Great Leopard Moth Caterpillar

This morning my husband had just got back from the store where he purchased a bunch of stuff to do the oil changes for both or our cars.  While unlocking the shed he notices that our minivan key was no longer on his key chain.  So, both my husband and I began to retrace his steps of where the key fell off.  First, my husband called the store to see if it was left behind. No, key.  We looked in the cars, the grass, and the  shed.  No, key.  My husband came to the conclusion that it must have fell off in  the parking lot of the store.

  As he drove back to the store I kept searching the ground around our home.  While searching I noticed what appeared at first to be a little long black scrub brush.  When I took a closer look I saw that it was a black wooly bear like Caterpillar.  Naturally I became intrigued because it was a type of caterpillar I'd never seen before.  Of course I grabbed my camera and told my daughter to come out with me and take a look   My daughter immediately became very interested. Once I was able to identify that it was a Great Leopard Moth Caterpillar (which is not poisonous).  I allowed my daughter to pick up the caterpillar so she could feel and examine the creature for herself (as you can see in the photo above).

Here is what my daughter and I learned through our observation of this fabulous creature.

• The caterpillar does not feel as soft and cuddly as it appears.  In fact it feels more like bristles of a scrub brush.
• It's dark black with orange rings that can be seen only if the caterpillar is curled in a ball or bent in certain position.
• The caterpillar curls itself in to a ball when frightened.
• It can move rather quickly.
• Its legs feel like a sticker bush as it grabs hold to your fingers. It does not hurt just that the caterpillar has a powerful grip for its size.
• It was about 2 1/2- 3 inches long.
• The caterpillar like to  eat Japanese Honeysuckles.  Which happen to grow along my fence line.  ( Which also answered my question as to why I found this caterpillar in our yard).
• We also learned that the caterpillar eats off the bristle like hairs on its body and forms a cocoon where then later on turns into a beautiful white and black spotted Great Leopard Moth.  Where its wings span can be up to 3 inches long. How cool is that!

A big thanks goes to my husband Ray for losing his key.  It was incredibly frustrating.  However, if he had not lost his key I may have never discovered this wonderful creature.  Yes, my husband did find his key in the parking lot.  And we all lived happily ever after.

The End

The Monarch Butterfly

About two years ago a fellow Homeschooler blessed me with a butterfly bush A.K.A a Buddleia.  I brought it home with me and planted the plant in my front yard.  By the end of that autumn season it doubled in size.  I trimmed it this past spring season and the bush grew to be triple in size.  The blooms are purple and white and full of beauty.  Now that the autumn season has returned, many of the blooms have withered away.  However, there are a few flowering blooms left.  Every now and then I check the bush for  insect activity, especially for butterflies. This past  Sunday to my surprise, I found three beautiful Monarch butterflies hanging upside down and all around by their legs and sucking the nectar with their proboscis. I was so excited! Naturally, I grabbed my camera and started shooting.

Here are a few facts about this beautiful creature.

• The Monarch butterfly can be found throughout North, Central, and South America.
• Its wing span is about 4 inches long.
• The coloring of its wings warns predators of the insects bitter taste.
• Monarch butterflies gather together in the autumn months and begin their migration southward over winter.  They travel for about 1800 miles.
• When they finally reach their destination it's time to head back north.
• On the Monarchs return journey, they stop and deposit  eggs and then sadly die.
• The eggs then hatch and go through the full growing cycle until they become a butterfly and continue the journey from where their parents left off.

Monarch Butterflies are delicate, beautiful and very tough. What they are able to do in their life span is miraculous.  One of God's remarkable creatures to say the least.

American Robin

Nature can be such a mystery.  That's why I enjoy watching song birds.  If you're  still and quiet long enough they're willing to come out and share some of their secrets with you.  I know that after I've watered my lawn, American Robins will be on the lookout for those tasty earthworms.  In fact, it's almost like a thanksgiving feast for them, they find so many.

Here are a few facts about the beloved American Robin.

• American Robins are migratory song birds
• They are about 10 inches long, have a rusty color breast and are grey /brown up top.
• They feed on insects, berries, and earthworms (as you can clearly see).
• The female can lay up to six bluish green eggs in a nest made out of twigs, grass, roots, and mud.
• The female robin incubates the eggs for up to 14 days.  They then hatch and the male robin provides the food for the young ( now that's what I call team parenting).

These birds are very common and can be found anywhere you go in the spring to fall months.  They are smart and  fun to watch, but don't take my word for it, go outside and see for yourselves :o)

Leafcutter Bees

I'm back from vacationing with my family and we had a wonderful time.  We spent the last two weeks of summer in Florida.   Even though people are back at work and school has started again. I am not quite ready to give up the season of summer.  This week's blog is about Leafcutter bees. I've had this photo in my archives for a few weeks and thought that it would be a good one to share in the spirit of keeping  the summer season alive.  Here are a  few facts about Leafcutter Bees.

·         They like to build their nest in soft rotting wood or already existing cavities found in stems such as those of a rose bush.

·         They are solitary, meaning they don't share a hive with other bees.

·         They are great pollinators.  In fact, one leafcutter bee can do the job of about twenty honey bees.  Now, that's what I call hauling butt.

·         Ever wonder how  those smooth circular holes in leaves of certain plants get there?  If you said a hole puncher, not quite. Those holes come from the Leafcutter Bees. They do this for nesting purposes. They take the circular leaves and glue them together with their saliva and create individual cells for their larvae. 

  I am grateful to have seen up close and personal the many small wonders of this world that God has created.  This summer season was one of my favorite. I hate to see it go. However, I believe this fall season will  bring some beautiful camera moments as well and I look forward to sharing them with you :o)

Katy Did What!

Actually this is an insect called a Katydid.   I found this guy sitting on top of a flower in the high bushes of my backyard.  I don't know why, but I'm always discovering something when I least expect it.  In fact, this is my first time seeing a katydid.  Here are a few facts about these creatures.

•       There are over 250 species in North America alone and over 6000 species in the tropical areas of the world.

•        Katydids eat leaves, flowers and sometimes dead insects.

•        They are the color green which gives them the  camouflage they need to protect themselves from predators such as wasps, spiders and ants.

•        They live for about one year.

•        They have wings. However, they do not fly very well. Instead they jump very fast.

•        They use sound to communicate from a distance.  In fact the males are known to have a sound producing organ attached to the hind angles of their front wings. Which can be mainly heard at night.

•        They are not social and prefer to live alone.

The Jumping Spider

Generally I am not a big fan of spiders.  I find them to be really creepy. In fact, I am usually the type of wife who yells and screams for  my husband to get rid of them when I spot them in the house.  One time while taking a shower, I looked to the side and there I saw a black fuzzy spider the size of a quarter on the shower wall. I never thought I could jump so high. However, since taking up photography I see these tiny creatures in a whole new light.  Don't get me wrong, I still find them to be creepy, but as I grow in my photography skills I'm starting to look for more interesting things to photograph.  The jumping spider is a very interesting creature.

 Here are some fun facts that may interest you.

•   There are over 3000 types of the jumping spider.
    
•  They do not form a traditional web like most spiders. In fact they hunt for their prey by sneaking up and pouncing on them.       They prefer to hunt for their meal during the day which consists of small insects.
•  They use their silk  as emergency jumping lines, to form a shelter and create casings for the eggs that they lay.
•        They have eight eyes which gives them great vision. Four in the front and two on each top side of the head. (As I was taking the photo above, I could see the spider following my every move as I was focusing in on him.  I found it fascinating and charming at the same time).
•       Their ability to jump so high comes from them increasing the blood pressure to the legs, which then causes the legs to extend out and shoot their bodies thru the air. ( Reminds me of "turbo boost" that Kit would get in "Knight Rider").
•       They can grow up to a 1/2 inch in size.

Like I said before. Spiders are creepy. However,  I do enjoy some of the charming qualities of this particular species.

The Northern Mockingbird

      Years ago, when we first bought our house, we decided to extend our kitchen by raising the floor of our enclosed porch and turning it in to a dining area.  When my husband was doing the work we made the decision to install huge windows and a glass sliding door.  This is a joy for a nature lover such as myself and has become my favorite room in the house.  I get to observe the birds in their natural element without being seen.  Being a photographer this is a bonus, because if birds see you they remain at a distance that makes them difficult to photograph. 

 Undoubtedly one of the most common song birds in my yard  is the northern mockingbird.  You can recognize it by its grey slender body, long tail, and short high pitched screech (which is just one of many... many... sounds it makes).  Some people find this bird to be quite annoying due to its excessive singing and terrorizing ways. The only thing I find annoying is the Carly Simon song "Mockingbird" that floods my mind every time I spot one.  More than anything I find this bird to be quite humorous in nature, especially when it is protecting its territory.  The northern mockingbird is so militant and has this serious look about it. Watching it chase other birds, squirrels and the local neighborhood cats can be very entertaining (my apologies to the cat lovers).  Just grab a seat and some popcorn and enjoy the show.  Here are some facts about this huge personality of a bird.

•          Northern mockingbirds live throughout North America, Canada, and Mexico
•          They can measure up to 11 inches and weigh up to 2 ounces.
•          The average life span of a northern mockingbird is 8 years in the wild and 20 years in captivity.
•          Mockingbirds are omnivorous . In the summer they prefer to eat beetles, ants, grasshoppers and spiders  In the fall berries and seed.
•          The male loves to show off its wings.  In fact it looks very mechanical at times the way they flap their wings (like the wing of a plane). During the mating season the male will fly up and down while singing a few feet away from the female to grab her attention.
•          Both the Male and female look about the same. The male is just a bit bigger than the female.
•          When they find a mate they stay together for life (just like a beautiful married couple).
•          Their nesting areas can be found in shrubs and trees
•          The female can lay up to 6 eggs
•          The mockingbird is a music teacher's dream in the fact that it can learn up to 200 songs and calls.
•          The male mockingbird is known to sing way more than the female (I can relate. My husband is a singer and he can sing way better than me).  

In my opinion mockingbirds are comical, beautiful and intelligent creatures made in perfect design by God.  If you take the time to observe them the way I do,  I'm sure you'll also find them to be amazing.