I started the month with adorable red foxes seen in San Pedro.  Unfortunately, some scary people in the park cut short my photo session. Still, I caught mom and one of the pups. On my various local outings I ran into quite a few baby owls, woodpeckers, swallows, wrens, geese, and ducks all with their downy feathers and demanding attention from their parents. I enjoy sharing my findings with friends and curious passers-by.  It has been a great pleasure to connect with some terrific people who share a love of nature and have a curious and compassionate spirit.

I really saw the impact of the drought on my monthly butterfly count. The grasses are getting so brown early in May. I am hoping that the little rain we had in the middle of the month greens things up a bit. Rural Skippers were the highlight.

I am continuing my insect study at the local nature center for the second year. You can see some of what I found in my local photos. I found a spittle bug in my own yard and wondered what was under all that white foam. Now I know. The tiny spittle bug nymph started to spittle again as  I cleared away his protective froth. A friend found a California Lady Beetle and showed it to me to photograph. I was thrilled to see it. This is only the second one I've seen in five years, as they have been largely displaced by non-native species. 

Enjoy the show! 

Local stuff: http://kimssight.zenfolio.com/new_may_2015

Monthly butterfly count: http://kimssight.zenfolio.com/irc_may_2015