New Beaver Kits and More at the Beaver Pond

We have at least 3 new beaver kits at the pond this summer. They were initially seen about 2 weeks ago when they first began venturing out of the lodge. Well before that I knew it was likely that kits were in residence since both Julia and Tippy, her 2-year old daughter, had swollen mammary glands. This is a somewhat unusual since normally there is only one female (the matriarch) that reproduces in a colony. Another atypical aspect of this colony is the fact that there is no obvious patriarch.  Since Julia's mate, May Apple disappeared 2 years ago, there has been no sign of anyone new coming in to take his place. With 2 apparent mothers at the pond, there may in fact be other kits that have yet to emerge. Time will tell. 

Julia retrieves an aspen branch from shore

2 of the new kits come alongside Julia

Trying desperately to get a bite of Julia's apple

Tippy tries to hold her apple up high and out of reach

Seems to be working for now

One of the kits swims alongside Julia

Security is feeding between the 2 mothers

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Not a milk mustache, but an "apple beard"

Julia and Tippy drag Aspen branches past the resident Canada Goose family

Possible confrontation in the works

The resident Great Blue Heron comes in for a landing

Fishing at the beaver pond

A young Green Heron has also been showing up lately

Lots of wildlife action at this small pond

Mallard ducklings investigate the beaver dam

A young female Belted Kingfisher

A Woodchuck crosses the dam

One of the resident Minks hunts alongside the dam

2 Muskrats beneath the dam are noticeably smaller than the beaver kit (foreground)

A muskrat kit feeds on some of the Aspen leaves

The Baltimore Checkerspot's Finest Year

Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly

Baltimore Checkerspot Butterflies are having a great season. We have 2 really good habitat areas at the nature preserve and in both places the checkerspot's main food plant (turtlehead) grows in abundance. I honestly can't remember the last time I had 50 checkerspots flying around me in a meadow, but that's what has been happening over the last few days. Lots of interesting behavior was going on too; territorial males were swirling around each and ascending up to 40 feet before breaking off and returning to the ground. Females were seen fluttering their wings in place and fanning males with pheromones. A few pairs were also seen mating. It doesn't get any better than this, folks!

The female (top) was fanning her wings at the male

Two Baltimores on Swamp Milkweed - a most colorful scene

Most male Checkerspots are noticeably smaller than females

I strongly suspect that this female's swollen abdomen is full of eggs

Checkerspots were spilling out of the wetlands and into the upland fields

Common Milkweed is a real draw for nectaring butterflies

All around there were still plenty of Checkerspot Caterpillars 

This Baltimore Checkrspot larva had attached itself to a branch and was starting to shed its skin

The Baltimore Checkerspot Chrysalis is a real jewel  - we found over a dozen of them in one small area

 Each individual Checkerspot Butterfly has a unique patterns of spots

Other Butterflies around include the Striped Hairstreak, which is only as large as a nickle

The Common Wood Nymph  is common in our fields right now