Signs of the Times: Wild Kingdom

The blackberry bushes edging ever closer to our back fence are still putting out new leaves on the canes I'd cut back only a few days ago, and the bees are still busy at the blackberry blossoms.

Their industry earlier in the season gave us a nice crop of blueberries this year, but between the rabbit I saw two days ago standing on its hind legs to snatch blueberries off one of the bushes and the rapacious birds, including this beautiful Bohemian Waxwing, digesting his latest plunder, there aren't many left for us!

With the days growing shorter and cooler, this native Western Skink was relishing the warmth from a pile of rocks on our front porch. That gives me a good excuse not to find places in the garden for those rocks!

(More information on Western Skinks and Bohemian Waxwings)