Sometimes, later in the day I’ll go to the point without my camera, which I should never do. Because everytime I do tht I run into something interesting.
The white fluff on the branch are alder woolly aphids. Aphids are often “tended” by ants who do not harm the aphids, but rather watch over them in exchange for the honey dew that they exude. If you ever see these and collect some, or perhaps a twig and keep it enclosed for a bit of time you will notice a distinct sweet smell. The smell is due to the honey dew which results from the sap that they feed on.
Mystery moth pupa on the left that was collected to raise so that we can determine what species it is. The one on the right is a cherry sphinx that was appropriately found on a small cherry.
White-lined sphinx that was calmly sitting atop an alder leaf.
So, the moral of the story is take your camera so you don’t have to get mediocre pictures with your phone.
More later…
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