This week’s photos

Monarch making

Photo by Lee Krohn

A monarch caterpillar chowing down on milkweed leaves in preparation for building a chrysalis where it will hang around for about two weeks before emerging as a monarch butterfly and heading south.

The Charlotte newts

Photo by Lee Krohn

The weather we’ve been having isn’t just good for ducks; it’s also good for red efts or Eastern newts, who like the unseasonably cool and wet weather. These tiny animals are native salamanders who are born in water and use gills to breathe. The juveniles move to the land and develop lungs. As adults they move back to the water. Newts help reduce mosquito populations because they feed on their larvae.

Sneak peek

Photo by Lee Krohn

The sun makes a brief appearance on Friday over Charlotte Beach in between evening storms.

Rock with a view

Photo by Bill Fraser-Harris

Although this rock has often been associated with meditation, it’s also a good place for lunching.