Laying Low

This mallard is taking it easy in the summer heat...
and so are we.

You may have noticed the scarcity of posts here on My Florida Backyard in recent weeks. We're still here - we promise. It just seems hard to find much to write about lately. The yard is overgrown and new plantings are still a few weeks off, waiting for the day when the forecast stops including 90-degree temperatures. Birds, except for ducks, have mostly deserted us, since food is plentiful everywhere and they don't need to flock to backyard feeders or inland ponds like they do in mid-winter. Caterpillars still abound, but you can only write so many posts about them, no matter how much you love them.

We're still dedicated to our yard and to wildlife, though. I'm doing a lot of writing for other blogs, where the posts don't depend so heavily on the wildlife in and around our little suburban lot. I've been writing about stinging caterpillars and swarming hummingbirds over at the Birds & Blooms Blog, among other things of interest to Southeastern gardeners and birders. I've also done some posts on how caterpillars use silk and edible caterpillars for Tales From the Butterfly Garden, a blog that takes you behind the scenes of the MOSI BioWorks Butterfly Garden where I work. Drop by and check out these posts and others, if you like.

My Florida Backyard should be full of excitement again before too long. Migration season is in full swing, so we're about to fill the bird feeders and see who drops by. Fall color is just around the corner too, with purple asters, blooming muhly grass, and ripe beautyberries all waiting to be admired. So don't take us off your "to read" list... we promise to be back just as soon as there's something fun and interesting to report!