Monthly Archives: September 2013

A Fly in the Asters

Posted on September 29, 2013 by

This bee mimic fly was getting nectar from the asters this morning.  It seems to be in the genus Helophilus.

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California Ground Squirrels (and How to Kill Them)

Posted on September 28, 2013 by

I check out the bing.com search engine often–not to use the search engine, but to check out the photography.  They have a new spectacular image each day, and the subjects often involve nature. Yesterday they had a photo of two … Continue reading →

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Riding the Thermals

Posted on September 26, 2013 by

We have a windy day here, which gave the turkey vultures a chance to ride the thermals. Look alive.

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Last of the Viceroys

Posted on September 25, 2013 by

As the season progresses, some butterflies just fade away.  I saw this viceroy Sunday.  Viceroys may occasionally be found here in October or later, but not often.  

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Elbow and Belly Photography

Posted on September 23, 2013 by

The presence of small aster plants on a mowed lawn created an opportunity for one of my favorite types of photography.  I use a set of extension tubes and a macro lens extended to the maximum extent.  If I was … Continue reading →

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A Small Butterfly

Posted on September 22, 2013 by

Butterflies are few and far between now, unlike the conditions usually encountered in September in Iowa.  I did see this eastern tailed-blue yesterday, though.  

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The Last Sipper

Posted on September 21, 2013 by

I am not sure when we will have the last butterfly sipping nectar from a flower for the year–hopefully we have a few more weeks of butterflies.  But their numbers are pretty low. This is an orange sulfur.  The seed … Continue reading →

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Not So Many Butterflies

Posted on September 20, 2013 by

Most years find September a great time for butterflies.  During a normal year, I would find dozens or hundreds of butterflies competing for the nectar resources of asters in my prairie. Tonight I only found three.  Two orange sulfurs and … Continue reading →

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Thunderstorm

Posted on September 19, 2013 by

After a long dry summer we finally got some autumn rains a couple of days ago.  But today we had a thunderstorm. I had forgotten how magical thunderstorms are. Thunder rumbles the ground.  Electricity lights up the sky.  Hot humid … Continue reading →

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The White-Lined Sphinx

Posted on September 16, 2013 by

A number of people in and around Iowa have noted large numbers of white-lined sphinx moths flying around.  I haven’t been lucky enough to see a lot of them, but I have seen a few. Hyles lineata is very charming–it … Continue reading →

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