Swarthy Skipper
The Swarthy Skipper (Nastra lherminier) is a very small and mostly nondescript butterfly. These photos are of an individual earlier this spring in full sunlight. The tiny butterfly has some wear on it and is a bit faded. Their upperwings are a darker brown with underwing a light brown or yellow with some lighter edges and white veins. You can see it here feeding on a red clover flower, and it is even smaller! These nectar sources are common for the species as they will stay low in the grass in short or cut areas only adding to their inconspicuousness. As of today the only place we know they...
Read MoreBlue-gray Gnatcatcher (Polioptila caerulea)
I mentioned Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (Polioptila caerulea) as a current migrant in a recent post, and I photographed this bird doing just that this morning. The wheezing individual shown here was at a migratory stopover site and may have continued flying not long after I snapped this shot. Blue-gray Gnatcatchers are at least partially diurnal migrants, and if you are lucky you can find small flocks of several birds heading south together on a day like this one. August may be the middle of summer to us but it is well into fall for the birds. Safe journey, pretty friend! Keep flashing that tail...
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Red Fox
I had not seen any Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) friends for a while, but this one is clearly as healthy as any can be and looking great. Take a look at that exquisite coat with no sign of mange and no visible injuries to the animal. That in itself is very rare to see in a Red Fox, and without knowing too much I would hazard a guess that this is one of the pups born last year. It spotted me before I spotted it – per usual – and when I stopped it stopped and relaxed. I really do think they know “who” we are, like any dog would after a while, and it knew I was only going to...
Read MoreQuestion Mark (Polygonia interrogationis)
That Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) from last week really glowed on a hot August afternoon while having some nectar. Too pretty!
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