Yard August 13, 2012

Hypericum

Basil Flowers

Crab Spider

Phlox

Eupatorium

Webworm caterpillar

Lupine Bug

Mallow

Green Headed Coneflower

Milkweed

Assassin Bug

River Oats

Sliver Spotted Skipper

Another Round

More Black Swallowtail caterpillars have taken over the fennel plants:

 

Flying Squirrel Nest Fail

The flying squirrel nest in the bird box was predated last night, most likely by a racoon. The front was pulled open and the nest torn out.

Yard July 18 2012

 Elephant Ironweed

 Black Swallowtail Caterpillar

 Crane Fly

 Thin Waisted Wasp (Eremnophila aureonotata)

 Tiger Bee Fly

Pollen

Garden Harvests

Swifts Fledged

The chimney swifts fledged the chimney on 7/12/2012. They have since come back to roost each night.

Our new raccoon guard around the top of the chimney proved successful in keeping predators out of the chimney this year.

More Pond Things

Pond Update July 11 2012

Insects

 Leafhopper Nymph

Orchard Spider (Leucauge) 

Sweat Bee

Scoliid Wasp

 Duskywing

Crab Spider (Thomisidae)

Pond Update

We have a least 2 species of tadpoles:

 Predaceous Diving Beetle* (Dytiscidae) *eats tadpoles

Both Pondhawks (above) and Blue Dashers are hanging around the pond.