TinyTuesday - Falling for Fall

This may seem an odd choice for today's "falling for fall" theme, but it makes perfect sense for me because these tiny Northern Crab Spiders are a species that I see most commonly in late summer and early fall.  They are extremely small and one really has to search for them.  I got lucky with this one because I was snipping some leaves from a swamp milkweed plant when I saw a tiny spot of orangish yellow.  Peeling back a few leaves revealed my subject ... who immediately repelled down in the leaves below. Frankly, I'd have never found her again except that I saw just the tips of her feet sticking out from under a leaf.  Gently turning the leaf over revealed this.  Snap, snap, and then left her to her hunting.

Crab spiders don't spin webs but instead wait patiently for prey (flies, bees, other spiders) to come within striking range.  A pounce, a bite, and then a nice meal.  They have the ability to change colors to adapt to their surroundings although it takes them some time to do so.  Most of the ones I see are white with pinkish patterns on the abdomen - this one is definitely in fall colors and matching the brown patches on the leaves.  Clever things.

Got a huge surprise when I looked out the window and saw two adult cardinals feeding two fledglings!  Very late in the season for a brood.  

Last evening I was taking Jax for a walk and when we started up the Lane, I saw the tiniest little snapping turtle right on the pavement.  He was literally an inch long (excluding tail).  And a half mile from the nearest water.  Without a moment's hesitation, I snatched him up and cupped him in my hand (being carefully supervised by my canine assistant).  Back to the house where Hubs found a metal mixing bowl to put him in so that he couldn't escape, a mad drive to the nearby lake, and then a happy release.  Snapping turtles are not threatened and are in fact one of the top predators of baby geese and swans.  But in spite of that, I didn't even for a second consider leaving him out in the road so far from water.  He will take a good many years to grow into a threat to birds and will, in fact, have to avoid being eaten by some of the very birds he may someday prey upon.  He deserved a chance. Pic in Extra.

Our humidity is up today so I kept the walk short.  Jax got to sniff a bunch of things and practice sitting when we met one of the neighbors and her small boy, so it was a good outing for him.  Tongue (his) was dragging when we came home.  

Two monarchs released today.  I didn't have any specific dedications so released them in memory of the children who've died as a result of gun violence (sadly, most in my country).  

Dark with raspberries today.  

And thanks to MaryElizaR for hosting TT this month!

xo
Debbi