24 August

Mostly cloudy conditions, weak winds and 17.5°C (11:04 AM), with early morning temperatures below 10°C. Even though the weather's (once again) said to shift to hot temperatures again, this season is nearing its end faster than anticipated.

Just two Pieris napi (Zone II & III) and one Coenonympha pamphilus (Zone II) were recorded. Less than a handful of other butterflies, only a single Aglais io and up to two Vanessa cardui, seek out the only butterfly-bush that doesn't smell like rotting sour apples (right next to "! Front Yard Meadow !") but even those are getting rarer to encounter. I briefly thought about taking another trip in the afternoon and switch to my autumn routine but ended up deciding against it; with hardly any blooming alfalfa left, there just isn't any vegetation insects can feed on. The rotten fruits only tend to attract very few wasps after showers.

I did have to smile when I reached Zone III, however. Three agile frogs (Rana dalmatina) were spotted when I walked past the meadow geranium patch.

/oblog/