NATURE NOTES: September 2010

BEE FLIES ARE INDEED FLIES AND NOT BEES. NOTE THAT THE WINGS ARE HELD OUT LIKE A FLIES WINGS. WHILE A BEE WILL FOLD ITS WINGS DOWN TO ITS BACK WHEN AT REST. THERE ARE MANY SPECIES OF BEE FLIES AND THE ARE ACTUALLY VERY COMMON ON FLOWERS IN THE LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL. THERE ARE ALMOST AS MANY BEE FLIES ON THE FLOWERS IN OUR PRAIRIE AS THERE ARE BEES. CHECK YOUR FLOWERS FOR BEE FLIES-YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED.

BEE FLY ON PANICLED ASTER

HONEY BEE ON STIFF GOLDENROD

WASP HUNTING INSECTS ON MORNING GLORY LEAF

MILKWEED BUG EATS AWAY

BUMBLE BEE ON STIFF GOLDENROD. THE BEES ARE SO BUSY NOW THAT I CAN WALK HUNDREDS OF BEES AND THEY PAY NO ATTENTION TO ME

BUMBLE BEE ON PANICLED ASTER

BALD FACED HORNET ON STIFF GOLDENROD. THESE HORNET ARE VERY COMMON IN THE LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL

TYPICAL BALD FACED HORNET NEST HANGING FROM A TREE BRANCH

HUGE BALD FACED HORNET NEST IN OUR SHED

BALD FACED HORNET, HONEY BEE, AND BUMBLE BEE ON STIFF GOLDENROD

WE HAVE SEEN SEVERAL BUCKEYE BUTTERFLIES THIS YEAR. THEY COME UP NORTH FROM DOWN SOUTH SOME YEARS AND NOT OTHERS.

THIS FRITTILARY BUTTERFLY IS OLD AND TATTERED, AND WILL SOON SEE ITS LAST DAYS.

BOXELDER BUGS AND LADYBUGS OFTEN SHOW UP ABOUT THE SAME TIME

ASTERS AND OTHER PRAIRIE FLOWER PUT ON A FALL SHOW

THE ASIAN LADYBUG WILL SOON SHOW UP. THEY SEEM TO ESPECIALLY LIKE OUR WHITE HOUSE.

BLUE BOTTLE GENTIAN IN A ROADSIDE PRAIRIE

CREAM GENTIAN ON THE FORESTVILLE PRAIRIE

STIFF GENTIAN ON THE FORESTVILLE ST. PARK PRAIRIE

NARROW LEAF SUNFLOWERS ARE VERY COMMON RIGHT NOW

MILKWEED SEEDS ARE READY TO FLY IN THE WIND

THE RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH MIGRATES FROM THE BOREAL(PINE/SPRUCE) FORESTS OF N. MINNESOTA TO S.E. MINNESOTA IN EARLY FALL. SOME WILL STAY ALL WINTER AND OTHERS WILL MOVE FURTHER SOUTH. THEY PREFER TO EAT SUNFLOWER SEEDS OFF A FLAT PLATFORM FEED.

WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES ARE CALLED THE UP-SIDE-DOWN BIRD FOR THIER HABIT OF OFTEN HANGING WITH THEIR BEAKS POINTED DOWN. THE LIVE IN S.E. MINNESOTA YEAR AROUND AND VIST OUR FEEDERS YEAR AROUND. THE FAVORITE FOOD OF THIS NUTHATCH IS THE SUNFLOWER.

CHICKADEES ARE ABOUT THE SAME SIZE AS BOTH NUTHATCHES AND ALSO LOVE SUNFLOWER SEEDS

MONARCH WILL GATHER TOGETHER IN LARGE GROUPS TO FORM WHAT ARE CALLED "MONARCH TREES" DURING MIGRATION

MONARCH IN A MONARCH TREE WILL FLASH OPEN THEIR WINGS WHEN ANOTHER MONARCH TRYS TO LAND IN AN ALREADY BUSY TREE.(THEY FLUTTER THEIR WINGS SO RAPIDLY THAT THE PHOTO BECOMES BLURRY).