Tag Archives: insects

Alabama, so far it’s all about insects – in a good way

Susan has set up the lights and sheetnfor insects several nights since we’ve been in Alabama and we’ve had some interesting results. Here’s an interesting beetle that stopped by for a visit. So far we have got it down to a genus – more on that later. But those antennae are amazing. Here’s one ofContinue reading “Alabama, so far it’s all about insects – in a good way”

Farles Prairie Recreation Area, Ocala State Forest

We spent a day on a trail looking at insects and birds. While the birds were great, the insects were even better. Bird grasshopper. Blue corporal (dragonfly) – female on the left, male on the right. Confusing duskywing on the left, Juvenal’s duskywing on the right. Florida harvester ants. They’re going to have to cutContinue reading “Farles Prairie Recreation Area, Ocala State Forest”

Haw Creek State Park, Florida

We spent a morning here with Roger and Dawn. There’s a wonderful boardwalk with great plants, insects and lizards But our day started at the bathrooms, it was a long drive and frankly there were insects/ Figure-eight Sallow (left) and Lunate Zale (right). These were a nice way to start the day. Spring fishflies addedContinue reading “Haw Creek State Park, Florida”

Canaveral National Seashore

Yesterday we spent the morning at Turtle Mound and Eldora two delightful places in the Canaveral National Seashore that are great for seeing plants and butterflies. The first thing that we saw was a Common Ground Dove, neither botanical nor a butterfly, but nice none-the-less. This Phaeon Crescent was basking in the morning sun. Abbot’sContinue reading “Canaveral National Seashore”

Merritt Island, Florida – 2026

Yesterday we spent the day with our friend Don visiting Merritt Island. Black Point Wildlife Drive never is a let down for birds and even insects. All of the expects wading birds were present. There were a lot of Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Little Blue Herons and Tricolored Herons. There were tons of White Ibises.Continue reading “Merritt Island, Florida – 2026”

Dia de los Muertos and insects

I have been intrigued with Dia de los Muertos since I first leaned about it in the 1970s. This celebration is the perfect mix of ancient Mexican beliefs and Christian beliefs. One year in the early 1990s I was at Palenque, Mexico for the celebration and it was amazing. But now, thinking about death theContinue reading “Dia de los Muertos and insects”

Whitefish Point – late August

As I am sitting here writing the morning temperature is 41F, but is quite still, so with a cup of coffee in hand it is quite comfortable. The past few days the wind has been out of the north, sometimes howling, yet bird migration has been rather minimal. Waves crashing on shore, which surprisingly hasContinue reading “Whitefish Point – late August”

The hackberry ecosystem

Northern hackberry is an interesting tree. We have found them all over Ann Arbor. Over the years we often found nipple galls, caused by Pachyscylla larvae. But the trees also are home to several species of lichens as well. Here are some Pachyscylla galls on hackberry leaves. But this tree had a series of surprisesContinue reading “The hackberry ecosystem”

Dog days of summer

Typically at this point of July the summer hear is becoming intolerable and it will last well into August. The saying dog days of summer originates with the rising of Canis major, a bright star in the constellation Orion. The actual star has no impact on the heat from the sun, but rather signals theContinue reading “Dog days of summer”