First, an explanation. When I find various creatures in my yard, tree frogs and the like, and the little girls next door are outside, I call them to come and see whatever wonder I have discovered.
Today their mother Jessica, waved me over to their yard. The girls had discovered some insects in their accidental pumpkin patch...the compost area in which last years jack o lanterns had been deposited. There was a very healthy accidental pumpkin vine in which two pumpkins were growing. The weather has been abominably dry and the vine next to it was on its way out.
The girls had discovered a nest of the above white insects.
They had also discovered eggs like the ones above, had watched tiny versions of the top insect hatch and noted they started teeny and then grew to adult size like the one above as the insects were visible in a great variety of sizes.
Though fascinated by all creatures and any living thing for that matter, I've never delved very far into the bijillion forms of insects.
Does anyone know what these insects are? Or even which family they may belong? Or any thoughts on the matter?
Shoot me an email.
It began to drizzle, therefore I didn't get decent pictures of the multiple sizes and the activity of these guys.
I'll try for some behavior pictures tomorrow.
Donegal Browne
P.S. The tree frog was back on the lighted window tonight.
Never fear we aren't finished with the Harris Hawk, nor hawks in general but the Harris piece is taking a very long time to put together. Therefore today's an intermission...
I was out picking Japanese Beetles off just about everything that is capable of photosynthesis in my domain when I pulled back a Rhubarb leaf for inspection...TA DA!
Cope's Gray Tree Frog
Yes, I know, he isn't gray. As it turns out a Cope's Gray Tree Frog can be gray to green to brown. Seems like one would just call him a Cope's Tree Frog right? But no, too easy.
I've enlarged the photo for better detail but he is actually about one and half to two inches long.
If you'd like to hear what he sounds like click the link below.
http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/critter/amphibian/cope.htm
Not the sharpest shot in the world but it does give documentation. See the yellow on his abdomen and inner leg? One of the field marks of Cope's.
Actually it rather looks ot me as if he is wearing socks. Highly unlikely of course.
If you look carefully you will see another field mark, rather oversize very sticky toes.
I had been having trouble with slugs wrecking all of my strawberries of late. I remembered as a child reading that slugs LOVE beer and and that this love could be capitalized on when they were wrecking your garden.
The trick is as slugs love beer you put beer in saucers around your garden. They can't wait to get some so they crawl into the saucer have some beer, wallow in it, oops, and then it's curtains.
See there is only a little beer in this edge of the saucer. They could have scooted to the verge, drunk their fill and then scooted away. But no, they drank to excess and see what happened. A cautionary tale for us all. Do not swim in beer.
I had been seeing for some near evenings of late a hummingbird making a practice of visiting the feeder but also taking nips from the Tiger Lilies.
What must it feel like to be able to put your full weight on a flower and not crush it?
And here's the little fellow coming in for a landing on a mulberry twig.
Happy Hawking....
Donegal Browne
This eyass was seen perched on railing above garage at Met Museum behind
the 3 Bears on Saturday , 7/18/15 . I'm told by a Met visitor that this
baby has been perched there for 2 hours trying to hunt . She eventually
caught a small bird , a sparrow it seems .
Then off he or she went to Cedar Hill for a stroll to digest her meal.
This eyass decided to relax on tree on Cedar Hill . It's siblings can be heard calling out to each other on top of the hill at dusk .
Many thanks to Stella for her eyass updates! The final installment of the Harris Hawk Saga is coming up next!
