Sunset---in the East?

The sun was setting as we were coming back from the garden. But unlike many evenings, the colorful display was in the East.

Who could get tired of looking at the sky?

A Glimpse of the Magnificent

On a recent Sunday afternoon, B and I were heading home from the lighthouse, when I spotted a very large bird sailing across the sky. With binoculars, I was able to identify it as a Magnificent Frigatebird. Not friggin,' Frigate. It is also  known as the Man-o-War, or Man of War, bird.

I had never seen one here in the Panhandle, though I have in places south of here. I have not mastered the technique of photographing flying birds, but I gave it my best shot(s) until it disappeared behind clouds. This was the only one that was close to focused.

Sadly, you cannot see its deep swallowtail. You have no concept of how large it is: the wingspan may be more than 7 feet. This one was a juvenile with lighter feathers on the head.  The males have these amazing red gular sacs (throat pouches) that they inflate to impress the gals. They are truly impressive birds and it felt like a privilege to see it.

For better pictures, click on this webpage:

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/magnificentfrigate.htm

Mailbox Monday: Wheely Cool!

At the Buttonbush Buffet

Things were really aflutter at the Buttonbush Buffet last Sunday. The gulf fritillaries are gathering along the panhandle coast to begin their migration flight across the Gulf of Mexico. Before they left they found the nectar of the buttonbushes and other plants irresistible.

Upon closer inspection, I saw that there were also lovebugs enjoying the spheres.

 And when I looked even closer, I saw this tiny, orange, white and black striped moth. It is called a microlepidoptera because of its size. It also has a species name, but I did not find that.

Diamond in the Rough

Our path crossed with this diamondback rattler.

We ssssssusssspect that from head to toe--er, tail--it was about four feet long.

We watched as it sssssssslowly crossed the pavement and went into the swampy woods.

Going Nowhere---or Somewhere!

Our son gave his wife a nifty device for her birthday. With a new baby, she was missing her bike rides. So the device allows her to use her bike as a stationary bike while the baby naps or plays in view. It easily disconnects when they are ready to take to the trails in the neighborhood.

The Wonders of Woolly Bears

This woolly bear caterpillar was feasting on our new broccoli plants so we scooped it off and I took it to school. I already had a tank set up with gulf fritillaries, monarchs and swallowtails, so what was one more mouth to feed? I fed this one salad. When it started hanging upside down, we thought it was beginning to make its cocoon, but it chose a spot in the very top of the screened roof.

Woolly bears have been used as prognosticators of the severity of the upcoming winter. Several communities in America even have wooly bear festivals.

When I was researching what else it would eat BESIDES our broccoli, I made what is to me an amazing discovery. Woolly bear caterpillars live within the arctic circle where they have such a short eating season as a caterpillar that they cannot go through their cycles in one year. In winter, their bodies freeze solid and their hearts stop until the spring thaw. Then they come out of the ground, eat and do it all again, year after year. Some woolly bears live at least 22 years!! Eventually, they become a moth, mate and die within a few days.

http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/frozen-planet/videos/woolly-bear-caterpillars.htm