Black and Yellow Garden Spider

I had seen one of these spiders two years ago, near my mailbox. This year, one appeared under the light outside our garage....a great place to collect bugs.

I fist saw the spider August 17th after we had been away for a week.

Over the next 10 days, the spider got fatter and fatter. This picture was taken on August 27th. 

Then, a few days later I went out and the spider and the web were gone. In it's place was this thing that I feared might be an egg sac.

I called Tim out to look at it and he found the spider nearby with a new web. Just to be safe he removed the sac. Good thing, too because a little we research showed that this sac probably contains 1000 eggs. Though I don't mind spiders too much, I would not like to be swarmed with 1000 of them so close to the garage. 

Details of this spider on Wikipedia

Easter Fox

Today is Easter and a fox was hanging out in our yard.

 

And he caught a mouse and ate it.

March 24 - the next round of bloom

Every week in Virginia spring  something new is blooming. This week the redbud (a purple tree) started blooming everywhere. Some of my iris are blooming, the pansies planted last fall are back to life and full of flowers. Wild violets fill the field near the river.

I saw a Blue Heron (#16) and the Chirping Sparrow (#17) is back at the feeder.

Spring is starting

I've been gone for a week but was happy to see some of the spring trees starting to blossom. There are white trees in bloom on the golf course (I think these are ornamental pear) and my neighbor's cherry trees are starting to bloom.

The new bird for this weekend is the Common Grackle (#15)

Robin Red-breast

American Robbin

Dark-eyed Junco in the Frosty Grass

Dark-eyed junco

House Finch

House finch