Sunday Focus: Some of my Backyard Critters

LIZARDS 

There are 12 kinds of lizard indigenous to Alabama. Some look more like snakes than lizzards.

  

     I call these Geckoes, though I am an amateur of course and may be wrong. The photos above were taken Saturday Afternoon on our deck, which they love. They sometimes sneak into the house, causing a major capture and release adventure. 
     No, they did not try to sell me any insurance.

CICADAS
     Northeastern States are preparing for an invasion of cicadas...the insects that emerge like clockwork and keep people awake at night. Some emerge every 13 or 17 years.

     They are common in Alabama as well....as a video I posted in 2011 shows! That 2011 appearance was right on time, according to an article on Auburn University's website.
     Mark you calendar for 2028!


 MONARCH BUTTERFLIES

Again, my backyard provided the photo op.

     The Monarch butterfly is common in Alabama...and in fact was designated the official state insect in state in 1989.
     And there was news about them this past week. Scientists believe they have determined how the insects manage to migrate huge distances and end up in the same small area every year. The BBC is among those with the story. 

Also spotted over the years: a possum visiting the deck for cat food, a gazillion squirrels, mice, and dozens of bird species. 

 





[Sunday Focus is a regular feature of www.timlennox.com] 

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