# Nature in your backyard: Photo extravaganza! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 30, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863 "2008-09-30T15:52:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/1 "2008-09-30T15:52:13Z")
Here’s your assignment: 1. Find cool little bitties of nature around your place of dwelling 2. Take photos 3. Post photos! Here’s mine! On Sunday, it was a rainy day. The nice, melancholy kind of rainy. I waited till it slowed to a light drizzle, then went outside. First thing I noticed was a cedar bush which had been populated by funnel web spiders. Most of them were squeezed tight in their little funnels, but this guy seemed to be enjoying the rain. [![](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v654/MachTurtle/Funnelspider.jpg) ](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v654/MachTurtle/Funnelspider.jpg) Here’s a shot of another part of his web. It was purty. [![](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v654/MachTurtle/Drizzleweb.jpg) ](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v654/MachTurtle/Drizzleweb.jpg) I spotted a cool shelf fungus growing on a gnarled old tree. It was pretty big! This stack was a good 2 feet high, and the widest shelf was at least a foot. [![](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v654/MachTurtle/Shelffungus.jpg) ](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v654/MachTurtle/Shelffungus.jpg) Getting closer, I noticed a little maggot on one part. Do maggots eat fungi? [![](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v654/MachTurtle/Fungusmaggot.jpg) ](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v654/MachTurtle/Fungusmaggot.jpg) I saw another maggot then, and another. The falling things and little pats coming from the branches weren’t raindrops, as I’d thought, but maggots. They were leaping. Mainly at me. I didn’t stick around to see where they were coming from. But here’s a shot of another fungus on the other side of the tree! [![](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v654/MachTurtle/Shelffungus2.jpg) ](https://img.photobucket.com/albums/v654/MachTurtle/Shelffungus2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/2 "2008-09-30T16:02:16Z")
[From about 18 months ago in one back yard.](http://flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/441169967/in/set-72157594548160809/) [From about a year ago in my other back yard.](http://flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/1430718063/in/set-72157594548160809/) ---
**Author:** ![Acid\_Lamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Acid\_Lamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acid_Lamp)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/3 "2008-09-30T16:09:35Z")
I have a whole album from our backyard garden. [index here.](http://picasaweb.google.com/adamjprawlocki/Gardening#) There are many “wild” pics in there along with the garden’s progress. ---
**Author:** ![Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/779978/32.png) [@Amazon\_Floozy\_Goddess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amazon_Floozy_Goddess)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/4 "2008-09-30T16:09:51Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > [From about 18 months ago in one back yard.](http://flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/441169967/in/set-72157594548160809/) > > [From about a year ago in my other back yard.](http://flickr.com/photos/75905404@N00/1430718063/in/set-72157594548160809/) Pretty! Someday I hope to get a digital SLR. I only have a little point-and-shoot Fuji with limited macro function. I do have an old Miranda SLR which has got to be pushing 40 years at this point. It has a crazy bellows extension for macro shots, which works pretty well, but it requires a lot of light. The camera is also way past overdue for a good internal cleaning - little bits of fuzzies can be seen through the viewfinder. ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/5 "2008-09-30T17:41:47Z")
Limiting myself solely to things found in my back yard: [White Peacock butterfly](http://www.flickr.com/photos/troubleagain/1799684042/in/set-72157604441340272/) [Lizard on a ledge](http://www.flickr.com/photos/troubleagain/2446985580/in/set-72157604441340272/) [Grasshopper](http://www.flickr.com/photos/troubleagain/2751096073/in/set-72157604441340272/) [Sphynx moth caterpillars, I believe](http://www.flickr.com/photos/troubleagain/2821422006/in/set-72157604441340272/) [Dragonfly](http://www.flickr.com/photos/troubleagain/2531780895/in/set-72157604441340272/) [Zebra Longwing butterfly](http://www.flickr.com/photos/troubleagain/2836994872/in/set-72157604441340272/) [Black Swallowtail butterfly](http://www.flickr.com/photos/troubleagain/2836158671/in/set-72157604441340272/) [Hundred baby spiders of unknown type](http://www.flickr.com/photos/troubleagain/2836985906/in/set-72157604441340272/) [Gulf Fritillary caterpillar](http://www.flickr.com/photos/troubleagain/2751100841/in/set-72157604441340272/) (I had a photo of a Gulf Fritillary butterfly, but can’t find it right now. My [flower album](http://www.flickr.com/photos/troubleagain/sets/72157604441254540/) is mostly stuff from my back yard, as well, but there are flowers there from Bok Tower Gardens, Englewood, North Carolina and many other places as well. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/6 "2008-09-30T17:56:14Z")
Imagine a white marble rock. I’m pressure washing rock all day to remove brown flood gunk two quarts at a time. White rock. Can you picture it? I started looking at the nice pictures here and had to stop. ---
**Author:** ![Mahna\_Mahna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e47c2d/32.png) [@Mahna\_Mahna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahna_Mahna)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/7 "2008-09-30T18:01:15Z")
Thanks to the near-daily rainstorms we had for a good part of the summer, we ended up with [itty bitty little mushrooms](http://www.flickr.com/photos/polkaroo/2621815743/)growing in our lawn. And here’s a shot of [the spider](http://s423.photobucket.com/albums/pp315/smellyhead/?action=view¤t=guardianspider.jpg)(species unknown) that guards my tomato plants. It’s hard to tell just how big he is in that photo, but trust me when I say he’s pretty freakin’ huge - his abdomen is around the size of a peanut. There are several other spiders of the same species lurking around in our garden, though thankfully most of them are much smaller. ---
**Author:** ![BaneSidhe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/c5a1d2/32.png) [@BaneSidhe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BaneSidhe)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/8 "2008-09-30T18:02:00Z")
All of these pictures are gorgeous! Here’s my contributions: Some type of weird bug [katydid?] on bannister: [![](https://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/BellaCheval/100_1846.jpg) ](https://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/BellaCheval/100_1846.jpg) Young 4-point buck who is now HUGE [this pic was taken in July]: [![](https://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/BellaCheval/Moar%20Deer/100_1787.jpg) ](https://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/BellaCheval/Moar%20Deer/100_1787.jpg) Mum Squirrel who loves our porch and that I throw out any uneaten seed/pellets from Sami’s food dish: [![](https://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/BellaCheval/Baby%20Squirrels%20and%20Mom%202008/100_1527.jpg) ](https://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a296/BellaCheval/Baby%20Squirrels%20and%20Mom%202008/100_1527.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![KRC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/45deac/32.png) [@KRC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KRC)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/9 "2008-09-30T18:24:21Z")
Sort of a pale photo, but here’s a picture of our friend Mr. Cooper’s Hawk doing his best to control the dove population. [http://picasaweb.google.com/marysharpe4/Lexington?authkey=Vpgdm3QGFkY#5251880376785798898](http://picasaweb.google.com/marysharpe4/Lexington?authkey=Vpgdm3QGFkY#5251880376785798898) I also have a photo of a butterfly that I followed around the backyard for two hours with my camera. [http://picasaweb.google.com/marysharpe4/Lexington?authkey=Vpgdm3QGFkY#5251880377274578354](http://picasaweb.google.com/marysharpe4/Lexington?authkey=Vpgdm3QGFkY#5251880377274578354) ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/10 "2008-09-30T18:26:25Z")
Sami leaves uneaten seeds? Sunshine would _never_ do that.:pThe squirrels share a [feeder](http://www.flickr.com/photos/troubleagain/2359364762/in/set-72157604441254540/)with the wild birds. (No squirrels in the picture, though–just the feeder.) ---
**Author:** ![Maastricht](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e57/32.png) [@Maastricht](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maastricht)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/11 "2008-09-30T19:13:02Z")
My ex is a photographer who works often in his vegetable garden. This picture he made with a macro lens of a spider who is sensing with his legs if he can climb over the camera. Or he is threatening the camera, hat is also possible, I’m no expert on spiders. > **[Mijn Album](https://myalbum.com/album/7PvS7MmobY9I/)** We need **lynn42** in this thread. She makes pictures of the wildlife in her yard for a book on spiderphobia and how to overcome it. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/12 "2008-09-30T20:14:08Z")
[This lily was in my front yard this summer](http://img374.imageshack.us/my.php?image=lollypoplilyvj6.jpg). Close enough? 🙂 I’ll go out and see what my backyard has to offer these days. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2008, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/13 "2008-09-30T23:46:34Z")
I think this should work: [Search: nature | Flickr](http://flickr.com/photos/10073111@N04/tags/nature/) I’m out of free photos sets in Flickr, but I tagged all of them with “backyard nature” Some highlights: [Crazy bird](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3046/2902568599_704ebc5f40_b.jpg) [Purple Iris detail](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3197/2903409190_69fccc07bc_b.jpg) [Blurry fox](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3106/2902565447_7a94345677_b.jpg) [Foggy evening (taken tonight)](http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3012/2902568861_20008522b1_b.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/14 "2008-10-01T00:58:52Z")
I was nice to see some garden stuff and yards that are in good shape. I now have a pile of white rocks waiting to go over the ground liner next to the garage. ---
**Author:** ![3acresandatruck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/e79b87/32.png) [@3acresandatruck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3acresandatruck)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/15 "2008-10-01T01:38:16Z")
Ahh, [grasshopper](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn106/3aaat/file001/grasshopper.jpg)! [Slime mold](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn106/3aaat/file001/yardschmutz01.jpg) A [grub](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn106/3aaat/file001/ummmm.jpg)? Some sort of [leafhopper](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn106/3aaat/file001/IMG_0255.jpg)? A [tick](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn106/3aaat/file001/tick.jpg). [Aphid attack](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn106/3aaat/file001/antsaphidsfly.jpg)! with ant herders (the little white specks are the aphids)…I don’t know what the fly’s up to… [Spider](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn106/3aaat/file001/IMG_0282.jpg). Some [iris](http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/nn106/3aaat/file001/May232008iris1.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/16 "2008-10-01T01:46:37Z")
Too dark to take any pics now, is it okay to use an image I used in another thread? [Praying Mantis found in the parking lot](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2144/2386742858_f1a6374d11_b.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 2:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/17 "2008-10-01T02:11:26Z")
This is technically my mother’s yard (and technically her front yard): [Black bear, kinda close](http://i20.photobucket.com/albums/b212/fachverwirrt/100_1020.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/18 "2008-10-01T02:14:14Z")
Some photos my husband has taken in our backyard: A [chipmunk](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/jsgoddess/chipmonk0001-E.jpg) in a weedy patch. A super closeup of [lamb’s ear](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/jsgoddess/backyard07-05-050001-lambsear.jpg). A super closeup of a [tomato leaf](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/jsgoddess/tomato01.jpg). My favorite flower, [shasta daisies](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/jsgoddess/daisy0001-E.jpg). A [hummingbird](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/jsgoddess/hummingbird0015-19-05.jpg) that wouldn’t stay still. A [beautiful bug](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/jsgoddess/orangeblackwhitebug11-04-05002.jpg) of some sort. And a [different kind of pest](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/jsgoddess/cosmo022008_003.jpg) that really wanted to see the camera. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Hermit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b38774/32.png) [@Girl\_Hermit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Hermit)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/19 "2008-10-01T03:58:27Z")
> [@Mahna\_Mahna](#): > > And here’s a shot of [the spider](http://s423.photobucket.com/albums/pp315/smellyhead/?action=view¤t=guardianspider.jpg)(species unknown) that guards my tomato plants. It’s hard to tell just how big he is in that photo, but trust me when I say he’s pretty freakin’ huge - his abdomen is around the size of a peanut. There are several other spiders of the same species lurking around in our garden, though thankfully most of them are much smaller. If you ever find out what kind of spider that is I’d love to know. I have one exactly like that guarding my patio door and it occasionally likes to hang, face level, in the dark from the top of the door. It started out in the spring as a normal sized spider and then it just got huge! It’s both disgusting and fascinating at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2008, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863/20 "2008-10-01T04:01:37Z")
Looks like some kind of orb weaver. My boss was relating a horror story about a huge Black Widow today. I said that there was a well-known, natural predator…a skunk. She doesn’t like skunks either. :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nature-in-your-backyard-photo-extravaganza/465863.md?page=2)