca, which is a personal favorite of mine.

But while touring through the antique tractors and farm equipment, our children spotted this little critter. It captivated their attention almost as much as the sliding ducks.

Creatures We Encounter - Episode XI

Don't you just love when nature observations hop right across your path?

Or fly onto the arm of your rocking chair?

Or slither across the front porch?

OK, I could have done without the slug. I hate slugs! However, my little guy loved viewing the slug up close.

Creatures We Encounter - Episode X

They found it on an old stump in the back yard. Sitting still the cicada mesmerized them. So much so, they were inspired to create an army from found cicada shells.

Then, just a few days later we were out in the yard. It was evening time and one of the children spotted it. Another cicada, but this one was far from resting...

What a neat moment to observe one evening in our back yard!

Creatures We Encounter - Episode IX

Looking toward shore, I saw my husband and youngest son frantically waving us inward. Since a friend had recently shared her shark sighting at a nearby beach, I wasted no time gathering our three older children and heading toward dry land.

Once we reached my husband, I realized there was a different creature of interest.

Though he had a fierce grip, he was sized well enough for wonder and not fear.

{a fond moment of this day}

The Creatures We Encounter - Episode VIII

Really, the longer we homeschool, the more I am convinced - there is the possibility of a lesson anywhere, any day. This is what we saw one evening while walking the empty garbage and recycling cans to the garage.

A lesson in camouflage anyone?

The Creatures We Encounter - Episode VII

At first it was fascinating watching this spider. However it was a dandy of a day when I realized that maybe just maybe this spider is busy getting ready for more of its own kind...

The Creatures We Encounter - Episode VI

 

The children found him while we were setting up our campsite,

relaxing quietly underneath the wooden picnic table.

 

This little creature had no idea what amazing acts of balance, skill, and endurance

would soon be asked of him.

 

 

A little tight rope act over thin twigs was first.

 

 

After a brief intermission when another player was found,

the two caterpillars then danced, chased, or crawled over fists and fingers.

 

These critters were good sports,

especially the one our youngest son gave a ride on his dump truck! 

 

 

Then, they returned to the safety of the foliage

for a well deserved rest.

 

The Creatures We Encounter - Episode V

It was an ordinary day.  I was out in the garden watering with our younger daughter.  The water flowed over our tomato plants, bathing the leaves and our garden guest?

Honestly, it took me awhile to realize it was not a clump of dirt on top of our biodegradable, organic weed barrier paper.  We only had a little of the paper left and decided to put it around the tomatoes.  The rest of the garden is a free-for-all-weed-growing-jubilee. 

This little guy should not be confused with the creature we found near our lily bed.  It constantly amazes us what creatures show up in our yard.  The very next day, strung from the hosta to the fence behind the children's digging area was this boldly colored little fellow waiting for his lunch to arrive.  What an easy way to observe the beauty and diversity of creation!

However, the most interesting encounter we had recently was this little family, who stopped traffic, 

{Make Way for Ducklings Geese!}

and made us late for this game.

Thankfully, we only missed the very beginning.



Related Posts:
Birds, Bees, and Blooms
Birds and Flowers Galore

Another Creature Encounter

Once the rain had finally cleared enough, we spent a weekend afternoon cleaning up the yard.  We weeded the flower beds and garden.  My husband and a few of our children finished the new dirt digging play area.  And before the lawn was mowed, we found...

...right before he (or she) hopped into the lily flower bed.

Related Posts:
The Creatures We Encounter
More Creatures We've Encountered
The Creatures We Encounter - Part III

Creatures We've Encountered - Part III

Black Friday presented some great deals for shoppers, but by far the best deal was for these creatures...

surviving Thanksgiving Day.  Early Friday morning when we awoke, we found seven wild turkeys walking through the front yard of where we were staying.  First, we tried photographing them through the window.  That proved impossible.  So, I did the next reasonable thing, walked outside with no coat or shoes to capture the turkeys in photographs.


Related:
The Creatures We Encounter
More Creatures We've Encountered

More Creatures We've Encountered

Science observations from our front porch, or even on our front door...

One evening, while the fall air blew coolness into the house, the screen door became a place of rest for this little guy, or gal.

It wasn't the first time we have found a critter of some sort on our front porch.  Most of the time it is a spider, caterpillar, mosquito, or toad.  There was the time this past spring, the robins nested above our front porch light.  And, once this past summer, my husband retrieved a snake from the road for us to check out a little closer.

With each critter we closely observe, the children and I are growing an appreciation for the diversity and uniqueness of creation.

The Creatures We Encounter

Though we live in a development and don't see a lot of large wild life creatures, from time to time we do have a few guests in our back yard.  Most are welcomed birds, butterflies, and pollinating bees.  Sometimes, a stray squirrel or skunk roam the neighboring yards.  Perhaps the most intriguing creatures are the insects.  Recently, while playing in the back yard, the children discovered this spider.

Can you see the egg sac the spider is carrying?  Two days later, our youngest son began holding a balloon to his backside.  When I asked him what he was doing, he replied, "I'm carrying my egg sac."  Amazing what they learn from observing nature!