Yesterday I found four mature Monarch caterpillars on my swamp milkweed. They will soon form a chrysalis and when they emerge will be off to Mexico.
Back on August 4th, I saw this female on the swamp milkweed in the wetland. In light of the concern that has been expressed for the Monarchs and their migration, perhaps we should consider adding even more swamp milkweed to the wetlands to provide for the Monarchs.
This fellow looks like he is trying to eat his rear end. Today when I looked there were no caterpillars, but I will keep looking for a chrysalis.
Here is another fun photo, to show that three is not a crowd. Three bees on a caryopteris.
Some Virginia creeper reminds us that it will soon be September, and Fall is coming.
Today was a good day in the meadow. There were many red dragonflies.
I saw this band-winged meadowhawk near the wetland.
This red one, is a ruby meadowhawk. There are no bands on the wings, and it has a white face.
I also saw this female twelve-spotted skimmer, but no red on this one.
It was difficult to get this photo of a spreadwing damselfly.
The most common butterfly was the wild indigo duskywing, with many on the wing today. But I also saw a Monarch, a tiger swallowtail, a black swallowtail, a least skipper, a cabbage white, and several orange sulphurs, at least one eastern tailed-blue, and one butterfly was too quick for an ID.
The blue sky and puffy white clouds make a beautiful picture.
This pink waterlily was blooming in the waterfall pool.
The bidens is back.
And here is a honey bee packing in the pollen on the boltonia.
The other night at dinner we were discussing impatiens. Everyone knew this one, which is impatiens walleriano. which is a native of eastern Africa, and is found in every garden store in this area.
But I also think of impatiens as this one, which is impatiens capensis, or orange jewelweed, or spotted touch-me-not. This is an annual which is native to North America. There are many of these in our wetland.
This pretty thing is apparently a variation of the above, impatiens capensis forma albiflora. It was given to me by a Foulkeways resident, and from the little I gathered from the Internet, it is known to exist in New England. I am happy to know it is a native plant, and I did notice the bees investigating them.
The beekeeper came today with three "nucs". That is a box with a queen, which is placed on top of a hive that needed to be requeened. Later in the day he placed the nuc on top of the hive with newspaper (The New York Times) in between, and let the bees from the nuc and the queenless hive connect by chewing through the newspaper.
Slits are cut in the newspaper.
Bees are fed protein patty.
Bees return to the hive with lots of pollen.
Bees have found the Boltonia.
Yesterday a photo website I looked at had for the topic of the week - Green. So this morning I ventured out and decided to photograph green at Foulkeways.
Stilt grass certainly is green.
Misty green along Perimeter Road.
A tree.
Berries, conifer, and more.
Maris Trail.
In the woods.
Green woods.
Canopy.
Shades of green.
Big Oak Walk.
Shady Ranble.
A catbird surrounded with green.
We do have a beautiful campus.
All the dead branches, clippings, etc. get piled in the back of the meadow, until they are put through this machine to make wood chips. It is hard work.
But the result is a pile of wood chips ready to be used on a Maris Trail path, or somewhere else.
An interesting creature which is a potter wasp. One site on the internet said this is a good bug to have in the garden, because the female preys on other insects, which she feeds to her larvae. She feeds on nectar, such as this goldenrod.
This one is a tiger bee fly. How did it get that name? Tiger is for the patterned wings. Fly because it is a fly. Bee because it preys on bees. It is out hunting for carpenter bees.
This one you know. It is either a European or Chinese mantid.
Here is a Eupatorium coelestinum or mistflower. The first I have seen blooming.
My neighbor told me she had a butterfly visiting her million bells.
It turned out to be a spicebush swallowtail.
A magnolia grandiflora blooming in August!
The new Penn-Gwyn bridge.
It has solar lights.
Another rabbit, for all those people who say we don't have any.
A treat to be seen in the meadow. This is a red-banded hairstreak.
A parting laugh, all the little birds sitting on the roof line.
Tonight there was a supermoon, or rather a "perigee full moon". That is when it is at the shortest distance from the earth.
But it was often behind the clouds, and in case you missed it watch again on September 9th.
Up in the Post Office garden the zinnias are stupendous! There were 3 butterflies in this photo.
The orange sulphurs were flitting everywhere.
I enjoyed the shade of the sunflowers.
This goldfinch found something good to eat.
As I was about to leave, this Monarch appeared.
I saw this band-winged meadowhawk near the wetland.
This red one, is a ruby meadowhawk. There are no bands on the wings, and it has a white face.
I also saw this female twelve-spotted skimmer, but no red on this one.
It was difficult to get this photo of a spreadwing damselfly.
The most common butterfly was the wild indigo duskywing, with many on the wing today. But I also saw a Monarch, a tiger swallowtail, a black swallowtail, a least skipper, a cabbage white, and several orange sulphurs, at least one eastern tailed-blue, and one butterfly was too quick for an ID.
Stilt grass certainly is green.
Misty green along Perimeter Road.
A tree.
Berries, conifer, and more.
Maris Trail.
In the woods.
Green woods.
Canopy.
Shades of green.
Big Oak Walk.
Shady Ranble.
A catbird surrounded with green.
It turned out to be a spicebush swallowtail.
A magnolia grandiflora blooming in August!
The new Penn-Gwyn bridge.
It has solar lights.
Another rabbit, for all those people who say we don't have any.
A treat to be seen in the meadow. This is a red-banded hairstreak.
A parting laugh, all the little birds sitting on the roof line.
