This is the time of year when you may notice small bits of fluff floating through the air. This is usually worth a second look. It may be milkweed, or aster seeds, but if you are lucky you might see what looks like a fly wearing a tutu. This tutu wearing insect is actually an … Continue reading Flying Tutus
Category: bugs
Mid Winter Blues
today the dream Thanks for looking, Stay well, be curious, learn things. Kate January, 2025 If you enjoyed this post perhaps you will enjoy these as well.
Without a Word
Eastern Tailed Blue Thanks for looking, Stay well, be curious, learn things. Kate August, 2024 If you enjoyed this post perhaps you will enjoy these as well. © Kate Taylor
Taxonomy part 2: Butterfly families
In my last post I discussed scientific naming in general and I promised to dig into butterflies a bit deeper. If you look at the tree of life it begins with the basic divisions of life into the three major Domains: Bacteria on one "limb" and Archaea and Eukaryota which quickly branch from each other … Continue reading Taxonomy part 2: Butterfly families
Red Admirals in Flight
Every few decades Red Admiral butterflies (Vanessa atalanta,) migrate in huge numbers. These small butterflies overwinter in warm southern areas and travel north each year. Their favorite host plants are in the nettle family (Urtica). The adults I've seen this year have been nectaring on dandelions, but they also like tree sap and rotting fruit. … Continue reading Red Admirals in Flight
The Eyes Have it
Thanks for looking, Stay well, be curious, learn things.KateJuly, 2023 ********************************* If you enjoyed this post perhaps you will enjoy these as well.
Moth Ball
I attended my first Moth Ball the other night. I dressed carefully for the event, cargo pants tucked neatly into my socks, vest pockets filled with accoutrements - UV flashlight, headlamp, field guide, spare camera battery....You're getting the idea.The Moth Ball was hosted by Northern Woodlands and took place in their back yard. JoAnne Russo, … Continue reading Moth Ball
We Had a Baby!
We adopted (kidnapped) this butterfly as a caterpillar I found on a random walk last August. I posted the picture to inaturalist to be identified, then fed the caterpillar until it pupated. Pupa is on the left with caterpillar inside, working hard to shed the old form and create a new one. The dead looking … Continue reading We Had a Baby!
Promise
I went out for a walk the other day along the dirt roads of Vermont. Mud season is fading and spring is so close I could feel it making promises. The roadsides were patchy with snow, but the sun was warm and robins were scratching among the leaves where the ground was bare. I saw … Continue reading Promise
Waiting for Spring
In mid-February Spring seems impossible. But it isn't.
The Nature of Things 