With ten pairs of eyes searching for animals, we observed quite a good number (for Feb.) on this drizzly but mild morning. After last week's sub-freezing temperature, it's amazing what a difference a mere 45°F makes! The lack of sun kept most flying insects grounded, so we spent more time looking at those that tend to crawl. Especially prominent were grasshoppers and spiders. The pygmy grasshopper shown below (and missing its right rear leg) made the mistake of jumping into the pond, where it was quickly snapped up by a mosquito fish. The assassin bug nymph pictured below should never be handled; although only about 7 mm long, its bite is potent! Select Photos and Complete List of Sightings: Chortophaga viridifasciata (northern green-striped grasshopper, pink form) photo by Val Bugh Arphia sp. (band-winged grasshopper, nymph) photo by Val Bugh Lactista aztecus (Aztec bandwing, nymph) photo by Val Bugh Schistocerca damnifica (mischievous bird grasshopper) photo by Val Bugh Eritettix abortivus (Texas short-winged slant-faced grasshopper) photo by Val Bugh Paratettix sp. (pygmy grasshopper) photo by Val Bugh Apis mellifera (honey bee, getting a drink of water) photo by Val Bugh Xysticus sp. (crab spider) photo by Val Bugh Unknown sp. (wolf spider, with egg sac) photo by Val Bugh Rasahus biguttatus (assassin bug, nymph) photo by Val Bugh Neopamera bilobata (seed bug) photo by Val Bugh Euborellia annulipes (ring-legged earwig) photo by Val Bugh Asphaera lustrans (flea beetle) photo by Val Bugh Birds: American Crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) American Kestrel (Falco sparverius) Bewick's Wren (Thryomanes bewickii) Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus) Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis) Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus) Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) Crested Caracara (Caracara cheriway) Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe) House Finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) Lesser Goldfinch (Spinus psaltria) Lincoln's Sparrow (Melospiza lincolnii) Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) Northern Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis) Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) Spotted Towhee (Pipilo maculatus) Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura) Western Scrub-jay (Aphelocoma californica) White-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia leucophrys) Fish: Mosquito Fish (Gambusia sp.) Mollusks: Pond Snail (Unknown sp.) Misc.: Pillbug (Armadillidium vulgare) Millipede (Unknown sp.) Insects & Spiders: order family genus/species common name lepidoptera   noctuidae   Psychomorpha epimenis   Grapevine Epimenis coleoptera   coccinellidae   Coccinella septempunctata   Seven-spotted Ladybird       Harmonia axyridis   Multi-colored Asian Ladybird    carabidae   Pasimachus sp.   Ground Beetle    chrysomelidae   Asphaera lustrans   Flea Beetle       Diabrotica undecimpunctata   Spotted Cucumber Beetle hemiptera   reduviidae   Rasahus biguttatus   Assassin Bug (nymph)    rhyparochromidae   Neopamera bilobata   Seed Bug homoptera   cicadellidae   Cuerna costalis   Leafhopper hymenoptera   vespidae   Polistes exclamans   Paper Wasp    formicidae   Solenopsis invicta   Imported Fire Ant       Crematogaster sp.   Acrobat Ant       Camponotus sp.   Carpenter Ant    apidae   Apis mellifera   Honey Bee diptera   scathophagidae   Unknown sp.   Dung Fly orthoptera   acrididae   Schistocerca damnifica   Mischievous Bird Grasshopper       Eritettix abortivus   Texas Short-winged Slant-faced Grasshopper       Arphia sp.   Band-winged Grasshopper (nymph)       Chortophaga viridifasciata   Northern Green-striped Grasshopper (nymph)       Lactista aztecus   Aztec Bandwing (nymph)    tetrigidae   Paratettix sp.   Pygmy Grasshopper    tettigoniidae   Pediodectes bruneri   Bruner's Shieldback (nymph)    gryllidae   Gryllus sp.   Field Cricket (nymph) blattodea   blattellidae   Parcoblatta sp.   Wood Roach (nymph) dermaptera   anisolabididae   Euborellia annulipes   Ring-legged Earwig araneae   lycosidae   Rabidosa rabida   Rabid Wolf Spider       Unknown sp.   Wolf Spider    oxyopidae   Oxyopes acleistus   Lynx Spider    tetragnathidae   Tetragnatha laboriosa   Silver Long-jawed Orbweaver    thomisidae   Tmarus sp.   Crab Spider       Xysticus sp.   Crab Spider