Bluebirds and Butterflies

There are lots of bluebirds in pasture right now.

two of them in this picture (flying and on top)

They are not a brilliant blue, so I’m guessing they are juveniles.

Pretty soon, they will start their migration to warmer climates for the winter.

I’m going to enjoy seeing them out in pasture as long as I can before they head south.  And there are a lot of wild asters in the ditch right now.  I hadn’t seen this many butterflies in one place since we went into the butterfly room at the Long Island Aquarium. They are perfect for these late summer butterflies. Painted Lady

Yellow Sulfur

I finally figured out the difference between the viceroy and the monarch butterflies because they were both right there on the same plant.

Monarch (larger and not black line on the bottom wing)

Viceroy (smaller and the black line on the bottom wing)

There is also a little bit of fresh clover after our recent rains.

Painted Lady

Bumblebee

Hopefully, they last for a while longer.

Is It Fall?

September 1st is meteorological fall and Labor Day weekend marks the unofficial end of summer, but we have still been warm.  It feels like summer.

But if I look closely, I can see a hint of fall in my corn.

The llamas are growing their fleece.

Maybeline

I already mentioned that the peacock lost his tail.  He’ll spend all fall and winter growing it back out to look beautiful for the chickens in the spring.

The chickens still won’t care.

It’s clearly sunset on summer even if it isn’t real fall yet.

sunset over the cornfield

But it makes me look forward to real fall.

In a Field of Wild Flowers

Without the goats in the back part of the Back Forty, the wildflowers have had a chance to grow.

Can’t resist sharing Myson

And there are tons of dragonflies and butterflies out there.  Very pretty!

black eyed Susan

queen Anne’s lace

wild aster

Of course, the goats are working on eating them out of there again.

LilyAnn

As late as it is in the summer, I’m not sure they’ll get it taken care of this year.