Look Up, Look Down, Look Up

This wild black cherry tree grows near my garden from a seed I planted. Every year the tentworm caterpillars do their webby nesty thing on every available cherry tree. I've decided, they may cause some temporary cosmetic problems, but no serious damage is done to the tree. Even after the caterpillars denude a section, the tree seems to rebound with new leaf output.

I've also noticed, nothing seems to eat them. I've tossed tentworm caterpillars in the pond and the fish generally ignore them. I never see birds eating them, although that could be timing.

When I saw this little LGB picking at the silken tentworm nest, I thought, "You go bird! Eat 'em up!" I was watering my beans, melons, tomatoes, and squash at the time and was only able to get this shot, before the bird flew off.


Then it came back.

This time I was able to see what it was doing more clearly. It wasn't eating caterpillars, it was stealing silk for it's nest construction somewhere in the oaks. Slick little silk stealer.

In the lichens growing near the garden was this drop of water captured neatly in the symbiotic grip of a fungal - algal partnership. Precious stuff, this water. It has not rained here for weeks.

You may remember my anguish over sentencing this young chestnut to life on our place last spring. It seemed like such a nice little tree and being planted here has proven to be hazardous for young fruit and nut trees. Didn't seem quite fair really. Poor thing ...

I'm happy to report, he's doing fine and is sporting all kinds of new chestnutty foliage. Keep your fingers crossed.

Miscellaneous:

I mentioned the book, "Dark Light" by Randy White when I returned from my recent hiatus. The story turned out to be most excellent for a Floridaphillic fellow like FC. The only bad thing was his character was WAY too similar to one I've been kicking around in my head, so my novel idea will need a good dose of tweaking. Doncha hate that?

I found a neat Florida nature blog last night while searching through endless "my politics, my thoughts on life,my kids, my dating, my get rich quick, ... my drivel blogs". Check out the Paddle Tales link over to the right. Wonderful "sea level" shots of wildlife from a kayak.

I know it's only Tuesday, but Friday's Florida Food post is the real (as in extremely Floridian) thing, and I bet you've never eaten it. No, it's nothing obvious like gator or rattlesnake. Better ... better tasting that is.