Yelm Backyard Wildlife Project

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Acorn hunting

Acorn hunting this year has been difficult for a second year in a row here in Yelm. This is not good news. A few mature oak stands had acorns ready at the end of August. Others - are just not producing acorns this year as they had in 2008 and 2009. According to USFW and others some of the best times for acorn picking are August through October. Thurston county has produced a map where a few oaks may be located in the county. (Not all oaks are identified by this map.)

Brush footed butterflies Nymphalidae & Arctiidae

Two Lorquin's Admiral butterflies were seen around Thurston county this week, flying towards the East in the direction of the Nisqually River. You may see more butterflies of Thurston county here.

Also spotted flitting through was a beautiful Cinnabar moth, Tyria jacobaeae. Arctiidae Family of moths. Thurston county moths.

"Unfortunately, many of the uncommon and rare species in the Pacific Northwest have not been photographed. In fact, the caterpillar and its foodplant are not known for some of the species." BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST FORESTS AND WOODLANDS: RARE, ENDANGERED, AND MANAGEMENT-SENSITIVE SPECIES, by Jeffrey C. Miller
Department of Rangeland Ecology and Mangement, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon; Paul C. Hammond, Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon; Forest Health Technology Enterprise Team, September 2007 USDA USFS

No birds just bugs

Swarming Crows vs Hawk

Just saw 15 to 20 Crows dive bombing, more like swarming actually, a hawk near a Crows nest. Crows are a family :) and often have older siblings helping at the nest. This Hawk was outnumbered totally!