How I spent Earth Day

Spent this Earth Day out working in the yard. I started off with sowing some butterfly weed seeds in a raised bed. I have not had much luck with butterfly weed in the past, I have only had it actually come up once. I used to grow common milkweed in the front yard for the monarch butterflies, but the neighbor would harass me about growing weeds despite my attempts to educate her about how it is the host plant for the monarch butterfly. From what I have read, monarchs are going to need all the help they can get this year due to the loss of 50% of the population on their wintering grounds in Mexico. While preparing the bed, I heard my first of the season (FOS) Baltimore Oriole singing high in the maple trees. I also heard and then seen a Brown Thrasher fly over my head, heading for the birdbath.


It then gave me a look like "what you lookin' at!"


I could hear the sound of numerous Eastern Meadowlarks singing their "It's the spring of the yearrr" song. I love that sound! I managed to spot one very far off at the top of a sweetgum tree.


Knowing it was Earth Day, I tried not to have to use the lawnmower, but I couldn't. Have to get caught up before the rain. While coming in from putting my lawn tractor away, I came across this cool looking Isabella Tiger Moth Pyrrharctia isabella in the driveway.


This is what those brown and black wooly bear caterpillars (the ones that are supposed to foretell how bad the winter is going to be based on the amount of black on them) turn into when they become an adult.