garden visitors

Found a nice big Mantis hanging out on my window today. I felt lucky to sneak close enough to get a few shots of him.

I just wish there were more. I've also noticed in that brief stroll through the garden that my dying, bolted Broccoli is crawling with harlequin beetles and some kind of teensy white fly that rises up in swarms, and my dead Tomatoes are crawling with stink bugs, and although I see a few ladybugs out there too I wish there were more mantis. Maybe they don't eat those pests? I feel dismayed that I haven't been able to take care of the garden this year, now after the heavy rains it's turning into a real ugly mess.

But then there was a moment of joy. Coming back around the house from photographing the Mantis I saw not one but two brilliant Hummingbirds hovering around the Tithonias. It looked like they were darting at each other, vying for space or rights to my flowers! And of course my camera batteries died just then, so I couldn't even try to get a shot. O well. I can tell you- they were marvelous to watch.