Steve's Birds

Monday, August 24, 2015

Variegated Fritillary, Ap. Brown,

Today, 8/24/15, at Eisenhower Park, Variegated Fritillary, Appalachian Brown

Dogday Harvestfly, (Tibicen canicularis) Eisenhower Park

Dogday Harvestfly, eisenhower Park

Appalachian Brown, 8/24/15 Eisenhower Park

Appalachian Brown, Eisenhower Park

Peck's Skipper, home

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, home

Great Spangled Fritillary

Monarch on tall zinnia, home

Variegated Fritillary, Eisenhower Park, 8/24/15

Variegated Fritillary, Eisenhower Park 8/24/15

Hummingbird Clearwing, Hemaris thysbe

Long-tailed Duck, Milford Point, summer 2015

Pearl Crescent

Common Wood Nymph

Gray Hairstreak

Clouded Sulphur

Silver Sands Clapper Rail, molting, 8/25/15

Silver Sands, Clapper Rail, 8/25/15 molting

Zabulon Skipper, male, dorsal 8/25/15, Osborndale SP

Checkered Whites Milford Pt 8/24/15

This morning, 8/24/15, at least 5 Checkered Whites at same location at Milford Point--where Francis St spit begins at beach. Charla found a male on the sea lavender that flourishes next to the cord grass just west of the spit. Pictured are a female (the only one we found--it is quite worn), and a male in the sea lavender. Their favorite nectar source is the Spotted Knapweed:

Sunday, August 23, 2015

Hackberry Emperor, Marbled Godwit Guilford 8/22/15

On Lenny Brown's Jarod Eliot CBA walk on 8/22/15, a Marbled Godwit at Chaffinch Park found by Sol Satin, and a Hackberry Emperor at Spencer Creek Preserve (on a telephone pole, where we usually found them):

Hackberry Emperor, Spencer's Creek, Preserve, Guilford 8/22/15

Marbled Godwit, Chaffinch Park, Guilford 8/22/15

Clouded Sulphur, Jarod Eliot, Guilford 8/22/15

Hackberry Emperor, Spencer's Creek, 8/22/15

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Swarthy Skipper, Stratford Point, 8/18/15; 8/19/15

Swarthy Skipper, Stratford Point 8/19/15

At Stratford Point this morning (8/18/15), looked for the Swarthy Skippers that have been reported for the past few days, first found by Stefan Martin. Luckily, Patrick Comins was present and he found one hiding deep in the red clover cover--and then we found at least 3 or 4 more. Distinctive contrast between forewing and hindwing shape & length; also venation of hind wing stands out in relief--quite different than the Tanwy-edged Skippers also in evidence in the same habitat today. Two views of a record photo below:

Swarthy Skipper, 8/18/15 Stratford Point

Tawny-edged Skipper 8/18/15 Stratford Point

Monday, August 17, 2015

Checkered White, Milford Point, 8/17/15

Bill Van Loan and Peter De Gennaro located a Checkered White at the beginning of the Francis Street spit at Milford Point yesterday. This morning, around 9:55 AM, I found two males patrolling the area, at times, circling each other. They were skittish and hard to photograph. Thanks to Bill and Peter for finding them--I've probably walked by them thinking they were Cabbage Whites.