another fawn on the lawn

 Is it possible?  Yes!  Even more beautiful caterpillars!

turbulent phosila moth caterpillars

black tiger swallowtail butterfly caterpillar

This silver-spotted skipper caterpillar has impaled itself on the thorns of this tree branch!  The black liquid you see is hemolymph, its blood.  He's probably a goner.

This tussock moth caterpillar is not doing much better.  The photo isn't great, but you can see that a braconid wasp has deposited eggs that developed into larvae.  The larvae spun these little white cocoons.  Some of the tops are off...that means that the larvae developed into wasps and chewed free.

Here's a bagworm caterpillar...a real pest.

And evidence of the caterpillar that once was...here's a recent molt!

Some other standouts this week...an American giant millipede!

These two Virginia tiger moths are mating before the cold weather hits.

This pelecinid wasp looks scary, but that ominous abdomen isn't for stinging humans...it's for depositing eggs into June beetle larvae.  

Our injured buck was back this week...

...and he brought a friend!

The weather has turned hot again, which you can see in heat-stressed plants...

...and sun-loving cats.

I'm not a fan.  Bring on fall!!

At least our morning walks are still cool.  A big of steam rises from the pond...

...and we're nicely shaded from the sun.

Despite the dry weather, I've seen some really beautiful mushrooms.

indigo milk cap...edible!

the aptly-named dog vomit fungus

Do you remember these lynx paw oyster mushrooms from a few weeks ago?

They matured quickly, and were soon covered in hundreds of tiny flies!

The mushroom excretes a stinky gel that attracts flies.  The flies come, eat the gel, and manage to ingest some of the mushroom's spores.  They then drop them far and wide, aiding in the spread of this species.  Pretty smart!  

Even though we have late-season roses now...

I'm so ready for the weather change.  We'll see what happens.

Have a great week!  

our snake charmer

It's getting progressively darker when I take Pepita out in the mornings.  Everything is SOAKED in dew. I love seeing it in all the spiderwebs.

Dark, wet mornings aren't so bad, because I see a beautiful sunrise every day.

And on our morning walks...more signs of fall!!

Some cool caterpillars...

banded tussock caterpillar

white hickory tussock caterpillar

This isn't a fungus...it's a caterpillar!  A butternut woolly sawfly caterpillar, to be exact.

He reminded me of those beech blight aphids that dance when you shake their branch...which we also saw on the trail.

pre-dance mode

I like seeing how things change from day to day.  This is one day's growth for these oyster lynx mushrooms!

Another luna moth, or what's left of him.  They're so big and protein-packed that they are a real treat for a wide range of predators.

Look at the beautiful "eyes" on his wings!

Meanwhile, at home, a recent rain brought a big green frog (that's his official name:  Lithobates clamitans or green frog)!

Look at those eyes!

Also at home, Frances is becoming the perfect lazy cat.  

napping behind my desktop computer

napping on my hand while I try to type

napping on top of a box that I needed to access

begging for attention while I'm trying to work...on the dining room table, where he is not allowed to be

He's still helping a lot with Pepita...

...and keeping an eye on things with Barnacle...when he's awake.

He supervises when I'm training Pepita.  Here's she's showing off her skills with "snake dance."  Her legs are too stubby to properly train "down," so I used a stuffed snake tucked under my leg to lure her to the ground.  Snakes crawl on their stomachs, too, so "snake dance" became the natural name for this trick.

Yes, that's Frances on my lap, helping again!  :)  

Something's always happening around here.  Have a great week!