The young milkweed seed pods are good eating.
Nice!Went plant shopping yesterday and came home with a number butterfly friendly plants such as butterfly bush, butterfly weed and a couple milkweed plants. This morning Monarchs have been regular visitors to the flowering butterfly bush and a close look at the milkweeds revealed a couple hitchhikers, Monarch caterpillars, the cycle continues.
dave
Good job- need to try my hand at milkweed, too. I am in the migration path.Went plant shopping yesterday and came home with a number butterfly friendly plants such as butterfly bush, butterfly weed and a couple milkweed plants. This morning Monarchs have been regular visitors to the flowering butterfly bush and a close look at the milkweeds revealed a couple hitchhikers, Monarch caterpillars, the cycle continues.
dave
Went plant shopping yesterday and came home with a number butterfly friendly plants such as butterfly bush, butterfly weed and a couple milkweed plants. This morning Monarchs have been regular visitors to the flowering butterfly bush and a close look at the milkweeds revealed a couple hitchhikers, Monarch caterpillars, the cycle continues.
dave
Beautiful shots Dave, especially the chrysalis!Monarch saga so far...
Saturday (Aug.10) - bought two milkweed plants
Sunday- we spotted two Monarch caterpillars on one of the plants, one very big, one very small.
Tuesday- morning go out to check on the caterpillars? Nowhere to be seen, find half the fat one lying on the top of the soil, totally pissed. Afternoon cleaning up withered rhubarb leaves and see what looks like a green/blue styrofoam packing peanut under a leaf, chrysalis, Monarch? Put under wire cage to protect and watch.
Wednesday - check the plants, a caterpillar, put the plant in a netted vegetable bed for protection.
Thursday (today) - after breakfast checked the netted plant, two caterpillars!! Chrysalis is black and see through, Monarch in there. Run to the library and grocer home in less than an hour, chrysalis is empty and a butterfly nowhere to be found in the netted area... eventually spotted under a lettuce leaf, lay the other milkweed in beside the lettuce, go make lunch. Couple hours later the Monarch's atop the milkweed finally flexing it’s wings periodically. Moved it outside the net and it made the short hop/flight to a tall dried spring allium where it finishes the wing drying. Last seen heading north where a few neighbours yards are well stocked with milkweed.
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dave
Great shot!A creepy critter. I hate it when I'm walking down a trail in the woods, duck under a low hanging limb, and run face first into a web with one of these in it.
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Thanks Dave! Mud daubers are pretty calm compared to most wasps, and this one didn't seem to mind me getting close at all.Thanks Troy, another female, i'm alone and so completely outnumbered.
I'm guessing she's the seasons third generation and if she produces offspring they'll be the migrators.
The two remaining caterpillars look to be doing well.
Great wasp shots, not going to try with my camera.
dave
Great shots, thanks for posting the second is my favorite of the group!My phone/ipad photos don’t compare, but I try and take one with when I scout the plants/lawn, occasionally finding a plant that strayed from it’s intended design, or a visiting flyer or creepy crawler.
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The spider in the back is a Bold Jumper, also pretty fast with even bigger eyes than a wolf. I think the one in front is a orb weaver of some sort, but not sure could be a cobweb weaver.Thanks Troy. Eek! Is that a Wolf spider? I've seen one-in Florida. Fast, like a cat with it’s tail on fire.
My phone/ipad photos don’t compare, but I try and take one with when I scout the plants/lawn, occasionally finding a plant that strayed from it’s intended design, or a visiting flyer or creepy crawler.
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You can swat at daubers and they will just fly right around you. They are more interested in killing wasps- which is why I never knock their nests down.Thanks Dave! Mud daubers are pretty calm compared to most wasps, and this one didn't seem to mind me getting close at all.
Great shots, thanks for posting the second is my favorite of the group!
Seems like a good plan!You can swat at daubers and they will just fly right around you. They are more interested in killing wasps- which is why I never knock their nests down.