New flower resident in the yard. You'd better behave, Ms. Naturalized Old World. (Wild carrot/Queen Anne's lace)

A fairly common visitor, but so pretty.

Gabe Takes a Bath. 😄

I hope the STEM camp high school students like the isopod stickers I've picked out for them. They go with the theme of the behavioral ecology activity I'm running: "Holy Moly, Roly-Polies!" Sticker artist: ArtByNessie

Special thanks to my young field assistants who participated in the "Critters In The Creek" family field survey activity at the Cane Creek Canyon Nature Preserve Annual Kickoff. Those kids did impressive work! Community science is awesome.

That's not a bee, it's a hoverfly (harmless bee mimic)! The lil butt wiggle gives it away. 😄

This is what the adults look like. (📷Wikipedia)

Any day you find a water penny is a good day.

CW: spider The green lynx spider dutifully guards the raised bed.

Wow! Whatever my milkweed is selling, that Dark Flower Scarab Beetle is buying!! Looks like he's got competition too.

Whoa, the milkweed got huge! The monarchs will be eating good this year!

CW: spider "I guard peppers for you, no charge. Only eat bugges, no problem at all. Am a very good spood, promise!" Thin-spined jumping spider

Peek-a-boo!!

I know when the local barred owl parliament starts having owlets, but I'm never ready for how smol and fluffy they are! 😭

Good morning, pipevine swallowtail! How's the coreopsis today?

Gabe has added my voice to his counting routine. He now has a male and female voice asking, "Can you count?" before he begins. 😶

Now when I say this little guy is TINY...

A very large lad. American bird grasshopper. Last year my yard hosted an enormous lubber grasshopper, a species I had not seen since childhood. I hope that one comes back too so I can get a photo.

The swallowtails like the coreopsis.

It's a tiny, perfect baby Carolina mantis. 😭

The hummingbirds are back!!

Hooray! First firewheel of the year!!

Emily's case was ping-ponged back and forth in Made Up Pretend Church Court for a couple of years, until the SJC threw the case out because they decided that, as a woman and non-elder, Emily lacked "standing" to make her case in the first place. Well, she has standing in *real* court.

So proud of my friend Emily Hyland for her courage, wisdom, and determination. This is the PCA, the church denomination that I also faced in civil court (and in Made Up Pretend Church Court). This ruling changes everything for women in the PCA. The rest is up to you, ladies.

I'm especially proud of my egg carton scorpion.

UNA Biology represented at EarthFest this year. The undergrads came up with amazing kids' activities: Build-A-Bug, make seed pods with Alabama native wildflowers, and a button press! The kids loved it. Happy Earth Day, North Alabama. 🌍

Oh! More pest control agents reporting for duty. This is a tachinid fly. It parasitizes many garden pests. Go get'em!!

Gabe is whistling the Song of Storms as a thunderstorm brews outside. 😂

Apparently these wasps infect cabbage white butterflies (invasive), and the wasp venom compels the infected caterpillar to guard the baby wasp cocoons until they hatch. The wasps are an introduced biological control agent. Uh ... thanks, little buddies!

Here, have a bag o' parasitoid wasps. Oh, look: I think they're hatching!!

Cheeky little butterflies among the evening primrose. I guess they like my pollinator bed.

We had a good turnout for our special showing of the film "Hidden Rivers" by Freshwaters Illustrated on UNA campus.The wonder and awe on people's faces when they see those darters, hellbenders and mussels for the first time is always amazing to see. And it's all right here in our own back yards...

Everyone turn off the sun now, Gabe is Readygotobayyyyyd 🙄

We are annoyed and confused because we have informed everyone that we are "Readygotobayd" and we have received our night-night blankie and done our night-night dance and the light switch has been flipped but the sun is NOT gone! 😑 22 years old and he forgets about daylight savings every year. *sigh*

Biology students reported that my outfit "ate" today. This goes in my tenure portfolio, right?

Another good field trip in the books for the Ecology class at Cane Creek Canyon.

Here they come!!

Gabe contributed to this study on name use by pet parrots. 😄 He likes to talk about our cat Murdoch and ask to see him.

It's baby season in the isopod colony and THEY'RE SO CUTE I'M GONNA DIE. They're the size of pinpricks and they curl up into perfect little poppyseeds and 😭

The native wisteria species (Wisteria frutescens). Aka "Amethyst Falls".

Diamonds are a girl's best friend. 🙂🙂🙂💎

I was also blessed by this twin-flagged jumping spider.

Did I find one? Did I finally find an an't?! (ant mimic spider)

I've adopted flour beetles (Tribolium confusum). They're a classic model system in ecology, so I couldn't resist. Now to design some lab experiments for the students...

"How bird doing?" I don't know, Gabe, you tell me!! 😄

A white-breasted nuthatch in the golden hour, looking more elegant than it has a right to.

Southern ladies know; it's all about that Italian cream cake life. 🍰

Monarchs are back in the yard! If only they would sit still for good photos. Welcome back, guys!!

The wild blue phlox have checked in.

Dang, Mobile. Didn't know you could party.