Frass

 In the Warming Up post I noted the caterpillars which were quite numerous on the trail.

The same was true in our campsite.

On the ground.

Climbing trees. It took a conscious effort to avoid squishing them.

We think it was the heavy rain that knocked them out of the trees to the forest floor. And we were surprised that the birds were not gobbling them up.

But even before we saw them we new they were there. Because of this:

That little round thing, that's "frass". Caterpillar poop. And it was raining down on us at the site.

All those black dots on top of the tent, frass that has fallen and hasn't yet been blown off.

🐛  🐛  🐛  🐛  🐛

Our friend Ann-Marie recently emailed us, inquiring, among other things, as to the caterpillar numbers in our yard. It has been so hot this summer we've not spent as much time in the yard as in past years. And we've been away for over a moth this summer. Notwithstanding, it does seem as if numbers are down this year. But not in the Franconia Notch section of New Hampshire. There are plenty up there!