We finally had a little bit of rain after a dry stretch of several weeks.
On my morning stroll down the drive, I was surprised to see two large groups of Tiger swallowtails drinking moisture out of the dirt. I counted at least 25 in the two groups. Then I turned onto the road and saw three more groups of at least another 25 along the road.
This is an annual event;typically they are on the other side of the road in much smaller numbers. So I am glad to report the Tiger swallowtail population is thriving despite our being flanked by neighbors on both sides who use pesticide.
The hot pink "Dame's Rocket" has lived up to its name and spread like a rocket (over the last twenty years} in the lower garden by the chicken coop. The patch is probably about ten by twenty feet and was loaded with Tiger Swallowtail today, perhaps as many as twenty. There was a group of three that were following each other around through the yard.
I have seen a large amount of another caterpillar that looks quite similar to "tent caterpillars" or gypsy moths. I do my best to destroy any tent caterpillar nests along the road that I find-they are an invasive species and can devastate fruit trees overnight.
I wasn't sure what this other caterpillar was, so I looked it up. Imagine my horror when I realized it was the dreaded browntailed moth, another invasive species, this one with toxic hairs that can persist in leaves and vegetation, causing a hive like reaction when they come into contact with skin, as well as respiratory distress if inhaled. Sort of like an invisible travelling poison ivy.
The moisture also kicked to life the blood sucking insects-mosquitoes and black flies.
I would prefer to live outdoors this time of year-just drinking in the blossoms of the flowers that have taken years to naturalize, but all of a sudden I have developed sensitivity to something. I have several bite marks on my face and neck that swelled up like little balloons-itchy irritating balloons.
Today I raked out the goose pen. We are down to one gander, Pluto. He turned into a total ass this spring during breeding season, and started going after me. If he latched on, he would beat the crap out of my shins with his wings. I put up with that far too long-I hated to lock him up when his puddle was full of fresh spring water and the tender green shoots were there for grazing.
But then when he started using my quasi hugel beds for an afternoon snooze and tromping through the growing bearded iris, that was the last straw. He has been on lockdown (he has a rather nice pen next to the goats, so don't think me too cruel) for at least a month, and most of that time even feeding or watering him was a challenge.
I guess by now any little goslings would be going out on their own, because he has finally become less of a terrifying ogre and I was able to get in his pen and rake up the leaves which he loves to fill his bathtub with-in about an hour-
We have pondered why he fouls his bathtub-if its like a kid with rubber duckies or just out of boredom? While he has been getting a bucket of fresh water everyday with his daily ration, his tub has been more of a challenge.
I figured if I could clean up some of his "toys" his water would stay clean longer. Think of kids in a wading pool after you mow the grass...
So dodging the biting insects, which really get enraged when you start raking leaves that have been soaking in a goose tub, I dragged several large buckets down to the potato bed and the Willow helped lug the water buckets to give him a clean tub.
The hummingbirds have been hitting the feeder hard. We have only one species here: Ruby throated hummingbirds. I saw three females bickering before each finding a place at the feeder, and so far have seen just one male. We have a lot of flowers they would like-occasionally I see them on the geranium or petunias, but for now sugar water is the main attraction. Later in the season the jewelweed- which has taken over one side of the long drive and along with the moneywort would like to take over the world- becomes a favorite for both the hummers and the several species of bumblebees that call our garden home.
we were thrilled to see a porcupine climbing the big elm over the hill a few evenings ago. I wondered if it was the now grown baby who followed his Momma back and forth last summer. She got hit and was left in the middle of the road last summer-I took a shovel and broom and moved her off to the side.
A few days later I was walking further up the road and saw the baby hiding in a small rock pile along the road. (sad face) I really like porcupines and had a chance to observe one grazing at less than ten feet two summers ago. It would hold the weed very carefully with its long claws and nibble the leaves off the stem.
I like porcupines even though I have had many dogs end up quilled, one requiring a trip to the doggie version of the ER. Most people here hate them for that reason, and others, so it was a treat to see we have at least one in the area.
Exceptthat one of my zuccini plants looked like it had been run over by a porcupine last night-and I only have two plants this year trying to avoid the zuccini epidemic that hits in August.
Welcome to June in Maine.
On my morning stroll down the drive, I was surprised to see two large groups of Tiger swallowtails drinking moisture out of the dirt. I counted at least 25 in the two groups. Then I turned onto the road and saw three more groups of at least another 25 along the road.
This is an annual event;typically they are on the other side of the road in much smaller numbers. So I am glad to report the Tiger swallowtail population is thriving despite our being flanked by neighbors on both sides who use pesticide.
The hot pink "Dame's Rocket" has lived up to its name and spread like a rocket (over the last twenty years} in the lower garden by the chicken coop. The patch is probably about ten by twenty feet and was loaded with Tiger Swallowtail today, perhaps as many as twenty. There was a group of three that were following each other around through the yard.
I have seen a large amount of another caterpillar that looks quite similar to "tent caterpillars" or gypsy moths. I do my best to destroy any tent caterpillar nests along the road that I find-they are an invasive species and can devastate fruit trees overnight.
I wasn't sure what this other caterpillar was, so I looked it up. Imagine my horror when I realized it was the dreaded browntailed moth, another invasive species, this one with toxic hairs that can persist in leaves and vegetation, causing a hive like reaction when they come into contact with skin, as well as respiratory distress if inhaled. Sort of like an invisible travelling poison ivy.
The moisture also kicked to life the blood sucking insects-mosquitoes and black flies.
I would prefer to live outdoors this time of year-just drinking in the blossoms of the flowers that have taken years to naturalize, but all of a sudden I have developed sensitivity to something. I have several bite marks on my face and neck that swelled up like little balloons-itchy irritating balloons.
Today I raked out the goose pen. We are down to one gander, Pluto. He turned into a total ass this spring during breeding season, and started going after me. If he latched on, he would beat the crap out of my shins with his wings. I put up with that far too long-I hated to lock him up when his puddle was full of fresh spring water and the tender green shoots were there for grazing.
But then when he started using my quasi hugel beds for an afternoon snooze and tromping through the growing bearded iris, that was the last straw. He has been on lockdown (he has a rather nice pen next to the goats, so don't think me too cruel) for at least a month, and most of that time even feeding or watering him was a challenge.
I guess by now any little goslings would be going out on their own, because he has finally become less of a terrifying ogre and I was able to get in his pen and rake up the leaves which he loves to fill his bathtub with-in about an hour-
We have pondered why he fouls his bathtub-if its like a kid with rubber duckies or just out of boredom? While he has been getting a bucket of fresh water everyday with his daily ration, his tub has been more of a challenge.
I figured if I could clean up some of his "toys" his water would stay clean longer. Think of kids in a wading pool after you mow the grass...
So dodging the biting insects, which really get enraged when you start raking leaves that have been soaking in a goose tub, I dragged several large buckets down to the potato bed and the Willow helped lug the water buckets to give him a clean tub.
The hummingbirds have been hitting the feeder hard. We have only one species here: Ruby throated hummingbirds. I saw three females bickering before each finding a place at the feeder, and so far have seen just one male. We have a lot of flowers they would like-occasionally I see them on the geranium or petunias, but for now sugar water is the main attraction. Later in the season the jewelweed- which has taken over one side of the long drive and along with the moneywort would like to take over the world- becomes a favorite for both the hummers and the several species of bumblebees that call our garden home.
we were thrilled to see a porcupine climbing the big elm over the hill a few evenings ago. I wondered if it was the now grown baby who followed his Momma back and forth last summer. She got hit and was left in the middle of the road last summer-I took a shovel and broom and moved her off to the side.
A few days later I was walking further up the road and saw the baby hiding in a small rock pile along the road. (sad face) I really like porcupines and had a chance to observe one grazing at less than ten feet two summers ago. It would hold the weed very carefully with its long claws and nibble the leaves off the stem.
I like porcupines even though I have had many dogs end up quilled, one requiring a trip to the doggie version of the ER. Most people here hate them for that reason, and others, so it was a treat to see we have at least one in the area.
Exceptthat one of my zuccini plants looked like it had been run over by a porcupine last night-and I only have two plants this year trying to avoid the zuccini epidemic that hits in August.
Welcome to June in Maine.
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