So much life

I've been surprised to discover that fall triggers as much color and activity in our Wildscape as spring. Yesterday, I observed an abundance of butterflies, spiders, and insects among the flowers and leaves. What I find especially wonderful and gratifying is that as soon as we plant something new (like our indigo spires), wildlife of some kind moves in! Just look and see...

An unidentified skipper on the blue mistflowers...

Another unknown skipper on the indigo spires...

Lindsey artfully photographed a spotted cucumber beetle on the indigo spires.

Not a great photo, but it shows the brilliant colors of
a spicebush swallowtail that I saw flitting among the Salvia cocinnea blossoms...

A sulphur species on the indigo spires...

A rather large ant species on the esperanza...

CORRECTION This is a broad-headed bug nymph
(Read "ShaZAM!!" February 23, 2011)

Among the indigo spires, I was delighted to find a young female garden spider.
By this time of year, they're usually fully mature and BIG. She's got a ways to grow
before our cold weather arrives. I'm wondering if she'll even have time
to mate and lay an egg sac.

Not far from the garden spider on the indigo spires, I spotted a green lynx thick "with children." She looks ready to lay her own egg sac ANY DAY now! I'm going to keep an eye out for it.

On an esperanza, James found an egg sac. When he showed it to me, we found
the mother–like all good green lynx females–guarding it.

I had to share a photo of the bougainvillea in bloom. And alas, I was going to trash the "red berries" photo, but I decided to post that, too. Why? Because we have to cut it down. Pyracanthas (Pyracantha coccinea) are invasive and should not be part of a Texas Wildscape. It's a volunteer that grows on our adjoining lot.

I'm gonna sweetly ask James to "do the deed" when I'm not around.