Photo Challenge – Whatsoever is Lovely – Birds, Bees, and Butterflies

The last three days have seen sunshine, torrential rainstorms, steady rain, and sunshine once more. Camera in hand, I photographed some of the lovely residents of my yard and gardens. They are perfect for Xingfu Mama’s Whatsoever is Lovely Challenge #25.

The Catbirds have been busy flying through the yard in search of insects and visiting the non-melt suet we have hanging on a Shepherd’s Hook. Evidence of the success of their busy lives was in the backyard two days ago.

How sweet, and how glad I was that he/she could fly. I like the hold the fledgling has on the composter. The baby birds seem so vulnerable. I said to my husband, “It is amazing that any survive the pitfalls of backyard fledging.”

The parent birds have been fruitful and are very attentive throughout the fledging period. Raucous warning chirps and screeches reverberated through the yard all day as the baby bird found its way.

Three Little Bees, I am singing the Bob Marley song, ‘Three Little Birds,’ with the substitution word of Bees in place of Birds. These three bees seemed fine sharing the Milkweed blooms among themselves.

Cabbage Whites are sometimes considered pests. Their caterpillars devour cruciferous vegetable leaves. Still, up close and personal, I love their pristine wings and mint green eyes. One of these days, I will paint their beautiful faces.

Problem-Solving – Unwanted Pest

I am never sorry to lose a few parsley or dill leaves to the black swallowtail caterpillar (see photograph above.) There are never too many of them; the most I have ever seen on any plant has been about six. I would never consider them a pest. On the other hand, although I think the fluttery cabbage white butterflies are pretty, I don’t like their egg-laying abilities. A few cabbage white butterflies hovering over any plant in the cabbage family means big trouble, as in the recently shredded leaves of my prized Tuscan Kale.

In the past few days I have hand-picked dozens of caterpillars off of this plant. I think I have caught up at the moment and the plant is free of pests. Where are all my praying mantis predator bugs? I was going to plant a few broccoli plants this week, but now I am rethinking it since they are members of the cabbage family too.

Here is good link to a post about this pest: Cabbage White Butterfly Caterpillar