Spiders, Snakes, Bugs and Slugs

I was shocked to learn that butterflies aggressively chase birds away from trees. The first couple of times I saw it, I thought I was reading too much into it, but after multiple occurrences it became unmistakable. On a mountain walk, my friend Consuelo and I watched through a magnifying glass as a vicious battle unfolded between a slug and a carnivorous beetle. Consuelo unable to bear the violence any longer, reprimanded the bugs for fighting and separated them like spatting toddlers. She was a little indignant at my dispassionate observation of the event but she discussed it with her husband and ultimately decided she could forgive me.

In an alleyway in the midtown area, a couple has devoted part of their property to reintroducing a butterfly that was once fairly common in Santa Cruz County. The Pipevine Swallowtail is a 3-5 inch butterfly. Its black wings have an indigo iridescence visible at certain angles of light