Recent Happenings at the Nature Preserve

The summer season is not quite finished yet. There are still new flowers coming into bloom and fresh butterflies emerging. At the same time, the procession of fall migrant songbirds continues. Each day brings the promise of an as-yet-unseen species for the year.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail feeds on Joe-Pye-Weed

A Giant Swallowtail feeding on a lingering BeeBalm flower

A Gray Comma licks a friendly hand

Red Admiral feeding on Spotted Knapweed 

Red Admiral

Downy Skullcap is a late bloomer

Jack-in-the-Pulpit berries just starting to turn

Ripe Jack-in-the-Pulpit berries

Water Horehound in full bloom

Blue Lobelia 

Giant Blue Hyssop 

Broad-leaved Arrowhead blooms near the shore of the pond

Turtlehead flowers begin to turn pink as they age

Silver-spotted Skipper visits a Hawkweed flower

Great Spangled Fritillary on Knapweed

Hummingbird Moth on Knapweed

The other day there was a migrant Olive-sided Flycatcher vying for the same perch as a Red Squirrel. I took a few blurry shots of their interaction.

A Red Squirrel and an Olive-sided Flycatcher via for the same perch

The flycatcher wins it, but only temporarily

The squirrel is persistent 

The squirrel wins!

A few minutes later a Gray Catbird is on the same perch - What is it about that snag?

A Merlin stops by the nature preserve