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Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-21-670176075 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; delsp=yes; format=flowed An Ontario perspective: These observations are interesting to me as well. In a "normal" year, I take many thousands of photos of insects and spiders. Due to other happenings in my life, I haven't had the usual amount of time to devote to actively searching for insects, but I do get out for walks around my farm on a daily basis. I've been getting the distinct impression that the general insect population was not at its usual level of abundance. Certain insects -- fireflies, mosquitoes and odonates seemed about normal or better (better in the case of fireflies and odonates, but just annoyingly over-abundant in the case of mosquitoes, and recently, deer flies). However, moths, butterflies, certain beetles, etc.. seemed to be absent or late in arriving. Spiders also seemed to be sadly lacking until this week. Usually, June is my best photography month, but I believe everything has been delayed quite a bit and July will probably be best this year. It's been rainy and cool here for many weeks - actually, rather relentlessly since April. It's just the past few days that we've finally had a few warm days and nights. All of a sudden, I'm seeing moths around the porch lamps, crab spiders on wildflowers, predatory stinkbugs patrolling plants, and ambush bugs on the heads of yarrow and other plants. I suspect that, either the bloom of insects has been delayed until now, or they've been taking cover in the shelter of dense vegetation. regards, bev wigney osgoode, ontario On 12-Jul-09, at 11:06 AM, Angus MacLean wrote: > This is extremely interesting to me since I have been photographing > insects for several years. Last summer was a total writeoff. At > some sites in previous years there would be scores of insects on > one plant, last summer there were few or none. I had been taking > 100s of photos each day but in 2008 I probably took 200 in total. > However I wasn't certain if it was a complete lack of insects or a > lack of nectar?? Because of the rainy period & atlassing time, it's > not been possible for me to really make a comparison this year. > > At any rate as Randy states, it's unnerving! > > Angus > =============================== No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new doorway for the human spirit. ~ Helen Keller Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. ~ Les Brown =============================== Bev Wigney Skype: estuary2007 Email: bev@magickcanoe.com Blackberry Email: bkwigney@bell.blackberry.net Journey to the Center blog: http://magickcanoe.com/blog11 Online Photo Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/crocodile Magick Canoe website: http://magickcanoe.com --Apple-Mail-21-670176075 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=ISO-8859-1 <html><body style=3D"word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; = -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">An Ontario = perspective:<div><br><div>These observations are interesting to me as = well. =A0In a "normal" year, I take many thousands of photos of insects = and spiders. =A0Due to other happenings in my life, I haven't had the = usual amount of time to devote to actively searching for insects, but I = do get out for walks around my farm on a daily basis. =A0I've been = getting the distinct impression that the general insect population was = not at its usual level of abundance. =A0Certain insects -- fireflies, = mosquitoes and odonates seemed about normal or better (better in the = case of fireflies and odonates, but just annoyingly over-abundant in the = case of mosquitoes, and recently, deer flies). =A0However, moths, = butterflies, certain beetles, etc.. seemed to be absent or late in = arriving. =A0Spiders also seemed to be sadly lacking until this week. = =A0Usually, June is my best photography month, but I believe everything = has been delayed quite a bit and July will probably be best this year. = =A0It's been rainy and cool here for many weeks - actually, rather = relentlessly since April. =A0It's just the past few days that we've = finally had a few warm days and nights. =A0All of a sudden, I'm seeing = moths around the porch lamps, crab spiders on wildflowers, predatory = stinkbugs patrolling plants, and ambush bugs on the heads of yarrow and = other plants. =A0I suspect that, either the bloom of insects has been = delayed until now, or they've been taking cover in the shelter of dense = vegetation. =A0</div><div><br></div><div>regards,</div><div>bev = wigney</div><div>osgoode, = ontario</div><div><br></div><div><br><div><div>On 12-Jul-09, at 11:06 = AM, Angus MacLean wrote:</div><br = class=3D"Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type=3D"cite"><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; ">This is extremely interesting to me since I have = been photographing insects for several years. Last summer was a total = writeoff. At some sites in previous years there would be scores of = insects on one plant, last summer there were few or none. I had been = taking 100s of photos each day but in 2008 I probably took 200 in total. = However I wasn't certain if it was a complete lack of insects or a lack = of nectar?? Because of the rainy period & atlassing time, it's not = been possible for me to really make a comparison this year.</div><div = style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; = margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; ">At any = rate as Randy states, it's unnerving!</div><div style=3D"margin-top: = 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; = min-height: 14px; "><br></div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; = margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; = ">Angus</div><div style=3D"margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; = margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; min-height: 14px; = "><br></div></blockquote></div><div> <span class=3D"Apple-style-span" = style=3D"border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: = 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: = normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: = normal; orphans: 2; text-align: auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: = none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; = -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-v