Fall Bay-breasted Warbler
An appropriate first post for September (what, already?!), this Bay-breasted Warbler (Setophaga castanea) made an appearance in Twan’s yard while he and his family were having their own breakfast. He quickly snapped this photo making for a very autumn scene to go along with this fall migrant bird.
Read MoreSuzuki’s Promalactis (Promalactis suzukiella)
Happy National Moth Week! We will be showing you many cool species over the next week so we can all appreciate these incredible insects even more. I have a bunch of individuals that I still have to key out from mothing during the past couple of months, and I have tried to do some field work at least every week or two with them. This was one of my first finds last night, and I swear that I knew immediately when looking at it that it would be a non-native species. It seemed divergent to me in some way. Even though many North American moths are staggeringly beautiful, with vibrant shades, odd...
Read MoreJuniper-twig Geometer
Here is the Juniper-twig Geometer (Patalene olyzonaria) moth, one that Sean and I have been spotting a bunch of lately. This is a worn individual that must have been having a good summer to be flying around still, avoiding predators or any real damage. One of the amazing things about mothing is how much the species makeup in your yard can change from week to week…or less! You never know what you will find next. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
Read MoreTurkey Vulture
During a late afternoon on a lovely day last week I did a double take as I found an unexpected bird on the lawn – a Turkey Vulture! It had discovered a dead Eastern Chipmunk only moments earlier and was preparing to do its job. I was with my Shetland Sheepdog, Zach, who had not seen the bird over the slight hill in the lawn. I walked back to him, bent down and told him to look at this bird as I pointed. He eagerly glanced around and spotted it, eyes widening and slowly creeping towards it out of curiously and intrigue despite my cautioning. He held at this position, head forward,...
Read MoreLesser Maple Spanworm
I had literally one shot of this moth, and here it is! I suppose the camera and the flash at dusk was enough for it to think about finding a better spot as it flew off to another bush. It looks to be a Lesser Maple Spanworm (Speranza pustularia), a common species with its name as a host plant, among several other abundant trees. Scott Kruitbosch Conservation & Outreach Coordinator
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