2014Backyard bird and butterfly (and dragonfly too) watching

[applestar]

A severe thunderstorm is approaching. There's just barely some light left in the sky after the sun has set and there are lightning flashing almost incessantly while the thunder intervals are rapidly diminishing.

DD and I were looking out the window, surprised to see that the fireflies are blinking like mad instead of hiding from the storm. We decided that they look like they think there is a GIANT fireflies in the sky -- "We blink to you -- O Mighty Firefly!"

-- they ARE called lightning bugs, after all.

[applestar]

Sometimes things happen out in the garden for a fleeting moment. If I hadn't been there just then, I would have missed it.

Sometimes it's as simple as -- just as I settle down to look at the garden from my favorite window overlooking the garden, a hummingbird streaks by the window on its way to sip from the honeysuckle outside the window.

Today, I stepped outside to water the bed by the front porch where I planted petunias, hot peppers, and snapdragons. Hearing unusual chirping sounds, I looked around and spotted a row of 1/2 dozen or so birds lined up along the edge of my house roof rain gutter. It's hard to see them clearly because I'm looking up at the bright sky, but their body shape and belly colors are unusual and I can't identify them. They seem like sparrows but their colors are wrong.... Then whoosh! A bird flew chattering a little way over my head -- fast! Can't quite make it out.... Then another, and another.

I can't tell if they are dive bombing me or just winging over the front lawn and the island bed of Japanese maples and wild strawberries, but these fliers seem to be WITH the chattering group on the roof. After 3rd or 4th swoop, I see the split tail and finally realize they are swallows. There are more of them higher up in the sky.

It's almost as if they were waiting for the because then EVERYBODY on the roof took off! One more sweep over my front lawn and then they were gone.

[rainbowgardener]

Love your stories, applestar! I don't know that I have ever seen swallows sitting, only zooming around in the sky.

[applestar]

Thank you.

The ones along the roof seemed like fledglings. Only I can't think that they nested around here.

Maybe they got tired and the parents were urging them to fly and rejoin the flock.

[rainbowgardener]

Yesterday there were two robin fledglings sitting in my big old lilac tree, making loud chirps and shaking their wings. I think that is a feed me, feed me signal, even though the fledglings looked about as big as the parents. That lilac gets a robin's nest in it every year.

[tomf]

I walked out side this morning and the birds were chirping away, it sounds so nice, the birds were the only sound I could hear, no cars. I used to live in the city and there was no such thing as quite, I lived under an alternate flight path so sometimes it was worse.
I saw the largest butterfly I have ever seen yesterday, do to my ignorance I can not tell you what it was but is was very pretty.
We have some neat birds come by, and I sometimes fear for my cat. We have Eagles, all kinds of hawks, owls, Pileated woodpeckers, Turkey vultures, they are one big bird, and about every kind of bird that lives in this area. The one bird that I could do with out are the noise crows.

[applestar]

I had thought that this was a Parenthesis ladybeetle/ladybug on the corn.

Parenthesis Ladybug?

But it started to bother me that it seems much bigger and lacking some specific colorations.
Finally realized it's a "Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle"
https://bugguide.net/node/view/2970

I'm *hoping* this is a pupa on a common milkweed. I'll have to keep an eye on it because it looks awfully similar to a Colorado potato beetle pupa, but the large black head/thorax makes me think otherwise.

...Hmm... Looking at the lifecycle illustrations on the bugguide link, this is the larva.

Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle larva

...and this little one which is 1/2 the size of the larva -- and which I thought was a ladybug for sure this time -- is actually a newly emerged from pupa beetle:

[applestar]

Today's photo Safari in the Spiral Garden corn, squash, and Coral Reef Monarda

...a tree frog...

[applestar]

Forgot to mention seeing 2 MONARCH BUTTERFLIES yesterday.

As my daughter commented, they were very fresh-looking, not travel-worn, which may mean that eggs were laid by an earlier migrating traveler and these had grown locally as caterpillars and eclosed recently.

[DDMcKenna]

I have to say, I never really took the time to appreciate them, until I moved here. I learned that dragon-flies eat mosquitoes. I instantly fell in love with dragon-flies. It's great to see a whole cloud of them move in just outside the front-room window. I know that a whole bunch of mosquitoes are meeting their fate.

[applestar]

Wow never a cloud of dragonflies here. I almost always see them one at a time, though maybe as many as three altogether if there is a mass feeding event.

It's almost like they claim a territory and fly sweep patterns.

Still seeing MONARCH BUTTERFLY flitting about. I'm going to start looking for eggs.

There was a gorgeous Tiger Swallowtail in the garden today, too:

[Rairdog]

I am sitting at the pc reading the news a few minutes ago and kept seeing something swooping around in the GH. It was a humming bird that couldn't find it's way out.

I tried going to the opposite side of door where screen is and scaring it out. It buzzed around trying the tomato flowers and searching the passion flower for flowers but would not drop 6" to door entrance. I could tell it was getting stressed and low on energy so I gave it a break. Then it hit me! I took my feeder and hung it in the doorway and went to the screen and waved my arms. It buzzed around for a bit. Then it went to the feeder for a good long drink. It went out of the entrance and paused to turn around and "seem to say, thanks".

[applestar]

What a great experience! Your saved the day.
I do think they seem very aware and "communicative". I can't help talking to them.

[Lindsaylew82]

Lantana is popular this year! These two bicker over the same flower over and over, even though there are thousands! I keep seeing hummingbirds around the confetti lantana and also the HUGE marigolds! I need to add some hummingbird feeders!


I've seen these two for about a week. I'd like to think they are the same. They're becoming increasingly tattered.

[applestar]

Flowering shrubs, perennials, and self seeding annuals are great in the butterfly and hummingbird garden. For the gaps between blooming periods, I planted runner beans everywhere for the hummers.

So anywhere I am, tending the garden, I'm standing or crouching near a runner bean with the consequence that I'm constantly hearing the power buzz or twittering chirps of hummingbirds. Often I don't even see them and sometimes they don't see me until they are right over my head or even face to face and we surprise each other.

Occasionally, there are two of them having an aerial battle for supremacy -- with hardly any attention to spare for the HUMAN -- they've zipped past me close enough to stir my hair

Sometimes, everywhere I go, I'm scolded by the annoyed hummingbirds for being "in the way."

...oh and I saw this out of the window at 7AM this morning...

[Lindsaylew82]

What's he gettin into?!

[applestar]

That's the deep birdbath.

[Lindsaylew82]

Silly raccoon! . Is he just playin in it?

[Lindsaylew82]

This morning I saw a male American Goldfinch sneaking sunflower seeds from a less than mature seed head. I was in the car leaving for work. My kid thought it was an EPIC find. She was very excited about it! The best thing? We were in the car, and this bird had NO fear of it. I got within 6 feet and watched him prying seeds out. I think he will be a regular now! With nearly 15 seed heads maturing, how could he resist!

I didn't get a picture because I was afraid he'd see my motion and flee, but it was a nice experience first thing! I've never seen them here before!

[Rairdog]

This morning I saw a male American Goldfinch sneaking sunflower seeds from a less than mature seed head. I was in the car leaving for work. My kid thought it was an EPIC find. She was very excited about it! The best thing? We were in the car, and this bird had NO fear of it. I got within 6 feet and watched him prying seeds out. I think he will be a regular now! With nearly 15 seed heads maturing, how could he resist!

I didn't get a picture because I was afraid he'd see my motion and flee, but it was a nice experience first thing! I've never seen them here before!

Here, I just took one for you. This is on my screened porch. In the spring I can sit 4 feet away and have 6 to 8 at a time hitting the Nyjer seed. I also have occasional House finch with the red heads.

[Lindsaylew82]

My new bird feeders has about 6-8 house finches ,or maybe wrens?, they fight over the perch and do a rotation type turn system.. It's hanging from an old clothes line T-pole. They are pretty territorial over the new feeder. They even run off the cardinals. EVEN the doves picking the fallen seeds on the ground!

I'm curious to know what is everyone's favorite bird seed?

[Rairdog]

I use Nyjer for the finch. The sparrow and chickadee will use it also. Next to it is my suet feeder with woodpecker blend on one side and chicadee/nuthatch? blend on the other. The downy woodpecker, northern flicker, nuthatch, chickadee, sparrow and occasional grosbeak will use it. I quit the suet after spring or the starlings will invade and wreak havoc. The downside is the redtail hawks ambush them every couple weeks. Everybody's gotta eat I guess. Just had one take out a robin feeding below yesterday.

[applestar]

I love goldfinches. They come for all kinds of flower seeds including kale and Brussels sprouts, shiso, and coneflowers.

I've pretty much given up putting out feeders during the growing season and am concentrating on growing things they like. Hummingbirds too -- I decided I'm doing them more harm than good because I can't keep up with the regular clean (and bleach) routine. So instead, I just grow flowers.

In winter when the fall seeds and berries are mostly gone, I do put out suet and some sunflower (harvested/saved striped and store bought BOSS), sufflower, and niger seeds, and fruit scraps, leftover chips and nuts. Regular visitors are chickadees, titmice, nuthatches, downy and red bellied woodpeckers, blue jays, and cardinals, goldfinch, house finch. Then we also get some rare and unusual visitors as well.

Silly raccoon! . Is he just playin in it?

I found Mr. Toad had been toppled over

He's *supposed* to be looking like this....

[meshmouse]

applestar and everyone else -

I've really enjoyed reading (and re-reading) this thread. I have learned one main thing.

I gotta start paying more attention.

I recently spoke with a neighbor of mine (about 1/10th mile away) who was listing the hummingbirds, falcons and such that they spy from their front yard. I only see robins, blue jays, cardinals and a bunch of black/grey birds for the most part, but apparently there is much more there to see.

Does anyone know of an online resource (of any merit) to help identify birds?

Thanks - meshmouse

[applestar]

This one
online guide to birds and bird watching
https://www.allaboutbirds.org/Page.aspx?pid=1189

[meshmouse]

Thank you applestar

Very nice site. The audio of calls is a cool feature. Sometimes that's all I get.

meshmouse

[applestar]

I like that feature too!

Let us know what you discover around your garden

[meshmouse]

applestar - I'll be sure to do that.

Right now I'm thinking about places in the house and in the yard where I can blend into the background, open a wobbly pop and observe. I'm looking around for the binoculars, but I think the zoom on my camera will prove more powerful as well as allowing a record to search and share.

The only real attractants that I have are a birdbath and a compost pile, worms all over the place and very few cats in the neighborhood. There are trees and all sorts of plants surrounding me (most of which are just wild). I exert a little effort now and then to favor ones I like and discourage ones I don't.

I'm taking notes on things to plant to attract certain birds. I would love to have hummingbirds about. I'll be limited to plants that can do well with 4-6 hours of sun a day.

I'll let you know what I see. Thanks again.

[Lindsaylew82]

Loads of butterflies and moths here today. Some were too quick!









That last one is so old and faded. It's all tattered up, too. I'm guessing it's probably his last day... . Glad I could provide a feast for him! (Or her)

[applestar]

Nice! But if that's a silver spotted skipper, you better watch out! Their babies love beans.
I usually mostly find them with their weird heads in folded soybean/edamame leaves.

When I opened the front window this morning to catch some cool breeze, I saw this little visitor

Can you see she's staring at me?

(I wish I had a better camera, but with an iPad Air through the screen, this is about the best I can get.)

Later on, FOUR of them were duking it out in too-fast-too-see aerial display and no doubt what to them were loud and aggressive battle cries, though they only sounded like cute chittering sounds to me

[Lindsaylew82]

Ain't gots no mo beans!

But not for long! We are planting more beans and peas this weekend.

I'd say they're the most numerous butterfly we have.

[Lindsaylew82]

EW! They ARE ugly with weird looking heads!!!

[applestar]

Yep, my daughter calls them alien monsters

This spider was guarding the back doorframe above the faucet. I think it could be one of the yellow mass hatched spider babies?

Unknown yellow spider

ETA -- Now that I'm seeing the fully grown Yellow and Black Garden Spiders around, the markings are distinctive enough to think this one is too. I guess the black color of its markings (and legs) start out brown and darken more as they mature.

[applestar]

I was looking out of my favorite window at the Spiral Garden today, and noticed I couldn't see the last melon in the melon patch. It's the smallest one, but after eating the two other melons, we've been looking forward to thus one ripening.

So, grab the birdwatching binoculars and scan the area... There's the OJ lid I used as pedestal to keep the melon off the ground... But it's flipped on its side... Did something get in? Did the groundHOG????!!!! ...any signs? Trampled leaves? Are the trick fences still up and not pushed over? ...hmmm everything looks normal...

Ah ha! I see it! It slipped the vine and has rolled down the mounded bed to the garden path!

...oh! A Monarch! (Picture the dog going "squirrel!" In UP) ...yikes! Forget the Monarch -- get out there and go get the melon before something REALLY happens to it!

~~~ Monarch migration and layover through our garden is still very sparse. Insect activity on the milkweeds are delayed this year also. I'm only now seeing Milkweed tussock moth caterpillars and they are normally all over the milkweeds in early to mid-July. Am not spotting any Monarch eggs or caterpillars, though I did see a chrysalis about a week ago.

I saw a Monarch flying through the garden today (Yeah, I said that already) but I don't know if it was a visitor or the a newly eclosed butterfly from the chrysalis I saw.

[Lindsaylew82]

Writing spiders are all over my front bed!







When I pulled in my driveway tonight, there were hummingbirds, bumble bee moths, and swallowtails all over my lantana!

[applestar]

...and this morning,when I was opening the windows and curtains, I saw a HUGE Black and Yellow Garden (a.k.a. Writing) Spider with an equally large catch in her web. I was surprised because even though I know they are in my garden, I hadn't seen any at this size before -- where was she hiding all this time?

As I stared, I started to make out suspiciously familiar black markings in her bundle which originally appeared brown in the early light.... oh no... It's not... A quick grab for a pocket size binoculars and --- --- it's a Monarch Butterfly.

Life is hard. I'd successfully freed one from a (Brown Garden Spider) web last summer. But I didn't go outside all day yesterday (well, except to go fetch that melon, and that was on the other side of the house) -- I wish I had... Maybe I would have been there at the right time to help it.

[applestar]

Today's visitor is a FEMALE Monarch butterfly

I'm going to look extra carefully to see if she laid any eggs.

[Rairdog]

I have been chasing these guys for a month trying to snap a pic. They just keep moving. Hummingbird moth.

[applestar]

Well, THAT is a great shot! Look at the shadow, too, showing the clear wings

[Rairdog]

Well, THAT is a great shot! Look at the shadow, too, showing the clear wings

Just a phone shot..I thought he was gone. They are cool until you think of them as a hornworm.. Here is a predator...