My moths are beginning to hatch – a little later than they have in other years. The Polphemus moths all hatched last week. I’m taking care of Margot’s moths too, so for 3 of the days I had 9 moths emerge each day!

Polyphemus Moth – the first of the year

This is its cocoon with the hole it emerged through.

We’ve been having so many rainy nights that it’s been difficult to get them all mated.

Three of the Prometheus moths emerged from the cocoons I got from Ian – all males.

Male Prometheus moth just after emerging from its cocoon

Here are some better views of its wings.

They’re beautiful moths – about half the size of Cecropias. I still have one cocoon left, which shows no sign of hatching.

The Cecropias have just started to hatch.

Thickets of aspen seedlings are starting to appear in some of our planted prairies, and in some of the savanna areas that we’ve mowed.

This is the grove of aspen seedlings in the Narrows Prairie.

Dave Linderud, a friend who used to work for the DNR and still works on prairie restorations, suggested that I could try cutting or mowing the seedlings after they’ve brought up all the resources from their roots, but before they start carrying nutrients down again. I think we’ll try the mowing in July, but first I need to girdle all the nearby big aspens that might be part of the same clone.

So I’m girdling the big aspens along the edge of the prairie and on the top of Fallen Oak Point.

Golden Alexander, Indian Paintbrush, and Lupine are blooming in the planted prairies.

Golden Alexander (Zizia aurea)

Lupine (Lupinus perennis)

Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja coccinea)

Buffalo Ridge Prairie

Cream Wild Indigo is blooming in Pat’s Prairie and on the rocks behind the house.

Cream Wild Indigo (Baptisia bracteata)

Fringed Puccoon (Lithospermum incisum) on Sumac Prairie

Ebony Spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron) – a fern with its leaves just opening

Robin’s Plantain on Hidden Oaks Point

Phlox and lupine near the house

Phlox

Lily-leaved Twayblade (Liparis lilifolia) – an early summer orchid

Detail of the orchid flower

Balsam Ragwort (Senecio paupercula)

Leonard’s Scullcap (Scutellaria parvula)

Starry False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum stellatum)

Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum)

People in cities tend to think of this as a weed, because it’s common and aggressive in gardens. It’s actually a native, and on our land it grows mostly in the gullies made by seasonal streams.

Blue-eyed Grass in one of the areas we cleared on Hidden Oaks Point

I’ve been puzzling about a sparrow that lives on some of the upper prairies and has a very buzzy call. I finally got a good look at one – it’s a Clay-colored Sparrow. It likes to sing from perches on old Field Thistles stalks.

I’ve seen a couple of Scarlet Tanagers one on Fallen Oak Point and one on Indian Grass Point.

This is a Tree Swallow that lives in one of our nest boxes.

The baby Phoebes that live above one of our porch windows are just about ready to leave their nest.

There are lots of butterflies and moths out now – when it isn’t raining.

Nessus Sphinx Moth

Hobomok Skipper

another view

and another

Gorgone Checkerspot

Eight-spotted Forester

Arched Hooktip – a beautiful little moth that I had never seen before. It’s named for the hook at the edge of its wings.

White-spotted Sable Moth

Eastern Tailed Blue butterfly

A Dreamy Duskywing – the first time I’ve seen one at the farm

Common Ringlet

Northern Cloudywing butterfly

and another view

Silver Spotted Skipper

another view

Tiger Swallowtail

Whenever the sun comes out, dozens of Northern Crescents flutter around on the driveway.

The newest part of Western Prairie – the area we planted last fall – is full of blooming Hawkweed (Crepis tectorum). It’s an annual weed, but it doesn’t seem to cause any problems – it disappears when the prairie matures – and it looks beautiful for the first few years.

Here’s a chipmunk that watched us as we walked up behind the house.

Some views across Pine Point Prairie, just at sunset.

Golden Alexanders

I like sitting there and watching it get dark. June Bugs fly all around me – they make a loud buzzing and I can see them silhouetted against the sunset. I still hear American Toads and a Gray Tree Frogs, and a few Spring Peepers. Now there are some Green Frogs too, and bats flying over my head. One evening I saw the silhouette of a bird flying back and forth, low over the grasses – I asked the folks on the birdnet, and they all agreed that it was a Whip-poor-will feeding on insects.