DAILY PICTURES #107

scarletbean , it even goes back a little further ,
Land 'o' Lakes Margarine , Hey ,, one I could answer lol ..

All quiet on the Butterfly Backyard garden here;

Mine is pretty quiet too. I am seeing Question Marks and an occasional Sulphur Gulf Fritillary or Skipper. Seems everything is late this year except the hot weather!

Thanks Sheila, I think I will put those on the list, and get to shoppin'.

Today is finally sunny and warm after a week-10 days of rain and cold overcast days. I am hoping to see some BFs today.

Land o lakes? I had no idea...I just remembered the ads. funny what sticks with us. Thanks juhur7!

I have Monarchs everyday recently, some mating and some laying eggs. I brought in one tiny cat and he's doing his job, getting bigger every day. Ive spotted quite afew black swallowtails of unknown species. They are probably spicebush since they come every year.

I need cat raising advise. I have two small monarch caterpillars which I am providing common milkweed leaves. Should they get fresh leaves daily? Will putting the leaves in water be helpful? I had a couple of large roving caterpillars last fall which immediately pupated so I did not get any feeding experience. Like all babies, they poop a lot so a regular change and cleaning seems appropriate.
The rain and wind has decreased the butterflies but they should get active this week with nice weather forecast.
My stink brew which I have ignored with the bad weather has really gotten rotten. Late in the afternoon, it had a couple of visitors in the backyard. A red admiral and a Pearly-eye. The Pearly-eye appears to be Southern since it has orange antennal clubs.
The day before last I saw a nice Painted lady nectaring a wild white flowering shrub.
Mother nature is wonderful by giving us flying flowers.

The only thing I have seen since the Red Admiral early last week , One very tiny White Sulphur and a Painted lady .. Their all moving to fast to show .!
Nice pics Ivy ,,

CA, you are an inspiration to anyone wanting to improve their photo skills in order to take super nice photos of butterflies and caterpillars and what not. I cannot help remembering your first photographic offerings on this forum. Some of them were barely recognizable but of course we all loved them due to the very nature of the subject matter. Now you are offering up some photos that are so fine. Do you have a secret about how you managed to improve so dramatically? Hard work and practice? a new more elaborate camera? Or is there some other secret you would like to share with us? This group of 4 photos is such a joy to see.

The Monarchs i raise from time to time receive a fresh leaf every day, and i do dump out the pooh. I once saw a monarch pick up a dried pooh in it's mouth and toss it aside with a shake of the head (i took the hint). Good luck with the little ones. I've had good luck with my methods but i'm sure others on the forum have much more elaborate ones and probably some good ideas for you.

Thanks vitrsna for the cat rearing advice. Lots of common milkweed growing in the area currently.
I started my Butterfly Quest in May of 2012 and as you indicated my pictures weren't the best (atrocious to me). I was determined to take good photographs and learn to identify butterflies of Arkansas. In order to take better picks, I thought I needed a better camera. So I bought a used point shoot Kodak Z990; not a DSLR but a quality camera. Same picture quality problems. The solution was to learn about the camera's capabilities and how to use them. Trial and error and lots of practice. Each camera is different and it's frustrating that good instruction manuals that are specific to the camera model on how to use and take quality pictures don't exist. I inadvertently learned that my Kodak camera has a macro and a super macro settings. I can zoom out up to 30x to get close up with the macro but must be within a six to ten feet range of the subject for focus. For subjects that are very close, I use the super macro or another setting. Most cameras can and must be adjusted for light compensation. On bright sunny days, darker compensation is needed to avoid light wash out of subject matter. Automatic focusing is very helpful but can be fooled with a busy background so the camera may have to be moved back and forth or side ways until focus is obtained. One big disadvantage of automatic focus is the infared beam which is noticed by the butterfly and off it goes.
Thus my advice to everyone on photography would be to learn about your camera and to practice.
I have had a great experience in my Quest http://swtimes.com/news/monday-matters-barling-bug-nut-hunt and made many new friends on DG, all true stewards of nature. Thank you all for your advice and help.

Very nice article about your activities CA...hopefully it will get other people in your community interested, informed, involved...especially young people, maybe schools. With that area rich in butterflies, perhaps people are already interested, informed, and involved. Thanks for the tips on refining the photog skills. "Get to know your camera and practice"...i've heard the same from other people...it wish i didn't find that part so boring. In my view, the camera should explain itself...fat chance. Still i think it is worthwhile to be prepared as you say. Who knows when any of us will see that once in a lifetime butterfly or moth?

CA, I pick the milkweed stem that the egg is on and bring it indoors. I place the stem in a vase with a small opening just large enough to allow the stem. That way the cats don't accidentally fall into the water and drown. I place the vase on a sheet of paper to catch the frass and just shake it into the trash every day. Until they get to the wandering stage, they don't even need to be in a cage. I have brought the whole potted milkweed indoors during the winter and placed the cage over it when the cats get large because I know soon they will be wandering around looking for a place to pupate.

CAIvy, I gotta say that you have hit the nail on the head( well, perhaps in my case hit the photographer on the head! ; ) ) Knowing the functions of your camera and how to use them is sooooo important to good pics. Also, a little knowledge of where the sun or light is coming from helped me a lot. I got a camera from a pawn shop for $35 about 4 years ago. It's a little Canon powershotA1100 IS. It came as is and I had to look online for the manual. Geez, what a yawn! It was hard to understand since I was unfamiliar with many of the concepts and it had many technical terms I didn't know. So 4 years later it is still trial and much error. I am surprised by how nice many turn out even with my ineptitude. Thank goodness I can erase the crappy ones.
About the cats, I like to give them fresh leaves at least every other day. I either do a little potted plant (dill, parsley,and passionvine) or in the case of milkweed which is too big, I put foil over the rim of a little jelly jar with water, rubberband around the edge and poke the stems thru so the cats dont fall in the water.Once they get big, I just use a damp paper towel around the stems since they eat so much so fast. And, Poop scooping is very important. They poop ALOT!
I am glad this subject came up, since I need to start the little potted plants to be ready for caterpillars. I have not seen many BFs lately. But it has been cold, rainy and overcast for about a week. Yesterday and today are warm and sunny. I had better get the camera handy.

Based upon input from members of this forum, I have both dill and parsley available for Black ST. Yesterday I had a male Black ST visit the fading verbena but no female yet. Hopefully a lady soon.

Did y'all see the post from the poor guy, I think he was in CA? He was offering to pay big money for a male Northern mocking bird to be shipped to him. Seems the female was singing night and day and he was about tired of her song and her desperation.

haHAha steady...i did not see the post...but i mean, the "poor guy", really? What about the poor female mocking bird? She must be about hoarse :-)

Went fishing at Little Lee creek near Nicut. OK. But some lovely butterflies kept interrupting, a Great Spangled fritillary, Viceroy, and a Silvery Checkerspot. Normally I see large numbers of blues puddling here but none were visible. Hopefully they will be there when I visit again.

Aaww, That mockingbird story is cute! Poor lonely lady. I enjoy them and the bluejays. They are fearless birds! I have a rather shy cat that likes to bask in the sun in the taller grass out back, and I guess there are a couple nests in the closest tree. These mockingbirds and bluejays are constantly harassing my little cat! They scream at him and divebomb and give him not a moment of peace. He is not much of a hunter, and he has to get low to the ground and run back in the house after about 10 minutes. The birds swoop down and get so close, they part his hair!
Still not much BF action here, well, several tigerstripe st's. They come in pairs to a swampy part of the yard where there is a leak in a greywater leach bed. I gotta get a picture of that.
OH! big news! I can't believe I didn't start off with this tidbit!.... I was at a rest area on the highway in NC yesterday and I saw some BFs in the back of the building. So, I followed them and among the azaleas and deep red trilliums there was a bunch of PIPEVINE growing. I have been looking all over and have not had luck finding it. (except online)The gardener for this area said I could have one. For once I didn't have any tools, so I have to drive back maybe today to get it. Yay! Any hints on how best to do this operation?

scarletbean, wow, what a lovely rest area. Red trillium !!!
I've never dug up a pipevine but select a small young plant and dig deep regardless. Good luck.

I enjoyed the story , but , not really a happy one ,,
I tried to get a pic yesterday of a new hatched Red Admiral , then today two adults doing airborne ritual , no way the the flight pattern was photo possible
A white the Cabbage or the other one , flew past as did a small pearl Crescent .
A few are beginning their return here ,
I have a few rows of Zinnia to plant and I will have my 1000 Zinnia planted , lol never again !!!
but the Butterflies are going GAWK !!! when they fly through here ,,lol

I spotted this beautiful moth on the outside of my sliding patio door a few days ago. It's probably very common, but I've never seen one like this before.

So pretty. like denim and lace.

Wow Juhur!! you need to take a picture when they get going. I bet they will be a "gawk" and envy to us!

I bet your Zinnias will be gorgeous, juhur!

That's a great description of my moth, steadycam.

Yes I will pic .
Nuts that moth is incredible! Rare look at something !
Something is chewing on my Syrica leaves , only I am mot seeing anything
Found a half sewing pin line of reddish brown scat , but don't know what that belongs too .
I got a handful of A Tecta (swithcane) roots yesterday and found some golden Ragwort , not Obvata though , the other look alike

nuts, a gorgeous moth shot. Looks like a Tufted Bird Dropping Moth

Thanks juhur and Ivy!

Ivy, are you serious...is that actually the name of a Moth? Who in the world comes up with these names??

juhur, I noticed lots of Golden ragwort several weeks ago on the banks of the Arkansas River in full bloom but they stopped blooming recently.

nuts, you' re funny. Us common folks come up with the common names of bugs. The olive shaded bird dropping moth is common here and its host is ragweed. But my favorite little moth at this time of year is Feather edged petrophila. It is found near streams and creeks and on aquatic vegetation where its larvae eat diatoms and algae from stream bed rocks. The hindwing has multiple spots that look like spider eyes to me. These moths are plentiful this year and I expect that it is because the streams have not had scouring floods.
Excuse the moth pics since the butterflies aren't cooperating currently. But my two monarch kittens grew into big cats and pupated yesterday so Monarchs soon to be.

Ivy , While the Northern Metalmark and Swamp Metalmark are not particularly a pretty Butterfly they deserve to exist ,,
Good to know , sometimes their food is here anyway

Well...I've never claimed to be the sharpest tack in the box. Those are cool moths. Congrats on the soon-to-be Monarchs!

it's hot outside, I wear out , when I forget to Hope you all the Best with your Butterfly raising efforts .
Gratitude for photo's and all the help and supporting of efforts here ..
That's usually why , All hot and worn out and I don't really always express myself well when typing ..
Well Anyway Nuts) That's my excuse for not being "the sharpest tack in the Box "(or book )
Thought you might like that one ) lol ^_^

Really good pic's and info folks !

Since we are appreciating moths....here is a pretty interesting and probably common one. I cant remember what it is, I looked it up when I got the picture last year or the year before, and promptly forgot.( my tacks are dull also.) It reminded me of a paper airplane, and then the design looked like a stained glass fleur de lis.
I enjoy moths and have been planting evening blooming plants specifically for them. So far the 3 biggest draws are four o' clocks, moonflowers and gourds (the bottle/birdhouse type). The gourds have so many pretty white flowers that open at night and have the added benefit of giving me great birdhouses and other great useful items from the dried (fruit?) gourds. The moths pay me back by pollinating and putting on a great aerial show in the cooler hours of the night.

Just incredible! I see very few moths around my place.

So pretty, scarlet! The pattern reminds me of "ink blots"...where you put ink or paint on a piece of paper then fold it in half and see what you get.

Juhur - "senior moments" make a good excuse, too so I use that one often.

Red Admiral , Not bad for an in motion still , but hey , you all know .

A Monarch came past while I was taking this , First of the Season , Man oh Man , Do I want to get the zinnia blooming !!! ( You know I only saw 7 all of last year )

Milkweed trying to bloom it will be a while though

Juhur...do you think the Red Admiral is one that developed in your Nettle or is a new visitor? That would be very cool if it eclosed in your Nettle patch. Hopefully you will be seeing more of them.

Yeah, i know you had a bad Monarch year last year...maybe this is a good sign that things will improve in your area this year. That looks like one big hulking Milkweed, do you know the species?

I have Queen monarchs laying eggs now and probably won't see Monarch monarchs until maybe October.

Those together are one of three small stands of Syrica ,

Yes these Red Admirals (although I have not seen more than two at any one time ) are likely from my patch of nettle , New color and wings , no damage to them at all , The first I showed a while ago here had dull tattered wings , these are likely from the eggs of that , There won't be as many as there might though , there is a small ,tiny , .spider that preys on them , predatory wasps I have been seeing also ,,
the nettle is to stingy to handle , so left to luck and nature it is .

Still no luck at what is eating on the milkweed .

Here's they way they look . there are smaller and a few plants you cannot see here , (shortly)
The last pic is vine Milkweed .. so if the impossible cats appear . I won't need more milkweed ..

I have Monarchs laying eggs daily. I have one cat inside hanging in a J. I brought him in as an egg.

nice.
I haven't seen a butterfly here in about a week. I've only had red admirals and cabbage whites. My butterfly monitoring season for Illinois starts on June 1. Numbers have not been looking good for others who have gone out early. sigh.

Got one! Saw this American Lady today just as I walked in from work. I didn't plant this flower...just popped up in the back yard one day. I like it.



Russell