It was such an uncharacteristically warm day, we decided to bicycle down to the Port of Bandon to peruse the Old Town Marketplace.
It was one of those perfect days when everyone was in a good mood with the weather being warm, farmers selling their veggies, and Kirk Schumacher strumming his guitar. I asked Kirk if he would sing one of my favorite summertime songs. Without missing a beat, he belted out “Summertime.”
Bandon Lighthouse
Crabbing at the dock, Bandon lighthouse in background.
I even got to watch a pelican swallow a fish, twice…possibly the same fish. 🙂
We planted fennel this year to attract bees and butterflies. We never saw the butterflies, but we spotted the caterpillars and later on the bees.
August 22, 2014…we started seeing caterpillars on the fennel.
Caterpillars are voracious eaters. Michael Marlow has an up close video of one eating a stem. It doesn’t waste any time. I started noticing my fennel branches were getting bare, then I saw the caterpillars.
This is could be one of the earlier stages of growth. The life cycle of the Black Swallowtail Butterflies can be found here.
Fennel can grow quite tall. This one is at least 7 ft. tall. I wonder if the chrysalis will be hidden in the undergrowth.
The honeybees have been visiting the fennel since early September. I don’t know what the insect at the top is, but it’s very colorful. My wife thinks its a Great Golden Digger Wasp.
Adventures in Natural Beekeeping 