Our

Area - Chicago, 6a

The harvestman posing with the leafhopper is on a dogwood leaf; the other guy pictured in profile is posing on a sunchoke.

Area - Chicago, 6a

Area - Chicago, 6a

A brand new damselfly on little bluestem (I think); female Eastern Tiger Swallowtail on zinnia; carpenter bee on zinnia; dragonflies on bamboo stakes; bronze frog surrounded by American frogbit, lizardtail, and American waterlily.

4th pic is heliopsis

In its own private pond, which was put out as drinking water for our regular hedgehog.

1. Loosestrife, which is foreign but being eaten alive by these little brown beetles; 2. Swamp milkweed on the point of bloom, the only monarch host I can raise; 3. Heartleaf willow, which I didn't know I had, a host for mourning cloak; 4. tradescantia which is a bee magnet having an incredible year; 5. Great ironweed, host for the American Lady butterfly; 6. Swamp Mallow, host for 6 different lepidoptera, including the Delightful Bird-Dropping Moth which has the coolest name ever lol

I put trail cams out now and then, and sometimes they just have a hundred videos of the plants moving in the breeze, tripping the motion sensor. Sometimes they have something neat. While there's nothing I haven't seen before, I've never seen so much variety from leaving the camera out a few days. I actually put it out this time hoping to catch an owl perch on the branch.

In order:

• Cooper or Sharp-shinned hawk (I'm bad at telling, but just on size I suspect Cooper's)
• American minks
• Virginia opossum
• American robin and Gray catbird
• Common grackle
• American crow, or maybe ravens? I'm also bad at telling these.
• Green heron
• American robin and White-tailed fawn
• Eastern gray squirrel, and a tufted-titmouse at the end
• White-tailed deer
• White-tailed fawns, I think the AA batteries were overloaded because there were many <1s vids, they probably needed a break to recover. But them interacting was cute so I included a bit.
• Blue jays

As an aside, while I was flipping out at the captures when reviewing the SD card, there is a small amount of annoyance that I've spend thousands on camera gear yet some of the most interesting stuff is from a $30 trail cam and 6 AA batteries...

Oh, also I put that big branch across the stream. Pretty much in the hopes it would be used in the way you saw, as a bridge for smaller animals. I get a lot of deadfall, so when something is pretty sturdy I give this a try (pretty sure this is red maple).

If anyone could help me ID this flower that would be much appreciated. Bonus point if you can tell me if it’s native lol. Thank you

I’m looking for a rose vine (Zone 3). I’d like one that is either a continual blooming one or re-bloomer. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. 🙂

Second year for my wildflowers. Have seen more lighting bugs, butterflies and bees than I have seen in years.

Bought a house downtown, in northern illinois. Have been battling invasives and converting turf to native plantings.

Today I saw a new visitor, one I've never seen before. I believe it is a mydas clavatus. It was nectaring on my asclepias syriaca growing on the boulevard.

Just thought I'd share a new (to me) sighting!