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Raptor Wednesday
The cross atop the historic Chapel in Green-Wood has just been replaced after the old one, recently cleaned, was shattered by a lighting bolt last year. And of course the local American Kestrels are up there again. Elsewhere in G-W, this female was hunting dragonflies and… …at least one caterpillar.
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And More Butterflies
White M Hairstreak/Parrhasius m-album on Groundsel Tree/Saltbush/Baccharis halimifolia. The inner wings on these flash an incredible dark blue in flight, hinted at here because of the chunk taken out of the forewing. Black Swallowtail/Papilio polyxenes on Ironweed/Vernonia. There seems to be some taxonomic confusion among the Colias sulphurs. I think this is Orange Sulphur/C. eurytheme.…
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Monarch Monday
Again with the Monarchs? Absolutely! This one was laying eggs on September 19th, which is late in the season if you ask me. I found nine eggs, some right after she laid them. This was unusual: three eggs on the underside of the same leaf. Usually I see one egg per plant; sometimes two on…
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Silk
Domesticated mammals get most of the ink of history, but silk and other insect-based products, like shellac, which is made from the excretion of Indian bugs, and cochineal, which is made from crushed bugs sourced in Mexico, have long human histories as well. Aarathi Prasad’s book is on the history of silk. Sericulture, the farming…
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Bald-faced
It’s the white on the face of these Dolichovespula maculata that give them the common name “Bald-faced Hornet.” They’re not hornets, by the way. Hornets strictly speaking are in the genus Vespa. They’re “Aerial Yellowjackets,” the common name of the Dolichovespula. But for a black and white wasp, this is not very helpful, either. The…
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Other Butterflies
An American Lady/Vanessa virginiensis on Ironweed/Vernonia. Clouded Sulphur/Colias philodice on asters/Symphyotrichum Lot of orange here, so I think an Orange Sulphur/Colias eurytheme on Ironweed. Eastern Tailed-blue/Cupido comyntas. Another American Lady, this time on Groundsel/Saltbush/ Baccharis halimifolia.
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Raptor Wednesday
Two male American Kestrels, one Northern Flicker, and, briefly, a small group of Cedar Waxwings were in the top branches of this tree at the same time. *** I want to extend my thanks and gratitude to several readers who have donated to maintaining this blog and and fixing its main engine (i.e. my camera).…
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Monarch Monday Reaches Tuesday
A nice fat instar absolutely devouring the leaves of Common Milkweed. Big caterpillar, big poop. Anyway, I photographed this caterpillar and its frass on Friday. The animal was still there Saturday for my Bugging Out group. I also saw this one on a neighboring Common Milkweed on Friday. It was there Saturday… and, thankfully, on…
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Raven Update
One of the Ravens was on St. Mike’s a lot yesterday. Two days earlier, two where up there together. With their South Brooklyn Marine Terminal warehouse nest site gone, I wonder if they’re scouting out the inside of the church tower? Stay tuned.
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Backyard and Beyond 