I think there are still orioles around, but what I saw this morning is bees on the jam feeder. Apparently bees like peach preserves too.

I'm not sure if the orioles will stay away from the feeder because of the bees. There are other fruits for them to eat - pokeberries and black cherries, etc.

And I still see hummingbirds in the yard, although they're probably all migrants. Not so many territorial battles so the adult males may be moving farther south. I'm seeing mostly females or juveniles.

I think this hummer is a juvenile male because of the light spotted feathers on the throat.

Claire

Beautiful hummer shot, Claire - nice tail spread. Jam jar looks like bumble drunk tank. They must be deliriously happy. No hummers here for the past couple of days.

The other day, I saw a fox at the end of my driveway as I got home from work ... of course I couldn't get a picture. But a little later, this doe and fawn showed up. Much as I hate the damage the deer do ... the hydrangea bush behind the doe was decimated a couple of days later :( ... you have to love seeing a sight like this!

It's a very appealing picture, PankajT - part of the public relations campaign that deer put on to keep us charmed by them and forgetful of the damage they do.

Bambi is a powerful icon.

Claire (who likes deer too)

Quite right, Claire, sometimes we get sucked in by advertising even against our better judgement! (sigh)

What I always say to myself though is: they were here before us, we are really interlopers who have seized their land. And then we go about spreading (deer) candy all over it. So I can't get too angry when they take what they need (doesn't stop me from trying to keep them away though).

spedigrees, great pic of you with Bandit. My daughter would have killed to have had a pet raccoon.

pixie_lou, those otters must have been a treat. Thanks for sharing those pics.

PT

I saw a pair of Eastern Towhees today, a male and a female, scratching at the groundfeeding area under some feeders. They're usually around here but I rarely see them and almost never together. They lurk in the brush.

That's the male in front with the black head and back. The female has brown rather than black.

Claire

I LOVE that alpaca! What a sweet face. I want one. But of course, no room or time for one. I wonder do they eat crabgrass? (g) Really sweet.

No bird photos here. I did see a pretty good size hawk glide past my kitchen window the other night about dusk. Wow, it was up close and personal. She was almost going in slow motion in a glide position right across the yard at eye level to me at the window. I can't remember ever seeing one do that before.

Other than that, this year has been notable by an absence of critters. I saw one rabbit back in March, and that's it. No chipmunks, even the squirrels are in short supply. I think it must be having Noodles the dog here. So I do check out this thread every once in awhile to make up for it.

Claire, what kind of bees are those? I don't think I get any that look like that.

PM2: I think they're bumblebees. There's a lot of variation in their looks - there is something like 250 species of Bombus worldwide.

I moved the bee jam feeder away from the nyjer feeder to give the goldfinches a little more security. The spill over bees were checking out the nyjer feeder too. I moved the jam feeder (slowly and carefully) about ten feet to another hook and it took a while for the flying bees to find it - they kept buzzing around me and the empty hook. The bees in the feeder didn't even budge.

I've given up on jam for the orioles and catbirds although I may continue feeding the bees. I'd like to see what insects come - last year there were yellow jackets and bald-faced hornets eating jam. They weren't the slightest bit interested in attacking me, although I wouldn't smear jam on my arms to tempt fate.

Bee jam feeder this morning:

Claire

Yes, your bumble bees are a little different looking then mine. I like to have a lot of Bumbles because they are so gentle and easy going. Right now I have a late blooming Clethra 'Sherry Sue' that is just starting to bloom and that is covered with Bumble Bees.

What made you give up on feeding the orioles and catbirds jam?

PM2: I'll keep putting jam out but I expect that the orioles and catbirds will avoid it if it's covered with bees. A sting would probably be devastating to a smallish bird. I was hoping to be able to tell when the orioles and catbirds migrated south but I may not be able to if they're not clearly visible on the feeder.

This only seems to be a problem in late summer - I guess the bees are running short of food, although they're all over the sedums and white wood asters.

I'll continue feeding jam in spring and summer.

Claire

Oh....right, I wasn't connecting the dots. Well, you are probably doing the bees a big favor and may help them survive the winter and come back next year. They are lucky bees in your yard. :-)

They look like bumbles to me but I can't tell if they have a shiny bottom or a fuzzy bottom. Shiny bottom is the carpenter bee (not wanted here but we have them).

Report: 9/11/13 -Just saw a migrant hummer - either female or male juvi.

And, sorry to report, this is the only monarch I've seen this year, which was on 9/8, so she (no wing dots) should be heading to Mexico. Safe journey, little one.

Jane

Here is a link that might be useful: Carpenter vs. Bumble

Lovely monarch pic, Jane, I haven't seen any this year.

Thanks for the ID clues on bumblebees vs carpenter bees. I just trotted out and stuck my camera with lens on macro into the bee feeding frenzy - they were a bit disturbed but took it well. The jam solution is a little too dilute so they need props to stand on.

Looks like fuzzy bottoms to me, so they're bumble bees. They're smaller than bumblebees I've seen in the past and that I remember as a kid - although everything was bigger when you yourself are smaller (knee-high snow, etc.).

I'm still seeing hummers every day, two yesterday and two the day before, having territorial snits.

This is today's hummer. I think it's a female both because the throat looks pretty white and because she perched peacefully as the females are wont to do.

Claire

This post was edited by claire on Wed, Sep 11, 13 at 18:02

Their fuzzy bottoms makes you a lucky duck. A neighbor has to replace most of a soffit on his house due to carpenter bees.

Since I've been throwing peanuts at the squirrels to keep them off the deck railing peanut/nugget feeder, they've become more comfortable in my presence. Except when I see them on the feeder and they immediately disappear.

A few days ago I looked out and saw this squirrel apparently waiting for me to come out. I use this shelf as a table when I'm out on the deck - either with my laptop or a tray with food.

Early this morning a squirrel was standing on my chair looking hopefully in the patio door.

I'm still seeing hummers every day.

Claire

"I've been throwing peanuts at the squirrels to keep them off the deck railing peanut/nugget feeder"... My first thought was of the squirrel lying there quoting Dickens: "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom...".

No hummers here for a few days.

claire, you actually encourage the squirrels?!?

I saw "my" hummer over the weekend, hanging out at the monarda and cleome.

PankajT

Jane: When I said I throw peanuts 'at' the squirrels, I really meant I throw peanuts 'to' the squirrels - shelled peanuts they eat in place, but they grab peanuts in the shell pack and race off, maybe to bury them. A few squirrels will crack open the shell and eat it right there. They're absolutely delighted to chase the peanut shell pack and then pitter-patter off the deck.

I won't mention the squirrel ladder I had to put up because they kept jumping on the poor Zephirine Drouhin rose and breaking the canes.

PankajT: I have squirrel baffles on most of my feeder hooks but this year I tried a peanut/suet nugget feeder mounted on a hook on my deck railing. All sorts of interesting birds like that feeder - downies, hairies and red-bellied woodpeckers, white-breasted and red-breasted nuthatches, chickadees and titmice (I don't feel like capitalizing the names right now), blue jays, starlings,.... I tried but there's no way I've found to make the feeder squirrel-proof without cutting off my view of the birds.

So I decided to feed the squirrels on the deck to keep them off the feeder. I'll take down the feeder when it gets snowy and icy out on the deck and I won't want to open the sliding door and let the cold air in. Then the squirrels will go back to ground-feeding. I'll also put suet feeders out soon and that will draw the woodpeckers.

When life gives you lemons sometimes it's easier to just feed the squirrels.

Claire

This post was edited by claire on Tue, Sep 17, 13 at 10:12

Brought DD to ballet class today. This baby chipmunk was playing in the window screen. Of course I could only get shots of him napping.

Cute, pixie!

Brings back memories of Fluffy, our pet chipmunk when I was growing up. One day, a chipmunk nest fell down in our porch and we discovered four or five little kits in it. Their eyes weren't even open yet. We kept putting them outside for the mother to take away, which she did, one by one. But she never came back for Fluffy and so we took him in. Gave him milk through a soaked cotton ball. He stayed with us for about a year ... we used to let him out and he would go out and play and come back. One day, he decided the charms of a local belle were too great and never came back, although he would come and eat off my mother's hand for quite a while after.

Adorable little chiplet, pixie_lou! You just want to cup your hand over it.

You were lucky to have Fluffy growing up, PankajT , (both you and Fluffy growing up). I'm glad you gave him the option of leaving when he was an adult and didn't need your care any longer.

I'm sitting on the deck now with a wild chipmunk gobbling up peanuts at my feet. I put down two peanuts in shells, a small single one and a double. The chipmunk stuffs the small one in its pouch and then grabs the double and runs off. sometimes it will take one and run off a little way and then come back as if to say, "I still have room for another". Very efficient, chipmunks are.

Claire

Claire, the only animal I have splayed out like that on my deck is my dog, Sam.

pixie lou, the baby is cute.

PankajT, what a wonderful story! I'm glad you and your family are animal lovers.

-Tina

The other day there was rustling in the small boxwood garden outside my window. When I had a look, I saw this little Common Yellowthroat female bouncing around gathering what she could. I did not know what kind of bird she is, so someone on the Bird Watching Forum enlightened me. Never saw this bird before, so if any one of you reading this post sees a brightly colored yellow throat on a thin robin size bird, it could be a Common Yellowthroat. She's pretty.

Jane

Yes, she is pretty, Jane! Every once in a while I think I hear yellowthroats but I don't see them and I could easily be wrong with the sound.

You're lucky to have been able to photograph her, much less see her.

Claire

Very pretty little Yellowthroat, Jane. I wonder if that is a song bird?

I was very excited this afternoon when I went to pick some herbs for salad dressing, to see what I think is a Monarch caterpillar! Especially since the population of Monarchs are so much lower this year. I thought I only had a solitary Monarch in the yard this year. I assume you have to have a pair to end up with caterpillars, right?

Does anyone know what is going to happen to this caterpillar now? I thought the butterflies were already heading south. Will it mature and fly south before it gets killed by cold weather?

Here's a close up....

PM2 - don't worry about that caterpillar, it's not a Monarch. It looks like a very healthy (thanks to your parsley) Black Eastern Swallowtail butterfly. (see link below for the difference between the two caterpillars)

This afternoon a neighbor rang the bell and presented me with a white caterpillar. He hadn't seen one before and apparently I have a small reputation for the being the neighborhood 'Nature Nut', so I get gifts with the promise of looking up an answer. So, I'm sharing today's gift, a white fluffy caterpillar. Unlike your soon to be gorgeous find, PM2, mine will probably be a Virginia Tiger Moth.

Jane

Here is a link that might be useful: KimSmithDesigns.wordpress

PM2 - forgot to mention in ref. to butterflies, yes, it takes 2 to tango. I photographed a butterfly mating dance and it's posted on a previous link, if you're interested. If not, just use your imagination.

Jane

Ohhhh...now that makes more sense because I did have a few of the Black Swallowtails in the yard this year. I thought I saw a green stripe on it. Plus once I saw the photo of the monarch caterpillar, I see the difference. It's been a long time since I've seen one in the yard. They have those antenna on both ends, very odd. lol

So, what will happen to the caterpillar, how soon will it turn into a butterfly and is this the usual time you see these caterpillars? Then do they fly down south?

Yes, I do remember the butterfly mating dance series of photos, now that you mention it, and you captured it perfectly.

Caterpillars are so interesting looking. That's a nice little fluffy caterpillar. I have only seen a brown fuzzy caterpillar in the yard, and not this year.

I have six large parsley plants so I had to go around and check them all, but this is the only caterpillar. I'll have to plant more next year. :-)

pm2, yes, the yellowthroat is a songbird ... a warbler. You can listen to its song here:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/common_yellowthroat/id
I'm wondering though if Jane's bird is a yellowthroat or a Connecticut warbler. Check it out:
http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Connecticut_Warbler/id
specially the pic of the one-year-old.

Pretty regardless, and a great shot, Jane.

PankajT

I take that back ... it's probably an immature yellowthroat ... see the sixth photo in the link I had sent.

PankajT, thanks for the link and the ID on Jane's bird. What is better than finding a songbird making itself comfortable in your garden. :-)

edit: I forgot to say, I checked today and the caterpillar is still on the parsley today in the same area. Should be interesting to see what might happen next.

This post was edited by prairiemoon2 on Mon, Sep 23, 13 at 16:04

Those are great caterpillars, PM2 and Jane. Green, black and yellow bands versus white fuzz, and they then nonchalantly turn into moths or butterflies.

I'm guessing (without any particular knowledge) that at this time of year they'll form a chrysalis and winter over in that stage, to emerge triumphantly in the spring. Does anyone here know for sure?

Claire

Claire, that's my understanding of these caterpillars in autumn.

Don't spit, Sped, it's swimming sparrows!

Doing the breast stroke yesterday afternoon...

You did not just spit in the bath!?!?

This is the first brood (5 of them) that has been here this year. They still have a little soft beak tissue and as of last week, were still asking the parents for food. This is their first bath that I've seen.
Jane

Enjoy the warm bath, little birds. One of these days the water will turn hard and slippery and no fun at all (unless Jane puts out a heated bird bath).

Claire

I also had a yellowthroat, but unlike Jane was not quick enough to grab a camera, even though it was in the rose bush just outside the window.

We were gone for a few weeks and the deer have gotten a bit too nonchalant about making themselves at home in the veggie garden, although I haven't seen any evidence of nibbling in the garden. (After taking this photo I ran at them yelling and waving my arms; I really don't want the deer deciding that my veggie garden is their buffet when there's another couple hundred acres where they are welcome.)

remove duplicate

This post was edited by nhbabs on Sat, Sep 28, 13 at 7:51

I don't know if yelling and waving your arms really works, but it does make you feel better.

I once saw a coyote grab a squirrel in my backyard and I ran out on the deck and yelled and banged on the railing. The coyote did drop the squirrel, and the squirrels no longer took my yelling at them seriously (after all, I was their protector). You win some, you lose some.

Claire

Jane - I love your swimming sparrows. I had a chickadee bathing in my bird bath recently. Of course the camera wasn't handy.

Caught this little guy at the top of the maple tree. Maybe a sparrow? I'm not very good with my little brown birds.

The blue jays seem to be back.

And some green bug was on my zinnia. Some type of cricket? Or little grasshopper? My bug identification ability is right up there with my brown bird identification ability.

pixie_lou: I'd say you have a Song Sparrow surveying its territory. If it were earlier in the season it would probably be singing.

Do you have periods in spring and fall when the blue jays seem to disappear? And when they come back the numbers may be different and they behave differently? I've read that blue jays migrate and that the populations we see at one time of the year are not the same as in other seasons.

This seems to be true in my yard. When I first started putting peanuts out for the jays, they quickly learned to watch for them and swoop down as soon as I got out of the way. But suddenly the jays didn't seem to know about the morning peanut distribution and it took a while for them to catch on. I figured this was a different group that had just migrated in. Now, of course, they all keep a watch out (peanuts are here!).

Maybe you have some kind of leafhopper? or a katydid? I'll leave this to more knowledgeable folks.

Claire

This post was edited by claire on Sat, Sep 28, 13 at 11:03

Pixie - have no idea what the bug is, but love the flower photo.

'My' jays seemingly disappear from about mid-July through mid-September. A pair is back now, but the number is down from what I normally see in winter through June. There is at least one (how to tell them apart?) that imitates a hawk and he successfully scares the little birds away from the feeder. I've seen him while matching his opened beak and the sound, so I know it's him. He is good at it. I've read that they are members of the hawk family and that our Eastern Blue Jays have 11 different vocalizations. All that ability plus imitation...amazing.

Jane

Claire - I think you are right with song sparrow. I hear many of them. But rarely see them.

I know the blue jays disappear for the summer. But I haven't paid enough attention to their behavior to see if it's the same bunch who came back.

I think I have a tomato hornworm in the garden. Deciding whether I should let him live.

Well, pixie_lou, it might grow up to look like the Five-spotted hawkmoth.

Whether that's worth the loss of some tomatoes is your choice.

Claire

This post was edited by claire on Sun, Sep 29, 13 at 12:46

The horn worm has now taken up residence in my daughters butterfly cage. He's in there with a couple sprigs of tomato vine. I still haven't decided if I'm going to let him live. I'm just postponing the decision. And involving a 9 year old. Who's taking bets?

Kind of funny story - a couple of years ago the guy across the street trotted over to show me this mysterious worm he found on his tomato plant. He wondered if it was something very rare because he had never even heard of a worm with horns and perhaps UCONN might be interested in having this specimen and maybe, just maybe, he had discovered something that could be beneficial to some plants here in tobacco valley and he could breed them and make money! He said there were many of them on his three patio tomato plants. "Whatta ya think, Jane? Should I put it in a jar?" I asked to see it in my gloved hand and as this guy was envisioning $50 bills, the silly worm reared it's head with horns and mouth seeking something to bite. I dropped it on the driveway and with a flash of my right foot, the mysterious money-making dream shrank into a bite-less green blob as my neighbor went into one of the most shocked and crestfallen expressions I'd seen in a while. I told him he had lost the horn worm lottery and to go home and squish all the others. I have a feeling that my reputation as a nice neighbor lady turned into tough old broad that day in the driveway.

Squish 'em, Pixie, Squish 'em - unless you're going into the horn worm raising business.

Jane (aka Hard Hearted Hannah)

With a 9 year involved I'm betting the hornworm doesn't get squished. I'm wondering though, if the butterfly cage should be kept indoors or outdoors.

If the caterpillar pupates in the warm indoors then the moth might emerge in the winter and have nowhere to go - too cold to go outside, and not much of a life in a cage indoors (can't mate, maybe can't eat, and can't lay eggs).

If it pupates outdoors, the moth might wait until warm weather to emerge. Then you (or the 9 year old) could set it free to lay eggs on your tomato plants.

Hard choices there.

Claire

I just noticed there are 85 followups on this thread - I'll start another one ASAP. Please feel free to continue the discussion here if you want. I hope the thread isn't too slow loading for some people.

Claire

I used to have 4 kids living next door (though they are now all in their 20's.) They loved coming down to visit the garden, and often took things back to their mom: some veggies, a plant division, or whatever caught their fancy. Once when they found me pulling tomato worms off my plants from a serious infestation, they were fascinated, and as was usual, wanted to take some home to mom . . . I can't imagine what she thought of her present that day of a 1 pound coffee can partly full of huge tomato hornworms!

I do leave the hornworms that have the little white wasp cocoons glued to their backs in the garden to lead to the next generation of parasitic wasps.

When we put Tom Hornworm in the butterfly cage, he stomped his foot and said "I'd rather die than be trapped in this cage". And lo and behold, he was true to his word and died in the cage. RIP Tom.

Tom Hornworm must have been from New Hampshire - state motto "Live Free or Die" - he apparently lived a life of principal and left on his own terms.

An admirable way to go.

Claire (who is avoiding the image of a coffee can half full of hornworms)