A Neat Encounter

Since I don’t have chickens at this time, I thought it would be a good idea to plant squash in my chicken run.  Lots of fertilizer at the ready 🙂

I went down to water them and had this little guy on the coop door.  I’ve never seen a moth like this before.  He didn’t move, so I stood there and studied him for awhile.

Last year, I had a luna moth that stayed here for a few days.  It was so neat to watch it and look at it up close.

I also have resident praying mantises that I love to watch.  I like it when I find the egg case or sac in the cold months.  And especially like it if I get to see the babies in the spring.  I try to locate them when mowing to stay clear of where they are.  However, they always jump me if they take off flying and I don’t know they are nearby.

I suppose that insects don’t pay us much mind (unless they are a mosquito), but it sure is nice to get to watch them and see them up close sometimes.  I always got my children those insect cages, to trap and watch insects, when they were young.  I probably enjoyed it as much as they did.

Here are a couple of this years batch of baby praying mantises.  Second picture is a little left of center.  So cute!