Swimming in the Creek
Z50: 1/80s, f6.3, 400ISO, autoWB, 30.5mm. levels adjusted
Did you know we have a swimming spot in the creek? Down from the house and a bit upstream, we can get into the water. Though it’s only about a meter deep, we can get into the water and swim upstream for a bit. The bottom of Cold Creek is clay with embedded cobbles. With such a hot July, we have taken advantage of the cooling waters nearly daily.
Monarch
Z50: 1/200s, f6.3, 800ISO, autoWB, 250mm.
I’ve seen lots of monarchs (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea: Nymphalidae: Danaus plexippus) about in the last few weeks. This one has found some newly blossoming joe-pye weed to enjoy.
Pennant
Z50: 1/400s, f6.3, 200ISO, autoWB, 250mm.
There are still Hallowe’en Pennant (Odonata: Anisoptera: Libellulidae: Celithemis eponina) dragonflies in the north field.
Cucullia Caterpillar
Z50: 1/250s, f6.3, 200ISO, autoWB, 50mm.
I noticed that something had been eating a sumac in the yard and found this caterpillar on a nearby fleebane. I believe it’s in the genus Cucullia (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) but I’m not sure if the species is alfarata, charon, laetifica or speyeri.
White Moth
Z50: 1/640s, f8, 800ISO, autoWB, 250mm.
Aaah the challenge of a white moth… This one has serrulate antennae with light lines on its forewings and light orange and green stripes on the thoracic tufts but I am only guessing at its identity (perhaps Cycnia oregonensis) – its length is at least 25mm (or 1 inch). The one on the top of the milkweed might be Anticarsia gemmatalis or Prochoerodes sp.
Red and Black Beetle
Z50: 1/250s, f6.3, 200ISO, autoWB, 250mm. cropped
(The biting insects were not that amenable today.) I got a frame of this Staphalynid beetle (possibly Lathrobiina) on a piece of grass before it dropped off.
Big Maple
Z50: 1/100s, f6.3, 2000ISO, autoWB, 16mm.
We decided to get out of the house today and went for a walk at Peter’s Woods Provincial Park (though we considered going to the beach, it rained and we decided to go home). Unfortunately, my camera battery died just after arriving and I had to suffer with cell phone photos of some cool fungi and ferns that we saw. It was surprisingly un-buggy, we didn’t see gypsy moth evidence, and only two other parties were there, so it was an otherwise successful visit.
