One of the wonderful things about living out in the country again, after three years in town, is the wildlife. I had been surprised how much was going on at the little house in town, in no small part because our house was tucked into the corner of thick brushy hedgerows. But out here, you can barely walk without stepping over something like this baby toad my son found. He's allowed to keep small creatures for no more than 24 hours, and then needs to let them go again.
Teeny tiny toad butt. One my son's hand, which is almost as big as mine, now!
All my kids know and like that I take photos of bugs. Any time a new one is spotted, and I'm home, they come get me to take it's picture. Like this magnificent stick bug, who was fooling no one on our front porch column.
The rear legs are tucked back to add to the twig-illusion and lengthen the appearance.
A stick bug's face looks like, well, leaf buds. It's excellent camouflage. This one is a member of the Phasmatidae family.
It's not just bugs, though. We've also got more birds than we had in town, and different ones. I know and love the silly goldfinches from NH, where they swing and sing on the thistles, but I hadn't seen any in OH until recently out in the country.
And we have a rabbit living in the backyard, where the woods come down to within arm's reach of the house. It drives the dog nuts, and the cunning rabbit sneaks into the grass close to the fence and laughs and laughs.
Clever bunny