backyard wildlife

Three little deer came into the backyard one morning, and cleaned up the apples that the small apple tree had dropped. By the time I got my camera, one of them was already leaving. I am not sure if they are adults or not fully grown yet.

For the past few days we have had a single turkey coming up around the bird feeder.  A couple of years ago there was one that would hang around the yard and got to where she wasn't afraid when we would be out there (as long as we didn't walk toward her). Then we had some workmen around here for a few days and Miss Turkey stopped coming into the yard...someone must have scared her.

I wonder if this is the same one?

Sometimes the squirrels are afraid of turkeys and sometimes it's the other way around. That's a young squirrel in the photo below and he isn't confident enough to challenge the turkey just yet...he is keeping a respectable distance away!

 Below is a photo of Monarda that I planted new this year.  I was trying and trying to get a decent photo of a Hummingbird Moth sipping nectar from them...but of course it kept moving around and my camera was trying to focus on the flowers or rocks.  This is the best photo of the seven that I took.  I've drawn a red arrow pointing at the Hummingbird Moth.

Just to show you what it is, I snagged this photo off the internet...

not my photo

Have you ever seen one of these? They really do look like a tiny hummingbird flying around the flowers!

Here is more information about them if you're interested...click here

There are different kinds of them but I have only ever seen this kind in my garden. It's a Snowberry Clearwing.   Their larvae are big green hornworms...not the ones that eat your tomato plants, though.