Today's lesson in Entomology

OK, this something is I've never seen let alone found, or should I say that Obi found.  This is apparently a carrion or burying beetle (genus Nicrophorus;  about the size of a bumblebee) with  pinhead-sized phoretic mites covering it.  Phoretic, from phoresy which is "an association in which one animal clings to another to ensure movement from place to place". The beetle and mite relationship is commensal so, except for making the beetle so top heavy it could barely walk, the mites are not harming the beetle.  In fact, the mites go with the beetle to feed on fly larvae that are also attracted to the beetle's carrion dinner.  So, in a way, they share the food. Yikes!

I think I have finally identified one of the birds that for me, marks the arrival of fall by the arrival of their song around the property.  I believe my 'fall song' bird is the Golden-crowned Sparrow (Zonotrichia atricapilla). A very close approximation of what we hear each fall can be found here.

The other two birds that mark the arrival of fall for me are the Northern Flicker (previous post) and the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius). I saw my first Kestrel yesterday afternoon on the power lines at the corner of Stony Point and Jewett.

Northern Flickers

© Sam Wilson

First fall sighting of two Northern Flickers (Colaptes auratus).  They were both flying from the west Pines to the north Pines.

New England Sugar Pie Pumpkins

We harvested 24 New England Sugar Pie pumpkins yesterday.  That's pretty good considering the gophers killed all 18 hills that I had planted in June.  Most of the plants had set fruit before the gopher attacks though.  I'll be making pumpkin pie, of course but, I'll also be trying out Laurie Mount's cupcake recipe and maybe a savory pumpkin soup too.