Common Checkered Skipper et al Silver Sands 29 Sept

Many butterflies at Silver Sands SP today--sun after cold and rain. Tried hard to get photos of Common Checkered Skipper, but very hard to do. First, a photo of a female Sachem in our yard this morning; second a Clouded/Orange Sulfur (Colias philodice/eurytheme) at Silver Sands; then two pictures of the Common Checkered Skipper at Silver Sands.

Milf Pt Horned Larks, Peregrine, Amoys

Today, 28 Sept 10, was stormy at Milford Point. On the sandbar three Peregrine Falcons (one adult and two immatures) sat together and occasionally hunted about 250 shorebirds, about half Black-bellied Plovers but also Dunlin, Sanderling, Semipalmated Sandpipers, Semipalmated Plovers, SB Dowitchers, Willets, and Ruddy Turnstone. (A Merlin also coursed through). The adult Peregrine picked out a pair of American Oystercatchers but gave up the chase easily. We were concerned because our local Amoy trio are still around. Below are pictures of the adult Peregrine (at some distance--just a record shot), two Horned Larks that showed up early on the Francis Street spit, and a video of one of the adult Amoys with the youngster (notice black bill tip and brown color of back) on 25 Sept. (Also, the White-tailed Kite was hunting at the west end of the Point, and a N Harrier was coursing over the marsh. Meanwhile, hundred of DC Cormorants were streaming by in large formations, one of which contained 120 birds. For the first day in a few weeks we did not see a sharp-tailed sparrow in the Spartina.)

Lighthouse 24 Sept: mystery moth, Lg Milkw Bug

On Friday, 24 Sept 10, at Lighthouse Park butterfly garden: unidentified moth (any IDs or guesses?); Large Milkweed Bugs (Oncopeltus fasciatus); very fresh Monarch, one of 50 loving the Hyssops--best Monarch day we've seen this year so far.

White M Hairstreak, 18 Sept 10

This White M Hairstreak landed on our car on Saturday, 18 Sept 10. The photos captures a double White M.

Fiery Skippers and Ladies Lighthouse 14 Sept 10

Sept 14, 2010 was a great day for butterflies at the butterfly garden at Lighthouse Point Park. Especially impressive were the Fiery Skippers and the American and Painted Ladies. The Fierys joined the abundant Sachems and the Ladies joined the massing Monarchs. A few pictures below:

American Lady (dorsal), Painted Lady (ventral), American Lady (ventral), Painted Lady (dorsal), Fiery Skipper.

Sachem, Tawny-edged Skippers, 11 Sept 10

About 4 Tawny-edged Skippers joined the Sachems on 11 Sept 10. The first pictures shows a Sachem and a Tawny-edged Sachems on sedum--this gives an idea of their relative sizes, the Tawny-edged is a very small butterfly; then two photos of female Sachem followed by two Tawny-edged.

Pearl Crescent, mating Monarchs, 11 Sept 10

Ailanthus Webworm, Yellow-collared Scape, 11 Sept 10

On a beautiful September 11, day-flying moths on our neighbor's sedum included the Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva punctella) [2 pictures], and the Yellow-collared Scape Moth (Cisseps fulvicollis)

Lighthouse Park, lep world, 10 Sept 10

A few pictures from a deadheading party at New Haven's Lighthouse Park butterfly garden on 10 Sept 10 (at nearby hawkwatch big thrill to get great views of a Goshawk). A caterpillar, perhaps a Yellow-collared Scape Moth (Cisseps fulvicolis); a Northern Burdock Borer Moth (Papaipema arctivorens)--ID made possible by John Himmelman's CT Moths website); a male Black Swallowtail. Not sure of caterpillar ID--any help welcome.

Peck's Skipper, Pickerel Frog

The Peck's Skipper was taken across the street from our garden on Sedum on 9 Sept 10. Peck's and Sachems make up the majority of skippers in our garden now. The Pickerel Frog showed up on the CBA walk on 5 Sept 10 at Haley's Farm.

YC Night-Heron, N. Waterthrush, Magnolia Warbler

A few pictures of birds at the Connecticut Audubon Coastal Center: An juvenile Yellow-crowned Night Heron in a tree out front on 9 Sept 10; A Northern Waterthrush and a Magnolia Warbler in hand at a CACC banding by Charlotte Weston/Stacy Hanks on 7 Sept 10..

Clapper Rail madcap Silver Sands 3 Sept 10

Here's a video of a Silver Sands Clapper Rail taken from the boardwalk between the parking lot and the beach on 3 Sept 10. The Clapper does some expressive hunting, preening, puffing, hopping, and flapping.

More of the same crazy Clapper:

Gray Hairstreak, Red Admiral, Sachem 1 Sept 10

A few more recent photos of butterflies:a closeup of a female Sachem (ventral): a ventral male Gray Hairstreak (1 Sept 10 at State Park in Westport) and a ventral Red Admiral. Red Admirals have been abundant this year; the Sachems are by far the most abundant skipper at this time of year; the hairstreaks have been hard to find: this Gray Hairstreak (male by orange on abdomen) was found at Sherwood Island State Park today (1 Sept 10), and one was in our garden yesterday. A Red-banded Hairstreak was also recently nectaring on our butterfly bush.