Pollinators

On June 29, one week ago Thursday, the chrysalis Terry rescued from the watering can had turned black. He thought it had died. I realized that it had become transparent. Soon we could see the orange of its wings. Terry took it out to the shop with him so he could keep an eye on it. Nancy posted on Facebook after my last blog entry that as long as the butterfly could hang to dry its wings, it would be okay. At 8:30, Terry called to say the adult had emerged. I got my camera and went out to see. The chrysalis case lay in the bottom of the jar like discarded plastic wrap. The butterfly hung on the milkweed plant Terry had put the chrysalis on when he took it off the watering pot.

Monarch right after emerging

It was soon apparent that it would need more room. Terry and I carefully put a popsicle stick under the milkweed to hold it up higher.

Suspended by a popsicle stick

By 8:36, the wings were almost fully expanded. Terry transferred the butterfly to a milkweed that was still alive. He checked on it periodically through the morning. At 10:30, it flew away. For better or worse, we may have left the “pupate on plastic” trait in the population. Who knows where it might lead? In a few generations, we might have chrysalises all over our watering cans! Have we begun domestication of monarch butterflies? I hope not.

In our pollinator garden, the purple coneflower is just starting to bloom

Purple coneflower

As is the beebalm.

Beebalm

One lonely poppy is all that is left of the large population we had a few years ago. That makes me sad.

One lonely poppy

The black-eyed Susan is out of control. They probably crowded out all the poppies.

So much black-eyed Susan!

The most common bee on this flower is (I think—I am no expert) a tiny sweat bee.

A sweat bee

Backside of sweat bee with pollen on legs

I also saw a bee I had not seen before. It had an odd habit of climbing over the flower with its abdomen in the air.

Bee with abdomen in the air

Upon further inspection, I saw that it carried pollen on its abdomen rather than on its legs as most bees do. This is characteristic of mason bees.

Mason bee with pollen on the underside of its abdomen

The early sunflowers are blooming. Sunflowers, like black-eyed Susans, are composites, meaning that they have a centra disk packed with numerous tiny flowers surrounded by flowers that have one large petal each. The petals are called “rays.” The early sunflowers have interesting floral tubes in the disks. The black-eyed Susan disk flowers are not so pretty.

Early sunflower

A green sweat bee was busy collecting pollen from the early sunflower.

Green sweat bee

Interestingly, I only see native bees on native plants. Our honeybees mostly visit clover in the field. I saw one honeybee on a milkweed plant this morning. I have often heard that honeybees have been bad for native bees because they compete for resources, but I am not observing much niche overlap. Maybe honeybees will use native flowers when clover becomes less available, or natives use clover when native flowers are not available.

As long as I’m on the subject of insects, a lovely green fly landed on the door to the deck. When I see things I have never seen before, it could be because it's rare, but I usually suspect it’s because I haven’t been paying attention. So much beauty in the world still to discover.

Green fly's back

Green fly's belly. Such a lovely shade!

The black raspberries are ripe. I have been scratching up my forearms every other day for a week. I think I’ll end up with enough for one batch of jam.

Black raspberries

The red-winged blackbirds must have a nest in the bushes nearby. They scold me constantly while I pick. It makes me nervous, as I have been nearly concussed by a blackbird flying full-speed into my head. Ow! So far, I have not been physically attacked. It’s too hot to wear my bike helmet. My brain would melt.

Blackbird scolding me

In the gardening news, I took off the last row cover, which was over the cabbages and Brussels sprouts. They look so wonderful when first exposed. Soon the leaves will be riddled with holes from cabbage worms, and I will have to start spraying with Bt.

Cabbages and Brussels sprouts

Butchering day is tomorrow, and not a moment too soon. The meat chickens are about at the weight limit their legs can hold. They lumber rather than walk and flop on the ground as soon as they get where they’re going. They eat a lot, poop a lot, and stink a lot. They have had a happy life. I’m a little sad to send them to Freezer Heaven, but mostly I’m ready for my chicken chores to get back to normal. Butchering is a long day of real work. It’s a relief to get it over with.

Rooster, left, and hen meat chickens

I ordered a couple extra laying chicks this year because I’ve gotten roosters among the hens for the last two years. I’m pretty sure they are all females this time. A friend took one of the pullets, whom she named Penny, to replace poor unfortunate Ethyl, who was crippled and had to be culled.

Penny (left) has left her meat chicken friend to go to a new home

We moved the rest of the pullets down to the orchard last night. I’ve decided to name the white and silver one Silvia. The rest are not yet named.

The white and silver pullet is Silvia

The Wyandottes are developing their black-lined brown feathers. Time will tell if there will be enough difference among them to give them names.

The Golden-laced Wyandotte on the left is getting its characteristic plumage