Thank goodness their mom was able to find some native milkweed after such a long flight, eh? I hear the non-native milkweeds are actually bad for the monarchs. Thus, the less-than-fastidious lawn mowing in the park this summer is serving a greater purpose, it seems.
Meanwhile, the yellow salsify (Tragopogon dubius) has opened just outside the maintenance yard, and the lance-leaved tickseed (Coreopsis lanceolata) is feeding some tiny pollinator on the steep slope from the beer garden down to the river.
My favorite new pollinator, though, is this pure golden-green sweat bee (Augochlora pura) on the meadow garlic (Allium canadense) we first saw on Sunday near the base of one of the stairs down to the river. And, no, that’s not the typo I thought it was. They’re really called sweat bees, not sweet bees, as I had originally thought, because “they are often attracted to perspiration.” Luckily, “they are only likely to sting if disturbed,” and “the sting is minor.” Amazing color, though, eh?
Finally, here is a firefly without a flash (Pyropyga nigricans), as far as I can tell, near the base of another one of the stairs down to the river.
Well, that’s it for today, campers. Make sure you enjoy the fine weather out there, with appropriate precautions, of course, before it gets too steamy.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 
Holy moly. I looked at the caterpillar photo and smelled and felt caterpillar. (Lots of monarchs and fields and milkweed growing up.)
Well done, as always.
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