The rain was falling lightly when I awoke. The weatherman promised it would stop soon, so I headed out to Governor Bridge, which was pretty slow in the very cloudy morning.
This afternoon we had lots of sun, and I spent about an hour roaming the ‘hood, which was pretty productive.
This Common Yellowthroat was foraging in the low bushes.
Like many male Eastern Towhees, I heard this bird long before I saw him.
Today’s bugs.
It was raining this morning, but I managed to get to Truxtun Park briefly, where a few bugs and one lone bird appeared.
This Carolina Wren was foraging quitge close to where I was searching for bugs.
Today’s bugs.
It rained early this morning, which was just as well because my truck was in the shop.
I made a quick tour of the ‘hood between sprinkles and found a few decent bugs.
I just liked the look of this feather.
Today’s bugs.
I think I’ve used the same title two days in a row. Maybe that’s a first. I went back to Wooton this morning to try for a better image of the Ibis, and I got it. Several nice birds were also there and willing to pose, which made up for the truck trouble that made it a short day.
I only had a short time for bugs, and did well enough.
This White Ibis was much closer than yesterday.
And a water snake for good measure.
I saw at least 4 Ruby Throated Hummingbirds this morning.
Several Green Herons are hanging out at Wooton.
I saw a flock of about 10 Little Blue Herons when I entered the park.
Blue Gray Gnatcatchers may be the most common migrant in the park.
Another juvenile Common Yellowthroat.
A small flock of Goldfinches was cruising the park.
This White Eyed Vireo looks like he just got up.
Today’s bugs.
A White Ibis was reported at Wooton, so I set out to try and find it. I was surprised to find three others also looking, as I usually have the park to myself early in the morning. Nice people, but they don’t consider the needs of photographers, and seemed to be aimlessly wandering through my shots.
I got a poor, long distance shot of this bird, which I was lucky to find at all.
Other birds and bugs were more cooperative.
White Eyed Vireos can be found in most local parks in Summer.
Blue Gray Gnatcatchers will migrate south in the next couple of months.
Brown Thrashers are starting to appear.
This Eastern Towhee sat in place for at least 10 minutes.
This Indigo Bunting is a female.
This Yellow Billed Cuckoo landed so close I couldn’t fit him in the frame.
This is a Solitary Sandpiper.
This Little Blue Heron is a juvenile. He’ll be blue as an adult.
Eastern Kingbirds don’t seem to be as numerous as last year.
These appear to be juvenile Common Yellowthroats.
The Glossy Ibis isn’t rare, but it’s unusual to find one at a place like Wooton.
Today’s bugs.
A cool, clear morning seemed to offer good prospects,. and I arrived at Governor Bridge around dawn. I geared up for birds, but lingering clouds convinced me to switch to bugs after an hour or so.
Graeme showed up around 8:30, and we spent 3-4 hours bug hunting, and did well. I believe we got more different caterpillars than on any previous trip.
Graeme spotted this little frog.
Today’s bugs.
Today’s bugs.
It was a little cloudy this morning, but clearing was promised, and I got to Governor Bridge around dawn. Early attempts to find bugs were slow, so I switched to birds and found a few. A bug foray later was much better.
This Green Heron is probably a juvenile.
About 8 juvenile Wood Ducks were in the cove.
It’s not easy getting a Ruby Throated Hummingbird in flight.
Today’s bugs.
It was raining when I awoke, so I didn’t get out until 10:00, for a very brief trip.
The crew at Quiet Waters had defoliated my favorite bug spot, so I didn’t find very much at all. A passing crow posed briefly.
I took this lat Fall at Governor Bridge and recently had occasion to look at it again. The tail and breast are wrong for a Yellow Billed Cuckoo, which I didn’t notice in my haste. It’s a Black Billed Cuckoo, and a life bird for me.
I usually pass up crows, but this one was close, in good light.
Today’s bugs.
It was the kind of gloomy morning that makes you think twice about going out. I got to Governor Bridge about sunrise and spent some time looking for bugs, to very little effect.
I also spent some time trying to capture hummingbirds inf light, but the poor light and bad luck conspired against me.
In the end, caterpillars were my best finds.
Rain drops usually enhance an image.
Today’s bugs.
We’ve had a great run of good weather lately. When I got to Sands Road, it was in the 70s and stayed that way for several hours. I experimented with some extreme closeups for a while (It’s difficult) then walked about halfway around the big field looking for birds, and found a few. I looked for bugs a while longer, then went to Wooton and did the same.
It was a decent day.
This Blue Grosbeak was a little distant, but he’s worth including.
Eastern Towhees can often be seen singing fro the tops of small trees.
I’ve only seen a few Prairie Warblers this year.
This is a very small pine cone that appealed to me.
Today’s bugs.