“Garden Creatures”, a copyrighted post, was written for my WordPress blog called Always Growing by Jan in Covington, Louisiana
I think every gardener loves to have birds and butterflies in their gardens. They add so much – color, sound, movement. And then there are those creatures that may not be so welcome, such as squirrels, rabbits, or deer. Finally comes the ones we don’t want. Such as skunks, poisonous snakes. You get the picture.
In the past few days, I have come across some of the each category. First, on Saturday, came a turtle. I saw one a while back, but this one is a different one. It is bigger, and there is more yellow on the shell. It was neat coming upon a second box turtle as he walk through the side garden.
That same morning, as I was watering the entry garden, I saw these three centipedes resting under a holly fern. The composition was so unusual, I stopped what I was doing and ran for the camera. I have never seen anything like this.
They were just sleeping there. They didn’t stir or anything as I carefully moved a frond out of the way to take the photograph.
Finally, the last creature to show up. For the last four days, something has been emptying the hummingbird feeder at night. It was driving dear hubby crazy trying to figure out what was happening to the nectar overnight because he is a big hummingbird fan. In desperation, he put out his “stealth cam” to find out who or what was drinking the nectar. Well, about 2 AM, the culprit was captured by the camera – a opossum. It was climbing up the shepherd hook and pulling on the hummingbird feeder. So, a humane trap was set for the sweet-toothed varmint and success.
Hubby released him in a wooded area next to a small stream about two miles away. I was wondering if he is the one that has been digging up some of my plants, but I don’t know if opossums do that.
Give me the birds and butterflies any day.
Always Growing 
Brenda Kula said,
June 18, 2008 at 10:10 am
My, so much goes on at your place! I never see turtles. I wonder why?
Brenda
Nancy Bond said,
June 18, 2008 at 11:49 am
I’ll take the turtle…but eeewww on the centipedes. They can stay cozily curled up together right where they are. 🙂
Jan said,
June 18, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Yes, Brenda, it does seem like things are busy lately. I am not sure why we are seeing turtles now more than ever. Maybe they like the garden.
Nancy, if those centipedes had not been curled up like that, I would feel just as you do. I just had never seen things do that before that’s what made it so unusual.
Annie in Austin said,
June 18, 2008 at 2:59 pm
The centipedes are unusual, Jan, but it’s the sugar-sucking possum that really got me! I waver back and forth about getting a nectar feeder but so far just keep adding more and more hummingbird plants.
Dawn had a Sugar Squirrel last summer.
http://suburbanwildlifegarden.blogspot.com/2007/07/big-and-small-of-it.html
It’s funny in your gardens – but it would freak me out if it happened in mine!
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Mary said,
June 18, 2008 at 3:39 pm
Hello Jan,
Annie in Austin sent me here. I’m a hummingbird fan, too. I have snakes, raccoons, rabbits, and squirrels and I thank heavens I haven’t seen an opposum yet!
I’m a bird fan and the butterflies and bees thrill me on my flowers, too.
You have a great blog here :o)
Jan said,
June 18, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Annie, I checked out Dawn’s Sugar Squirrel, and I have to admit that I’d rather have a squirrel than a opossum at my hummingbird feeder.
Mary, I hope you don’t have a opossum, either. They are nocturnal and can get into the birdfeeders. There is the occasional armadillo that comes through, though we haven’t seen one in a while. Thanks for visiting my blog and the nice comment.
Mary Beth said,
June 18, 2008 at 8:57 pm
Those centipedes must have been posting for your picture – a more artistic arrangement I can’t imagine – but I just love your oppossum with a sweet-tooth! I wonder if he will find his way back to “dessert”?
Jan said,
June 19, 2008 at 6:39 am
Hi, Mary Beth. I couldn’t believe the way those centipedes were positioned. It is one of my favorite pics now. As for the opossum, I sure hope he is happy were he is and stays there.
Susan Gets Native said,
June 19, 2008 at 10:03 pm
Eeeewwww. Centipede snuggles?
I hopped over here from Mary’s View, who got your link from Annie at the Transplantable Rose…I love how the blogisphere works.
Jan said,
June 21, 2008 at 6:17 am
Thanks for stopping by, Susan. It is amazing how easy it is to find information about things we are interested in and new blogs to read.