Author Topic: Nature's Helpers up close and personal (Read 4772 times)

Timgod · « **on:** April 30, 2007, 08:21:39 PM »

Here are few pix of some little helpers from the last couple of days.
Tim

Timgod · « **Reply #1 on:** April 30, 2007, 08:23:22 PM »

Ok now here are two that are more decorative than actual helpers...although they do still pollinate as they feed.

Tim

Joyce · « **Reply #2 on:** May 01, 2007, 05:00:17 AM »

Cool!

Jamie will wanna see these when she gets home from school.

Teresa · « **Reply #3 on:** May 01, 2007, 06:11:32 AM »

Very cool! We used to have a member who would post pics of bugs and other small stuff. I always loved to show her photos to the girls.

Timgod · « **Reply #4 on:** May 01, 2007, 07:40:20 AM »

The caterpillar is one of several hundred. I keep debating on leaving them alone or doing something about them. They are making swiss cheese out of my bog garden behind the house. It is full of pickeral rush, assorted elephant ears, sagittarrius etc. They evidently are not very discriminating little munchers as they attack all different plants with the same appetite. I just wish I knew for sure if they became butterflies and if so what kind.
The dragonfly was one of the first I have seen to emerge from my pools this year. He was still drying his wings from emergence. He had trouble flying and that is how I spotted him coming from the pool.
Tim

Teresa · « **Reply #5 on:** May 01, 2007, 09:41:04 AM »

I have a little book about caterpillars and here's what I think (not an expert tho)

That is either a 'yellow bear' which turns into the virginian tiger moth or, more likely, it's a salt marsh caterpiller (name doesn't indicate where they are found). Salt marsh caterpillars tend to be a pain for farmers as they disperse widely and eat anything and everything.

The problem is that both of these guys can vary in looks.

Timgod · « **Reply #6 on:** May 01, 2007, 09:58:57 PM »

Here are some more shots that I took today. I hope your kiddoes like them.

Tim

Timgod · « **Reply #7 on:** May 01, 2007, 10:00:25 PM »

A couple more.

Tim

Timgod · « **Reply #8 on:** May 03, 2007, 12:44:25 AM »

I'm watching you buddy..... Do make me go all gila monster on you....

Tim

Joyce · « **Reply #9 on:** May 03, 2007, 05:44:19 AM »

WOW Tim, that's 'National Geographic' quality....GREAT shots!

maryvonne · « **Reply #10 on:** May 03, 2007, 08:29:07 AM »

Wow! Great bug shots Joyce and Tim!

Maryvonne

Timgod · « **Reply #11 on:** May 03, 2007, 09:50:54 AM »

Thanks again ladies.

Tim

Timgod · « **Reply #12 on:** May 03, 2007, 10:26:21 AM »

Here are a couple butterfly shots from last spring and early summer. I am still waiting to get shots this year. I've seen a few swallowtails but they were damaged so I didn't chase them around the yard for a shot.

Tim

Timgod · « **Reply #13 on:** May 04, 2007, 07:55:10 PM »

Here is one of my hired assassins.

Tim

Teresa · « **Reply #14 on:** May 05, 2007, 12:16:04 PM »

One year we had so many swallowtails and fritillaries here that it was amazing (I grow lots of parsley and p.lutea to insure that we'll have plenty.) The girls and I would go sit next to the plants and watch them laying their eggs . . . they fold themselves completely in half when they lay them. I tried to get pics, but the camera I had at the time wouldn't take macro shots. Would love to try again this year and see if I can get some good ones. Gonna hafta go buy some more parsley plants . . . .

Ky Kim · « **Reply #15 on:** May 06, 2007, 01:11:20 AM »

Those are really good photos. I loved looking an them. I agree that they look like National Geographic.

Kim

miguynmkoi · « **Reply #16 on:** May 08, 2007, 07:35:34 PM »

Beautiful shots of butterflies. Wish I had half of the variety you have in my yard

Tim, Is that "gilla monster" a pet or a wild thing (gulp!)?

Timgod · « **Reply #17 on:** May 08, 2007, 09:36:45 PM »

miguynmkoi,
"Wild Thing" I think I Love You

Wild.
Little dude was really only about 5 inches long mouth to tail.

Tim

Timgod · « **Reply #18 on:** May 08, 2007, 09:39:25 PM »

Here is another little butterfly that showed up yesterday or the day before...

Tim

CT · « **Reply #19 on:** May 09, 2007, 06:26:12 AM »

Gorgeous! I'm seeing Swallowtails around here, first time ever..pretty cool. As for the pseudo Gila Monster they get quite tame if you feed them crickets.

Timgod · « **Reply #20 on:** May 09, 2007, 06:52:31 AM »

Yes, that is cool. I think butterflies are great.

Tim

Teresa · « **Reply #21 on:** May 09, 2007, 07:06:24 AM »

I see the Gulf Fritillaries have found your passion flowers . . . . I always plant some lutea (which grow like weeds) so they'll have plenty of food . . . . do you have zebra longwings?

Timgod · « **Reply #22 on:** May 09, 2007, 05:54:19 PM »

No Teresa, I don't think I have seen them but once last year.
I don't have any lutea though. Does it provide another food source so they don't munch me passi's down to the bone?

Tim

Teresa · « **Reply #23 on:** May 09, 2007, 06:01:16 PM »

Oh - Ok, the first set of butterfly photos is from last year. Didn't catch that.

first off, I'll send you a lutea . . . it's a weed, and the flowers are small, but it's great butterfly feed and if you ever get into hybridizing, it's hardy and sets fruit easily, so it's a good one.

Second, they will eat almost any passiflora . . . but the nice thing about having lots of lutea or incarnata or caerulea (all weeds) is that you can move the cats there and still have the butterflies. Give me another couple of weeks and I'll send you whatever you want of those 3 cuz they are growing all over the back 40 . . . . and I will owe you forever for that song . . . .

Timgod · « **Reply #24 on:** May 15, 2007, 08:02:59 AM »

Here are a few new critter pix.
They just love the taste of passiflora.

Tim

Timgod · « **Reply #25 on:** May 15, 2007, 08:05:25 AM »

That is actually a flower bud that little monster is munching on. It's no wonder that this is only the first time in 3 years I have been able to see blooms on this particular passion flower. I let it go nuts and pop up in different spots around the yard.

Tim

thepitclub · « **Reply #26 on:** May 27, 2007, 06:53:36 AM »

Just wonderful pictures, I love them! Have you ever heard of a magazine called "birds and blooms"? There's NO WAY you wouldn't win some of the photo contests!!!

http://www.birdsandblooms.com/

Timgod · « **Reply #27 on:** May 27, 2007, 09:22:58 PM »

Thanks for the compliment.

Tim

Timgod · « **Reply #28 on:** May 29, 2007, 05:20:16 PM »

Okay, I know I am nuts.... my wife keeps reminding me.

I have been chasing one of these guys around the yard for a week.
It would never land for me to get a shot.
It kept getting chased off by the regular blue dragonfly's.
Today however he brought friends.
I had 4 darting all around the yard harrassing the plain blue ones.
Finally one landed.
Man did I snap off a handful of shots.
This is the best.
It was early morning and the sun hit his wings so that certain scales reflected in the sunlight. Perfect.
Check out the detail in the cropped shot of the wing.

Tim

Ky Kim · « **Reply #29 on:** May 30, 2007, 08:19:33 AM »

OOoooh, wow those are beautiful!

Kim