Showing posts with label insects. Show all posts
Showing posts with label insects. Show all posts

Friday, July 29, 2011

Insects and a Bird's Nest [Edited for insect ID.]

Matt and Gina found this curious caterpillar thingy on their porch, popped it carefully into a plastic container and gave it a ride down the road to visit me.
We have no name for it as yet.
When gently prodded, the creature retracts into the woody tube, then after a moment it begins
 again to prowl.
G. says it appears to be dragging its leafy train like a tattered ball gown.


The creature having posed for several snapshots I placed it in the herb garden to get on with whatever life cycle is next.


Bagworm photo from wikipedia

Long-time readers of my blog may recall my fascination last August with the Garden Spider [Argiope Aurantia] who spun her web in the clump of sedum near the front porch.
Before winter weather brought her demise she had created 4 egg sacks which she attached to the porch post nearest her web.
The sacks hung in place all winter through rain, snow and wind.
Late in the spring I noted that two of them had pulled free of the fine silken 'ropes' which held them in place.
Willis the Cat was seen batting the remaining two into the flower bed below.

Today, weeding near the front steps, I discovered six young garden spiders clinging to small webs with the distinctive zig-zag signature.


A closer view of the spider.

This larger version has a web on the opposite side of the steps in the box hedge.

While crawling about to take photos I came eye to eye with a katydid!

In this their second season, J.'s blackberries have grown into a formidable stand of productive brambles.
G. spotted this nest tucked into a shady nook.
There have been a number of brown birds on the electical wires above the garden--I don't
know their identity.  Perhaps they are the owners of the nest and the spotted eggs.


If the eggs hatch and these particular birds like berries,
they won't have to fly far to bring home the groceries.

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Miscellany





Blue skies layered with billowing white clouds have prevailed this week.
The sun set about drying the sopping grass and sodden garden.
While it wasn't possible to work in the veg or perennial beds immediately, we have found every excuse to be outdoors.
This post is a sampling of photos from the week. I intended several posts which didn't happen thanks to bloggers' outage. I also left comments on my favorite blogs--comments which are doubtless lost to where-ever such things disappear.


A neighbor stopped by driving his vintage truck and I asked if I could take a photo.
Daughter G. dashed over to pose and announced she'd be happy to own such a handsome vehicle.

Grandson Devin and I have roamed the dooryard at dusk, sat out on the front porch listening to the croak of bullfrogs, watching fireflies dance over the meadow.
The other evening the intrepid Willis decided to show off by climbing through the limbs of the sweet gum tree.  He wobbled along, getting perilously far out on slender branches.

Willis peers down from the sweetgum tree.

D. decides to go up the tree after Willis.  He was laughing so hard that he could barely hang on.
Willis, meanwhile, scrabbled farther up the tree and eventually made a wild leap into the adjacent redbud before plopping to the ground.

The next event of the evening was the appearance of a bristling "wooly bear."
Willis had to be discouraged from poking at it. He had, we suspect, every intention of eating it.

D. discovered the toad bouncing about beneath the garage floodlight.

The toad has just made short work of a June bug--a crunchy snack.
Toad is becoming a regular evening visitor, feasting on the insects which appear at twilight.
Toad was offered a June bug this evening by M. While toad considered, a mouse dashed from under the garage door, snatched the Junebug and disappeared back under the door.
M. D. and I have been out in the rain listening to the conversation of two nocturnal birds--not the call of the Whip-Poor-Wills familiar from New England, but a related bird who speaks with a slightly different accent.
We've been through the bird book: are we hearing a Common Poorwill? 
Chuck-wills-widow? Nighthawk? Nightjar?