I just read in the paper today that Ladybugs have disappeared from New York state. I remember last year, the strange little larva were all over the place, nothing this year in NJ either. So where did they go?
When I lived in CA, I came across millions of them coming out of their winter sleep on a Spring day. There were so many it seemed as if the plants and tree trunks were painted in red along a creek. We were curious so we got out of the car and climbed down to the creek. We were amazed to see what had to be millions of ladybugs inches thick on everything. All was fine until the sun hit and they really began to move, taking to the air and crawling on everything including us. Evidently they are very hungry after a long winter sleep so they were well, nibbling. Like some wierd SCI FI movie we ran to our cars!
I also found another location outside of Volcano CA one late summer day. They were flying in to begin hibernation. They were also falling or as it seemed raining ladybugs.
So where have they gone, has some unscrupulous person or persons found their hibernation locations and killed millions thinking them as an infestation? Or have they succumbed to some unknown disease since they hibernate together, killing them like the bats in the northeast?
So rescueing a ladybug may have new meaninig these days, not only is it an old kids story and supposed to give good luck, but you may just be saving them for real.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Fall Migration
I was on our patio complaining that I had not seen a single bird passing through to signal the start of the fall migration. But within an hour of saying that, swarms of little birds were passing through the trees of our yard. One of my favorites, the American Redstart were there in several pairs with one of the pairs flying down to the small trees around the patio for a close view for both of us.
A Black Throated Green Warbler (new for me) was on the side of the driveway in the Japanese Maple. There were so many of them flying around I could not focus fast enough as they moved in and out of the tree tops. So I could not officially ID them though one did have a dark head like a Mourning Warbler, but I can't count it as I do not know for sure.
The warblers have always been a favorite of mine since moving here from CA. Each spring the oaks are full of them, sometimes up to 100 at a time and dozens of species, though over the last few years there have been less and less. This Spring was the worst ever but I hope that was because the weather was so bad for so long. In any case, they have been my favorite since Bob the cat (now deceased) delivered un harmed to me at the back door (and very proud of his catch) a Black Throated Blue Warbler in all of its Spring plumage. It of course did not appreciate the capture as it now expected to be the morning breakfast but was happy to be handed over to me. It perched on my finger for all of us to see, blinked a couple of times and joined his friends in the trees. Since then, I have looked forward to the visits of the warblers each Spring and Fall.
Though they do not stay all year, they are attracted or so it seems to a diverse amount of trees. Oaks of all kinds, Hickory, Dogwood, Ash, Maples of all types, Apple, Cherry, Plum, Pine, Fir and Sassafrass all are thick on our less than an acre lot. The understory of smaller trees such as Fringe, Spicebush, Witchhazel, Privet, Elderberry and others also attract them as its the insects they are after on their journeys to their nesting sights in Spring and their tropical winter vacation in the fall.
Water is also important, they all take baths in the waterfall and shallows of the pond. With songbrds seemingly on the decline, its important if you are a serious gardener to landscape some parts of your yard with the wild things in mind.....................remember, they were here first.
A Black Throated Green Warbler (new for me) was on the side of the driveway in the Japanese Maple. There were so many of them flying around I could not focus fast enough as they moved in and out of the tree tops. So I could not officially ID them though one did have a dark head like a Mourning Warbler, but I can't count it as I do not know for sure.
The warblers have always been a favorite of mine since moving here from CA. Each spring the oaks are full of them, sometimes up to 100 at a time and dozens of species, though over the last few years there have been less and less. This Spring was the worst ever but I hope that was because the weather was so bad for so long. In any case, they have been my favorite since Bob the cat (now deceased) delivered un harmed to me at the back door (and very proud of his catch) a Black Throated Blue Warbler in all of its Spring plumage. It of course did not appreciate the capture as it now expected to be the morning breakfast but was happy to be handed over to me. It perched on my finger for all of us to see, blinked a couple of times and joined his friends in the trees. Since then, I have looked forward to the visits of the warblers each Spring and Fall.
Though they do not stay all year, they are attracted or so it seems to a diverse amount of trees. Oaks of all kinds, Hickory, Dogwood, Ash, Maples of all types, Apple, Cherry, Plum, Pine, Fir and Sassafrass all are thick on our less than an acre lot. The understory of smaller trees such as Fringe, Spicebush, Witchhazel, Privet, Elderberry and others also attract them as its the insects they are after on their journeys to their nesting sights in Spring and their tropical winter vacation in the fall.
Water is also important, they all take baths in the waterfall and shallows of the pond. With songbrds seemingly on the decline, its important if you are a serious gardener to landscape some parts of your yard with the wild things in mind.....................remember, they were here first.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
New Addition to Garden
After visiting PA a few weeks ago we stopped at a farmers market at a nursery and I found a huge and velvety looking Hydrangea. While I have seen photos of this plant, I have never seen one in person nor have I seen them for sale at any nurseries in NJ where we live.
Had to have this plant, huge velvet looking leaves were fantastic. I finally found a nursery with this plant still in stock on the internet and was able to get one of the few left...................... a stick with two leaves on it, I hope it grows fast because we want the plant in this picture.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
