What an interesting article, Susan! The dog fennel isn't blooming now, should be pretty soon, though. I checked out the climbing hempweed, and it's grown real big up into a small tree and is blooming right now. I may try to gather seeds and sow them in several other wet spots, which is what they like. I assume no mating will take place until the dog fennel is in bloom. I had read several years ago that it was important in the mating of scarlet bodied wasp moths, so I let it grow in my meadows even though I don't like the way it looks. With plenty of both the poison maker and the host plant, my chances of seeing a caterpillar should improve. The moths are small. I'd compare their size to hummingbird clearwings, maybe a little smaller with their bodies being slimmer. Those colors really knock me out! Sherry

Thanks! The Hooded Warbler male pulling on the cocoon happened just as I was getting up to shut down my camera and try somewhere else after an hour of waiting..typical! Two days ago when there was a break in the storms we drove up on Poppy Mnt at sunset and got a few pics from the car as we drove around 6-9-09, Poppy Mnt barn, adult male Barn Swallow, 6:15 p.m. Time for a stretch.. From 6-5-09, birds Then to the right.. From 6-5-09, birds ..flex those shoulders.. From 6-5-09, birds Much better! From 6-5-09, birds We drove to an access rd that overlooked a steep gully and saw several Yellow-billed Cuckoos flying around but they didn't come close enough for good photos. However, someone did 6-9-09, Poppy Mnt, male Red-eyed Vireo, 6:48 p.m. From 6-5-09, birds From 6-5-09, birds

I think I agree with you that it is a female Scarlet Tanager. Very nice pics, BTW. tj

Thanks! Still behind; I have another web album of photos I've not yet posted. We camped in the yard last night as usual in our screen tent, and apparently the jaguar is back..the dogs suddenly went crazy and we heard the strangest, loudest noises. I went online and found some of what we heard on this link-scroll down to audio clip http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/jaguar.html Besides the wails, grunts, rumbles, it also kept making explosive snorts..like an alarmed deer, except MUCH louder, more explosive, lower down, and dragged on and on until my bones vibrated. It seemed the sound wrapped around the tent, and I didn't know where to point the huge spotlight we keep next to us. DuBois plant to take a tape recorder with us this time, in case it returns. I also plan to download jaguar sounds and play them next to my web cams on the hill to see if we can lure it in for a photo. We've not seen its tracks since this march..guess it has a huge territory. Our neighbor was approached by a half grown black jaguar while hunting on our property in the fall of 2006 so it should nearly mature now. Just this spring, another neighbor a few miles away spotted a black jaguar on his farm, so it's still alive. Photo of suspected jaguar track, click on "full screen" http://picasaweb.google.com/rachelbro3/BigFootTracksScat#5317982295991557506