Tiny Wild Baby

I had to go with a dual-purpose image today, a Katydid nymph (baby) which is also very tiny.  Thus, it fits my own challenge for Wild Baby Week and also this week's Tiny Tuesday - Fauna challenge (thanks Isbi!)  I always have lots of katydids in the garden and enjoy watching them start out as little miniature versions of themselves and grow into big 1.5 inch green things that love to chew on my plants.  I don't mind them doing a bit of chewing, though - seems a small trade off.

I have to confess that I'm having a crappy day.  I woke up feeling out of sorts, and things took a downturn when I went out to the Wren Box, thinking they'd all fledged yesterday, to clean the box.  Of all the bone-headed things, I didn't use my little mirror to check first and when I opened the box, three house wren chicks flew out and landed on my shirt and shorts before dropping to the ground and hop/flying into the vegetation in the garden.  There was no catching them, either. I was so angry with myself for doing such a stupid thing - I know better.  My only consolation is that they are within a day of flight and Mama was later seen darting into the undergrowth to feed them.  Still, it made me feel just awful.  

I thought a couple of hours out with my camera might help, but I was still in a funk when I got home.  Then, when I went to visit MIL, she was in a bit of a mood, too...  May be something the air today.  One of the aides at the retirement home and the woman who checked me out at the market both said they woke up cranky.  Anyway, enough of my complaining.  

On the bright side, the bluebirds have started incubating which means babies in a couple of weeks.  The female laid four perfect blue eggs which will hopefully yield four healthy bluebird babies in about 2 weeks.  In more bright news, my smaller pollinator garden is within a week of bursting into bloom.  And more hummingbirds are starting to show up now...

If you want to join me in Wild Baby Week, just tag your entry with WBW followed by the date (i.e. WBW20)  

xo
Debbi