A Good Week for Critter Sitings

I  exported over 30 photos for Misty Dawn's Camera Critters, and haven't decided how many will make it to the post, so I am going to start with today's photos.  But first I have to tell what happened yesterday.  Around 9:00 a.m. a neighbor came over to ask if we'd seen the mother duck and ducklings a different neighbor had said were walking down the sidewalk.  I went out with her, and we looked for them, but could not find them.  Around 11:30, as I was finishing up my lunch, I looked out the garden window, and there they were walking in the grass across the street.  I was mad at myself for not taking a photo out of the window before going outside to get the neighbor.  Larry told us they were startled, and went into my veggie garden that's across the street.  We looked all around, but did not see them.

We live a block from a cemetery, which has a pond on the farther end of the property, close to our main street, where the speed limit is 40 miles an hour.  I called and asked if they have ducks that walk off the property and return on their own.  The nice woman said that they do.  I told her I'd looked up what to do, and one of the sites mentioned putting food out for them.  She said not to do that, because they want them to stay near the pond, but that we'd be welcome to come feed them at the pond.  We had our daughter-in-law meet us at the pond this morning, and we took what little extra whole grain bread we had for KJ to feed them.  I wanted to see if the ducks had returned. 

We've lived a few blocks from this little place of beauty for 12 years, and didn't venture over to see the pond.  Beyond the fence is our busy main street, which turns into downtown in a few miles.  I have seen the geese fly over our house from time to time, and think I got some photos of them a few years ago.  I didn't realize how many birds lived around the pond, and that people were welcome to visit them, even if they weren't going to a funeral. (Larry read my post, and informed me the area was a weedy mess when he was a kid.  They renovated the area and put the pond in 4 or 5 years ago.  I have a bad memory.)

I love this island with the little building and wildflowers.

Isn't this a beautiful place in the middle of the city?

KJ did a good job throwing bread for the birds.  Next time, we'll take more.

I had seen the swans from the funeral home before.  They sure are fun to see close up.

This area is just to the right of the island.  Even though we saw lots of water fowl, we saw no ducklings.  I hope they made it back, and were just hiding out.

I haven't seen how to post a video with the new posting format, but found it when I was looking to see if a person could underline words for a book title.  It's taking a while to load.  It's a 2 minute video taken toward the end of our visit to the pond, and is very unprofessional, but I like the part where the ducks are having some excitement in the water.    I exported it as "original", and an error occurred while uploading it, so I went back and exported it as "current".   It processed for over half an hour, so I assume there was a problem and it wasn't going to load.  I am going to go ahead and post, and wait to post my butterflies and such at another time.


So, click on the Camera Critters link in my sidebar, and be sure to find Misty Dawn's blog in the links.

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It's Time for Critters!

I ended up with a huge number of photos for Misty Dawn's Camera Critters.  The link is in my sidebar.  The link to her blog will be in one of the Camera Critters' links.  She wasn't first last week, like I said she normally is.  If you know what any of these insects are, and I either didn't say, or got them wrong, please let me know in a comment.  Thanks!

I am at my parents' house working on my post while they play with their great grandson.  It's been fun, and they have been in and out of the room I'm working in.   At one point, KJ opened the door to where I am, and said, "I found you!"  He's such a sweetie! 

The first photos are from Monday, July 5th.

The bees have been enjoying the liatrises.

The big black wasps are back, even though there is less Virginia mountain mint for them to flock to.  I'm not sure if the wasp to the right is a different sex from the black, or just another kind of wasp.

I noticed this locust from inside the kitchen, and took a few photos before going outside to get some.

I always start from a distance, using the zoom, then get closer and closer until the insect or other critter gets scared or tired of being where it is and goes away.  When this one zipped away, I was startled, too.

I was tickled to see 4 swallowtail of some kind caterpillars on the dill in my herb garden.  I used to take caterpillars off here and put them on the dill I am growing for them in the veggie garden, which I rarely see them on, but I decided to just let them hang out here if that's where they prefer.  Oh, and there's a fly hanging out, too.

I missed one of the caterpillar's photos, but each of these is a different one, and they are different sizes.

I went to check my rue to see if there were any caterpillars there.  This is a younger instar of a swallowtail.

I don't believe I've seen this kind of insect before.  Do you know what it is?  I can't remember what it was on, maybe a tomato or potato plant.

I checked the bronze fennel across the street, and found no caterpillars, but there was a ladybug.  There haven't been as many ladybugs here as last year.

The next photos are from Tuesday the 6th.  I heard a distressed sounding call, and saw it was from a locust being eaten by this robin.

I'm not the only one who heard that cry.   The other 2 birds were too late, though.

The bees are also enjoying the globe thistle.

There have been a number of the black wasps on the drumstick alliums.  I just checked back, and saw that the other photo of the wasp was on the same kind of plant, but I'm including both, because the first one showed 2 wasps, and because I like the following photo.

 I always like to see more than one insect sharing a bloom.  I know critters, like people, are not always peaceful with each other, but it always makes me feel good, as the mother of the garden, to see them co-exist well.  The rattlesnake master is a popular place for the insects to feed.
 

These are from Wednesday, the 7th.

I'm not sure if this is a wasp, or what on the milkweed.  I wonder if it's looking for a caterpillar to lay eggs in.

Here are a honey and bumble bee sharing a meal.

The next photos were taken later in the day, when I thought I was going out for a brief look at the flowers.  I ran back in for my camera when I saw what I think, was a black swallowtail butterfly on a double pom pom daylily.

It didn't want to pose for me, but I was able to get a couple photos of parts of it, anyway.

When I went across the street to take photos of the bed I have there, I found another photo of insects being near each other on the rudbeckias, I believe, 'Prairie Sun'.

While there, a squirrel was watching me from the walnut tree.

This wasp is kind of cool looking.  I have gotten close to them, and at times, they have flown toward me to get me out of their space, but I've never felt afraid of being stung.  I'm not sure if that's a bee of some kind, or what next to it on the allium.

Even later in the day, I went out and saw my third or fourth monarch of the season.  I'm assuming there have been more, but I have not been out often when it's sunniest, which is when they like to be out and about.  This is the prettiest time for the liatris.  I sure am enjoying the different kinds I have.

The monarch seemed to enjoy them, too, flitting around from stem to stem.

I think this is a lightning bug with the fly on the rattlesnake master.

Last, but not least, I'm still seeing some katydids on the daylilies.  Last week, I said that I need to do a search to see if katydids will harm the plants.  I was concerned because I've been seeing more of them this year.  Well, silly me!  My search led me to the Cottage Garden Forum, where, in the last posting in the thread, I said I'd found a book that said they rarely cause noticeable injuries.  (You can see where this one has been eating, on the lower petal.  The blooms only last a day, so I'm glad those are the kind of flowers they like.)

Wow, the photos were slower loading than at home.  As they were loading, I spent time cleaning out my mailbox, as I received an email recently telling me my box was 70% or something like that full, and I should be deleting messages or buying more room for them.

I had to finish the post at home, because KJ was ready for a nap.  He fell asleep in the car, and after getting a warning ticket for not putting my tags on my license plate, we got home, and he is still sleeping.  Next week, expect some shorter posts!  I've made some good progress, but have a ways to go in getting rid of the clutter in my "parlor", which is what Larry calls it.  He has space in the basement he made a "man cave" sign for, before we started hearing that term used a lot.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend and check out some other Camera Critter posts.

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This Week's Critters

I am late to the party, but didn't want to miss this week, because I've seen some cool critters I wanted to post for Misty Dawn's Camera Critters.  The link to see more posts is in my sidebar.

Last Saturday, we met our grandson and daughter-in-law at the cemetery pond to feed the waterfowl.  I know I've posted about the place before, so I just included a few photos of that this time.

It was a beautiful morning, and the view from the bridge was so peaceful.

Here's an action shot of KJ throwing cut up corn tortillas to the birds.

When I looked to the other side of the bridge, I saw a huge frog.

Later in the day, I was amazed to see lots of doves on the wires, because the most I'd ever seen were 3.  I counted 14 at one point.  One or two would fly off, and a few more would land.  It was pretty cool.

Some of them were paying attention to what I was doing, others either didn't notice, or ignored me.

I took photos for GBBD on the 13th.  I also took some CC photos.  I'm not sure it this wasp is the same as the other black ones, because it has light colored bands on it.

This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail appears to be a female.  When they look like this, I'm not sure if it means they've been nipped at by a bird, if the weather has caused it, or if they are just getting old.

I don't see dragonflies or damselflies often, so I am excited when they are in the yard.  I thought I knew the difference between them, but I'm not sure on this one.  It's eyes are not touching each other, like my book says dragonfly eyes do.  Yet, the way it's holding its wings look like a dragonfly.  I have noticed there are spread wing damselflies, so I'm not sure.  Do you know?

I see the skipper has discovered the new blooms on this liatris.

This skipper discovered the newly blooming alium.

I'm not sure what this silver spotted skipper was doing on the morning glory leaves.

The next photos were taken the 15th, while I was taking foliage photos.

The abdomen on this swallowtail looks like those of Black Swallowtails in my book, but the wings look a little different.  I was glad to get a few photos, even though they were not focused well, because these don't stay still for long, and fly off after they notice me.

I love the details of the legs and antennae.

There were lots of birds in the street, and eating insects or worms out of the yards.

The squirrels were active, too.

I love the variety of insects sharing the goldenrod.

Here's a Silver Spotted Skiper on a butterfly bush.

This Eastern Tiger Swallowtail wanted to keep an eye on me, so everytime I moved, trying to get a photo of its back, it moved, too, so I'd see its underside.

It sure was a show off!

Finally, I got a photo of the spread wings from the back.

I've been seeing the White Lined Sphinx Moths a lot.

It's another mover that's hard to get photos of.

Look at how long the proboscis is!

And now, it's time for the caterpillars.  These are swallowtails of some kind.

How many do you see here?  (I see three.)

I see two in this one.

This is a different rue plant, and I see three on this one.  The one on the right is a younger one.

What a beauty!

The asters in the back yard started opening after the 15th, and this sulfur of some kind has discovered them.

The rough goldenrod is continuing to attract a number of insects.

Oh, and this skipper has also found the aster blooms.

I just spent over 2 hours doing this post.  I am so far behind in my blog reading, but need to go to sleep now.  Thanks to all those who leave comments on my posts.  I know there are some questions I haven't answered.  I still plan to.

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