Concerts, Cicdas and Wasps - the Cycle of Life: 7 '22

I am sure you have all heard of the 17-year cicadas 

and how damaging these swarms can be to trees.

What is less discussed is the effect that cicadas could be having  on the other wildlife that call those trees  their home,  I began worring about the answer to that question when I started counting  the number of cicada  in the trees in my back yard, and wondering, " What happens to all of the other woodland creatures that depend upon those trees if those trees don't survive the cicada damage?"

Every night last Spring , our wooded backyard was turned into a concert hall featuring  a pleasant symphony being played by all the woodland creatures living there. Different species of Tree frogs sang out in  base and tenor percussion sounds,  the Owls added measured interludes of winds ( "who- who__-,who- who-who"), and various small mammals added alto notes with squeaks and squeals,  It was so peaceful and calming to hear.  Sadly this summer, that concert is frequently interrupted ( and sometimes outright drowned out ) by the repetitive whirring whine of thosands of swarming cicadas. It is not a pleasant sound, and in someways it reminds me of the siren of some emergency vehicles. 

Just as I was getting really alarmed, I learned about an unlikely hero who is here to save the day.  

Meet the Cicada Wasp.

They're amazing . . Females grab cicadas and put them in the burrows to feed their emerging young'uns.

Female Cicada killer wasps are not aggressive and rarely sting unless handled roughly, disturbed, or caught in clothing, etc. Males aggressively defend their perching areas on nesting sites against rival males but they have no sting. Although they appear to attack anything which moves near their territories, male cicada killers are actually investigating anything which might be a female cicada killer ready to mate.

I am pretty sure I have already met up with some cicada wasps in my backyard, but not knowing their role in the 17-year cycle I gave them a wide birth.  Like many people I assumed that any close inspection was a prelude to an attack, but these wasps rarely sting, bite, or even land on people. If handled roughly females will sting, males will jab with a sharp spine on the tip of their abdomen, and both sexes are well equipped to bite with their large jaws, however they are non-aggressive towards humans and fly away when swatted at, instead of attacking.

Cicada killer wasps exert a natural control on cicada populations and therefore directly benefit the deciduous trees on which cicadas feed. .  So the next time I see one, I will make sure to say; Thank you for saving my trees and the summer concerts they offer.

Bee Careful: 7 '24

This morning Bruce discovered a ground beehive being built under a secluded section of our backyard fence.

We were both so happy to find some pollinators thriving in our back yrd that I rushed inside to make a temporary warning sign to protect both the bees and the humans who might stumble upon them.

 

I will make a more interesting warning sign as soon as possible.

Until then, I just wanted to put something up to help keep our precious pollinators safe.

Frozen: 12 '20

 

Poor Birdies!

All their birdbaths are frozen.

I had to thaw our  hummingbird feeder this morning

 and refill it with warm nectar 

so our wee little hummer didn't starve.

Butterfly Migration underway? 8 '19

I had been thinking about  scaling back some of the taller growing zinnias in our front yard today,  but when I went out with my cutters I found there was a pollinator on almost every blossom.  Every sunflower had a bee harvesting its pollen, and

the zinnias were aflutter with admirals, monarchs, painted ladies, sulfurs, and swallowtail butterflies.

I don't remember the butterfly migration  season ever starting so early in the year,

 but it certainly looks like it is in full swing in my yard this year.

Tidying up the front flower beds will have to wait. I can't mess with the butterfly buffet during their  peak migration.

Mini-Alii Rescue: 8 '19

I thought Bruce was joking when he called out to 'come to see the alligator in our back yard' and 'bring your camera'. Surprise! There WAS a 3 ' young alligator in our back yard. It was stalking the ground feeding birds under our bird feeder. DNR had been called by some neighbors but they just said to let it find its own way back to the water. Unfortunately, the construction fence behind our property had blocked off its only access to the water.

Bruce captured it with a large animal net, then had me get our largest sturdiest animal cage. As you can see it is about 4' long and still had its baby stripes.

It wasn't happy at all about being in the cage and kept hissing and growing at us. We didn't want to stress it out too much, so we wasted no time loading the cage into the back of our SUV and driving to the nearest set of large freshwater ponds, where we released it.

Once the cage door was open it wasted no time scrambling out and heading to the pond, where it was last seen swimming away unharmed.

Pawley's Road Hazards: 5'19

Some folks worry about  deer  unexpectedly crossing the street in front of their car in wooded areas.

Here in Pawleys Plantation, we have to contend with a  different kind of wildlife hazard.

Big Al decided to cross the main street  into the plantation directly in front of us at high noon

 stopping traffic in both directions.

Apparently, he thought the fish in the retaining pond on the north side of Pawleys Plantation Way, might taste better today,  than the fish in the pond on the south side of  PP Way.

Needless to say, we don't go out for walks after dark.

Visiting with the neighbors, Turkeys: 12 '18

Bruce always said, 'some of our neighbors are real turkeys'.

Now he has proof. 

They are trotting right down the center of the street. 

I guess they figured Thanksgiving was over,

 so it was safe to go public.

Zinnias post Florence: 9 '18

  

Zinnias 9 ' 17' 18

Remember how we came home after evacuating from Florence to find my Zinnias had been beaten to the ground by the rain?

The plants were still blooming,

And every blossom had a butterfly on it, and 

all the hummingbirds were feeding on the zinnia nectars.

As near as I could tell,  my flower bed zinnia bed had been, and until my neighbors returned would be the sole source of food for the neighborhood's entire population of pollinators. 

 Zinnia bed 9-18-2018

So I  temporarily staked the sturdiest plants back up as best I could,

Former Zinnia bed 9-20-2018

Now that my neighbors returned, replanted their flowerbeds, and put out their hummingbird feeders,  I feel less guilty about removing the remaining zinnias and cleaning up the flowerbed.  I will miss their vibrant colors, and all the wildlife they supported.

Visiting with the Neighbors: Tree Frog: 8:18

Guess who was ringing the doorbell this evening.

He left tiny froggie toe-prints all over our storm door.

New Hazards on the PP Course: 8 '18

There's a whole new set of hazards on the course this month.

The Joy of Gardening: 8 ' 18

  

With all the rain we have had this summer my Zinnias are going crazy.

  The whole front yard is  aglow with their  brilliant colors.

One of the cactus- flowering  plants thinks it is a dahlia and keeps producing dinner plate size blooms.  Yesterday one of the flowers was over my head. I have to keep cutting back the plant so that it doesn't collapse under its own weight.

  

By mid morning, the flowerbed has become a nectar buffet bar feeding  hundreds of butterflies.  I can't wait to see the area next October when the butterfly migration is in full swing.

Morning walk on P.I. North Beach: 6'18

When  Bruce and I took our morning walk to look for shells on the north end of Pawleys Island's beach, we had a heron following us along the shore. Perhaps he thought we would stir up a tasty crab for his breakfast.

 Sorry, Heron. No tasty crabs, 

but we did collect a fair number of Pawley's Island shells.

Mom's Day at the Zoo: 5'18

To  celebrate Mother's Day  we took a short road trip to the Riverbanks Zoo and Gardens in Columbia, South Carolina.

The Riverbanks Zoo has the usual collection of  exotic animals 

both large  and small.

Out personal favorites were the birds  all of which looked healthy and happy.

The flamingos were so pink  and perfect they looked like animated statues,

and their King Vultures were so pleased with their habitat

that they posed for photos for their fans

But the attractions didn't stop at the wildlife exhibits.

There is really something for everyone here

For the little one there is a demonstration farm complete with a barn where the little ones can pet baby farm animals or take a pony ride 

For the middle school the is a rock climbing wall 

and a water park

And for seriously athletic big kids there is a tree high jungle gym ,

or a hiking trail that takes you across the Saluda River,

complete with historical markers posted along the way.

For  the culturally minded there is a  grassy slope which is perfect to picnic while listening to  an open air concert. 

CC's  personal favorite part of the Riverbanks Park is the Botanical Gardens

To get there you take a short tram ride a through a lush ravine along the Saluda River.  The main garden is divided into two portions:

On the right as you enter is a  cottage garden  filled with antique roses,

beautiful cut flowers,

And lots of nooks to sit back and enjoy the setting.

On the left  is a formal garden set out in a pattern of geometric plots

filled with colorful exotics.

We arrived at a time between seasons.   To keep the portions of the garden  visually interesting, while  waiting for the summer foliage to fill in, the staff utilizes a lot of colorful garden crafts,

and  lots and lots of bold foliage potted plants

In fact, art and craft  is used throughout the entire grounds of both the  zoo and gardens  to enhance  otherwise utilitarian  objects, like: 

 directional maps, and  signage,

 and as barriers to keep people from walking of the official path.

Arts, crafts, lots of exotic plants and animals.... it was CC's idea of the perfect  place to spend Mother's Day!