Friday Photos

A few Brown Anoles are first today. I’ve been seeing this anole on the fence often lately, and I like its markings, especially the dark lines around its eyes.

A red-headed anole on a fencepost.

One of the tomato pot anoles.

When I walked over to the side of the house, I saw a pretty Long-tailed Skipper butterfly in the lantana flowers.

While the Skipper fluttered in the flowers, a female Brown Anole ran out onto the fence in front of me. She looked at me, watched the butterfly, and looked at me again–almost as if she were looking for help catching that butterfly! But the butterfly flew off safely, and the anole went back down into the lantana.

These small trumpet-shaped red flowers grow on one of the wild vines that occasionally appear on my fence.

This one has a little ant on it.

A Green Tree Frog in the bushes.

And one more little frog.

Thursday Photos

We actually had a little sun today, and I saw a couple of Brown Anoles out hunting for food this afternoon. This little guy had hopped down into the grass where it was stalking some gnats.

Twice he caught a gnat, but I missed getting a photo of the catch both times. Here he is hanging head down as he went after another gnat.

This female Brown Anole was hunting from the fence up over the lantana plants. I’ve watched her hunt there before, and I knew she was looking for one of the little moths that fly around the plants.

So I rustled the plants with my foot and stirred up a moth, and the anole darted forward and caught it.

Here she is finishing off her moth.

Sophie was happy to have some time outside without rain today.

Only one Green Tree Frog today, sitting in the mailbox when I got home from work and took out the mail.

 

Another Rainy Day on Wednesday

A long day at work today with before and after school meetings. The good thing was that the meetings were recruitment sessions for kids who want to join our high school’s Best Buddies chapter. Over 50 kids attended, all interested in being friends to my students with disabilities.

It was late when I finally got home, driving through heavy rain most of the way. Just a few photos for today, starting with this green cherry tomato growing on one of the tomato plants. After a long midsummer pause in tomato production, there are now a few tomatoes growing.

One little anole for today, the baby Brown Anole I saw the other day in the Mexican Petunias. It’s still hanging around that plant, looking a little bigger already.

And then there are the Green Tree Frogs. This one was sitting on the front door when I got home, and hopped into the bushes when I nudged it.

And this frog looked like it was smiling down at me.

More Rain on Tuesday

It rained on and off all day today, and I got home from work very shortly before we were hit with a burst of heavy rain and wind this afternoon. Sophie and I had just enough time to make one circle around the yard before we had to go in. We saw this Brown Anole on the fence.

And this Brown Anole was on a tomato pot.

A raindrop about to fall from the fence.

This tiny Brown Anole is molting. You can see how dark its face looks next to the lighter colored molting skin on its neck and body.

This one was my favorite for today. After the storm passed I went back outside for a few minutes and saw some Green Tree Frogs by the front door. I held up my left hand toward one of the frogs and it hopped onto the knuckle of my index finger. The little frog sat there long enough that I was able to take a one-handed photo.

A Few for Rainy Monday

As predicted, our weather today was mostly rainy as the edges of Tropical Storm Isaac barely brushed us. When I got home from school it was drizzling, and Sophie and I went outside with the camera. Sophie, who hates rain, first found a safe spot under the palm trees.

Then she moved to her favorite safe spot from rain, under the pool steps. She stayed there until I told her we were going back inside.

There was not much happening in the wet yard. There was a Gloriosa Lily blooming out front, with raindrops all over the blossom.

And here’s a blossom that had fallen from the Mexican Petunia, wilted and wet.

I looked for anoles in the usual places–the palm trees, the fences on the sides of the yard–but apparently none of them wanted to be out in the rain. However, I know where the adult female Green Anole likes to sit–a protected area between a couple of posts near a fence–and I got a photo of her looking back at me.

Sunday Assortment

We are not in the path of Tropical Storm Isaac, but we saw overcast skies, scattered light showers, and breezy weather today–the fringe of the storm. We’re supposed to have more rain over the next couple of days but that’s about all for our area. In between the showers this afternoon Sophie and I went outside with the camera. Here’s Sophie, ready to help out.

I’ve started looking for Green Tree Frogs in the boxwood bushes, and I saw another one today. These little frogs just fit on the leaves of the bushes.

Another frog on the wall. When I open the front door I’ll usually see several little frogs leaping away in various directions.

A Mexican Petunia bud. Today’s flowers had dropped from the plant, but the buds for tomorrow morning were already preparing to open.

And some anoles, of course. I’ve been enjoying having so many of them around this year after a couple of years with a reduced population. This young Brown Anole was watching me curiously from its perch on the fence.

I have a couple of large flower pots in the back yard for tomato plants, and this year I’ve had Brown Anoles living in the tomato pots. This is one of the tomato pot anoles.

A male Brown Anole on the fence, displaying his dewlap.

The young Green Anole was around today too. His color–midway between green and brown–and the lighting combined to give him a golden look.

Another shot of the young Green Anole.

 

 

 

Frog and Anoles on Saturday

Little Green Tree Frogs continue to hang around outside the front door. This one had just leaped from the door onto my hand, and then into the boxwood bushes.

I saw a few different anoles today. This young Brown Anole was puffing itself up, trying to look intimidating.

I think this is that same anole on the fence–I like the markings on this one.

Brown Anole posing on a fence post.

And a closer look at that anole. He looks like he has a few scars on his head near his ear, which may have come from the battle on the fence last weekend.

Another  Brown Anole looking out at me from behind a post.

The juvenile Green Anole was out climbing on the fence today. I looked back to find out when I first saw him when he was very small, and he’s about a month old now.

I was delighted to see a new baby Green Anole. It was on the wall of the house near the fence–a very tiny anole, close to newly hatched. It’s nice to see Green Anoles continuing to live and reproduce even with all the Brown Anoles around them. I hope this little one survives and thrives!

Anoles on Friday

I’m home for the weekend, with just a few anole photos for today. The first thing I saw when I went outside was this Green Anole on the fence.

The Green Anole ran up the post and along the fence to where a Brown Anole was already perched, and they bobbed their heads and flashed their dewlaps at each other.  It didn’t turn into a fight though, and eventually they went off in different directions. I haven’t seen the two types of anoles interacting very much so this was interesting to watch.

Here’s the Brown Anole by himself.

And here’s the Green Anole.

One more photo of the Brown Anole, sitting sideways on the upright pole.

As I was going inside I saw the anole that lives in the basil plant, and I stopped for a photo.

A Few for Thursday

I mentioned the other day that the little Green Tree Frogs are everywhere, even in the mailbox, and here’s photographic proof: a frog inside the mailbox. The mailbox is mounted on the house outside the front door, and I think the frogs like the comparative coolness and shading from the sun. Sometimes when I take mail from the box a little frog comes leaping out with it.

I found another frog in the boxwood bushes today. This one was a darker shade of brownish green. It’s interesting to see the color variation in these little frogs.

Flowers shooting up from my neighbor’s greens in her vegetable garden.

Last for today is Sophie in the yard.

Frogs and Anoles on Wednesday

Just a few for today. When I got home from work I noticed this Green Tree Frog settled on a single small leaf of a boxwood bush. The tiny frog just fits on the leaf.

Another view of the little frog on the boxwood leaf.

I was happy to see the juvenile Green Anole on the fence this afternoon. He’s continuing to grow and really isn’t a baby anymore.

Close-up of the young Green Anole.

Here’s a very tiny baby anole, a Brown Anole hatchling–it wasn’t that long ago that the young Green Anole was this size.