Cicada Killer Wasp

I was having a very nice chat with my neighbor this weekend when something buzzed by us. I saw clear wings and a large insect, and thought of a hummingbird moth, which was common in other places I've lived. My neighbor, though, knew it was a cicada killer wasp.

A few minutes later, it flew by again, buzzing by his head like a dirigible that was speeding out of control toward the ground. It had a cicada in its legs and proceeded to drag it under ground. This is where it went.

How the wasp was able to fly while carrying a cicada is beyond me. It surely didn't seem to fly well with such a heavy load.

The cicadas have been very loud the past few days. The summer insect symphony continues.

To make a prairie...

The poet in me loved this:

My Wildflower!

With the help of some very nice folks at the Fontanelle Nature Center, and Neale Woods, I found my flower!

This is the flower I've been looking for: the purple prairie clover. More on that later!

It was a beautiful morning out at Neale Woods, but it quickly got very, very hot in the sun.

I was able to see many flowers today. Flowers like this one, which I know as claret cup, and the local guidebooks call purple poppy mallow:

And these mixed prairie flowers:

There were bees everywhere, sulphur butterflies, a monarch, and what looked like skippers. I also saw a bird that appeared to be a summer tanager in the woods, but I am not sure.

I saw where a deer or another large animal spent the night:

All in all, it was a beautiful morning. I took 150+ photos out there. Time to rest!

A Wordsworth day

I went in search of a particular wildflower today. More on that, later. Sometimes it can be a mistake to look for a very specific thing, because you may not find it! I did not find my flower. But I did find so much more.

It was hot and humid... there was a misty rain earlier today. It left behind heat and steam: just like Louisiana, where I am from. It felt familiar.

Walking along one of my favorite paths, I was serenaded by meadowlarks and robins. Swallows were swooping though the air around me, almost hitting my head. There was a strong smell of honey in the air, and I found the source:

Basswood. It made me think of forestry class, and one of my favorite professors. Good memories, there.

There were flowers, bees, and butterflies everywhere. What a joy, if you stop to look.

Although it was overcast, the scenes around me reminded me of the famous Wordsworth poem, "I Wandered Lonely As A Cloud." I wasn't looking at daffodils, of course, but the joy was the same.

In another post, I'll try to catalog all I saw in list form. For today, though, I'm just basking in the joy.

Wooly Bears

Yesterday, a wooly bear caterpillar was crawling very fast down our driveway.

It was too fast for me- by the time I went back with a camera, it was gone. I have not seen a wooly bear in years. They become the Isabella Tiger Moth, which is such a lyrical name.

There's a lot of fun folklore associated with the size of the bands, and whether the winter will be harsh. If I took it seriously, I would think this year is going to be harsh based on the size of the black bands on the one I saw.

NOAA has a page on the folklore:

 Wooly Bear

I hope to see another one and post a picture!

Summer's Close

We took a brief walk on a local trail to soak in the last of summer.

The only sounds were the insects: cicadas and grasshoppers. I didn't hear any birds.

I noted fat milkweed pods ripening. One had dried and split open, spilling fluffy seeds out. One was full of red and black milkweed bugs.

Some grasses were drying, and turning a beautiful shade of umber. And the Asters have appeared. These have always been harbingers of fall for me.

Sunflowers were still flowering, but I saw many seedheads.

Just a few more days until the official start of fall!!!