DAILY BUTTERFLIES Page 26

Thanks Martha, I had looked at your picture too and thought they were similar. I'm trying to pay attention to things I see in the garden. I've never really noticed caterpillars or other insects very much but I'm really trying to broaden my focus so I can see my garden as a whole ecosystem and not just my plants.

Elaine, if there's one thing that scares my mom it's a snake. She's pretty adaptable to anything else. Once she got used to the newts and the bearded dragon, she ended up loving them too. You just have to educate her!

Melanie

Well, I just went outside to assess any frost damage. It's really not too bad. The porterweed looks fried, but I can see where some of them still have green leaves. Parts of the bougainvillea got nipped, but the main plant is fine. I was a little worried about the butterflies having nectar, but I've still got plumbago, blanket flowers, bougainvillea, and verbena blooming. My neighbors' yards also have some flowers in bloom.

While I was outside I saw this pretty sulphur enjoying my plumbago.

I didn't notice at the time, but this butterfly is a little roughed-up, huh? Still, better than no butterflies. I hope this keeps all you Northerners going for another day. Soon, the butterflies will be back to visit you, too!

Melanie

Way cool on the Brazilian cats, Cat!! Glad you are keeping the populations up down there.

Gonna be hot here for a few days, we'll see what I get.. :-)

I spotted a Sulfur, fairly large one floating around in my neighbor's back yard. I knew if I went in to get a camera it would be gone. We have definately had very cold weather here, can't believe any of the bf made it thru the freezes we have had so far.

sighhhhhh, I cleaned the only hummer feeder I had out today and will put out again tomorrow. You never know...
thanks for sharing those pictures so we can dream.
Elaine

...I hear you Sheila with concern for the butterflies in freezing weather.. it is well warranted. Besides predators it is their final frontier of dangers to face. Some of them are fortunate enough to sense lowering temperatures and find a crack in a tree or some other structure. Then others will find loose mounds of dried grasses and plant material to sleep in until the sun comes out. The actual temperature that stills a butterfly is at or about 40 degrees. If freezing weather lets up and they can find some sun, they are good to go for another day.
Then there are the fruit feasters that seem to brave the cooler temps by their diet. The alcohol from fermented fruit and any sun they collect can keep them going all winter in our zone. Still in all it is the fittest that survive, and that is a very low number.

Elaine~ I kept one hummer feeder out all winter last year and didn't see any hummers here. To my delight I did discover that hummers aren't the only ones who love sugar water... The Warblers and Kinglets came to live in my back yard and kept me entertained and amazed until butterflies and hummers returned. I was fishing for hummers, and got so much more.
I've always been a birder, even as long as I've been butterflying, and discovering some of these little things has squelched the missing the numbers of butterflies or hummers as much as it would without seeing what the winter months had to offer.

This is how I set up some things to invite other wingers to keep myself in awe. Notice the feeder part with the flower holes is taken off of this feeder so that shorter beaks could drink from it. Some very small and precious little birdies found this thing and drank from it, and ate the insect suet all winter last year.

Its supposed to reach 79 degrees today... I am kinda hoping to have some butterfly sightings to post. :-)

I made some peanut butter suet this week, and then it turned off warm! So I hope it doesn't melt before they discover it.
I heard the Cedar Waxwings yesterday afternoon. I have been looking for them to show up. The Lugust. Privets are loaded with purple berries. They tend to strip the bushes all in a day or two then poop the purple mess on the driveway, deck and walkways. But that is ok by me, they are my favorite bird. So stealth and regal looking.
Need to put out a sugar water too I guess Deb, don't want to miss anything; so little to watch in winter!

Oh,, yes, I will pull out one of my older feeders and adapt it for the birds. It was high 60's today.. soooo beautiful after the coldddddd weather we had previous 2 days. I had to pull the top layer off greenhouse and pulled a bunch of plants out.. only 40 here tonight. Also planted some.. northern sea oat plants..
do the birds like those?
Deb... I think you sent me seeds last year. I have one plant that has just been wonderful. I think it is a fennel.. smells minty. It likes the cold.. I covered it for the 2 nights we had 17 and 20 degree temps and it is still doing great. I will take a picture tomorrow.
Elaine

Here is a sample of an insect suet on Drs. Foster & Smith.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12396
I am sure there are cheaper options locally.

Thanks, Sheila. I've bought the fruit and nut kind but I've not seen one with insects in it. I thought maybe Deb made hers from bad bugs or something of the sorts.

I wonder if Bluebirds would eat the insect suet?

Oh,, I bet the bluebirds would love it..
Elaine

There's a bird watcher's store in Macon. I think on my next trip I'll check it out for insect suet. Have you been to that store, Elaine?

I think the few cold spells we had wiped out the bug population here...or they went underground. The hummies sometimes hang around the butterfly bait stations - they must be snatching fruit flies or gnats. Have also seen them zipping in and out of my citrus trees - guess they also find bugs in the rotting fruit.

The local Mockingbirds and Great Kiskadees have also honed in on the bait stations and resorted to pecking at the old fruit. I usually make about a dozen suet plates for them during the colder weather.

I started doing that a few years ago and it starts out with me cleaning out the pantry, refrigerator and freezer - gathering cereals, nuts, dried fruit packages, old pepperoni, jerky, peanut butter, birdseed and rendered bacon grease I save just for that :o)

I mix whatever I have gathered and pat the concoction into styrofoam plates - I then set them into the freezer to harden. When they are solid I then drag out the seal-a-meal machine and seal them into individual packages and put them back into the freezer to use throughout the winter.

The sparrows are usually the first on the scene but the Mockingbirds, Great Kiskadees, Doves, Cardinals, Green Jays and Wrens also feed from them.

On very rare occasions I've also purchased dried meal worms (UGH) from the pet store and added those to the mix but they are pricey and you need to have a strong stomach (frankly I think they are gross) but the birds like them. I figure the birds hanging around my yard will also nab any bugs crawling in the grass they see. The whitewing and turtle doves gather under the tray and eat the fallen seeds and such.

~ Cat

Oops...forgot to add a photo :o) I took one out to photograph!

It is so much more inexpensive to make your own suet cakes!!! (well, if you don't add meal worms, that is! ROLF!!!)

Am sure everyone has old cereal, cookies, crackers, peanut butter and whatnot in the pantry. As for the dried fruits and nuts - I enjoy baking and cooking so always have pecans, walnuts and almonds in the freezer as well as dried cranberries, cherries, blueberries etc. I use bacon grease because a friend of mine has five boys and she pours it into a coffee can and saves it for me as well.

~ Cat

ps...this one also contains crushed up fortune cookies!!! I'd gone to a restaurant a few days earlier and they gave us about eight cookies. Didn't want to toss 'em so added them to the mix :o) I tell you, anything and everything goes!!!

This message was edited Jan 6, 2008 8:57 PM

That sounds like a great way to "recycle" old food out of my pantry. Thanks, Cat!

Deborah,,, yes, I've been to Birdwatcher's a few times. And so has DH.. good Christmas presents there. Haven't seen the insect suet. have bought some meal worms. will have to check it out. Now if you come back up here, you better call me and come visit. I would love to see you.
Elaine

Yes, I'll do that, Elaine!

Cat, that is very interesting how you make your own suet cakes. How do they stick together? Wouldn't the sun melt the bacon grease, or did I miss something?
~Lucy

I normally make suet cakes for the winter months. When the sun comes out it does melt the bacon grease but most of it gets soaked up by the dried ingredients like the corn meal, oat meal, cereal, old bread crumbs, croutons, crackers etc. (I really do clean out my pantry and toss everything in there!!!)

The peanut butter also helps to keep everything stuck together...but the sun does soften that too. I don't use a wire mesh holder - but rather a plastic tray - like those that come with plant pots. I drilled holes on the top edges of the tray and recycled an old wire plant hanger to hang the tray from a tree. The stuff lasts about three days at the most...the birds are quick to find it and gobble it down.

~ Cat

I think I am gonna try that. Maybe just alittle bacon grease tho. I have some peanut butter around here somewhere, and lots of old cereal. My DH buys cereal, and then eats a couple of bowls, and lets it sit. Sugary cereal won't hurt them?
~Lucy

P.S. I don't think I will feed them my Cocoa Krispies. Chocolate might not be very good.

Not sure about the chocolate, but I doubt it is real chocolate anyway. Here is a few receipes that I found for suet. There are loads of them out on the web. This group have sugar shown in a lot of them, so the sweet cereal wouldn't be a problem. http://www.birdwatchersdigest.com/site/how_to/recipes/woodpeckers_pick.aspx
I use the lard or shortening in mine, since it hardens better than grease. I don't have the cereal leftovers, so I buy cornmeal etc. Melt it mix it and put it anything lined with wax paper. After it cools cut and serve.
There really isn't much you can't put in them like Cat said. But where you live they probably would melt a lot!! I know they do here if it is a warm day. You might put out a dish like she said so you don't have a dripping mess. You could always stick it in the frig until another cool spell.

Good pointers Sheila!! They have lard on the shortening aisle and you can buy meal worms and crickets at the pet stores. The lard is the least likely to melt as fast. Keeping in the fridge when it's hot is an excellent move. TY for mentioning that. :-).. I think I will try making some myself. The ones I buy are 2.45 each. I will save the containers from the ones I buy to use as a mold.

Yep Lucy, I would leave out chocolate... I don't know the effect it has on birds, but for dogs it is deadly. Please read this article:
http://www.mansbf.com/newsandevents.aspx?id=5
Apparently the chemical theobromine is like heroin to some animals and after a certain amount it is toxic.

It was too windy for butterflies here yesterday, though very warm. Today it's supposed to be rainy, so I don't expect anything.

Cat~ have you been seeing any down there at the park? D mail me some pics of your Kiskadees ... Never have seen those here, and I would love to post them in the BWatching Daily thread on your behalf :-).
That thread is moving along very quickly these days, which means there is a lot of interesting bird activity in winter here in North America (from TX to Canada & Alaska). They also just started an ID thread there in case y'all see one you don't know. I can usually ID them from here too if any of you would rather dmail me with them. Ben and I have several great bird books in our arsenal. I love to look them up.

Becky, Cat, Mel, Lucy, etc, lol... Who as a few recent butterfly pics to start a new thread from this one? Please let me know and put a link here, and reference this link in the new one.. This might be too long for peeps on dial-up.. :-)

Sorry to hijack the thread guys.....I just don't have many bfs and no hummers to watch! {:-(

I started it Sheila. It's my fault, and I love the subject of birds and welcome it anytime in this thread! Discussions like we are having here are alright within a thread. I think the problem ensues when and if someone makes a thread with a topic that CAN go in a more appropriate forum. Haha! I think we are a-ok... I will take full responsibility :-). Anyone who has a problem with ANY of the above discussion is welcome to dmail me.

I'm with you Sheila, not a lotta butterfly activity here either....

Sheila, debnes; how cold did it get to be around your zone? Here, we've had a couple days of hard-freeze in the 20'ish at nights, and low 40's for a few days last week. Needless to say there is no b.f. out there. But, this morning I saw a little straw color skipper on my window. I brought the camera out, but it flew off before I could get a picture. Temp. has warmed up to the low 70'ish here since yesterday.
Kim

Was just thinking we needed to start a new thread but it's so been so dratted windy and of course the nights are cool so the mornings are slow in coming up. No sign of butterflies here other than a sulphur or two.

Haven't gone to the park in a few weeks due to the weather and wind and a sprained foot...and well, our boer goats back at the ranch are starting to have baby goats :o) so I've been driving out there to take photos and check on the owls. Which by the way, are doing quite well. I think this is the fourth or fifth brood of owls for 2007.

Good info Shiela and all too. I used to keep the old plastic trays the store bought suet came in and use them for molds too but since the bacon grease and peanut butter softens/melts I don't put them into wire mesh hangers anymore...just the plant pot bottom tray.

Will have to make time to get photos of the Great Kiskadees and Green Jays...they are quite skittish...but sometimes when they're guarding the feeder or water dish they won't budge! Raucous lot!!! When both species get together in the trees the noise can be irritating but I still enjoy having them around :o)

Oh well, time to head out to work...would rather stay home and listen to the windchimes getting tossed about by the wind!

~ Cat

Kim, It has dipped to upper 20's or so several nights this last month. The wind has been really bad, making it seem worse. This week it is in the 70's!! We still have the wind though. At least that has helped get the leaves off the trees and into the composter before the real cold begins. It is suppose to get down to the 40's this weekend again. The Fort Worth StockShow starts the 11th, and historically that is our worst weather it seems.

Sheila, b.f. definately has migrated further South. While the weather warms up temporarily these past few days. I was able to find some unknown wasp, and a few Lady bugs lingering in the garden. I'm looking forward to spring.....

Yes, the lady bugs were still in the larval stage before the last freeze! But I have seen two sulfurs in the past few days that seemed ok. Don't have a clue what they are finding to feed on, as nobody has blooming plants around here. Maybe the evergreens are helping them survive.

Well, my Christmas Senna got caught in the middle of the "early" frost we've just had. No sulphurs were found during its blooming period. And now, the whole shrub is frost bitten. As a result; there will be no seedpod this year. I could have borrowed your sulphurs for a couple of days last week. lol.
Kim

Oh, I'm just loving this weather. This morning I saw a Long-tailed Skipper, so shocking this time of year! The funny thing is that it had a beautiful shade of shimmering green on its upper back. I remember them being blue-green, but this one had pure green! Sorry, it left, no pics! I need to get something flowering. All those freezes, and especially that last 21°, really blasted everything good. Even the trailing white lantana has about surrendered the last remnants of its flowers. Guess maybe pansies would take the cold. Darn, normally I'd still have some things flowering!

We are having crazy weather around here.

The warm spell we're having caused one of my BST's to emerge. I hope he gets out of dodge fast 'cause it's going to get very cold next week again.

Saw two monarchs today, both in the garden at the same time. I followed one around and this was all I could get- can you find it?

Saw three yellow Sulfurs across the street at the nighbors, not sure if they were going for the flame vine or the honeysuckle on the fence. None of the pictures, of course, caught any of the Sulfurs, they are so dang fast!

And finally, these two little guys on the back of the house, hanging out at the top of the window.

Closer view of one of them.

And I did see some eggs, guessing they are Polydamas ST, on the pipevine today. I tried to get a closeup, but the breeze was not cooperating!

Did you see the monarch's little antennae peeking out at the end of the banana leaf???

Cathy

That 1st pic. of the banana's leave and the Monarch'es wiskers is my favorite of pic. One elusive b.f. and he think he's hidden? lol.
Kim