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| Fletcher Wildlife Garden | profile | all galleries >> Previous FWG blogs >> 2008 Blogs >> FWG blog: October 2008 | tree view | thumbnails | slideshow |
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There are still quite a number of bumblebees around, including some of the tiny males. A week or so ago, it was fairly easy to see the huge queens, but many have probably sought their winter hibernation spots and if they haven't done so yet, they will as soon as the weather gets cooler. A few ambush bugs are still hanging on, and there are plenty of yellowjackets of several species, as well as small numbers of paper wasps (Polistes), mason wasps, sweat bees, and some tiny micro-moths. I found this pretty little moth (possibly a Caloreas sp.) sitting on the shrubby cinquefoil along with a brilliantly green sweat bee. You can see from this comparison how tiny the moth is.
Just before leaving the garden today, I stopped by the pond and looking into the ravine saw a fat little meadow vole digging out seeds from what looked like a small mound of earth and plant litter.
Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving weekend.
Many hover flies (also known as flower flies or syrphids) are quite active throughout the spring and summer, and many become more so during the fall. Yesterday I counted 7 species of hover flies in one spot, and today added another hover fly to the list for 8 species in two days. And, if you are interested, today's hover fly (transverse hover fly), brings the number of different hover flies found at the garden to 22! Before you say "so what?", remember that many hover flies are important pollinators, AND, the larvae of many hover flies attack aphids. So we want to encourage as many of these gorgeous little flies as we can! Quite a few hover flies are remarkable bee and wasp mimics.
Sweat bees are still quite active, and along with most of the other insects around the garden, are descending on any plant still full of nectar. In this photo and the next, you can see the bee backing out of an obedient plant.
Other insects include a number of other fly species such as this very small Tachinid fly (Gymnosoma sp.), Polistes wasps, Ancistrocerus wasps (tiny little potter wasps), locust borer beetles, and a large seed bug (Leptoglossus), as well as autumn meadowhawks, cabbage white butterflies, and hundreds of bumblebees, and some yellowjackets.
From insects to plants for a minute. I have always been fascinated by the seed pods of the common little (non-native) mustard called shepherd's purse. I think they are quite lovely.
And last, but not least, an unusual visitor to the FWG. There are always cats around the farm, including at FWG. Many of them are probably dropped off in the mistaken belief that they will be able to survive. Given that most of them are only seen for a short while, I doubt they do survive well, particularly when winter comes. Some of you may remember that in 2004 a very friendly cat arrived at FWG and allowed everyone to pat him. I took him home and eventually, through the help of a local cat rescue group, found him a home. I named him Fletcher. But this beautiful cat would not let me get close.
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