Gramma Camp – Week 31

 We are here, again. The last day of school is June 25. They've worked hard online, as this pandemic unfolds. Teachers are now writing report cards. 

There is much talk, by those with shrill voices, about how disastrous a year it was for education. I think teachers did a pretty good job, for the most part, in getting them through Virtual School. Kids are being taught how to learn, not to memorize facts. Every year we teachers manage to teach a wide range of kids in one classroom. 

Josephine, being 13, gets her COVID–19 vaccination next week.  We're getting closer to getting people jabbed who want the jab. That'll be good to get past. We'll see if we can book earlier than our scheduled 2nd dose in August. 

Warnings for our girls

This week begins with a warning or three. Firstly, I shall teach them about the 🍃LDD Invasive Caterpillars🐛, gypsy is a pejorative term. Some people are getting rashes from picking up the LDD caterpillars. A lot of hairy caterpillars have poison in their little spiney things. This is what I use to pick them up: reptile feeder tweezers. You can see that each instar is a little hairier than the previous ones.

Poison Oak and Poison Ivy Abound

I'll just leave this here: leaves of three...

Junior Bear

We hadn't seen one yet this year. This one was sniffing around for food. Stretched up a tree???? As he left, the dweeb was sniffing around the camera, and fogged up the lens. I laughed. Junior Bear  

🐣PHOEBE  is doing well. They should fledge June 8 or 9th. Twas a lousy video =>📹, but you get the picture!

The Garden

The weigela is doing really well. It gets lots of visitors, including the hummingbird. I tried to photograph a bumblebee, but you can see how well THAT went!

The clematis just bloomed.

I submitted my caterpillar to BAMONA. I found it on the aspen saplings out back, amongst a bazillion LDD caterpillars. It was confirmed as a 

Copper Underwing
Amphipyra pyramidoides

It's not an exciting moth, but we'll watch it this week, in the aquarium, and see what unfolds.

Devil's paintbrush in bloom.  It's not an artsy photo, like some of my nature buffs, but it is so pretty, the carpet of yellow.

Off we went to the hostage exchange. The air conditioner doesn't seem to be working in our car. We opened the windows. Poor Isabelle! After requesting we close the windows, she tied up her hair, and we opened her back up for the air! Doesn't she have beautiful hair?!

The corn is starting to grow in the fields. Recent rains helped, but we need more.

I wonder what happened here! I've a photo of a bear on the dash cam around here. Who knows?!

We arrived home after the hostage exchange and unpacked. Gramma had a wash to hang, indoors, due to the caterpillars. I hung up their bathing suits, as they'd had a swim at home. They'd visited Hogs Back Park, and the locks, for an adventure. It was Papa's birthday, and they'd done cake the day before. 

"Come on, pose, Jos!" Jos wasn't feeling too hot. She's get better slowly. 

Soon, it was dinner time. Poor Jos had braces put on last Thursday. She'll get some TLC. We discussed a menu, and Jos thought we might play it by ear all week. I doubted that would fly! Jos opted for a soft chicken pot pie. She really enjoyed the crust, nice and crispy. I nuked it, while Isabelle helped me unwrap the BBQ, and get the hot dogs going for us. They are such wonderful girls.

After dinner, Jos used the water pic on her teeth and brushed. It's three times a day for a couple of years! She's not as sore as she was, which is good news.

Cinnamon and Nutmeg were put in the Muskoka Room around lunchtime. I'm keeping them away from the nesting robins and the phoebe out back. I let the cats into the house after dinner, as I was in and out BBQing. Jos saw Cinn, and said, "Cinnamon, did you know I got braces?" The cats roared up and down the stairs. 

They listened to an audiobook together in Izzy's room until lights out at 8:30 and 9 for Jos. Gramma and Grampa watched a show, on Grampa's Chromecast through Amazon (it was a gift!), Rebecka Martinsson. It's a Danish murder mystery series, with subtitles, you might like it A/C. We konked out soon after. 

Butterflies are free

and they will fly away, but are they royal officials or royalty: viceroys or monarchs?
I've been having a heck of a time trying to photograph them. The big thing is figuring out the Viceroy vs. Monarch. Can you spot the differences?
Luck plays into it: preparation meeting opportunity. Part of it, too, is anticipating what they will do and where they will fly.
Journey North is tracking the fall migration of Monarchs. The Viceroys, apparently, aren't as important being officials only!

The difference is a stripe across the lower wing. CLick here for BAMONA's images.
One needs to work with good info to make reports on 'Journey North.' There is also, BugGuide.net to help us amateurs ID our little friends!

Like moths to the flame

Cabbage Moth

I have done quite a few photos up of my butterflies, with moths taking a lesser role. But living where we are in rural S.E. Ontario, I am finding some larger moths that have caught my camera's eye.

There are many Identification Tools on the web. I prefer to use BAMONA, with the pros telling me for sure what I have found!
We know that the Internet is more of a cybergarage sale, rather than an encyclopedia of trusted sources with gems here and there, but also lots of junk. I hesitate to name new species to me. I loathe leading people astray, as some are wont to do.

Did you know? National Moth Week July 23-29, 2012
Why moths? With more than 10,000 species in North America alone, moths offer endless options for study, education, photography, and fun. Moths can be found everywhere from inner cities and suburban backyards, to the most wild and remote places. The diversity of moths is simply astounding. 

Visit the National Moth Week website for more information, or read the press release (pdf).

This was out in the day - just lovely!

They inspired me:

Nighthawks
The cats want out in the dark to play
Coyote howls keeping them at bay
Jenny sits on the porch with the bugs
Mosquitoes try to give more than hugs
Moths they flitter: fragrant bloom to bloom
Tree Frogs eyes glitter for prey they swoon

The Tree Frogs love the dark. I have one that lived in our mailbox last year, but this year is hanging out in a plant our aunt gave us!
They must get their fair share of moths, drawn to our lights at night. They leave their tell-tale poo on railings for me to clean up in the morning.

First are the smaller moths I've spotted. I apologize, but Moths are not my speciality, I'm not sure if I want to purchase another moth book, although there are several available.

For moth identification assistance, try the North American Moth Photographers Group, the Cirrus Digital Imaging site, or John Snyder's Web Images of North American Moth Species. 
I can name some, not others! There are so many out there, and very hard to photograph in the night. There are a couple of diurnal moths, still hard to photograph for this amateur!

Synanthedon acerni – Maple Callus Borer Moth From moths

For all of my photos: From moths

Imperial Moth 4", it was!

Then the larger ones: an Imperial Moth.  It was the size of my hand! It was IDd for me by a pro. I didn't have a clue! More photos are here.

From moths

This is the latest, I spotted it during Moth Week, in the evening.

A bit blurry, as it was in the dark, with the floodlights on!

Can you see its proboscus?

Here is a better view - flighty thing!

CC #225

'Tis the season for butterflies!

Felix and I went walkies on the grassy knoll. He's pretending to sleep!

The 'Grassy Knoll' filled with Milkweed

The knoll has a lovely patch of Milkweed. I wish I had Smellovision, as their blooms are delightful to smell!

In fact, they say that Monarch Butterflies are in danger, since farmers have cut back where the Milkweeds used to lay their eggs.

I leave my Milkweed to grow everywhere.
The moths have been at it for weeks, but the butterflies are now coming out!
The caterpillars are hatching, too!

It is such a pleasure ambling around the gardens with the cats.

Another one I must identify!

So many caterpillars, moths, butterflies, so little time!

Hey, buddy!

swallowtail

Caterpillar and Mommy Monarch!

The Port Carling LIbrary hatched these a few years ago!

Butterflies and Moths Caterpillars, too!

Date of Observation: June 10, 2012

Date Notes: In my backyard

Submitted By: Jennifer Jilks

Species: Polygonia interrogationis Question Mark

Specimen Type: Photograph

Observation Notes: Sunny day, it was bopping around, visiting my hops vine.

Status: Temporary Colonist

Verified By: rosslayberry

Record Verified Date: June 21, 2012

Checklist Regions: Ontario, Canada

Here is my sightings page on BAMONA
The sighting details page is available here.