Mockingbirds/Black Swallowtails/Yard

(This post covers about 2 weeks in our yard)

5/22 - Walking around the yard -- blackberries are coming along, basit looks amazing and we spot a caterpillar on the dill that is planted in a pot on the patio.  It is pretty dang bit and seems very determined to eat as much of the dill as it possibly can.

We let it be and decide to check on it again tomorrow.

5/23  A pair of mockingbirds have built a nest in the holly out front.  It is right outside the office window and they are certainly determine to guard it.  As I am checking on the peaches, I hit the zoom on the camera and snap a quick picture to see if we can spot anything.  Nope.  BUT, we hear chirping so don't know what to think.

5/28  - I venture out to try and check out the next.  Mom and Dad are not at all happy with me and I managed to snap only one picture before they start dive bombing me.  One of the literally chases me all the way to the house.  However, when we enlarge the picture, by golly, there is a baby bird.  Woohoo.

In other news:  the caterpillar has encased itself in a cocoon on the stem of the dill.  NOW we are really interested and Mister goes to research exactly what type of caterpillar it was.  It appears that we might get a black swallowtail in a few days.  This is fun.












6/2 Still a cocoon - (picture on right)

In other related fun, I try to get another picture of the baby mockingbird.  No, it is not raining -- that is my protective gear so that my head doesn't get pecked to death.  The nest appears to be empty though so we are not sure what is up.  One thing is apparent though --- I am NOT wanted out here.






6/5  I ask Mister if he would like to take a walk this morning, he agrees, and when we return home, we notice that something is different in the dill planter.  We have a beautiful butterfly fresh out of the cocoon.  Another minute or two and we would have missed it entirely.  Too bad we didn't peek when we first came outside or we might have seen it emerge.  Drat.  We watch quietly as it dries it's wings and takes it's first flight.  Isn't nature grand?  One it is gone, I peek down and see just a small slit in the cocoon --- amazing.

What fun this has been and I am kind of sad that it is over.  Perhaps next year and it looks like we definitely need to replant the dill as it is dead now.