Garden And Yard Critters

A week ago there were mantids everywhere, for example here’s three in close proximity:

I’m not seeing as many now, but the ones that are still there are getting bigger. This morning I even found one that had just molted:

The beetles have started to emerge, though so far I’ve only seen a couple of them even at night:

Another big-eyed spider:

I’ve got a few more toads inside the fence as well, such as this larger one that found its own way in somehow:

A couple nights ago I heard a thump at the cat door and three toads were hanging around just outside. I’ve seen this before but usually it’s just individuals rather than a gang. Thankfully the cat ignores them and doesn’t bring them in – unlike the lizards and occasional bird I’ve had to rescue over the past few weeks.