Monarch Butterfly Release
I raised a couple of Monarch caterpillars this August, something I had not done since I was a child. I collected them and ended up feeding them from my own supply of swamp milkweed leaves that went otherwise unused. While many pollinators visited to enjoy the nectar of the flowers, I did not note any Monarchs in the yard or find any eggs. A couple weeks ago I noticed each chrysalis was turning black not far apart from one another, and by late that morning they’d emerged. I released them onto my coneflowers after their wings dried, and one of the two females provided me a chance to...
Read MoreWestern Sandpiper (Calidris mauri)
Fall shorebirding can be very rewarding in a number of diverse habitats including farm fields, parking lots with pools of water, muddy pastures, grasslands, beaches, and rocky shorelines. Whether they are foraging, preening, or roosting there are always good chances to examine shorebirds for prolonged periods. That does not mean the task of identifying them will be easy! For every readily identifiable bird like the American Oystercatcher there seem to be a few difficult to discern species. The juvenile Western Sandpiper (Calidris mauri), as seen below and photographed in late August, can be...
Read MoreWhimbrel
This is not a very good photo, but it is a very good bird – the Whimbrel (Numenius phaeopus). If you live near any coastal areas you should keep an eye and an ear open to watch and listen for them migrating by right now, as this bird was doing. It was really moving, and being an able and swift flier is something you need to do when you are cruising between continents and hemispheres…
Read MoreBlack Swallowtail Dancing
The Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) butterfly photographed here looked to be dancing in the wind while still nectaring – talented insects!
Read MoreCarolina Grasshopper
Wow, look at that camouflage! I believe this is a Carolina Grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina) and I am amazed at how well it works on those rocks… Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read More
