A Teeny Tiny Salamander

Jun12

I was out in the garden and lifted a pot on the patio to clean the dirt under it, when I saw what looked like two worms, who skittered away so quickly I was surprised worms could move so fast. They were about one and a quarter inches long, (3 centimetres) and had teeny tiny legs and feet. One of them slid down a crack in the concrete and the other fled under another pot. I quickly grabbed my camera and took a picture with my macro setting. After much searching in my books, they look like Ensinatas which do live on the coast and can be very small. Someone might find them to be a different species, such as the Pacific western Salamander, but they are longer and skinnier.

My partner and I war so delighted to see those tiny creatures, as I had never seen any salamanders of any kind in our garden here on the west coast. They have moved on, but I know they are around somewhere, doing their best to hide from predators.

Ensinata? Salamander

Gertrude

Jun23

Gertrude, our little Green Frog, has left us. She hid all winter under her favourite pot of Marsh Marigolds and oh joy, appeared one day sitting amongst the blooms.

Then last week she just disappeared. My partner Gord and I believe she went back to the creek to look for another pond. She had become so fat we think she was full of eggs and was looking for a daddy for her babies.

We wish her well and hope she soon finds her Prince Charming.

We miss her, the pond is very lonely without her. But we do have a pair of ducks who come every year for a visit.

Gertrude

Oct5

July—If you like frogs you might like to see Gertrude. She came one day to our pond in our big garden and gave me such a surprise when I turned around and there she was, sitting on a rock on the side of the pond.

We think she is a Green Frog and we think she came to our pond from the creek that flows through our backyard.

We also believe she is a female because she doesn’t croak, a male might call for a female to this nice big pond

but she is very quiet.

She disappeared for a few days but then she came back. We hope she stays

September— She did stay, she has been with us all summer. She has gotten quite big and very fat.

This is where she likes to sit, on a pot of Marsh Marigold, with very beautiful yellow flowers in early summer.

October—But now Gertrude has gone to bed for the winter, but we don’t know where. Possibly under the moss around her favourite plant. we look forward to seeing her again in the spring.

Caspar the Caterpillar’s Adventure

Apr25

Caspar the Caterpillar was born on a tall plant in the middle of a pond. His mother had laid an egg there, it seemed like a good spot for her child.

Caspar really likes the pond, it has beautiful water lilies,

and bugs

and even colourful dragonflies.

So Caspar ate and ate and ate and he grew and grew and grew. But one day he found he didn’t want to eat his juicy plant anymore, he wanted some dirt. He didn’t know why he wanted dirt, he just did!’ So he climbed down off his plant and headed for shore.

But he was suddenly attacked on his backside by a silly little Water Strider who thought he could eat him all up!

Caspar jumped and wiggled about so much the Water Strider went off in a huff, claiming Caspar was too tough to eat anyway!

Caspar carried on his journey, he really must find some dirt!

He stretched himself and stretched himself until he reached the next leaf.

But then he thought, ‘Maybe there is some dirt down there. I’d better look!’

Nothing but goldfish down there. ‘Goldfish! Oh my, they’ll eat me all up! I’d better get back on the lily pad.’

But Caspar is a brave little caterpillar. He had to find that dirt so he started off again.

But the pond is so big!

And the fish are still there just waiting for a big juicy caterpillar to fall in the water.

All he can do is run round and round the lily pad looking for a way to shore. But it is too far! What is going to happen to him now! If only his mother had picked a land plant to lay her egg on, he wouldn’t be in this mess.

Suddenly a long black pole with a net on the end reached out to him and scooped him up off the lily pad. And the next thing he knew he was dropped into a pot full of….dirt! Caspar just dove right down into that nice warm soil, curled himself around and sighed with happiness. At last, he could become a pupae and grow up into a moth inside his tight little skin.