“Picture This Photo Contest: Spring Fling”

Here is my box of whimsy for this months Gardening Gone Wild photo contest:

The subject for this month’s contest is Spring Fling,  these two anoles were obviously having their own fling inside one of my bird boxes.  As the shutter went off they both scurried indoors, raising a small make-shift circular door they had obviously stole from my purple martin box.

They were not amused by my rude intrusion into their privacy it seems.

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A Central Texas Garden Blog. Zone: 8b. Welcome to the East Side Patch. This site tracks the inhabitants of a house and garden on the east side of Austin. All material © 2021 for eastsidepatch. Unauthorized intergalactic reproduction strictly prohibited, and punishable by late (and extremely unpleasant) 14th century planet Earth techniques.

Comments on this entry are closed.

  • Jenny May 12, 2010, 8:41 am

    They are playing a dangerous game. I know a certain bird who would eat them for dinner! Good luck with your entry.

  • ESP May 12, 2010, 8:44 am

    Hi Jenny, indeed they are!
    I guess that is why they fabricated the round door?
    ESP.

  • Amy/GoAway, I'm Gardening! May 12, 2010, 9:53 am

    That is a great photo! They found the perfect little house…well, so far. I like the anoles. We seem to have more of the Texas spiny lizards…not quite as “cute” in my opinion.

  • ESP May 12, 2010, 10:02 am

    Thanks Amy.
    I have seen two spiny lizards this year. I have never seen them before in the Patch. The spiny lizards seem a lot more skittish of the camera then the anoles, and boy, can they run when they want to!
    ESP.

  • Gail May 12, 2010, 6:50 pm

    Looks like spring is the time for the birds and the bees and the anoles.

  • ESP May 12, 2010, 7:23 pm

    Hi Gail…It does indeed.

  • RBell May 12, 2010, 7:54 pm

    I guess you’ll have to start building & marketing “Green Anole Houses”. Great entry & good luck.

  • ESP May 12, 2010, 9:00 pm

    Hi RB.
    Yes, small boxes with dedicated entryways specifically sized for an anole! I am on it.
    Thanks.
    ESP.

  • Bob Pool May 13, 2010, 10:15 am

    Hi Phillip, this is Lyn and not Bob. Just wanted to tell you how much I love this picture. We have lots and lots of Green Anoles and I love every single one of them. I especially love how they seem to study you as much as you study them if you are real quiet. I often come upon them while I am picking green beans and I try to not scare them too much. Good luck with your entry. Thank you again to you and your family for a lovely Sunday afternoon. :)

  • ESP May 13, 2010, 11:57 am

    Hi Lyn, good to here from you, such a nice change from Bob! :-) haha.
    Thanks, and they do look like they are studying you, it is like they are thinking “wow is that thing large, but I will prevail” they really have the whole Napoleon complex thing going on, I am convinced.
    Glad you both made it over…we had fun too.
    I need to tell you about that “weird” house next time.
    Thanks for dropping in Lyn.
    ESP.

  • Laura May 13, 2010, 5:21 pm

    Great picture! Not what I would have expected to be living in that box.

  • ESP May 14, 2010, 12:05 am

    Hi Laura.
    You just never know what will inhabit a garden box..build it…and someone, apparently will quickly move in!
    ESP.

  • joco May 14, 2010, 2:11 am

    Fancy being able to get a picture with one inside as well as outside. Well done.
    I am still bemoaning the fact that you weren’t successful last month: that green picture of yours almost stopped me from entering the contest. I can still see it in my mind’s eye.

  • ESP May 14, 2010, 11:00 am

    Hi Joco.
    Thank you…I could not believe it when I happened to look up and see this scene!
    Happy the green picture stuck in your minds eye!
    Thanks for dropping in.
    ESP.

  • teresa May 15, 2010, 6:07 pm

    Great photo! They do look like they are up to something. If only we could hear what they were thinking. Good luck

  • ESP May 15, 2010, 8:29 pm

    Hi Teresa and thanks.
    Cheeky bird box anoles…I watched one today on my satsuma tree. I saw a small hairstreak butterfly land and saw the anole’s gaze immediately divert. A few seconds later it made one big leap, landed on another branch with the butterfly in it’s mouth…they are incredibly fast when they want to be.
    ESP.

  • Cheryl Goveia May 16, 2010, 7:20 am

    Okay you get my vote…the dude on the inside is snearing! Great shot!

  • ESP May 16, 2010, 8:02 am

    He is! “Lord of the manor”.
    Thanks Cheryl.
    ESP.

  • Town Mouse May 22, 2010, 9:34 pm

    What fun! And I’m so impressed you had your camera ready at just the right moment. I usually have the lens cap on…

    I do not even have a lens-cap, my camera is so basic!
    Thanks for popping in Town Mouse…
    ESP.

  • andrea May 25, 2010, 12:14 pm

    love the anoles in the bird house! your image made me laugh out loud!

  • ESP May 25, 2010, 12:28 pm

    Hi Andrea.
    Glad you got a laugh out of it! It is quite the most absurd scene.
    ESP.

  • healingmagichands May 25, 2010, 2:02 pm

    Oh,this is such a sweet picture.

  • ESP May 25, 2010, 3:36 pm

    Thanks.
    It is like an anole reality show is going on in there!…”See who will be next to get thrown out of the bird box?…Coming right up after the next commercial break.
    ESP.

  • Garden Lily May 26, 2010, 10:19 pm

    Very cute. Good luck on the contest.

  • ESP May 27, 2010, 8:52 am

    Thanks Garden Lily.