Vulture

Turkey vulture or black vulture looking over his domain. A storm came in very quick after this shot around the neighborhood (Lakes of Windermere)

Cormorant making good use of pond drain

The cormorants know how to make the best of things and just use whatever is available on these man made freshwater ponds around here to perch. As the sun is setting. Pretty little guy with the perfect blue eyes.

Swallowtail covered in nectar

beautiful  Palamedes Swallowtail (verified) in the garden on Jatropha covered in nectar!

Bees are loving on this crape myrtle

lovely lilac crape myrtles with yellow antennas are so pretty against the blue sky at this time of year. Here was caught a bee enjoying it too!

Chasing Dragonflies

Cute little blue body green face guy on my oleander bush hanging out. Fat cheeks. Makes for a great illustrative character.

Remember the Highlights Childrens Magazine?

In the 70's when my mom would take me to the dentist, this is the only thing I would read in the waiting room. This photo had me thinking back of their puzzles where you would find wrong things or hidden things. I need to submit this photograph if they're still around. How many caterpillars can you see? Click to enlarge image

lol. No but seriously, I counted over thirty in the two spots we have milkweed this year. There was still a dozen or more this morning at one milkweed patch. The other milkweed patch is vanished and no sight of caterpillars either. We made our last trip to Biosphere late last week for Milkweed to buy 4 more plants for a total of 11 plus the few natural I have in the yard. It's a full fledged monarch farm and boy do we have the caterpillar manure to prove it. I even had two Monarchs flirting around this morning and nectaring. One was a male for sure and I did not see any laying eggs...not that we have a spare leaf to do it but I didn't see them go to it either.

the say you are suppose to let nature take it's course...

and sometimes it really s*cks to watch. Not that I just stood there. I screamed and called for a broom but it was too late.

top left: Newly formed monarch chrysalis. The caterpillar spent all day yesterday finding it's spot and by dark last night it was hanging in its J. I awoke to this pretty little chrysalis with gold speckles hanging like a delicate necklace charm. I can even see it's wing formation.

top right: Late morning I went to observe and saw this green monster (anole lizard) eyeing it up. I also noted a liquid green drop at the bottom of the chrysalis. I thought he was up to something bad but I gave him the benefit of the doubt.

bottom left: Sure enough little b*stard was up to no good as I suspected. The green anole lizard took a great big bite on the chrysalis. I screamed (ha ha my lizards listen to me), and he stopped but not in time.

bottom right: The damage. Dents and punctures and most likely the pupa is either dead or deformed. I'll leave it hanging just in case, or should I?

Got Milk...

Weed? We have a heckuva lot of monarch caterpillars noticed today. I was complaining that we've had monarchs laying eggs everyday and I hadn't really seen any...well boy did they creep up over night! I counted 15 on one small plant (second pic shows them all, can you find them? Click to enlarge) and we have at least that many or more in another location. So I am off to the nursery to pick up some more milkweed today. They are $4 a piece. We bought 7 last week and had a few already in the yard that grow naturally. Today I will get 4 more. A monarch was here laying eggs this morning and yesterday too. Feels like a monarch farm here! Oh and I forgot to mention, I saw at least three big fat fella's crawling away from the plant this morning to go make their J somewhere. I wanted them to stay close by so I could locate them and watch/photograph the process but the ungrateful bastards went and hid on me. I've looked and looked and have no idea where they went. Probably crawled over to the neighbors who do absolutely nothing to help them in regards to habitat or food like we do. Likely have no idea they even exist.

butterfly mania

Our backyard is haven for the butterflies.  I am seeing various swallowtails and cloudless sulfurs fly through each day for a quick bite to eat. Today, I believe a Spicebush Swallowtail came through but they stay still not even a second it seems and very hard to get a good shot. I only got one and it wasn't good and then it left the yard. One Longwing Zebra was here a day or two ago laying eggs and a couple weeks ago we had a mess of them and they laid eggs like crazy on the passion vine but it seemed we only sprouted Gulf Fritillaries even though for a short time they were equal in dominance. No white caterpillars seen, just orange and black. Not sure if the Fritillaries are eating the eggs or the ants. We have more Gulf Fritillary caterpillars and at least two of their chrysalises hanging on the passion vine now. Yesterday there was 4 or 5 Fritillaries flying around together. Everyday they are here in abundance. The Monarchs are also still prominent. Laying eggs and we have caterpillars now too. I see at least 5. We should have more but again I see the ants and flies so I don't know for sure but I think many get eaten. The amount of egg laying going on should have a zillion caterpillars but that is not the case. They are getting big quick. Wondering if this is considered the 4th or 5th generation Monarch. I think 5th. Will they migrate to Mexico or stay here all winter. Biosphere tells me we have Monarchs that don't migrate. I will pay more attention this year for sure!

dainty pretty fritillaries

She takes such a beautiful picture! She is quick in the air but when she lands for nectar she must have no fear of predators because she really takes her time...so unlike the swallowtails who barely land for nectar before they are on to the next flower.

 

New Morning... New Wake Up Call

So yesterday it was the sweet little Carolina Wren singing we woke to, but, this morning was another story. Someone was in a bad mood I'd say. It was 7:10 am and we hear kee-ahh, kee-ahh, kee-ahh. I grab my camera and then go back for my pants, lol, and head on out the front door to find this beauty on my neighbors rooftop across the street. There he was overlooking Derexa Pond as the sun is just rising. Still mad as a hornet, squawking that territorial call. I hear the Cardinals making their soft little noises to each other and I look up and see mama cardinal on the tip top of the oak tree peeking over at him. I am sure he can see her too, it's a direct view, but, I positioned myself in the middle of them so nothing was gonna go down in front of me... not if my life depended on it.

Singing Like Crazy

We woke to a first time visitor a Carolina Wren just singing up a storm this morning. What a pretty decibel she can hit. I went outside to investigate what she was singing about and found her jumping around in the bushline looking for bugs just having a peachy ole time. Seems the cardinals don't give a hoot either because they were in the yard but didn't chase her. Maybe because she isn't interested in their feeders. I went out and got some suet this morning at Lowes against my husbands advice. He doesn't want to attract racoons but I didn't listen to him. I spent a good hour hanging it when he wasn't home and by evening he said he liked the location...so we're all good now. Hope the little guy visits again... if not maybe the woodpeckers will find the suet before it melts in this September heat. It's sure is sweet smelling. I went ahead and had my pics identified at whatbird.com since the Carolina Wren is a first time visitor here too.

fritillary magic

The Gulf Fritillaries are super gorgeous in the yard this year. They just had the best time. I think they spent their whole life right here in the same place! Our passion vine still has chrysalises and caterpillars too. So fun and pretty to have around.

dippin dragonflies

The dragonflies love the backyard. They fly in and out of the water spurts of the pool and they skim the pool top so slightly touching down assuming to get a drink. Often when I have the hose and I spray in the air for them they will playfully fly in and out seeming to appreciate the hose on a hot day. When it is time to rest, they are careful where they touch down usually way out on the tip of something so the lizards don't get them. The birds are after them too. Not sure their life span but I would guess not too long. We have so many different kinds it is hard to keep track or know the species. The top collage here is all the same dragonfly in different positions. I guess this is his spot on the tip of the oleandor. I kept going out to reshoot and I would find him here in the same location. Good boy!

Halloween Mask? Sick?

Nope. This is a molting juvenile Cardinal getting his adult plumage in. Perhaps born early summer. I have been watching him get his adult feathers in and I think it is safe to say he is going to be a boy. You can see his dark black mask emerging. You can also see the juvenile black beak turning orange as he builds more and more carotene from seeds. He is eating sunflower seeds here. 

Our adult cardinals are getting a new set of feathers as well. They are very quiet, no singing, in hiding as it takes a great deal of energy to get new feathers in which they do once a year. It is an important time to keep the feeders going as they have very little energy to hunt during this time. It generally means they are done with mating season but some cardinals likely have one more brood which will fledge by mid October. Not all on the same schedule.

Monarchs female male comparison

The monarchs continue being very active in the garden today. I am seeing males and females. Females laying eggs on scarlet milkweed and males enjoying the nectar on the Jatropha. I thought I would post a picture that helps compare males to females and how to identify the sex. It's easy to identify looking at the dorsal side.The males have the swollen pouches on the hindwings and thin veining. The females have no hindwing pouches and thick veining.

The Monarchs ventral side is much harder to sex and not the recommended approach. A trained eye can sometimes see the hindwing male pouch through to the ventral side. I have pointed it out here. You can see the female does not have this outward pouching to the vein.

The Monarchs Rule!

The Monarchs are here, there, everywhere, and I see two of them. They are dancing and flirting in the air. They love the Jatropha for nectar, and the female is using the Milkweed to lay eggs. I see eggs on the leaves, and I see some holes on the leaves. Soon caterpillars. Going to have to get more milkweed. My neighbor is reporting her dozen chrysalises are emerging today. Yeah! They're trying their hardest to make a big come back this year. Go Monarchs! We're rooting for you! I am reporting my sightings at lerner.org.

Good article on planting Milkweed
http://blogs.discovery.com/bites-animal-planet/2014/08/plant-milkweed-for-monarchs.html

And today... Hot of the Press!
"...a legal petition today to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service seeking Endangered Species Act protection for monarch butterflies, which have declined by more than 90 percent in under 20 years."

source:
http://www.xerces.org/after-90-percent-decline-federal-protection-sought-for-monarch-butterfly-2/

Monarch Prettiness

The Monarchs have been so pretty in the backyard the past few days. This is the male dining on Jatropha. There is a female that has been laying eggs on what I believe is Scarlet Milkweed.  I know Scarlet Milkweed is not truly native ( I believe it is native to South America), but, we have a difficult time finding anything else locally. I make sure I plant my own from seeds after the first flower in the spring. That is coming up again for a second go around after it was depleted and cut back. I also let the seeds blow in the wind so much comes up naturally. This year I wanted to make sure I had enough and hubby picked some up at Biosphere. He came home with Scarlet I think (no flowers to be sure). I am not sure if Biosphere is carrying anything else this year but I might take a ride over this coming week to see. I know many years ago they carried the true native Milkweeds. My neighbor down the street about 4 blocks is reporting 12 Monarch chrysalises hanging from her soffit next to her screen lanai. Let's hope this is a good year for the sweet Monarchs to make a recovery!

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail Beauty

Between the Fritillaries and the Monarchs who are a constant flutter in the yard, the Swallowtails fly in and out for nectar. Many neighbors have fruit trees, their host plant and the area is attractive to them. I love it when they spend a few minutes in the backyard so I can catch a shot of them!