Happy Halloween

My Halloween Fabric Postcard display

Made by using fresh leaves from trees and painting the backs with craft paints.  Then the leaf was placed on the fabric and I used a brayer to transfer the paint.

Beth's Patch ~ Sleepy Orange Butterfly

Sleepy Orange Butterfly arrived on 10/24

Continued on October 25

Seen again on October 27th (and below on October 28th)

Sleepy Orange Butterfly with Common Buckeye caterpillars on snapdragons.

Beth's Patch ~ Ocola Skippers

Ocola Skipper's are southern stray that migrate northward as the season goes on.  My first Ocola Skippers arrived on  September 20th and have been here every day since then.  I am hoping they stay around for part of November.

The Mad Chemist

The mad chemist aka me was having fun dyeing some backings for my donation quilts earlier in the week.

 This time I used blue and yellow dyes but next time I'll use red and yellows.  I am sure the children will love the backs.

Beth's Patch ~ Red-spotted Purple Life Cycle

First time seeing a Red-spotted Purple Butterfly lay eggs on a cherry tree in my yard.

Close up of the egg ~ 9/2/19

Even closer - what a neat looking egg

There were a total of 9 eggs that were laid.

Then, success and 5 caterpillars were found on 9/10/19.  This is the leaf and the caterpillar eats from the end of the leaf into the middle.

Close up of very tiny caterpillar

Second of the 5 caterpillars that were hatched.

Growing but still very tiny ~ less than 3/4" long and 18" wide.

Getting larger but only one caterpillar is left

They are said to resemble bird poop and I would agree with that statement.  That is supposed to give them some protection from predators.  They ate for 3 weeks never getting very big but then...

Finally,after 21 days of eating the caterpillar has turned into a chrysalis. 10/1/19

To become a wonderful Red-spotted Purple Butterfly

Beth Patch ~ Black-throated Blue Warbler

Excited to see this Black-throated Blue Warbler in the yard today, thinking it was a new yard bird.  It turns out that it was yard bird #20 back in 2012.  I'd love them to return every year.

Beth's Patch ~ Common Buckeye Butterfly

Back in Sept we had several days in the yard with the Common Buckeye Butterfly numbering well over 150 but gradually their numbers came down and we have a more modest number of about 6-10 per day.  the result of all of the CB's being here was lots of mating and egg-laying on the snapdragons we have along the side of the house.  Now that means lots of caterpillars and some chrysalis being found in the yard.

5 varying sized Common Buckeye caterpillars

It's amazing any butterflies make it.  Look at the crab spider waiting for a tasty morsel.

Common Buckeye chrysalis

Common Buckeye chrysalis

Beth's Patch ~ Ruby throated Hummingbirds

We've been seeing Ruby-throated Hummingbirds for several months now usually 2-3 at a time as they fight to keep other RTH from their territory.  They really are fun to watch.  Here's a few pictures of them.

Beth's Patch ~ Common Checkered-skipper

Every year I have a Common checkered-skipper stop by and pay the yard a visit but this year I've had at least 2 of them - male & female -come by plus they've visited the yard on several different days which is not the norm.  Here are some images of the ones that visited our gardens.