Nature journal entries summer 2020

• June 22, 2020: So far no Monarch butterflies have been spotted in our home gardens. Plenty of cabbage whites, a few painted ladies a couple weeks back, and a tiger swallowtail. Very wet spring, especially June, but now it’s turning hot, slightly above seasonal averages (80-85F, overnight lows 50-55F).  Two young praying mantises captured this past week. (see photo).
• Native varieties of milkweed that support Monarchs: https://blog.nwf.org/2015/02/twelve-native-milkweeds-for-monarchs/
• June 23, 2020: Hot (91°F, 4:45pm) and sunny, light winds. spent a couple hours in the am working in the garden – build trellis for trumpet vine in terrace garden (using dead maple tree branches), pull and burn weeds. Small ~1″ orange patterned BF (fritillary) (?) surveying the lawn, tiger swallowtail, quail, cabbage whites, lots of honeybees. Snow peas, lettuce, scallions doing fine; beans starting.
• July 15, 2020: Beautiful day again today, slightly cooler than “average”, maybe heading for about 85°F. Saw Comet Neowise last night, very clear, but some low hazy clouds did dim the view a bit. That’s my 1st comet ever.