September bugs and grown up baby swans:)
There isn’t much blooming for these bees! Thankfully the asters are providing something to snack on as most of the goldenrod has gone to seed.! The bumblebees are mostly the Common Eastern and I nabbed a shot of a Brown Belted one as well! The tri-coloured ones were here earlier in the year. So many different types!
The wasps are out as well. I had to remove the hummingbird feeder once this year as a Bald Faced Hornet had decided it was his! Ha, said the hummingbird, she fixed you! And who knew baby green stink bugs aren’t green! Both adults and nymphs have large stink glands on the underside of the thorax extending more than half-way to the edge of the metapleuron (An exoskeletal plate on each side of the metathorax of an insect.) They discharge large amounts of this foul-smelling liquid when disturbed…I didn’t stop to ask or poke them;)
The other great cat toys out there other than chipmunks and frogs are the grasshoppers. Apparently they are very very tasty…chomp, chomp, chomp and down the hatch! I will wait until I can find a chocolate covered one to try them, thanks! Such beautiful colours, from the red-legged to the cinnamon or tan Carolina to the bright yellow Two-striped Grasshopper! I tried to catch one hovering, still working on that, must be showing off for the ladies! They look like leaping Mourning cloak Butterflies!
I keep waiting for the big Green Darner dragonflies but have only seen a few flying fairly high, not landing. The Autumn Meadowhawks are still plentiful, and reproducing! The gold spots on their wings are beautiful, especially if you catch them back lit!
The butterflies have been few and far between this late Summer. A few Monarchs in passing and some Cabbage Whites. It seems too quiet. Hopefully with no “Spongy Moth” spraying everything else will have a chance to survive. Humans are so stupid, we think we can control nature, she will have the last laugh if there is anything left of us after we fight over our imaginary Gods and resources. Yeah, I’m not going to hold my breath for the human race:) Misanthrope am I;) I do like SOME humans, just not many;) Ha!
…and the baby swan:) He/she is as big as it’s parents! Those flippers! Oh my! So far I haven’t seen any wing flapping, still wondering if Mom and Dad will take off to try to get it airborn, or will it be slow flying lessons. Must be daunting!
It is hard to believe it was such a wee little cygnet back on June 25th.
Fingers crossed all goes well! Baby Loon is still about with one of the parents, the mother I am guessing.
“At 10-11 weeks chicks continue to practice flight. They can capture much (roughly 90-100%) of their own food, but will still beg for and accept food from parents. At this point in the season, one parent may leave for the ocean, but the other typically stays with the chicks until they reach fledging age.
By 12 weeks of age, loon chicks reach fledgling age and become independent. They may take their first flight, and they eat fish of similar size to adults. At this stage, the first parent may migrate to the ocean, leaving chicks entirely alone on their natal lakes. Chicks typically leave their lakes 1-3 weeks after their parents, though some remain into the early winter.” from the Loon Preservation Committee.
According to my photos Baby Loon should be around 14-15 weeks old…first baby shots were June 25th. He and baby swan cygnet are pretty close in age!
It’s time for a calm day to paddle around and look for him/her. He/she is just starting to cry, it’s a sad loon warbling cry, but getting better every day! Such a privilege to watch these guys grow up!
That’s about it for bugs and babies growing up for now! We’ll keep you posted as the Fall birds settle in, the Blue Jays are already back for their peanuts each morning! I’ll be needing some new props, time for a trip to 2ndhand shops for some thing interesting! Ha! We’re waiting for rain so maybe we’ll have another flush of fungi to explore as well. Saludos amigos, time to go find some new slippers as well!
♫♪♫ Because I’m still in love with you
I want to see you dance again
Because I’m still in love with you
On this harvest moon ♪♫♪