The weatherman was calling for rain, and the humidity made a believer of me. I stopped at Jonas Green Park for a while, then went to Greenbury in hopes of finding some of the butterflies I missed yesterday. No luck.
I also got a new macro lens, which I’m playing with.
Today’s bugs.
Taken with the new macro lens.
I got an early start, as usual, because the weather gods promised high heat and humidity.
I checked out Greenbury Point, where I found a few good bugs, some birds, and a nice selection of butterflies. I may go back tomorrow to catch the ones I missed.
Greenbury Point has always been a good spot for Chipping Sparrows.
I see and hear more Yellow Breasted Chats at Greenbury than anywhere else.
Today’s bugs.
Some very nice butterflies.
It was a little hotter than yesterday, but still cool enough to put in a few hours. I started with bugs at Sands Road, then switched to birds when it looked like the Sun was going to come out. I was premature, but some good birds did show.
Birds were scarce at Wooton, and I only spent a short time hunting bugs.
A small flock of Goldfinches was flying aound the big field.
This Chipping Sparrow was foraging near the parking lot.
Field Sparrows aren’t rare, but I don’t see many.
I saw more Eastern Kingbirds last year than this.
This Blue Grosbeak has found a tasty Praying Mantis.
This Yellow Billed Cuckoo spent a good 10 minutes preening right in front of me.
It’s been a while since I got a good look at a Carolina Wren.
I don’t have a name for this flower.
This Black Racer was lurking in the grass near the path.
Today’s bugs.
I went back to Wooton this morning, and changed my routine to see if it would change my luck.
I switched to the big zoom lens and walked the upper trail first, to see what birds might be around, and did pretty well. There’s usually a Green Heron or two at Wooton, but they don’t often pose so well. A few others cooperated also.
A shortened bug hunt was reasonably successful also.
This looks like a female Common Yellowthroat.
You can’t go wrong with a Northern Cardinal in an evergreen.
Eastern Towhees don’t spook easily when they’re singing.
This Carolina Chickadee seemed to want his picture taken.
There are many White Eyed Vireos at Wooton, but they can be hard to photograph.
I spooked this Yellow Billed Cuckoo when he first saw me, but he landed in a nearby tree.
I was able to watch this Green Heron for several minutes.
Today’s bugs.
I stayed close to home again this morning. After a couple of hours at Truxtun, I went to Quiet Waters and poked around my favorite spots. I actually though the small centipede was a caterpillar, until I got a close look in the computer.
“NATURE rarer uses yellow
Than another hue;
Saves she all of that for sunsets,—
Prodigal of blue,
Spending scarlet like a woman,
Yellow she affords
Only scantly and selectly,
Like a lover’s words.”
Emily Dickinson
This centipede was out in the open, which is unusual in my experience.
Governor Bridge is closed all week, so I headed to Sands Road and Wooton this morning. I spent a lot of time looking for birds, with no luck, but the bug hunting was OK.
Wooton is turning out to be a good place for bugs also.
Found in the field.
I’m not sure what this is yet.
I couldn’t pass up this leaf with the big water drop.
Today’s bugs.
It was difficult to get a good look at this hungry spider.
“What the Hell is an Isopod”, you say.
Wikipedia:”Isopoda is an order of peracarid crustaceans. Isopods live in the sea, in fresh water or on land and include familiar animals such as the sea slater and woodlouse. Most are small, grey to white coloured animals with rigid, segmented, exoskeletons, two pairs of antennae, seven pairs of jointed limbs on the thorax, and five pairs of branching appendages on the abdomen that are used in respiration.”
First time I’ve ever seen one, and I’ve been around the water many times.
After looking around Jonas Green for a couple of hours, I went to Greenbury Point, which was a bit slow and quite hot. It does have possibilities for more insects, though.
Today’s flowers.
Top and bottom of a Wooly Bear Caterpillar.
Some perspective on this bug’s size.
Today’s bugs.
Our Isopod friend.
This was a real Maryland July day;hot, humid and sunny. I didn’t want to go too far, so I tried Governor Bridge, which was actually pretty slow.
I saw very little new, but the caterpillar made up for it.
“NATURE is what we see,
The Hill, the Afternoon—
Squirrel, Eclipse, the Bumble-bee,
Nay—Nature is Heaven.
Nature is what we hear,
The Bobolink, the Sea—
Thunder, the Cricket—
Nay,—Nature is Harmony.
Nature is what we know
But have no art to say,
So impotent our wisdom is
To Her simplicity.”
Emily Dickinson
Today’s bugs.
This is the Unicorn Caterpillar.
You can see the moth here:
http://mothphotographersgroup.msstate.edu/species.php?hodges=8007
Perfect weather again. I got too Wooton around dawn, and started walking the lower trail. There was enough activity to keep interested, and after two or so hours I switched to bugs.
A few birds were kind enough to pose, and the insect population continued to cooperate.
I don’t see many frogs, so it was nice to get two in one day.
This rabbit was the first shot I took this morning.
Today’s bugs,
Summer photography is sometimes gruelingly uncomfortable, but today was ideal. Temps in the 70s, low humidity and clear skies.
I stared at Sands Road Park, where I found some nice bugs and a few birds (Close enough for my 300mm lens), then I went to Wooton where the cooperation continued.
“Caterpillar
Brown and furry
Caterpillar in a hurry,
Take your walk
To the shady leaf, or stalk,
Or what not,
Which may be the chosen spot.
No toad spy you,
Hovering bird of prey pass by you;
Spin and die,
To live again a butterfly.”
I have no idea what these are, but they’re nice to look at.
I’ll be spending more time trying to get flight shots of the Ruby Throated Hummingbird.
I was lucky to have this Northern Parula foraging quite close overhead.
This female Orchard Oriole was hanging out near the hummingbird.
Today’s bugs.
Dogwood Spittlebug
Today’s bugs.