Nature & Wildlife Thread

[Mike in Vermont]

I relocated this pair to a local lake. I figured it would enhance the campers wildlife experience.

 

[mrsclem]

Latest hatchlings- 34 so far this year.

 

[Mmathis]

@mrsclem That is so cool! I haven’t seen a Monarch in years!

 

[mrsclem]

We had a lot of caterpillars this spring and then the meat eating birds figured out where to get an easy meal so I decided to help out the cats. Keeping the cage outside, fresh food every day and flowers put in once they start to hatch. 2nd round starting now so brought in 8 more today as we are starting to clear brush and weeds in the yard so milkweed is getting cut. I'm surprised that although we have a ton of black swallowtails, no eggs on the parsley plants. I know they prefer dill but my dill was killed off by the heatwave. Don't really want to winterover cats anyway.

 

[addy1]

Snacking on our pond edge, they love the buffet!

 

[Mike in Vermont]

A fox doing some early morning hunting.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I hiked the UW-Parkside cross country trails yesterday. First time I've hiked there.

 

[WaterGardener]

Found 4 of these feasting on one of the plants we were moving indoors for winter. We had never seen these before and were impressed with the coloration. Seems they are saddleback cattepillars and carry quite a sting. Glad we saw them before we grabbed that plant.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Found 4 of these feasting on one of the plants we were moving indoors for winter. We had never seen these before and were impressed with the coloration. Seems they are saddleback cattepillars and carry quite a sting. Glad we saw them before we grabbed that plant.

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Awesome find!

 

[WaterGardener]

Amazing to see, but evidently they carry quite a punch. Just found out a neighbor ended up in the ER after one got her while she was trimming a hedge. She said she had never experienced such pain before!

After we moved the plants, we walked to the garden and, lo and behold, there was one on a gourd there. Funny how you never see something and suddenly it's everywhere, it seems. Guess I'll be wearing heavy gloves to clear up the garden this year.

 

[j.w]

@WaterGardener Yikes I think that is the Covid virus

 

[WaterGardener]

It has seriously mutated this time!

 

[BKHpondcritters]

Found 4 of these feasting on one of the plants we were moving indoors for winter. We had never seen these before and were impressed with the coloration. Seems they are saddleback cattepillars and carry quite a sting. Glad we saw them before we grabbed that plant.

View attachment 134117View attachment 134117

Oh my! Saddlebacks! Do NOT touch them! I had several a few years ago on one of my banana plants (tropical, so need to be brought in) They disappeared before I had to evict them.
Now, just yesterday, I was leaning through my pickerel rush to photograph a frog when --- OUCH! I inadvertently brushed into one feasting on my pickerel rush. Looked closer & found another, smaller, one on another pickerel rush leaf.
They are absolutely beautiful, fascinating, scary little critters. I reiterate - do NOT touch! (the finger that brushed against one is better today, but was hurting/burning like HECK yesterday!)

 

[WaterGardener]

I hope you found a way to dispose of them and I'm sorry you got stung.

They are beautiful, so pretty that we knew not to touch them just by their looks. Anything that vibrant can't be nice. Beautiful yes, but nasty little critters.

Glad your finger is better.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I hope you found a way to dispose of them and I'm sorry you got stung.

They are beautiful, so pretty that we knew not to touch them just by their looks. Anything that vibrant can't be nice. Beautiful yes, but nasty little critters.

Glad your finger is better.

Thanks, it was no worse than a bee sting since I only brushed against it. I'm letting them stay & feast on my pickerel rush - just being a LOT more careful when working around there. This is the little beastie that got me: