Tuesday, October 09, 2012

Falcons & Butterflies

I recently wrote several posts about falcons and caterpillars. Today I have updates.

As you might recall, Ocracoke resident, Peter Vankevich, told me he had seen a number (actually 42) migrating peregrine falcons on a recent morning. A friend of his wrote an article about these magnificent birds. Hal Broadfoot writes on FayObserver.com that "In four hours, [Peter] saw more peregrine falcons than once were believed to exist in the eastern U.S..... He also told me that the next day, his friends had seen 50 additional peregrines making a beeline south."

 You can read Broadfoot's article here: http://www.fayobserver.com/articles/2012/10/06/1209025?sac=fo.life.

Several readers wrote to inform me that the caterpillar that has been feeding on my passion flower vine, and that gave me a minor rash, is the larva stage of the Gulf Fritillary Butterfly. As it turns out, I have not only the caterpillars, but the butterflies in my yard. The butterflies are beautiful creatures, but it is maddeningly difficult to get a good photo of them because they flit around so erratically. But I did manage to catch these two (one with wings outspread, the other barely visible).

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly



















Our latest Ocracoke Newsletter is a gallery of photos of fences on Howard Street and Lawton Lane. To go directly to the this month's Newsletter click here: http://www.villagecraftsmen.com/news092112.htm

5 comments:

  1. Anonymous10:10 AM

    Beautiful and worth getting a rash for! Just found a rental for next May. I cannot wait to get back to Ocracoke and do the Ghost Tour again. This time I am bringing my boyfriend, so it doesn't matter how many grave yards I need to walk by after to get back home! I will have protection. As always, enjoy reading your daily journals.

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  2. Anonymous10:14 AM

    Yes, thank you for the photo.

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  3. Julie S.2:05 PM

    I'm sorry you got a rash but I'm very pleased it didn't cause you to exterminate the offender! Lovely!

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  4. Anonymous9:59 AM

    thanks for posting..

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  5. Anonymous9:08 AM

    Isn't this experience something like life, Philip? Often, we have to suffer through something unpleasant to realize something most beautiful?

    NC Mainlander thanks you for your lovely butterfly photo.

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