What a treat! My first Hummingbird Clear-winged Moth of the year -- two of 'em, in fact -- and at the Butterfly Garden no less!

Also has at least one Monarch some sort of non-stop black swallowtail, and the usual little guys.

Monarch was near Carlos' Bench, and then near the deer exclosure.

Should be getting more butterflies in the coming week.

I took this pic near the Butterfly Garden many years ago, then found it again recently.

Can you name that mammal?

I hope I am not jumping the gun by saying this, but I am sad to say that Mike and Sara Buckley, two Allendale mainstays, are moving across the Hudson to be closer to their family next month.

Mike has been a Celery Farm volunteer for many years, mowing the west side of the path and the Butterfly Garden, trimming the phragmites and doing whatever else he could when he could.

That's Mike above, keeping his usual low profile as he battles the phrags.

Sara has been a key member of the Friends of the Lee Library.

They are two terrific people, and they will be missed.

Thanks for all you do, Sara and Mike!

On Monday, I posed the following mystery:

 Last week I found a half-eaten critter on the main path at the CF.

It was not a bird, a mammal, a reptile, a fish, an insect, or an amphibian.

What was it? 

On Tuesday, I posted the above photo of the critter.

John Moran and Julie McCall answered correctly -- the critter is a half-eaten crustacean known as a crayfish, crawfish or "crawdaddy," and it is a sign of clean freshwater.

John wrote:

"Crawdaddy."

Julie wrote:

It used to be a crayfish. I found a live one a few years ago during the spring, a morning after heavy rain, near the formerly-L-shaped bridge back in the woods. They have Attitude with a capital A. Well, this one doesn't.

More on crayfish here.

As you no doubt know, it is the official crustacean of Louisiana.

(Thanks, Julie and John!)