You may have noticed a lack of birds lately, but it's nothing to worry about. In a few more weeks we’ll have temperatures near freezing, and you're sure to have hungry birds at your feeders.
Frequently Missourians send me photos of various caterpillars, and they usually ask me to identify them. One of the more interesting ones is the caterpillar of the spicebush swallowtail butterfly (Papilio troilus). It is a common species in the Ozarks but less so in other Missouri regions.