Vines and plants growing on the fence wire and the fence posts might look picturesque, except when it comes to fixing the fence.
Covered Fence
Picture of the Day for August 8, 2017
I noticed more butterflies, especially the Monarchs, while I was mowing today. But before the beautiful butterflies can appear, they first were eggs, which hatch into tiny caterpillars. The caterpillars eat milkweeds for about two week to grow full size, when then they transform into a chrysalis which undergoes a remarkable transformation, called metamorphosis. The end result is a beautiful butterfly, all from a caterpillar.
Monarch Caterpillar
Picture of the Day for August 7, 2017
The nice summer day had the butterflies out in full force again today, like this Tiger Swallowtail feeding on a milkweed blossom.
Milkweed and Tiger Swallowtail
Picture of the Day for August 6, 2017
My lone wild orchid did return this year again, just several weeks later than the prior years, but I was glad to see it blooming again. The blossoms open at the bottom of the stem first and work they way up to the top. The individual blossoms of the Lesser Purple Fringed Orchid, which look like dancing angels, are about three quarters of an inch long.
Return of the Orchid
Picture of the Day for August 5, 2017
A face almost appears in a close up view of the tail feathers of a peacock. To gain attention of females, the male feathers are covered with small crystal which reflect different wavelengths of light depending on how they’re spaced, resulting in bright fluorescent colors.
Peacock Feathers
Picture of the Day for August 4, 2017
The day was cool for the beginning of August but the flowers caught some sun before the evening showers watered them again.
Yellow of Summer
Picture of the Day for August 3, 2017
With the rain cooled temperatures, this batch of three kittens may need to cuddle to keep warm and it is hard to tell their bodies apart from another.
Pile of Kittens
Picture of the Day for August 2, 2017
With the weather this spring, a lot of the corn wasn’t “knee high by the 4th of July”, but now most of the corn stalks were over my head and it is tasseling and silking. And the corn silks look like a hair wig as the silks blow in the wind. There is one silk for each potential kernel of corn, and if a silk doesn’t get pollinated, then there will be a missing kernel.
Corn Silk
Picture of the Day for August 1, 2017
The milkweed plants and the field around my pond today had a lot of varieties of butterflies floating through, including Monarchs, Tiger Swallowtails, Giant Swallowtails, Red Admiral and Mourning Cloak. There were probably more species, but they weren’t as large or showy to spot as I was mowing lawn. This Black Swallowtail has a wingspan about 4 inches across so more noticeable than the little Spring Azure with a wingspan of about an inch which was flying ahead of the mower.
Black Swallowtail
Picture of the Day for July 31, 2017
Many of the baby birds have left the nest, even the second batches, but some of the young still want their meals delivered by their parents like this young Rose-breasted Grosbeak, who was crying in the tree limb trying to get some attention.
Young Grosbeak
