Tuesday 6 August 2019

Critters and caterpillars

During Gramma Camp, Isabelle and I were watching the caterpillars. These are milkweed tussock moths caterpillars.

July 24


Wednesday, July 31st


August 1st




Monarch caterpillars

Everyone, across Facebook, is finding TONS of monarch caterpillars. I knew the population would rebound. nature is like that.


All of the above are on the milkweed at the front of the house. In the backyard, there are a few more.


Back when I had my macro lens...


The milkweed hosts a number of critters!


Meantime, my cherry tomatoes are popping up all over the property!
In the water fountain...  on the front step! It is our little chipmunk.


My pumpkins are doing OK, although I have lost a LOT of blossoms. JB's deer friends, I imagine. We really need rain.


The hops vine is hosting a number of mourning cloak caterpillars, at varying stages of development.


The (vernal) frog pond is beginning to dry up. We had 9mm rain the other day, which helped. The bullfrog tadpoles live two years in the pond. They'll hunker down in the mud. 

The deerflies are easing up. When I work in the goldfish pond, this really helps. With the drying wetland, the green frogs are showing up in the wee goldfish pond. We had one all spring, two more joined it a couple of days ago, and yesterday I counted 5.
The leopard frogs hang out in the grass, as do the garter snakes. I have to be careful mowing the lawn. I nearly ran over this snake.

On Monday, Annabelle caught herself said garter snake. She didn't hurt it, at all. I liberated it from her, and put it into the back garden. It was hanging about the lilac tree. Silly cat.

6 comments:

Gaelyn said...

That's a LOT of caterpillars! Glad you have the milkweed for them, and the pond which maybe you need to enlarge.

eileeninmd said...

Hello

YAY for the milkweed and caterpillars. The Garter Snake is a neat find.

Wishing you a happy day!

Nancy J said...

Great crop of tomatoes, Annabelle, you are SO brave. And Monarchs back again, for me they are the ones I enjoy the most.

Anvilcloud said...

Glad the milkweed is doing a good hosting job.

Angie said...

Jenn - the transformation of the milkweed tussock moths caterpillars is amazing. So happy to know you and others are seeing so many monarch caterpillars - I will have to look more closely around here - I don't think Montana has the milkweed to support them. Well done to save the snake!

William Kendall said...

The snake is quite a sight to see.