It was raining this morning, which gave me a chance to get a few chores done. There was a break in the weather around 10:00, so I went to Truxtun for an hour or so, and found a few bugs.
Today’s bugs.
A Very Short Morning at Truxtun Park
Caterpillars at Governor Bridge Natural Area
It looked like a promising morning, slightly cloudy and cool enough. I got to the park early, and spent a couple of hours looking for birds, with no significant luck.
Oddly the bug hunting was slow as well. I’m still kicking myself for missing a couple of nice snakes.
This beetle landed on a car in the parking lot.
Today’s bugs.
Dragonfly Eyes at Truxtun Park
I had an appointment this morning, so I didn’t get to spend much time hunting. It was just as well, as the humidity was brutal.
I went to Truxtun early, then to Ellen Moyers Park after my appointment. I didn’t find much, but there were lots of bees and wasps.
This dragonfly was perched too high to reach, but he let me move the branch into view.
Today’s bugs.
Blue Grosbeak at Governor Bridge Natural Area
The cloudy weather continued this morning, but I went to Governor Bridge to see what I might find. Bug hunting started slowly, and I switched to birds after an hour or so, and did reasonably well.
I finished up with another hour of bugging, and found some cool caterpillars.
This Common Yellowthroat popped up right in front of me.
I haven’t seen a Great Crested Flycatcher in quite a while.
Indigo Buntings can be heard in several areas.
Several Blue Gray Gnatcatchers were foraging near the big field.
This is a most peculiar Caterpillar Update: It’s a Cross-lined Wave.
Today’s bugs.
Yellow Breasted Chat at Greenbury Point
Another cloudy day, so I went looking for bugs early in hopes of seeing some sun later, but it didn’t happen. Local places always seem better in lousy weather, so I did the Jonas Green/Greenbury routine again. I found a few bugs in each place, and got a half-decent shot of the Chat.
This large flower is growing in front of the Nature Center.
Today’s bugs.
House Wren at Sands Road Park
Another gray and cloudy day which I thought was going to be a bust. I went back to Sands Road to see if the bug situation had improved, but there wasn’t much going on.
I decided to try birding the big field even with the lousy light, and it was a worthwhile effort.
I found a couple of bugs afterward, so it was a good enough day.
This is the first Red Eyed Vireo I’ve seen at Sands Road.
I’ve been having good luck finding Yellow Billed Cuckoos recently.
Field Sparrows seem to be abundant at Sands.
Common Yellowthroat Warblers are nesting at Sands Road.
This House Wren was a nice find as I don’t see many.
Experimenting with the macro setup.
Today’s bugs.
Prairie Warbler at Sands Road Park
The cool weather continued today, and my plan was to return to Governor Bridge, but the truck wanted to go to Wooton, so we compromised on Sands Road. This park is a huge open field surrounded by trees and shrubs, and I was very surprised to see that someone had mowed the entire field, which must be at least a quarter mile in diameter. That made walking much easier than walking through the tall grass.
This female Blue Grosbeak was foraging near the edge of the field.
I saw several Common Yellowthroats.
This Northern Cardinal was greeting the morning with a song.
I’ve seen several Field Sparrows at Sands Road.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen a Prairie Warbler
Miscellaneous images.
Today’s bugs.
Red Eyed Vireo at Governor Bridge Natural Area
The current cold front has provided near perfect weather for birding. The clear skies inspired me to start with birds this morning, and it worked out OK. I got a few decent shots of some nice birds.
The bug hunting was oddly slow, but I do have a bug I haven’t seen before.
I haven’t gotten close to a Red Eyed Vireo in quite a while.
White Eyed Vireos are still around in good numbers.
I saw two pairs of Indigo Buntings this morning.
Poison Ivy Sawfly
Today’s bugs.
Bugs at Truxtun Park and Quiet Waters
It was a dark and stormy morning. It really looked as though it would be a short day, so I decided to stay close to home.
I experimented with the macro lens and camera settings for a while and found a few bugs before heading off to do some chores.
Today’s bugs.
Yellow Billed Cuckoo at Governor Bridge Natural Area
It was cloudy, warm and humid this morning, and Governor Bridge opened after a week’s shutdown, so I got there shortly after dawn to continue experimenting with the macro lens.
The skies cleared after a couple of hours, which gave me some time to look for birds, and I found a few nice ones.
This Red Cooter was working his way across the path.
This Indigo Bunting was just close enough for a picture.
This Yellow Billed Cuckoo flew into the tree I was observing.
Eastern Phoebes are flycatchers.
Today’s bugs.