In my latest caterpillar adventure, I raised a “hickory horned devil.” The name is enough to get most folks’ attention. Mine fed on sweet gum leaves and grew quickly. At about three weeks its horns were quite evident.
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Natural Bridge Caterpillar Weekend 2015
I’m delighted that Natural Bridge State Park is hosting their 3rd Caterpillar Weekend, Sept. 11-12.
Amazing Ruby-throated Hummingbirds
During a recent visit to Natural Bridge State Park, Harry and I thoroughly enjoyed watching Ruby-throated hummingbirds (Archilochus colubris) as they darted in and out, stopping briefly to drink at feeders. It was like watching a continuous aerial ballet.
Here’s a few fun facts –
- Hummingbirds are the tiniest birds in the world.
- They are the only birds that can fly both forward and backward; they can also hover in mid-air, fly sideways and upside down.
- They pollinate plants by getting pollen on their head and neck while gathering nectar from blossoms.
- Most Ruby-throated hummingbirds fly 500 miles nonstop across the Gulf of Mexico during their spring and fall migrations.
We don’t have a feeder in the yard, however we regularly see one or more hummingbirds nectaring on various blossoms, especially red ones. These birds are indeed amazing, and I’m always thrilled to see them.
A prairie with many a blossom
My friend, Jannine, and I recently enjoyed the Midwest Native Plant Conference at Dayton, Ohio. I learned a lot from presenters and other attendees. The conference concluded with field trips, and Jannine and I chose the 112-acre Huffman Prairie which is located on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. I had hoped for blossoms and was not disappointed.
Small “tigers” in the backyard
I continue to be intrigued by our backyard moths. I’m now seeing several of these small (about one inch) TIger Moths (Apantesis phalerata or A. nais) near an outside light at night.
I was surprised to see this one during the day on a Royal Catchfly (Silene regia) bud, and delighted when it spread its forewings and allowed me to see the colorful hindwings. Continue reading “Small “tigers” in the backyard”