We got only .08″. And that was just enough to get a little mud on Gracie’s feet.
The clouds are always fascinating! These were in the afternoon, when I was still hoping for rain.
The water only dripped down the middle as you can see where the lichens turned green.
On the morning walk, I took the daily photo of the white pored Chicken of the Woods (Laetiporus cincinnatus).
In addition to the top view, I take an underside view also. I just point and shoot this angle never giving it a thought. Whoa, when I got home and loaded the photos, a nice surprise!
Quickly I headed back to our woods to see if the larva was still there. Indeed, luck was on my side this afternoon! Carefully I put it in a container to bring home for the closer look.
Wow, what a beauty! Furthermore, it cooperated. All I can say for now is that it is Owlet Moths (Noctuidae).
I hope it can be ID’d. And maybe I can raise it? Update: After poring further in my books, I am now going with the ID of a Black Fungus Moth (Metalectra tantillus).
After finding the larva on the other fungus, you can bet I looked closely at the Ganoderma as well. However, nada.
Then I found the feather! This is a Red-shafted Northern Flicker or maybe I should say was.
One even was still in the tree.
There were twenty-four feathers scattered about so this poor thing made someone else a nice meal.
Final photo! The clouds do not look promising for more rain on the after supper walk. 🙁
Keep looking!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know
12 Comments
Great pics. Sure hate to lose a flicker but the feathers are pretty. Sure was a nice day for your treks and sorry you got no rain.
Sadly we got no more rain than you. What a disappointment after all the build-up. Gorgeous flicker feathers! And another resident for your countertop zoo!
Flickers have such neat color and variety of shapes in their feathers.
Well I can’t believe I got more rain than y’all. We had .37″ down here, but as dry as we are, it only wets the surface, and under thick tree coverage, the ground was still bone dry. In my flower beds I scratched away the mulch and seems that the mulch got all the water and the soil was dry.
We have been in a prolonged drought for a year now. This year we have only had 9.91 of the should be 23.08 according to official records. We are dust down here. But I have watered in my yard so the cowpen daisies are doing their job. I counted 10 Pipevine Swallowtails, 1 Monarch, multiple Queens and gobs of others. Variegated Frits, Gulf Frits, Sleepy Orange, Daities, Southern Dogfaces, American Ladies, Haystreaks and more. Found some interesting moths on the flowers the other day and posted to iNaturalist if anyone wants to see them. Oh and 2 Bordered Patches showed up yesterday. And that was just the patch of Cowpens in my yard. There are patches in the orchard and house yard.
I don’t water anything except my tomatoes. It is neat the Cowpen Daisies are drawing in so much for you. Maybe I should get some seeds and throw some out.
Great pics. Sure hate to lose a flicker but the feathers are pretty. Sure was a nice day for your treks and sorry you got no rain.
I guess we didn’t do the rain dance properly 😉
Sadly we got no more rain than you. What a disappointment after all the build-up. Gorgeous flicker feathers! And another resident for your countertop zoo!
And the new baby likes regular button mushrooms! So this will be easy to feed. 🙂
That was going to be my question is what did you feed it!
I did and now it has pupated!
I only got 0.08″ here in Dallas. Enjoying the cooler weather though.
me too!
Flickers have such neat color and variety of shapes in their feathers.
Well I can’t believe I got more rain than y’all. We had .37″ down here, but as dry as we are, it only wets the surface, and under thick tree coverage, the ground was still bone dry. In my flower beds I scratched away the mulch and seems that the mulch got all the water and the soil was dry.
Decatur got more rain, ie Judy, like you. It was just one little cell. I hope it is not the start of a prolonged drought.
We have been in a prolonged drought for a year now. This year we have only had 9.91 of the should be 23.08 according to official records. We are dust down here. But I have watered in my yard so the cowpen daisies are doing their job. I counted 10 Pipevine Swallowtails, 1 Monarch, multiple Queens and gobs of others. Variegated Frits, Gulf Frits, Sleepy Orange, Daities, Southern Dogfaces, American Ladies, Haystreaks and more. Found some interesting moths on the flowers the other day and posted to iNaturalist if anyone wants to see them. Oh and 2 Bordered Patches showed up yesterday. And that was just the patch of Cowpens in my yard. There are patches in the orchard and house yard.
I don’t water anything except my tomatoes. It is neat the Cowpen Daisies are drawing in so much for you. Maybe I should get some seeds and throw some out.