More Butterflies...

A Silver-spotted Skipper & a Monarch, both in my yard on Garland Road, week of July 15. They love the Purple Coneflower!

Butterfly Season

Summer is a good time to look for butterflies. The striking Red Admiral seems to show up in my yard every year. This species in the family Nymphalidae feeds on stinging nettle and other nettle species. Unfortunately, the most common species in my garden by far is the non-native Cabbage White, whose larvae feed on my spring greens (brassicas).

Wood Frog Tadpoles Emerging

The peak emergence of juvenile Wood Frogs from vernal pools in our area usually occurs around July 4. Notice the long tail remaining on one of the juveniles pictured above (from a pool in south Newton). Eggs are usually deposited in early to mid-April. Although Wood Frogs are common to abundant throughout eastern Massachusetts, they are rare in Newton (see earlier post, "Wood Frogs Calling"). Wood Frogs breed in Cold Spring Park and have now been documented to breed in the Newton section of the Charles River Reservation in south Newton. It is also likely that Wood Frogs occur in the Kennard Conservation area as they have been documented in the abutting Lost Pond preserve in Brookline. I have not been able to locate this species elsewhere in Newton, and doubt that it still occurs at other locales. Please report your observations of this species (and others) by posting a comment.