The Beauty of Nature in and about my Secret Garden

The Beauty of Nature in and about my Secret Garden…I absolutely love wild life and we have an abundant source right here in Florida.

We have the Monk Parrot, or parakeet to be more accurate….with yellow green wings tinged with blue, a buff colored breast and a chatter that is unmistakable. They usually fly around in groups.  

When Twin number two lived in CC…they had them in their yard constantly.

These beautiful birds pass through our Secret Garden in the early morning, often stopping for a moment or two.  This was one of those occasions.

And we have many different types of Geckos…..so many it is hard to name them all.  They range in size from 2 inches to about 5 inches from head to tail tip. This one was on my baluster in my Secret Garden looking for flying insects to devour.  

They are fast little buggers and when it is mating time, the male sports a bright red throat that he can “blow out” and in to attract the female.

Zebra Longwing butterfly…very common butterfly, you see them everywhere.

Here I am taking a picture of another of our popular butterflies….he is on the pavers in the Secret Garden, the Giant Swallowtail butterfly.

Up close and personal….and also in the bright sun…sorry about the quality of the picture.

Cloudless Sulphur butterfly….always fluttering about, they love just about any fragrant flower. Guaranteed that if you stand still long enough, you will see one or two of these small butterflies.

I absolutely delight when I see a Blue Morpho Butterfly….so beautiful as they flutter in and about the Pentas.

Speaking of blue….the beautiful Florida Scrub Jay…yes, they wear marking bands on their little legs. You can see my shadow in this pic.  

I get excited and forget to “stage” the photo.  I just snap, snap snap!

Here is one sitting on my car door….they are so trusting.

People have fed them peanuts in the shell for so long that they become dependent and want you to feed them, but it interrupts their breeding cycle. 

When that happens, there might not be berries, etc… to feed their young when their biological clock says it is time to nest.

Male cardinal overlooking My Secret Garden….he keeps an eye out while his Mrs. drinks from the bird bath and….. well,… she fluffs and bathes too.

Kinda like David watching Bathsheba.;)

The Mrs. (Female cardinal) perched near the Elephant Ears…see her?  She is rather dull in color but her conical bill stands out.

That Photo was shot through the screen,  Sorry…and no, not a real elephant in my Secret Garden. 🙂

White Ibis in the grass and looking for grubs…does that mean I have a grubby Secret Garden? 🙂

In this pic, they are walking across my driveway.

They are always in groups.  Safety in numbers I guess.

They move from yard to yard and sometimes perch on the top of houses.  

It seems that no matter where you are in Florida, the white ibis with their orange beaks are there.

Blue jay hiding in the branches of my Oleander trees….can you spot him? The Captain needs to trim that dead branch, it is too high for me. 😉

There are about 6 of these blue jays and they play in an around the pergola…swooping down, chasing each other, then perching in the trees to rest. 

Florida state bird, the Mockingbird….she is getting a drink at my fountain before going back to her nest. She raises a brood each year and I just love watching them grow and test their flying skills.

And then there is the famous outlaw who stole our hearts….Jesse James …following me to my Secret Garden,… watching me.

And of course we must not forget Kitty Kitty….here she is watching something…most likely a gecko….and she is on the front Lanai.

Jesse James says it is time for a ride in the cool evening air…so he is all ready for travel….glasses and ball cap protect his eyes and head from the sun.

Here we are down by the water watching the Pelicans as they search for their dinner.  I just can’t get enough of watching these unusual birds.

Back at home, the green laser lights have come on and are simply magical in my Secret Garden, twinkling as branches sway in the gentle evening breeze. You can make out  one of the garden benches and the fountain where just hours before a mockingbird sat.

The front Lanai sports blue laser lights.

This pic is about 5:30 am and it is a new day beginning….. with the moon still high in the sky….and the evening dew on top of the umbrella.

I don’t want to miss a thing! 😉

I hope you enjoyed your visit…

Come back again soon.

Happy Tuesday!