Milkweed Beetles

October 7, 2013

Saw these on the milkweed pods near the pond last week. The wind was blowing the plants so the camera didn't focus well.Noticed that they are the same colors as monarch butterflies. Found out they taste toxic to birds as do monarchs, so the color is a warning to predators to leave them alone. Sure are a lot of them!
Here's a link to a good article about them.

A Wonderful Wednesday

Sept. 25, 2013

Beautiful day, finally have some cooler weather, could have wandered through the woods over the river into the prairie all day!

Confluence of Steven's Creek and Sangamon river.

Shiny coppery color and lime green caterpillar on trail.

Early Autumn Walk

Late September 2013. Still no rain to speak of. Pond is dry and green plants are growing where water used to be, heron nowhere to be seen.

Little fawn all alone, catbird meowing, nuthatch squeaking.

Hot Weather Returns

Early Sept. 2013. It's been a mild summer, but now it is hot, in the 90's and humid.

 Pond is almost dried up, great blue heron has a good perch to hunt for remaining morsels of food.

Spring Rains refilled the pond

Water in the pond! This was last spring.

 

 This is in July. A tree was blown over into the pond by an earlier windstorm , and the water is beginning to dry up with lots of algae. Queen Anne's lace is blooming.