Catching Up With Nature

Total lunar eclipse, photographed on February 20. We had solid overcast leading up to totality, but the sky cleared just in time. It completely clouded up again before the Moon left umbra.

Here, we are a few minutes past totality. Regulus, the brightest star in Leo, is above the Moon. Below the Moon is Saturn. A shot showing just the Moon is here.

Back on February 6, I joined the Art Center Camera Club on a trip to the Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park.



Barred Owl.



Sandy Valente feeds sweet potatoes to manatees.



Flamingo display.

The complete photoset of the day trip is here.



During my walk to the post office on March 2, I spotted this male Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis, Family Turdidae) perched atop a Stop sign. I was especially happy to see it because we haven't had the flocks of robins this year that we've had in the past. I don't know whether that change is due to drought conditions or to other factors. If we can't have robins this year, at least we have bluebirds.



Oak Beauty moth, spotted outside the supermarket, high up on the wall, also on March 2. Phaeoura quernaria, Family Geometridae (Geometrid Moths). According to Bugguide.Net, this species ranges across southern Canada and the United States east of the Rockies (Nova Scotia to Florida, west to Texas, north to Alberta). Thanks to J.D. Roberts at Bugguide for the ID.



That same day, I spotted this yellow sulphur butterfly in our front yard. I haven't yet narrowed down the species.



That night I spotted this snail when I brought our compost out to the bins.



Salt Marsh Moth, Estigmene acrea, Family Arctiidae (Tiger Moths). This one was hanging out at our community theater around 1 PM on March 6. According to Bugguide, this species ranges throughout all of North America except Alaska and Yukon. Habitat includes open wooded areas, meadows, farm fields, weedy waste places, prairie grasslands, and marshes, including salt marshes. Thanks to Will Chatfield-Taylor for confirming my guess as to the ID.

Covenant, the first volume in the Deviations Series, is available from Aisling Press, and from AbeBooks, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Book Territory, Borders, Buecher.ch, Buy.com, DEAstore, libreriauniversitaria.it, Libri.de, Loot.co.za, Powell's Books, and Target. The Deviations page has additional details.

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