Inchworms!

Today's post is about inchworms. I'm a little late posting this but I've been waiting and watching for the cicadas who are much nosier than inchworms. And since the cicadas haven't shown up at my house yet I thought I'd write about inchworms. Seems like we've had an unusually large crop of inchworms this year. A couple of weeks ago I'd find them indoors after I went for a walk, crawling up my legs or on my neck. A little creepy. This picture is not very clear- I'll try to get a better one.

Inchworms are the larva of the geometer moth. They are named because of the way they travel that suggests measuring inch by inch. They draw the hind quarters forward while holding on with their front legs. They can stand erect if disturbed. I see them as they drop down on a single thread from a tree or someplace above where I stand. The destructive ones are also called cankerworms.

The maple tree down by the pond has had a visit from the inchworms or maybe the cankerworms. It had put out leaves but then the leaves were completely stripped off. The leaves are starting to come back now so I guess it survived the attack of the inchworms.

My car sits under a maple tree and besides the drop of first the blossoms and then the seeds onto the car it also got the droppings of the inchworms that were eating the leaves of the tree and the droppings of the birds that were eating the inchworms. Seems like the goldfinches in particular loved to eat those little inchworms.

These things have unfolded in the past month and I think it's pretty much calmed down now. But it was very lively in the treetops for awhile.

Maybe you'll like this song: Inchworm song.

Reptile Day at Davidson College, Saturday April 9

This Saturday is Reptile Day at Davidson College. I went down to the pond today looking for turtles and saw one- probably a river cooter- at a distance but he slid into the water before I could get very close. These nice turtles are very interesting. They like the soft mud in the bottom of the pond and actually can bury themselves there for a couple of months in the coldest part of the winter. Their metabolism slows down and they don't need to breathe. They have an organ in their tail that can absorb oxygen from the water. On sunny days you may see them basking on the bank of a pond or on limbs or other handy places. They are wary and will slip into the water if you approach them. These turtles are omnivorous and one article says they will eat anything plant or animal, alive or dead. They like to eat fish and will also catch insects but must swallow them underwater. There are a lot of predators for river cooters but they are hardy and can live to be 40 years old.

And what about the frogs and snakes? Well I didn't see them today but I'll be watching!

Hope to see you at Reptile Day! And check out this website from the Davidson College Herpetology Lab, the sponsors of Reptile Day.

Garden and Nature Activities for Hobbs Hill

Friends, I have several things I thought you might be interested in, plus, if you haven't seen my blog here's your chance. I'm really looking forward to our neighborhood plant swap on April 9 at the Sherrills home.  Also, Several of us have compost bins and here's some information about composting.  We have an opportunity to have a "Master Composter" come to our neighborhood to talk in more detail about how to get started if people are interested.  Piedmont Farmers Market has their herb sale on April 16.  This is a terrific event and lasts all day so you can visit the Davidson Farmers Market first if you like! And, on Saturday April 9, at 10:30 am Leah Chester-Davis will be at Main Street Books in Davidson talking about her new book The Successful Gardener Guide: North Carolina. Perfect timing for visiting after our plant swap!

Hope you find some of this helpful.

Trip to Belize

We are just back from a great vacation in Belize.  Besides time on the beach and by the pool we went on two trips to the rainforest or jungle and on a snorkeling trip out to Glover's Reef.  In the rain forest we saw the dense foliage, heard and saw many birds and saw a few butterflies.  The Blue Morpho was the most spectacular butterfly we saw.  I saw them several times, once while on a brief hike looking for the Howler Monkeys which were living along the Monkey River.  The Monkeys were too high in their trees for a good picture and the butterflies were just too fast.

On the Monkey River

We also went to the Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve, however, we did not see Jaguars.  They are primarily nocturnal and there are relatively few of them in this very large preserve.

Belize is a poor country in terms of its per capita income but rich in natural resources.  Over 40 percent of the land is in some type of conservancy, either as national parks or private consersation groups.

As we stayed close to the shore most of the birds we saw were those that love the coast and marshlands. Examples:  various herons and ibis, Jabiru stork, the Magnificent Frigatebird, the aptly named Roadside Hawk and several other hawks, a lovely Fork-Tailed Flycatcher, a Pinneated Bittern and a Neo-tropical Cormorant.

Around the lodge we had the constant company of Large Tailed Grackles and the lovely Great Kiskadee.  There was the familiar Belted Kingfisher and a larger bird called the Ringed Kingfisher.

The trip out to Glover's Reef for snorkeling was a highlight. Glover's reef is an atoll beyond the barrier reef.  I don't have any underwater pictures to show you but the coral reef provides home for quite a variety of lovely fish and other sea creatures.  We also visited a Research Station on the reef that is maintained in a very sustainable way with captured rainwater, a composting toilet and solar collectors for electric power.

Spring is on the way.

These daffodils are almost ready to bloom.

This maple tree is about to bloom.  

This river birch has catkins that are ready to release their pollen

And this river birch is even farther along, the catkins are spreading their pollen.

The weather this week has been a contrast.  The past weekend and Monday were so spring like you could almost forget that it's still winter and the vernal equinox is a month away.  But, just as I was about to dig out a pair of shorts to wear the weather changed.  Tuesday was cold and gray and I knew it was still winter.  But, just because the weather is changeable doesn't mean we can't see signs that spring is on the way.  So, I walked around and made some pictures that show the fact that nature knows spring is coming.

Some cool nature websites

Great Backyard Bird Count

North Carolina Herps

Hilton Pond

Western North Carolina Nature Center

These are some great websites.  I enjoy checking out what others are posting and find new links by checking these out.  Maybe you've found some great ones, too.

Pond Frozen in December

This December was so cold.  The pond froze over completely.  Last winter before the level of the pond was changed the pond froze but not from bank to bank.  This year the level of the pond has been lowered by about 50 percent and that makes a big difference in the way it looks and in how much of it could freeze.  Winter has only begun.  It will be interesting to see what else happens.