Let's put on our 'sunnies' and check out the fig tree.
The way things are right now we may even need a
full beekeeping suit!
So many over-ripe figs now, especial high in the tree.
As much as I try to shy away from insects - especially
biting and stinging ones - watching them from a distance
and photographing them close up is quite fascinating.
Every now and then a beautiful butterfly stops by - this is the Monarch
who apparently loves to feast on fermenting figs.
The tree is full of life all day long. The birds still come however the
noise from the insects has now taken over.
The Figeater beetle (Cotinis mutabilis) or June bug.
There are many different bees, wasps, hornets, beetles enjoying the figs.
Handsome Anthophora plumipes (Hairy-footed flower bee)?
Not certain, but perhaps this is such a bee.
Anyone know for sure please?
Leaving you with a sweet American robin. . . . . . . .loves the figs too!
Busy/noisy week here in North Carolina. Started with an earthquake Sunday morning
adding to the recent hurricane and tornado. The heat is oppressive as is normal in
the month of August in the southeast, and the 17-year cicadas are active!
Along with donning face masks, some North Carolinians may also be wearing earplugs!
After nearly two decades underground, a wave of periodical cicadas have emerged and
they are a noisy bunch! Last spotted in 2003, hoards of 17-year cicadas referred to as
Brood IX have arisen from the soil and they are deafening. When one whizzes by your ear
you are startled at the noise it makes. Then, when several thousand start 'singing'
together in the trees in the early evening, you really could use ear plugs!
The earthquake!
A 5.1-magnitude earthquake hit about 2 miles from the town of Sparta, North Carolina, early Sunday, along the state's border with Virginia.The strongest quake to shake the state since 1926, according to the North Carolina Geological Survey. The quake, whose epicenter was in Alleghany County, was felt as far away as Washington D.C. and Atlanta, according to reports to the USGS. It struck about 8:07 a.m. ET.
I didn't feel a thing!!!!!!!!
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Dear Mary, A little creepy and a little fabulous. You are the master of close-up photography.
ReplyDeleteYou're too kind Gina. I was nervous about getting stung but hasn't happened yet, thankfully.
DeleteWow! We felt the earthquake here!! It was quick. By the time we realized what was happening and trying to get outside, it was over. No damage here, just a few crooked pictures on the wall.
ReplyDeleteI had a feeling you would - glad the pictures only tilted and didn't fall Penny!
DeleteYou are certainly doing your share to feed the wildlife! I remember how the ants, bees, beetles and flies loved those figs on that little tree we used to have. Sometimes you have to be sitting very still and it must be quiet to feel those earthquakes. Sometimes you hear them first, the house creaking, etc.
ReplyDeleteSome people in our area say they felt the quake - not us though!
DeleteYes, remember your figs. . . . . and still cry for your avocados dear Sara!
I cry for those avocados too! Just can't find anything half as good these days.
DeleteI didn't believe the warning about the volume the cicadas would make....but then we lived throught it!
ReplyDeleteAmazing!
One needs ear plugs some nights!
DeleteOur main news on TV did not mention the earth quake; hardly surprising as this country is currently trying to cope with schools re-opening, holidaymakers returning and covid-19 positives rising to numbers last seen in May.
ReplyDeleteLove it how so many different insects feast on the same fig, like a banquet!
Yes Meike, life is certainly testing us these days!
DeleteThe bees are still busy out there - the fig tree will be pruned later, just too big and the fruits too tasty for all those insects!
It sounds like the plague in your area between the insects, the heat, the hurricane and the earthquake! The cicadas are here, too and we hear them every evening, but I don't think they're as deafening as yours.
ReplyDeleteHave a good weekend!
At least no fires - how awful it looks in California again!
Deletehow interesting about the ciccadas - hope they aren't around for too long.
ReplyDelete. . . . me too! They can be deafening in the evenings.
ReplyDeleteYou've been through a LOT lately! I hadn't heard about the earthquake nor the disruptively loud cicadas. Nature is not to be tamed, is it? Your insect photos are sensational, and I'm glad you didn't get stung. Thank you for being brave enough to take the photos to share with us!
ReplyDeleteDo take care!
Wow! An earthquake, hot days, and many insects. What entertainment you are having. Our figs won't be ripe for another month, but wondering what critters will discover them before I get to them.
ReplyDelete