Acmon Blue Butterflies
The Acmon Blue Butterflies (Plebejus or Icaricia acmon) are fairly common and more widespread than some of the other gossamer wings (Lycaenidae)....
Silvery Blue Butterflies
My home and garden are situated next to an open meadow, and within that meadow grows lots and lots of vetch! The vetch (vicia spp.) also shows up at...
On Gossamer Wings: The Lycaenidae Butterflies
The Lycaenidae family of butterflies—blues, hairstreaks, coppers, and metalmarks, are usually small and very delicate looking, many of them...
The Swallowtails
Within the family Papilionidae are some of the largest and most spectacular butterflies in the world. Four species are commonly seen in Marin; each...
The “Whites”
One of the most common butterflies we see around Marin is the Cabbage White; and it has the distinction of being the only naturalized exotic...
The Other “Ladies”
There are three closely related 'Ladies' that are easy to provide for in a habitat garden; the Painted Lady, the American Lady, and the West Coast...
Painted Lady Larval Host Plants
Other Larval Host Plants Painted lady larva will also feed on weedy thistles in the Cirsium and Silybum genera, as well as the dreaded Yellow Star...
Painted Lady Butterflies
The Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) is the most cosmopolitan of all butterflies on earth. This butterfly is widely distributed all over the Northern...
Birds and Berries
All through the rainy season many birds rely on fruits as a major part of their diet. These birds often travel in flocks, like the Cedar Waxwings...
Some Natural Types of Seed Pre-Conditioning
Whenever I'm out collecting I always keep it foremost in my mind that seeds are food for all sorts of insects and other invertebrates, for birds,...
Fecundity
I’ve always had a fascination with fecundity; a desire to make more of something, especially when an abundance of possibilities is so...