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 MoreWood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus)
This Wood Frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) surprised me yesterday while I was walking with my dog Zach. At first I thought a leaf had blown across the grass under his furry stomach, but I said…wait, no way, that moved way too directly, too low, and too quick. After about 20 seconds of looking at the ground, sure enough, there it was. I took a few photos of it in between its hops back to the woods. The frog was heading in the right direction, and after showing Zach – he likes to watch wildlife because he has grown up around me simply observing and not interacting with it – we...
Read MoreJuly Sunset
Here are a couple sunset photos from last night at Stratford Point as we were on duty providing some fireworks coverage here in Stratford, Milford and West Haven for the Audubon Alliance for Coastal Waterbirds. You can see the reef balls in the distance along our dune and spartina growth in the intertidal zone. We had a couple Black-crowned Night-Heron visitors appropriately join us just after darkness fell on the site. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreBaltimore Oriole Nest Building
This first-spring male Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) was a busy fella, methodically sorting through all sorts of nest building material as I watched him last week. He would gather some grass, straw and other vegetation, carefully crafting it and arranging it just right, then flying back off to his mate and his tree. You may have seen a Baltimore Oriole nest, hanging from several points of a tree branch, without evening knowing what it was. The female bird constructs a sack or sock-like container that is carefully woven together with such craftsmanship that they often stay attached to...
Read MorePearl Crescent
Here is a Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) butterfly as photographed in the grass last week – the insects are coming!
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