Gopher Tortoise

I looked down the road today and saw something walking towards me. I got my camera and started taking pictures. Kind of a grumpy look on it’s face….like  “get outta my way”.

It just kept on walking at a steady pace.

About ever 15’ or 20’  it would settle down and rest. And a few minutes later it was on it’s way again.

Looks like it must have just come out of a burrow…still damp dirt on it’s shell and face. It’s so dirty I couldn’t find any colors, but it is so cute.

It came right up into the yard.

It walked over to the camper and settled down in the shade.  That was  a few hours ago and it’s still there……hope he finds a spot in our place to call home.
Jim thinks it’s pretty neat too, and thought it would be nice if it stayed. He doesn’t realize it’s not a water turtle…..and if he thinks the Armadillos dig holes…..wait till he sees what this little guy can do.

Baby Armadillo….another one

We spotted this little guy about 3 weeks ago.  It looks like it’s shell is still soft.

You can see the shape of the skeleton underneath. It doesn’t have the rounded look yet.

It has a lot of hair on it. Look along it’s back, the edge of the shell by the hind leg and in the light spot behind it’s ears.

It was very active and didn’t seem the least bit concerned with us being there.

 

 

Tiger Swallowtail…….. a “ragged beauty”

One of my favorites. It is such a large butterfly and sometimes very easy to photograph since they don’t flap their wings a lot. Today wasn’t the best day…it was windy. So, even though the butterfly stayed still…the bush didn’t.

This Tiger Swallowtail was concentrating on the Hairy Beggar Tick plant. It grows all over the outer edges of our spot here in the woods. 3’ to 4’ tall and looks like little daisies.

The plant is a weed so it fits right in here…that’s about all we have since I don’t use weed killer or pesticides.

I love the huge eyes and the fat fuzzy body.

This one hung around for quite awhile…then was gone.

One of the host plants for the Tiger Swallowtail is a Red Maple. We have several in the woods and a sapling we planted in the wetlands with the Needle Palms and the Cana Lilies.

Perhaps with all the Beggar Ticks blooming, it will be back.