Introducing Eveas, the Praying Mantis Visitor to Tingsgrove~

I hope that everyone is doing well and enjoying your Valentine's Day.  
We do not share the cards, candy and flowers that so many worldwide do in our home any longer.  I made a nice brunch though for my husband and myself, and then later we will celebrate our grandson Braden's 8th birthday with a party and dinner together.  It is snowing hard right now and so we are hoping to be able to get out.

Your love and support during the recent weeks showing such lovely care of me has really helped get me through.  It has been one of the roughest emotional times in my life since I had a hard time some 3  1/2 years ago.  These things are most often brought on by others and I am such a sensitive soul that I am taken down fast and hard.  I am beginning to see light at the end of this darkness.

My neck with pinched nerve and knees for now, are feeling a bit better too, following months of PT with a Chiropractor, and hope that I can continue to keep away from the surgeon's scalpel.  My knees are a bit improved as well, following Cortisone injections and so, it is a good day that I write and share this post~

~THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH~

 Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slideshow presentation after you have read the narratives~

I will be linking up with Judith for:

www.lavendercottagegardening.com

Mosaic Monday

&

Stewart for:

   http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/

Wild Bird Wednesday

The Sparrows that I am sharing today are like the Warblers, I just hate to guess the species, but they were so sweet and out in my garden.

I looked closely in my "Field Guide to Birds of North America" and I am thinking possibly a Song Sparrow, but would appreciate the correct ID.

Below is a Tufted Titmouse~

A Dark-Eyed Junco, this one looked almost looks to me like the Oregon variation, but just not sure~

White-breasted Nuthatch~

More Sparrows~

Dark-eyed Junco~

A female Praying Mantis looking for a place to lay her egg sack back the end of last September.  My husband found it on the door handle of my car.  The egg sack hopefully will be protected through the Winter and come Spring, some 100, or more baby Praying Mantis shall erupt from within~

On Christmas Eve evening my husband called me out to look at something on my car.  This time in the heart of Winter season fast begun, a male Praying Mantis had somehow survived thus far and guess where he found it?  The same door handle that the female had been seen on nearly 3 months earlier.  

I caught it in my hand and brought it inside and into a little insect cage that I had, until I could get to the pet store following Christmas celebration.  I purchased a small lidded  terrarium, a heat mat, baby crickets, meal worms and wax worms, as well as a spray bottle and the grated coconut bedding to place in the bottom of it's new home.  

I offered it the above purchased food, fresh every day, along with those little Rolly Poly bugs and it refused all food for 3 1/2 weeks.  I was really worried it would perish.  My friend had cared for one all Winter one year and suggested that I feed Eveas fresh raw meat.  He ate it right away, the first feeding taking over 45 minutes.  He likes chicken, beef, and pork, and so he has a good chance, though they only live about 6 months in the wild.  I am hoping to keep him alive long enough to release him in the Spring.  We are absolutely fascinated by him and when I have him out for his feeding and cage clean up, he watches me everywhere I move to~

Below Eveas is waiting on a paper napkin for his meal, which this day was chicken.  I offer it to him on a toothpick.  I move the toothpick around a bit, as they are used to catching and killing their prey and this helps entice him to hunt and eat~ 

He has a nice strand of chicken and this will fill him up for 24 hours and then he wants more~

More of Our Garden Friends~

~Above and below is an Eastern Towhee, also known around here as a Rufous Sided Towhee.  The black ones are the males and the cocoa brown the females~

How has your week gone?  Have you gotten much snow in your area?  We had three inches with some freezing sleet first and then two days later got another 4 inches of fluffy snow.  I took a fall and hit both knees on the pavement when going to photograph a Red-tailed Hawk across the lane.  I have bruises and ache all over, but am thankful no broken bones.  My camera also hit the ground, but fortunately it was saved from any damages this go round.  I enjoy snow for one reason only...it makes for a lovely backdrop for nature images.  

I shall warn those who follow my blog now, that next week, I will be sharing the Red-tailed Hawk mentioned above with a fresh kill of a Gray Squirrel.  For the very squeamish, I would not want to upset you and hopefully you shall see this alert before I post them next weekend.

In the meantime, here are just a few of the garden friends that have visited my little side garden this past week.  Sadly a Cooper's Hawk too a Cardinal, but that is the way of nature, all of the time, every day~

Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slideshow presentation after you have read the narratives~

I will be linking up with Judith for:

www.lavendercottagegardening.com

Mosaic Monday

&

Stewart for:

   http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/

Wild Bird Wednesday

Cardinals, all of the ones shared this week are females~

The rarest bird to visit is the Fox Sparrow.  They only come in the Winter and usually only one of them~

Poppy, I hope that you will get to see this.  Blue Jays~

White-throated Sparrows~

Dark-eyed Juncos~

Mourning Doves~

Black-capped Chickadees~