Thinking about...

It is a dreary day in mid-Ohio, our six inches of snow has melted into standing water and soggy lawn.  But have no fear!  We are reaching in to the grab-bag of photos I have been using to build some power-point programs I'll be giving in a month or so.  

  So prepare yourself for some sunshine from the Buckeye  State!

A Common Buckeye butterfly on Riddell's Goldenrod.

The pugnacious attitude and beautiful color-spots on the buckeye has always made it a special butterfly for me.  As a child, it was a real treat when we found them in the mid-late summer. But they were not guaranteed every year. I suspect they are more commonly found in the last decade, as the numbers of many southern migratory butterflies are on the rise.  

Don't think that is an indicator of climate change?  Try taking that up with the Buckeyes.

Buckeye Caterpillars- Ah, what could be cuter than baby pictures?!  These are baby buckeyes in the making.  And if you are having a hard time thinking that caterpillars are your "thing," think of them as butterflies or bird food.  Or, biodiversity.

Nature doesn't live in a vacuum.  We don't get to pick and choose.  Just as we can't have kittens without cats, we can't have butterflies without caterpillars.  And we won't have birds without caterpillars either, since they are a primary food for growing young birds.  

Hope you will be joining me at one or more of the programs this spring, I look forward to meeting new friends and catching up with nature lovers of all kinds.  Check the side panel for dates and locations of some wonderful gardening and birding events.