What interesting creatures live in your garden?

[Smart Red]

I am sure I have seen NYC roof top gardens with bee hives on garden shows. The bees ensure pollination of rooftop fruits and veggies.

Must be other cities with skyscrapers.

 

[journey11]

No worries, @Pulsegleaner , I think you need another 29,999 bees or so for it to be considered beekeeping. I'm sure your little friend can stay awhile.

 

[secuono]

Typical critters, but I think it's ok to add them.

 

[Nyboy]

Ny Times which is pretty reliable printed Mrs Boyer of Brooklyn was fined $2,000 by the health dept for keeping bees.

 

[so lucky]

OK, I just saw a piece on CBS This Morning about the Jacob Javitts center having their rooftop converted to garden, so now it supports birds and bee hives. Maybe the laws have changed.

 

[so lucky]

I think the piece also said the heating/cooling costs of that building were reduced 25% with the new green rooftop. Maybe the $$ saved was enough to convince the city to change the law.

 

[Smart Red]

Grandson is doing Cross Country this year at school so he started running around our field. Yesterday he spotted two turkeys -- not very afraid -- that allowed him to get pretty near before strutting into the woods.

Then he turned the corner and came upon a white-tailed deer. He was pleased with his first 'practice' run. The next run may not be better, but it will be easier. Grandma mowed all the way around the field so he won't be tripped up by unknown things growing under his feet.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Was looking over my FPV plants yesterday and found a surprise or should I say, a dilemma.

On one of the plants there were some holes in the sides of some of the newer pods corresponding more or less to where the seeds were developing. One pod seemed to have a blister on one side. The two came together when I touched the blister and found it was in fact a small, green, vaguely slug like caterpillar with it front part buried in the pod quite deep (deep enough to not be easily removable). I was still on the pods as of today

Here is where the dilemma comes in. I did a little research before proceeding with elimination, and it seems like this is actually a butterfly caterpillar as opposed to a moth one. Specifically it is either a blue or a hairstreak (probably the latter, since we have more of them than blues, but we have both.) somewhat tellingly , it does have an ant bodyguard (blue and hairstreak caterpillars often do associate with ants) So the dilemma is whether to remove it or leave it where it is. On the whole I am more inclined to the latter. I like butterflies, and it seems to be confining itself to the younger pods that at this point in the year are unlikely to mature before frost anyway. Though I may have to bring the pot in if I want to see the resultant butterfly. Blues pupate in the ground, and it is common for the ants to actually carry them into their nests over the winter (when they are still caterpillars) to get more honeydew out of them.

 

[Pulsegleaner]

Say this little one while wandering through Chinatown

I THINK it's some sort of tit, but I am not great with my birds (aprt from noting that, whatever it is, it is a bird I must not see all that often, or it would be more familiar.) I suppose since this IS Chinatown it might even have been some sort of non native escapee for something or other. I know there are a few birders on this forum, does it look at all familiar to you? (it's hard to see from this angle, but there are patches of bright yellow on the front of the breast and by the legs.)

 

[journey11]

Say this little one while wandering through Chinatown

I THINK it's some sort of tit, but I am not great with my birds (aprt from noting that, whatever it is, it is a bird I must not see all that often, or it would be more familiar.) I suppose since this IS Chinatown it might even have been some sort of non native escapee for something or other. I know there are a few birders on this forum, does it look at all familiar to you? (it's hard to see from this angle, but there are patches of bright yellow on the front of the breast and by the legs.)

I would guess it might be a female or juvenile Pine Warbler. Not sure about the yellow patches by the legs though. Wings are not black/white marked, so I know it's not a goldfinch. Have to see what everyone else thinks... Odd place for the little bird to be. Was it doing ok?