Future Butterfly

Our spicebush has to be the most watched shrub in the neighborhood. Folded over leaves - especially the ones that are very thick - and bite marks on other leaves can only mean one thing: we're expecting! Last week, I noticed something that looked like a bird dropping. It turned out to be a tiny larvae. And I've been keeping close watch on a big leaf that seems to be thick as a sausage. I can't be outside all the time, of course, so preparation is crucial. I kept a macro lens on the camera and had the tripod prepared at the right height. Yesterday, I finally spotted and photographed this gorgeous caterpillar:

Caterpillars are never in the open very long. They eat and then retreat under their leaf to avoid predators. Being prepared certainly helped me capture the moment.

Build It and They Will Come

On the rare occasions when we venture outside in this hot, humid weather we have had numerous butterfly and insect sightings. A monarch visited a common milkweed the other day; fritillaries, eastern tiger swallowtails, and an eight-spotted forester checked out the purple coneflowers; an eastern black swallowtail landed on the black-eyed Susans; and a spicebush swallowtail gave our spicebush a once-over (could it be that it was laying its eggs in there?).
The milkweed is also very popular with bees and other insects of all sorts. Next to bloom is the Joe-pye weed, which is already beginning to open. Word is out that our cafe is open for business. One reason, though, why our backyard is so popular is because none of the other neighbors have anything but lawn and alien plants. Build it - or rather, plant it - and they will come!