Today I took a hike at Buffalo Rock State Park with my family.  Its a great place to spend the afternoon exploring the trails.  You can start off your stay by admiring the two American Bison that reside there.  Then you can head off on the trails and enjoy the earth sculptures called “Effigy Tumuli” which depict a water strider, catfish, frog, turtle and snake.  There are also lots of bugs and birds to find along the way, as well as two overlooks where you can get a great view of the illinois river.  There are two picnic shelters and several picnic tables, so it is also a perfect place for a picnic or family gathering. 

I got an email from Marcie about the post on tomato hornworms I made.  Turns out they are actually “White-lined Sphinx Moth caterpillars”.  The stunning moths are huge and beautifully patterned.  I will try and set up a white sheet with a spotlight on it one night to try and attract the moths.  Hopefully, I can then take a picture of one and make another post.

My prairie seems to be in full bloom for the summer.  There is menarda, liatris, black-eyed and brown-eyed susan, yellow coneflower to name a few.  All these flowers are attracting lots of visitors, from countless butterflies and bees, to hummingbirds and dragonflies.  I am also hopeful that the 4-year old compass plant will finally flower this year.

The spicebush caterpillars are getting quite big these days.  With their body looking like they have a big head and eyes they defineatly have a comical look to them.  I look forward to keeping  a watch out for them to change into their next color phase of green and yellow.