Milkweed Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Was out in the yard looking at the milkweed and seeing how my cucumbers were fairing when I came across this little guy.

Then I found this bigger one on the ground. So in the interest of science and my own need to know I brought it up on the deck so i could take photos and look it up.

There was another one, so I guess this year its the year of Tussock Moths and not Monarchs, which is too bad. Hope I get a photo of one when it grows up.

Persistent spider

So this past friday night i was actually home and was on the deck. I noticed this small spider who had built a web over one side of the deck and picnic table. The next morning/afternoon came out to find no spider or web. Tonight i was on the deck and saw the same spider (significantly larger) building a web in the same general location and waited till it had finished to get a few pictures of it.

I am not certain but i do think it is a Barn Spider (like the one that had built a web in the back deck area last year). I can only assume that it rebuilds the web every night. Either birds, bats or people knock it down by morning.

I will try to take more pictures as it grows. Hopefully it will continue to build the web and nothing will kill it in the meantime.

Here is a picture of a Swallowtail Butterfly on Beebalm

First Spotted Touch me not flower

A few pictures of a Female Ruby Throated Hummingbird

It seems i have created a monster

Native plants make me happy!

I took these pictures actually mid to end of June but forgot to upload them. I also wanted to wait until i could identify them. And with the help of the wonderfull people at wildlifegardeners.org I think I can correctly state what they are. Sorry the photos arent of the best quality, it was windy that day. I found these flowers in the protected open space on the south side of hwy 96 on the NW side of Snail Lake.

With the help of wildlifegardeners.org we have identified this as Stachys palustris or marsh hedge nettle. Its native to MN. http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=STPA

This we think is Packera paupercula or balsam groundsel. Which is also native to MN
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PAPA20

Here are some other pictures from that day.

I snuck up on a white tailed deer. I got a photo before it ran off.

Some painted turtles on a log in the pond behind the community center.

Some kind of Grebes i think

Painted Turtle

One of the lil bunnies in my yard

The last time I saw the only monarch caterpillar in my yard

Speaking of monarch caterpillars, i only have seen one this summer. I have made sure to keep as much milkweed in the yard and even in my veggie beds as possible. I havent seen another caterpillar in at least a week or more. 

Some sort of spider

And a pic of the lil bunnie. he got tired and laid down for a nap.

Loons

Was just outside when it started to rain. Was about to head inside when i hear some loons calling. Im glad i had my phone with me. Not good video but great audio!

Variety of plants, animals and bugs

Some pics ive taken over the week

First monarch caterpillar on milkweed

Bittersweet Nightshade

possibly a 13 spotted lady bug. (native)

Fleabane (native)

Dragonfly

Damselfly

Yellow Goat's Beard(non-native)

And a terrible picture of a Great Crested Flycatcher (i was stalking this bird for a few hours but it spends most of its time high up in the canopy so i couldnt get a good shot)

A doe, a bunny and some baby geese

Went out into the yard this morning and scared off what I think was a Doe (not sure). I didnt even realize it was in the yard.

Deer

Video of a young bunny in the garden.

Pair of Canadian Geese with their goslings.

House Wren Video

Here is video of the House Wren going back to the chickadee nest in the bird house to continue his pillaging and wrath of destruction...

Not in anyway graphic. He only pulls out some feathers that most likely were nest lining. Interesting how he keeps looking back at the camera... like he knows he is being watched....

The darkside of the House Wren......

Earlier this week I was reading on Wildlifegardeners.org a thread about House Wrens attacking and killing newly hatched Chickadee's.

TO read the original post: http://www.wildlifegardeners.org/forum/birds-other-than-hummers/8545-house-wrens-chickadee-predator.html

I was interested because I couldnt believe it to be true and also since a pair of Chickadee's had moved in to the bird house that the House Wrens had lived in the past few summers.

I went out and took a look and found some terrible things. I cant say for sure if it was the House Wrens who did it but evidence points in their direction.
Chickadee hatchlings

Chickadee Egg

 This is where the suspected murderer lives.

Early morning and Tadpoles!

Long story short I was up before the sun.
I took some pictures and videos of the tadpoles down in the marsh.

Some videos.



For some reason, either its just in preview mode or something else, the embeded links to the other 2 videos are not showing up. So here is the direct links instead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Sk7trnOcj4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tiORJNCYLlY


Also grabbed a picture of some Spittlebugs (yeah as in "spit". its because of the bubbles they make to surround themselves)

Also found what is either a dead mole or vole.

Ring Necked Pheasant

Had quite the surprise today. A Ring Necked Pheasant on the back deck. Very beautiful male. I had never seen one before. I grabbed a few photos of it from inside the kitchen before it went around the side of the house. It reappeared later further out in the back yard but I didnt grab the camera quick enough. Wonder if it has a mate and a nest somewhere in the area. I would assume that if it did i would have seen it around sooner than now. Very cool to see up close though.

Lessons learned

So i recently got a new phone and one of the things i wanted to be able to use it for was to look up birds and their songs. So this evening I was in the yard trying to entice the Orioles to visit the hummingbird feeds (a female Oriole has been seen quite often at the feeder farther out in the yard.) So when I realized they were not going to be persuaded I started playing other bird calls.

I decided to play the call of a House Wren because the House Wren I would like to consider it a friend of mine. Even though he has chosen to nest in a different bird house this year in the past he was more than glad to help with pest control on my vegetables. Well I have learned they dont particularly enjoy hearing the call of another House Wren and not being able to locate it. The poor bird was frantically looking all over the place for where the call was originating. I decided to take video of it calling back and I sure did get a nice surprise. The bird was perched on a small branch right above me and then defecated nearly hitting my camera but instead hit my hand (thank goodness). This is only the second time I have been pooped on by a bird. Funny thing is that it happened in the same exact location last year (I dont remember the culprit).  So enjoy my close call.

Not sure but possibly a Brown Thrasher

Common Yellowthroat
I have been trying to get pictures of this bird for weeks. I decided to play its call and it brought it right to me. Still wouldnt sit still for very long for me to get some better photos but I am happy I at least got a few.

I do feel kind of bad confusing the birds by playing calls from my phone. Its interesting that not all the birds are attracted or interested. I assume it would have to do with how close by to a nest I am.

Great Blue Heron

I got out into the garden today and planted some stuff.

I put the trellis netting up and planted cucumbers.

I also planted Acorn Squash

I put in some more cucumbers. So everyone be warned I will probably have too many cucumbers and will be giving them away.

And I put in a row of dill seed behind the cucumbers right in front of the area I sit to watch the marsh.

Some Milkweed popping up in the trellis bed. I try not to pull milkweed or Spotted Touch Me Nots. I dont consider them weeds and am more than happy for them to grow where they wish.

The only vegetable bed I havent gotten around to cleaning up. There is lettuce everywhere and weeds. I did plant a lone Eggplant. I need to go buy it some friends. I will hopefully have it cleaned out and planted with beets and parsnips by saturday.

Potatoes are popping through. The tomatoes are still alive.