I fished two different caterpillars out of the water. Both were hairy. The soggier of the two revived. The other I tentatively identified as Acronicta americana - American Dagger Moth or Halysidota tessellaris - Banded Tussock Moth. Meanwhile the other monarch caterpillar disappeared. I found a big black swallowtail caterpillar some distance from yesterday's sighting, and it appeared yellower so I'm not sure it was the same one. And some sort of green inchworm dangled from the dogwood. I figure it's getting to be time to pupate and that's why such a variety is visible. I also saw the wasp that was hauling off a caterpillar last week.
The adult milkweed bugs also disappeared and it seemed as though their progeny were fewer than before. The plant was beginning to release its seeds and I wondered if that was in response to the bugs attacking the pods. Some sort of assassin bug hobbled across the concrete. A red spotted purple flitted around the cherry.
An osprey circled over the creek against an intensely blue sky. There had been lots of clouds in the morning but they were all gone when I was outside. Crows and blue jays called, The sun highlighted the Argiope web. In addition to the caterpillars, I rescued beetles and a cricket.
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