Nature Archives – Page 8 of 12 – Strength Of The Small

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The Wind has Settled Down

By JM PerezOctober 30, 20132 min read603 views

What a change and what a lovely day! The winds have finally settled down, the dirt has hardened a little from the little rain we had on Monday and the thick grey clouds melted away. There was no damages to the plants and structures; but a backyard covered with so many tumbleweeds. I didn’t mind as I was happy to see a beautiful blue sky, the mountains covered in snow and some of my late blooming perennials.

I was so delighted to see my Mums all in bloom. They are easy to grow, low maintenance and late bloomers. I am growing mine in containers along with other Fall perennials. They have remained green for a very, very long time and just recently burst open with bright colors ranging from red to yellow. More information here.

I love Dianthus and mine seem to surprise me every day with a new color. I love the varieties.

As I was walking around my Rose Garden, I saw a huge dried up stem which snapped as soon as I pulled on it to expose a tiny cream-colored larvae. According to the website fs.usda.gov (USDA Forest Service – US Department of Agriculture), adult flat headed wood borers are small to relatively large beetles with small antennae and a characteristic oval body shape and they are called metallic wood borers because they are iridescent or metallic looking underneath and sometimes on top. Larvae are white, legless grubs similar to bark beetle larvae, but the body shape is elongated, and the head area is different than bark beetle larvae. They attack stressed, dying, or dead trees and can also attack freshly cut timber before it is dried.
For more information, click here to download the PDF file.

Can you see the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug below? I wouldn’t have noticed it if it wasn’t for my husband. What a clever attempt to camouflage and blend into its surroundings.

Happy Gardening and discoveries in your Yards.

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By JM Perez

Birds Nature High Desert

Many-spotted Hummingbird

By JM PerezOctober 11, 20131 min read545 views

Just last Friday, I had a personal encounter with a Dove. This morning I found a Many-spotted Hummingbird in my front yard. As I moved towards the little bird to take a picture, it started hopping and I realized it somehow injured its left-wing. Hummingbirds are small and extremely fast and I knew there had to be a catch for me to even get close to one. Not being able to see a nest up on the pine tree branches and unable to hear the sounds of other birds around, I couldn’t tell if this was a baby Hummingbird which fell out of its nest.

According to the website Defenders.org, the Hummingbird’s feet are used for perching only, and are not used for hopping or walking. The argument is that Hummingbirds cannot walk or hop because of their small and short legs. Had I not witnessed it today, I would have still been amongst those who believe it to be true.

The little bird hopped its way out of my yard (through the chain linked fence) into my neighbor’s front yard. I had just a few seconds to capture it from its back. I hope it finds a safe place to rest and heal.

Take a moment to check out the video below, behind the Scenes of “Hummingbirds”.

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By JM Perez

Updates Birds Nature Gardening High Desert

A Project Complete

By JM PerezOctober 5, 20132 min read711 views

Today has been a productive day as we were blessed with good weather unlike what the Weather Channel predicted for the day. We finished putting in the last of the Privacy Fence Slats and we dug up and disposed of the rest of the Oleanders (except for the only hybrid “Peach Blossom” I owned). As soon as my husband builds a large planter, I will dig up the toxic beauty and move it toward the end of the fence, where I can still admire it without it being at close proximity to our living area. We are proud of ourselves for the progress we’ve made and we are relieved that everything’s coming together, one project at a time.

While out and about in Downtown Pomona yesterday, we stopped at the Pomona Indoor Swap Meet and bought three 24 inch whitewall Classic Cruiser Bike Tires for my tree wheeler. My dear husband changed the tires only to find out that I have two flat tubes. We might get lucky and buy them at our local Walmart or Target stores tomorrow. It would be nice to ride around with the kids before the Winter sets in.

For the past three days a murder of crows has been gathering on a tall pine tree across from my home. On the first day which was Thursday, they made so much noise that the tenants came out to see what the commotion was all about. They were at least thirty crows. Today, while working in the backyard, I couldn’t help but take a picture after my children noticed the flock flying around in circles above that same pine tree.

Flock of Crows on A Pine Tree. — *A Flock of Crows on a Pine Tree.*

We had a wonderful time with the family as the kids enjoyed every single minute of their time outdoors. Tomorrow will be a new day with another opportunity to create memories.

May your weekend be bright and filled with cheer.

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By JM Perez

Primitive Spiders Nature Gardening High Desert

Our Productive Day

By JM PerezSeptember 14, 20132 min read1K views

Tending to the garden and backyard today was productive and fun. We achieved so much and will be moving forward with our design. I dug out one of my young Yucca Pendula from the backyard and moved it to the front yard. I dug out most of my Gladiola from the front garden and move them to the back, relocated my Star Jasmine and I was pleasantly surprise to find out that one of my mini Rose bush is blooming for the first time in at least 4 years! It has been growing in the front yard all this time until last month, when I moved it to the backyard. It has surprised me with beautiful white rose flowers. I guess it just needed a breath of fresh air.

I spotted a few interesting insects, one of which the Seaside Grasshopper below.

Tan Brown Grasshopper. — *Seaside Grasshopper.*

Four years ago, we harvested a couple of Mint Plants from a family friend. We brought them home and they took off as soon as we planted them. We knew little about growing this plant and we were so overwhelmed when they invaded pretty much everything around them. We thought we had removed all of it until last month when they began growing from the roots. I dug up one new shoot and planted it next to a mini rose bush. It has grown so much that I asked my husband to build a planter just for it. Growing up, my Mom used Mint in the kitchen all the time and I loved the smell. So, growing it not only remind me of the good times, but it also gives me an opportunity to introduce it to my children. Click here to learn about Mint benefits and here to find recipes.

I found a Tan Brown Widow Spider on one of the birdhouses we built. It seemed to have appropriated the birdhouse. According to the Center for Invasive Species Research, University of California Riverside, the Brown Widow Spider, Latrodectus Geometricus, became established in Southern California in early 2000 and has become well entrenched as part of the local spider fauna in urban Los Angeles and San Diego. The brown widow spider is continuing its expansion in Southern California and could possibly move northward into Central California. Click here to read the complete article and click here to learn to identify this spider.

Happy Gardening and enjoy your weekend.

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By JM Perez

Birds Nature High Desert

Baby Birds & Sun Set

By EPEngineerAugust 3, 20131 min read555 views

Late on Tuesday afternoon I found one of three baby birds on the ground in the backyard. My first thought was that the baby bird has fallen out of its nest; however, given the amount of feathers and noticing that both parents were keeping an eye from a close distance (probably teaching the baby to fly on its own). I came to the conclusion that the baby bird was simply attempting to fly. As soon as I gently picked it up to place it back into the cozy nest, the baby bird jumped back on the ground flapping its wings and hopping around. At that point I decided to leave it alone and allow Nature to follow its course.

As the evening got windier I decided to check up on the baby bird and realized that all three young birds fad fallen off the nest. I carefully picked them up, one at a time, and placed all three back on the nest and left them there. Came next morning, and all three baby birds were gone.

*Baby Birds attempting to fly on their own.*

This evening we enjoyed a beautiful sunset while having an awesome time outdoors. Come to think about it, it might be the third or fourth sunset I have seen since the start of the year.