I don't really have anything to say that doesn't have to do with the weather, and I hate that I start my blog with comments about the weather so often so... here's something surprising that I encountered today...
Backyard Bird of the Day:
I was watching a bee, waiting to see if it would land, when I heard a rustle near my feet. I assumed it was a chipmunk, and looked to see what was there, and was very surprised to see that it was a bird.
It did not seem panicky at all, or try to hide deeper in the underbrush as I moved plant stems out of the way to get a better look. I think it is probably a fledgling, and it was hiding from predators while its parents were out looking for food to feed it. I am not any good at bird identification, and I certainly am not able to identify juveniles, which generally look at least a little different from their parents, but it kind of looks like a sparrow, and I do sometimes see sparrows delving into the thicket in that part of the backyard.
I resisted the very strong urge to pet it.
Backyard Bug of the Day:
Some kind of beetle. This might be a new species for me.
Other Bugs:
Beetle
Buffalo tree hopper
There were hoverflies everywhere again today:
Wings open...
... wings closed.
And since I said I hardly ever see adult assassin bugs of this species, I have seen them all over my backyard:
Weirdly, I have not been seeing the nymphs lately, but I found one today.
Bees have also been scarce lately, maybe because it has been cold, overcast, and rainy? But I saw several today:
Two caterpillars, one bad, one good.
The gypsy moth appears to be dead, on top of an empty cocoon... perhaps it was the victim of a parasitic wasp?
White marked tussock moth caterpillar. It looks like its yellow tufts are starting to develop.
Lace bug and looper caterpillar
Aphids.
Ant and plant hopper
Ant dangling from one leg while feeding from a flower.
The mosquitoes have arrived this week. Not that I missed them, but I have been wondering where they were.
I know it's a bad picture, but I didn't get a better one of this. That's an adult candy striped leaf hopper, and a tiny nymph of some kind of hopper.
Tiny beetle
Crane fly
Grape leaf roller moth
Long legged fly
These katydid eggs look quite old, probably not from this year. I suspect they were not hatched, but preyed upon, based on the holes in them.
Ground beetle that snuck into the house.
Arachnid Appreciation:
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