Yesterday late evening as there was no wind, I decided to try some recording in
Shindagin Hollow. It was comparatively quiet, except for a couple of distant
Hermit Thrushes, one Wood Thrush, an Eastern Pewee, an American Goldfinch, a
couple of hesitant American Robins, a Song Sparrow and a Swamp Sparrow.
I just got recording of some Swamp Sparrow song in between the planes that
continuously fly overhead. And of course I got a bumble bee humming on the
flowers as it flew around.
My home front catbird story: My catbird stopped singing for about three weeks
in between so I thought either he might have got killed by car accident or a
hawk or he must have found a new mate and disappeared with her as I still saw
at least a catbird in the yard. But again recently from about a week or so he
ha started singing. But he sings for a short time, that too an unhurried song
but he is still there. So I was wondering why he stopped singing in between,
was he busy feeding and taking care of his young as they had fledged probably
by that time? Any thoughts or anyone else has observed this?
I am also doing an inventory of all the insects, birds and plants in my yard.
So I have been keeping an eye on my dogbane or also known as Indian hemp plant
Apocynum cannbinum. I found at least twenty species of insects including bees,
moths, flies and butterflies feed on the flowers' nectar. I found moths and
butterflies take a long time to feed on these flowers and they visit the same
flowers again and again after feeding on the next flowers for a few mintues.
While bees and flies spend very short time. I was wondering why. I have some
theories but need to get more data. Yesterday there was a beautiful Sesidae
moth - Peachteree Borer, which mimic wasps feeding on these flowers and spent
lot of time on the same flower head and visiting same flowers again and again.
I have uploaded the video if anyone is interested. I had seen this moth four
days ago and I mentioned it to Sue, her immediate reaction was did you kill it
or not as it is supposed to be detrimental to the peach tree. But gleefully
told her I did not and it was the fourth day the insect has been hanging around
the same plant!.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_ymy2kRKxg&feature=youtu.be
Cheers
Meena
Meena Haribal
Ithaca NY 14850
42.429007,-76.47111
http://www.haribal.org/
http://meenaharibal.blogspot.com/
Ithaca area moths: https://plus.google.com/118047473426099383469/posts
Dragonfly book sample pages: http://www.haribal.org/dragonflies/samplebook.pdf
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