October 2011 – The (Urban-Wildlife) Interface

October 24, 2011 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

Wings

The lepidoptera-mania continues. Today’s catches include a clouded sulphur and an orange gulf fritillary.

10-24 Gulf Fritillary — ORANGE you glad I didn't say Monarch again?

10-24 Clouded Sulphur — SUNNY -- Cloudy sulphur butterfly makes a visit outside the office window.

October 23, 2011 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

Once a resort to regain one’s health and flee the ills of city life, Mount Nebo today is a state park that offers grand views of western Arkansas and is still a place to rise above one’s day to day troubles. Part of the geologic rippling that is the Ouachita system, Mount Nebo is sandstone “bench” that stands 1,850 feet tall.

Mount Nebo is also lends its name to an annual chicken fry in nearby Dardanelle. It’s an unwritten rule of Arkansas politics that anyone running for office must include the Mount Nebo chicken fry on his or her campaign itinerary. (The other mandatory stop is the Gillette Coon Supper.) Those familiar with Charles Portis’ novel “True Grit,” will recognize Dardanelle in Yell County as Mattie Ross’ home.

10-2-Mt-Nebo-Panorama-small — WIDE -- A panoramic shot from Sunset Point on Mount Nebo.

October 21, 2011 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

Gold and parachutes

A beautiful day and a vacation day! Too nice to stay inside, so of course the camera and I took a walk. In addition to more butterflies (see the previous post with the red-spotted purple) the light was just right for a couple of non-insect shots.

10-21-Parachutes — READY FOR DEPARTURE -- Parachutes ready to lift off with their seedy payload.

10-21-Yellow-Leaf — GOLD LEAF -- Fall color that's solid gold.

October 21, 2011October 21, 2011 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

Dark wings

A Canadian cold front gave us a drastic change in temperatures from Sunday’s record high of 88 to this morning’s freeze warning, complete with frost in the valley. The migrating monarchs haven’t reappeared since the mercury went south, but was no deterrent to the red-spotted purple that was flitting around the trees this morning.

10-21-Red-Spotted-Purple2 — FEELING BLUE -- A red spotted purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax) lights on a wild blackberry bush.

10-21-On-the-wing — ON THE WING -- Red-spotted purple flies to his next stop.

October 18, 2011October 18, 2011 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

End of the day

The end of the day fireworks.

10-17-Sunset-1 — PENUMBRA -- The peaks of the Ouachita range to our west trace their shadows in the light of the Oct. 17 sunset. Arcturus (we think) appears as a pinpoint of white in the large dark ray on the left.

October 17, 2011October 18, 2011 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

More visiting monarchs

There were even more monarchs on the mountain on Monday.

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October 17, 2011 suburbanferndaleark Cement mixer

Monarch madness

After weeks of trying to catch a monarch in pixels, finally, finally they made it to the mountain. Maybe it was a strong headwind out of the south that prompted them to take a breather, but today the monarchs made use of the goldenrods for rest and nectar.