Update for 07-05-14

On a recent walk at Bona Dea Park, I went by a picnic table right under a very big American Sycamore tree. I had noticed that for some reason these trees had shed more of their bark this year than in any years past that I can remember. The ground is literally littered with bark. But I also noticed a caterpillar walking on the picnic table. I took these photos of the caterpillar

. A Sycamore Tussock-Halysidota harrisii. They seem to be indigenous to these trees. With the caterpillar photos are photos of what the adult result is. A Sycamore Tussock Moth. I think both the caterpillar and moth are pretty. Also photos of a Sycamore tree and the scattered bark that these trees shed. Looks like the experts believe that the tree outgrows the bark in the middle section of the trees and breaks loose. Maybe due to the cooler, wetter weather we have had in this area this spring and summer, the trees are growing faster that usual.

UPDATE FOR 05-03-2014

Mississippi Kite-Ictinia mississippiensis-On Old Shorty Trail-05-03-14. This is a bird love story. I was walking the trail

when I looked up in a tree and saw this female. I watched for a long time and then its mate flew down from nowhere and they mated and then he flew off. This happened 4 or 5 times and then they both flew off. Have never seen this specie in this area before. I only had an ipod for a camera. The poor photo is in the middle of the others which are borrowed photos of the mating process and the male flying over the female and close up of the front and back of a similiar bird. These photos shows it all exactly as it looked to me.