Hickory Horn Devil

I got a call from the Henry Stoltzfus family who live near us.  Their boys wanted to show me something they found in the woods.  It was a Hickory horn devil, the largest caterpillar we have around here.  They were afraid of it because of the way it looks but they are totally harmless.  This ugly caterpillar turns into the most beautiful moth in the spring - I filled a bucket with potting soil and in no time he buried himself to begin his change.  The first three pics are of the caterpillar that the Stoltzfus boys gave me, the last is a picture from pine mountain KY 2 years ago

Hickory Horn Devil on Hickory Leaves (host plant)

Hickory Horn Devil -  7 inches long

A face only a mother could love - the hickory horn devil

Royal Walnut Moth - adult of the Hickory Horn Devil caterpillar

NATURE CLUB ENJOYED BY ALL

 Our second annual nature club ended with a fun session last Thursday Aug 6.  We had a guest speaker sharing about butterflies.  Retired Millersville University biology professor Ken Miller shared his latest slides on the complete life cycle of the Tiger Swallowtail.  He also shared pictures of butterfly eggs taken with a very powerful microscope camera.  To see the beauty and detail of our creators work was breath taking.  It is wonderful to live at a time where technology reveals things unseen by generations past.  Pity, that many who live in this age refuse to see God's fingerprints - "open our eyes, Lord, we want to see JESUS."

Milkweed bug that I found today 8/8/11

Don and Florence Billett at the nature club under the trees at Stricker's pond

more nature club fun

we had an average of 45 children and 10 adults at each of the 4 meetings

We met under the shade trees next to the pond for 2 sessions and in the "upper room" for the others

Thank you to all who came and especially to the Strickler family for the use of there wonderful facilities

(Brian, Christina, Eva, and  Daren Forry with Don and Birdy - photo by Rachel Forry)

Little Eva Forry missed the last two weeks of nature club due to an accident so we went to visit her today 8/8/11.  We did not want her to miss an opportunity to meet "Birdy" (on my shoulder)  On the last day of nature club the children were treated to orange cream popsicles.  Of course I had one myself.  The children enjoyed watching birdy and I share one.  Birdy was patient while I got a bite but allowed me only one before she got her's.  A big thank you to a nice family from Dover PA for the gift of Birdy - she is certainly one of God's beautiful creations.

FORT INDIANTOWN GAP

 I was able to meet some nice "nature nuts" today at Fort Indian town Gap.  This is the one of the few habitats left for the beautiful Regal Fritillary Butterfly.  The area where this population is found is closed to the public so you must go on special days when their staff lead tours.

American Lady at FIT

 

Eastern Box Turtle at FIT

Black Rat Snake and me

Dusky Wing (Persius?)

Hackberry Emperor

The habitat at FIT

Julie Eckenroad (FIT Wildlife Staff) with Black Rat Snake

Regal Fritillaries (male on left - female on right)

Virgina Tildon (FIT Wildlife Staff) with Regal

Virgina Tildon (FIT Wildlife Staff) with Regal

SOUTHERN DELAWARE 2011

The Billett Family has been going to Rehoboth Beach every June sine 1954. I was born in 1955, so the summer would not seem right with out the family time there. Florence and I were able to enjoy a “36 hour poor man's vacation" this year. We took Myron Hostetter along and he paid the gas, Mom and Dad left us sleep at their place, and Aunt Jane took us out to eat twice. Thanks to all of them or we would not have been able to go. Of course when I go to Delaware I have to spend time at one of the National Wildlife Refuges there. I spent about 4 hours at Prime Hook NWR. The birds were not plentiful (I went in the early pm) but the insects were out in force. I got more pictures than bites thanks to Mr. Deet. Here are some of the better shots. I do not know much about Dragon Flies so maybe you can help with their ID.

 Dragon Fly (1) at Turkle Pond

 Dragon Fly (2) at Turkle Pond

 Dragon Fly (3) at Turkle Pond

A friendly local (Purple Martin) gives me directions

Red Admiral

CREATION APPRECIATION MENAGERIE

Here is a copy of an email i sent to the children of Mark and Loraine Martin that I want to share with all of you -

-- Children - get out there and see what God has done - It is so blessed to see His fingerprints - one of the lessons God teaches us about Himself through nature is His awesomeness - the more you learn about nature the more you see that you do not know - same with God - you can not build a box big enough to hold Him - our human brains (as amazing as they are) can never understand His greatness, His goodness, or His beauty.  As one of my dear friends often says "We just can't wrap our minds around Him."  -- also you may want to know that the menagerie at our house is growing.  We have 2 parakeets, 2 love birds, 2 cockatiels, 1 red eared slider turtle, 1 yellow belly slider turtle, 1 painted turtle, a garter snake, about 10 earthworms, the 6 wood frog tadpoles you saw at Root's, and many stinkbugs (that we do not want) - (even Charles the garter snake won't eat them - but I swallowed one with my coffee two weeks ago - ugg!!!!)  Lord willing tomorrow night I will pick up two African clawed frogs. and we are still trying to find a large talking bird for a "cheap" price.  (you can pray that someone will donate one)  Remember that you can send your "nature reports" to me and I will send you another Creator Card to add to your collection.

 This is a male Bobolink in full breeding plumage.  I "shot" him at Middle Creek last week.  Bobolinks used to be common in Lancaster County but not anymore - they are ground nesters and modern farming practices have cut down their habitat greatly.  Look these guys up in a book or the Internet - they have the longest migration of all the song birds I know about.  They winter in Argentina.

 We went to York County to pick up a microscope and set of prepared nature slide that was given to us and found this robin nest in the shrubs in front of the house of our new friends.  Look closely there is an egg and a very recently hatched chick.  This reminds me about a poem that our children learned in first or second grade.  

"We have a little secret, just we three

The Robin, me, and the sweet Cherry tree

The Robin told the tree and the tree told me"

(It went something like that - If you know it -send me a copy)

 

Here is the American Bittern I mentioned in the email.  When he knows your around he raises his bill in there air and rocks back an forth like a reed in the wind.  I have been told that he is a very shy bird but we got within twenty feet of him before he walked away.  Thank you to Dick Brown who told us about this bird on his pond near Mount Gretna.

Here is a Bob White Quail, I have seen many before but not in the wild.  This picture was taken on the Myron and John Dietz farm in York County (near Wrightsville).  I suspect that he was a "farm raised" bird that was released for hunters because he did not run for cover but stayed on the edge of the road while I followed him.  What a treat it would have been to hear him but he was not in the mood to talk.

Thanks for reading the blog and GET OUT to see what God is doing.  After all He did all of this for you.

WELOME BACK BUTTERFLIES

We have been privilaged to see some of the "summer" butteries. While we always enjoy the angle wings etc in the spring but when the others start showing up I become "born again, again."

Here are three we saw  on Thursday April 28 in Perry County.

American Lady

Tiger Swallowtail - a very poor picture, sorry.  I was so happy to see him but he was not willing to pose.

Red Admiral


My friend John Laskowski drove me to the monthly Butterfly Club meeting at the North Museum in Lancaster on Monday eve.  Our speaker was a local MD (surgeon) - Dr Newcommer.  He has been an active member of the club for years and does great photography.  He is extremely well versed in insects and other field biology.  I enjoyed his presentation entitled "the evolution of insects"  You all know that I did not agree with a lot he said but I was not there to debate the man (nor do I think myself qualified to).  I have been to meetings where these people are literally attacked by creationist and treated rudely - we as Christian need to be kind and loving as well as not being ashamed of what we believe. 

Yes, I am not ashamed to say I believe the Biblical account of Creation.  However, I am not blind enough to to think that there are no questions and not so ignorant to think that all of the questions have answers (until then).  If you think that is doubting, pray for me.

MY FATHER'S GARDEN

What a blessing it has been to welcome more spring wildflowers.
We have taking several trips to Shenk's ferry and one to our cousins cabins and Fowler's Hollow State Park in Perry County.  At Shenk's Ferry I often sit on the bench that is about half way back the trail and strike up conversations with folks as they are walking by.  I always ask them if they are enjoying my Father's garden.  Their reactions are varied but I think it is important to remind them who it is that made this beauty.  Here are some of the flowers we have been seeing.

 Rue Anemone

Trillium Granda Flora (pink morph)

Trillium Granda Flora 

Wild Geranium

Bluets - Quaker Ladies

Red Bud

Rue Anemone

Black Snake Root

Common Buttercup

Marsh Marigolds

 Pussytoes

Common Shad Bush (Service Berry)

 Blue Violets

Purple Violets

SPRING WILDFLOWERS FOR EASTER

It is time to get out and enjoy - the weather and my health have been "ify" but I did manage to get out and enjoy a bit of the beauty God is displaying in his wonderful gallery called earth.

In late March I was able to get a view (through a scope) of a Mountain Bluebird at Middle Creek.  A very infrequent visitor to PA a a first sigthing for me.  I was so far away that the only photos I got were not good enough to share but the scope gave me a personal memory picture I will not forget.

The Wildflowers are blooming at Shenk's Ferry and as always the weather changes the order of their appearing as well as quality and quantity of blossoms.  here are 3 pictures taken this week (between the rain drops)

 Blood Root

 Dutchman's Breeches

Spring Beauty