I'm also happy to report rain! Not a lot, about 5 mm. Ontario is happy to get it, what with all the fires.
All the plants and trees have absorbed and expanded. I was blessed when I rolled over in the night, making contact with my foot: a wet cat, Annabelle. A little later, Hooper barrelled in and sidled up to me, mushing my arm.
I woke in the night, thinking about the kids in the air. I couldn't sleep, so I checked on-line. They were late leaving the Chicago airport. It looks like storms, and we'll see if they grab their next flight from Istanbul to Addis Ababa, or not. This morning, 6:00 a.m., they have another 4 hours to go. It's fun tracking them from here.
At home, things are popping. A thistle.
The phoebes in the shed have hatched. The adults continue to zip around the yard eating those bugs.
Milkweed tussock moth larvae are happily munching. There are lots of other beetles, too.
But the monarchs!
If you look closely, you can see a baby caterpillar who photobombed the larger caterpillar! The trick to finding them, now, are the poop pellets. These are the plants under the front deck.
Milkweed plants are very good at finding moisture, which is a good thing in this mild drought. This is around the well. A garden where I have several milkweed plants.
They spend, 11 - 18 days as larva (caterpillar).
Next, 8 - 14 days as a chrysalis.
Down I went to the meadow. There is a little pile of something previous owners left us, maybe a burn pile. I've let it go, and the milkweed love it. The meadow is cooler and moister, under the shade of trees, and the plants thrive.
There are quite a few caterpillars here, in various stages of development!
7 comments:
I would love to see the monarchs make a strong return.
Such a happy time of year!
Hopefully there's more rain to come.
Isn't it amazing how easy it is these days to check loved ones travel …
So pleased that JB's eye is improving - good news!
Can you please pass on your rain to us here in the UK!
Some areas will be having a hose-pipe ban, and the ground is so parched!
All the best Jan
I'm just so thrilled to be seeing so many monarchs and larvae. Our plants are just loaded too. I hope there is enough food to sustain them.
The rain has been lovely. We were caught out in a sudden heavy downpour today and we didn't even care.
You keep track of the caterpillars just about like the grandchildren.
I just saw some thistles in the neighbourhood that were very tall and though that maybe I should get a shot. But I probably won't because it will be raining when I remember and then I'll forget.
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