It was a beautiful morning and we had to be in Provincetown early, so we went over to take hike on the Beech Forest Trail. As we pulled in to the parking lot, there were all these bird photographers with their huge cameras aimed at this one particular tree.
Wow! There were hundreds of Cedar Waxwings flitting about from branch to branch. It was quite a sight to see! What a treat!
It is the perfect time to hike the Atlantic White Swamp Trail in Wellfleet when the temps and humidity have dropped and there aren’t any mosquitoes. (Click on blog link for other photo.)
It’s such a diversified hike that starts in the woods, then through the swamp on the boardwalk and then back on an old dirt road. It so pretty and fun for the whole family!
I was taking a walk at Fort Hill yesterday morning when I happened to see a little “color” under one of the milkweed leaves on the side of the trail. I took another look and there was this beautiful and colorful Monarch caterpillar. It’s the first one that I’ve seen this year. What a treat!
“The monarch butterfly is a recognizable North American insect known for its bright orange and black wings, long-distance migration, and dependence on milkweed plants. Monarch caterpillars exclusively eat milkweed, which makes them toxic to predators, while adult monarchs feed on nectar from various flowers. The species undergoes a four-stage life cycle (egg, larva, pupa, adult) and undertakes a remarkable annual migration from Canada and the U.S. to overwintering sites in Mexico or California.”
The Monarch butterflies and caterpillars are so beautiful and so fascinating!
“A wasp nest is a structure built by wasps, typically from chewed wood pulp, paper, or mud to house the colony and raise their young. Nests vary by species, from single-celled or umbrella-shaped paper nests to large, enclosed aerial nests that resemble footballs, to underground burrows.” (Click on blog link for other photo.)
This nest that we saw on the Beech Forest Trail was humongous! It was easily 15-18” tall and looked like a huge football.
We saw the “Caution” signs as we were hiking the trail. When we were close enough to read about the was nest we could see how huge it was! Yikes!
I wonder what will become of the nest. Will the wasps just leave and maybe they can use the nest as an educational tool or will someone take it down? I’ve never seen one that huge! Have you?
Have you see all of the beautiful Blue Chicory wildflowers blooming on Cape Cod? I’ve seen them everywhere, especially on the sides of most of the roads. They are so vibrant and so pretty!
Did you know that “Wild Chicory’s beautiful blue flowers change color as they age, becoming white? The plant is also edible and a good source of Vitamin A.”
A couple of interesting facts: The stemless flowers grow right on the stalk and each flower lasts only one day. Chicory blooms through October so you still have lots of time to see it.
