Tag Archives: nature

A Gathering Storm

Posted on May 22, 2012 by

Earlier this season we saw huge numbers–irruptions–of butterflies.  Will we see similar irruptions of their predators? A group of tachinid flies can be seen on this wild parsnip umbel.  Tachinid flies lay eggs on or near other insects, often caterpillars, … Continue reading →

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A Common Butterfly Doing Nothing Unusual

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

This is a cabbage white, Pieris rapae, drinking nectar from dame’s rocket, Hesperis matronalis.  Two alien and somewhat invasive species, doing what they do.  

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A Vision for the Future

Posted on May 15, 2012 by

I have a vision for a butterfly web site that should be developed in the future.  First, I have to point out that there are a lot of great butterfly sites now.  One I really like shows all of the North American … Continue reading →

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What’s Going on Here?

Posted on May 10, 2012 by

A lot of times when blogging one is tempted to offer explanations of things going on in nature.  I am tempted to do that sometimes as well.  However, I find that there are times when I observe something and just … Continue reading →

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Feeling Wealthy

Posted on May 3, 2012 by

I have been feeling kind of wealthy lately.  Maybe not in the way you are thinking, but very wealthy anyway. Last night I sat on the deck and listened to the frogs in the pond.  We have at least five … Continue reading →

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More on the Beefly

Posted on April 11, 2012 by

Bombylius major flies with its thorax and abdomen oriented at about a forty five degree angle relative to the horizon.  It can fly fast enough to be hard to follow with the eye, and it can hover in place for … Continue reading →

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First Insect of the Year

Posted on February 19, 2012 by

We still have snow on the ground in places. I walked around a little bit today, looking for insects.  It is still not warm yet,  just a few degrees above freezing. I hoped to find something–a small fly, perhaps, or … Continue reading →

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Can a Moss Bring You to Tears?

Posted on January 29, 2012 by

At yesterday’s Iowa Prairie Network winter meeting one of the speakers recounted how, during a BioBlitz, one of the team leaders started showing and naming a number of mosses, liverworts, and lichens.  She said it became such an emotional experience … Continue reading →

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Dead Mouse in a Tree

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

It is snowing tonight, but yesterday it was quite warm for Iowa in the winter. Highs were in the 50s.   I did get a chance to get out in the woods on a project.   The project was kind of cool, … Continue reading →

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Of People, Prairies, and Pies

Posted on October 11, 2011 by

There are a lot of really nice places to live in this world.  Sometimes Iowa is not the most pleasant place, but I wouldn’t trade it for anywhere right now, in the middle of October. I’m guessing that there are … Continue reading →

Posted in Meskwaki, Mesquaki, rural scenics | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment