Spring Photo Post

Hokay hey dudes and ladydudes! Against all odds with that crazy weather (cold, warm, ice-cold, storm, summer etc.) I enjoyed my rare leisure time outdoors. Especially the snake pond was very attractive for me <3 I took a lot of pictures and I want to share these with you. So, fasten up and enjoy a spring photo post!

Let's start with some "ugly ducklings". Well, in my eyes caterpillars aren't ugly. They look just funky and sometime a bit obese.

A goat moth (Cossus cossus). A very large and fat caterpillar. But it looks so cute <3 I think it was on the way to a good pupate spot.

Attention, it might get hairy! A younger Arctia caja, a real beauty.

The spawn of Aglais urticae hi-jacking the stinging-nettle. It's sad that a lot of people think stinging-nettle is a needless weed. I will defently grow some in my garden.

Now, so far to our caterpillars, but what comes after pupation? Right, other ugly insects! xD

The mourning cloak is a beautiful resident by the snake pond.

It looks quite decent under it's "cloak".

Two brimstone butterflies, I think they were mating.

The beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, right? The following fella startled me a bit ( it tried to fly into my face).

I don't know what kind of bug it is. any ideas?

"Paparazzi, I will jump into your face if you don't leave!"

I have to admit, I'm a voyeur ^^"

 Eh, but enough of these kind of critters now. Let's go to our lovely scalies!

A common wall lizard.

Another lazy lizard. So relaaaaxed.... Yawn.

"Don't step on me, I dare you!"

Let's interrupt the row of animal pictures with something delightful, like blooming smell-pieces.

 
I'm a bit lazy, so I don't loose any words to these flowers. I'm not so good naming flowers anyways, I have to look for a field guide. Just one thing: There's a spittlebug with it's cluch of eggs under a margarite.

In April/May a lot of fish will lay theyr eggs in lower water. Sometimes you can see pikes, but this time there was another big fish. Don't ask me about its name.It seems that I need a fish field guide, too.

But there are other egg-laying animals near the water, too ^-^

A great crestes grebe (what a name!) on it's nest. No eggs yet, but the male was cruising arround, too.

I really love baby chicks, even if they don't have a plumage like water fowl chicks (only baby pidgeons looks kind of ugly). Sadly the storm threw the chicks of a trush out of the nest. That was a sad moment.

There were three of these. So sad, but a predator like a fox will be happy to find some appetizers.

Are you afraid of spiders?

A kind of "jumping spider".

I don't know this kind either. But even here, I need field guids ladies and gentlemen!

Now we come to the real queens of my passion: ring snakes! Oh I love these kind of snake so much! <3 They are so nice models and the population by the snake pond isn't that uber-shy as usual. Well, brace yourself for a ton of ring snake photos.

A baby ring snake.

Another baby.

I'm very grateful for the experience with all these animals. They all lift my heart and make me very pleased. I also know that having so wonderful areas around me isn't implicitness. We should all take care about our environment.
So, sorry for that long post. Here have a green potato ;)