Plenty of both bugs and birds this week, and that’s just as it should be. The birds passing through the Piedmont right now are here for one reason. They need food to fuel their long journey south. Meanwhile, it can be as much fun to watch the invertebrates as it is to observe the birds.

So, below is a female Lynx Spider (in fall color) and she looks particularly bulbous. Remember on the original Star Trek when Captain Kirk would urge Scotty to take the Enterprise beyond warp 9? Scotty had a standard reply “She canna take anymore, Cap’n. She’s gonna blow.”
I feel like this Lynx should lay her eggs now before she blows

Now this slim Lynx has other pursuits in mind. From what I can discern, the victim of the Lynx is a species of Potter Wasp. They are solitary wasps who create a tiny, tiny jug of dirt and spit with a narrow opening at the top. They then sting some invertebrate (often a caterpillar) and paralyze the victim. The subdued insect or spider is then dragged inside the pot, at which point, the wasp lays an egg in the jug, so her larva has food. The final touch is adding a little mud plug to the vessel to seal it all in until it’s time for the larva to emerge. Scary Potter! As an adult she primarily nectars on flowers and is beneficial as a pollinator.
Well, the Lynx isn’t about to be a snack, and managed to envenomate the wasp while it was nectaring.

Praying Mantis discovered in the Dog Fennel by Peter R. Thank you Peter! It’s hard to see her enlarged abdomen, but this mantis is also carrying eggs.

Two days later, I returned to the Dog Fennel and there was the egg case.

Polyphemus Moth caterpillar, and it was huge.

Monarch caterpillar

A last round of Hummingbird Clearwing Moths nectaring on thistle. This moth managed to avoid any hungry Lynx Spider

Katydid on a car door. I often load up my car at night with water and supplies (bug spray, hat, jacket) before setting out the following morning. I’m never alert in the morning, so getting the car ready the night before is a good routine. Anyway, I entered the garage last night and found this Katydid hanging onto my car door. Many cultures revere the Katydid, and in Brazil, it is nicknamed “Esperanca” or hope. I’m hoping for some really good birds in the morning.

Black and White Warbler, the best of the cooperating warblers.

American Redstart (male)

Chestnut-sided Warbler (migrant)

The warbler scored a prize meal in the very early evening down by our local creek.

It took a bit of wrestling, but the small warbler ate it all.

Cape May Warbler with caterpillar prey. (migrant)

Magnolia warbler (migrant)

Yellow-billed Cuckoo

This individual had a hard time swallowing its prey. I thought I was going to need to do a bird Heimlich on the Cuckoo, but the bird managed to choke down its meal.

So long from all the usual haunts on this first day of Fall.

Love,

Mary K