Marty May 1st, 2008
For part 3 of my ID series, I’m going to look at what are arguably the most well-known butterflies in the U.S. - the Monarch (Danaus plexippus) and related species. I call them the ‘royal butterflies’ - Monarch, Queen (Danaus gilippus), Soldier (Danaus eresimus) and, although technically they are in a completely different genus, Viceroy (Limenitis archippus). Continue Reading »
Marty April 28th, 2008
I went out looking for migrant birds Saturday - because I just needed to get out of the house and away from work, although the weather wasn’t helping much (overcast and spritzing). But I did get to see some cool birds at Palmyra Cove, including a lifelist worm-eating warbler. Continue Reading »
Marty April 16th, 2008
Some of the most common butterflies in this area are the sulphurs, part of the family Pieridae, which includes most white and yellow butterflies. In the tri-state area, most of the sulphurs (sub-family Coliadinae) are members of four genuses: Colias (Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Pink-Edged Sulphur); Phoebis (Cloudless Sulphur); Pyrisitia (Little Yellow) and Abaeis (Sleepy Orange). Continue Reading »
Marty April 14th, 2008
Some of the most interesting butterflies in these parts are the various species of the genus Polygonia. The two most common species in the NJ-DE-PA area are the Question Mark (Polygonia interrogationis) and Eastern Comma (Polygonia comma) butterflies. Both species are very similar on both the dorsal and lateral faces of their bodies, but with subtle differences. Continue Reading »
Marty April 14th, 2008
With spring approaching, it’s getting to be time for the butterflies and odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) to come out to play. My region - the NJ-DE-PA tri-state area - is a great place for both types of insects, but there are many species that are tough to tell apart unless you know what to look for. I’ve put together some ID lessons to help people identify some of the commonly confused species. Continue Reading »
Marty April 13th, 2008
Well, we’re back from our trip to see my nephew for his 3rd birthday. I haven’t gotten to see Caleb as much as I might like over the few years of his life, but we’ve been making a more concerted effort to stay in touch and see the little guy. So, for our trip to Georgia, we made an extended vacation that would allow us some time with him and my sister outside of the ‘group’ visits we’ve had (like the beach where there are 8 families, and too little private time). Continue Reading »
Marty March 25th, 2008
Late last year, I entered some of my pictures into a contest sponsored by the National Wildlife Refuge Association. I got a notice yesterday that at least one of my photos had been selected as a winner. Continue Reading »
Marty January 17th, 2008
Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus) vs.
Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperii)
This poor Cooper’s Hawk really didn’t make the proper entrance to Forsythe NWR. Every time we’ve seen him, it’s only a minute or two before one or more Norther Harriers swoop in to give him the ‘what for’. Continue Reading »
Marty January 12th, 2008
Although I had a better year of birding than finding butterflies (they were surprisingly absent for most of the year in NJ), it was still fun to see some new butterflies. Texas provided most of the ‘excitement’, but overall I got my lifelist up to 82, and saw 69 species in 2007 alone (including 24 new ones). I had a better year with Odonata: 32 species of dragonfly (16 new) and 16 damselflies (10 new). My lists for the year:
√ = New species in 2007.
Marty December 5th, 2007
This phenomena is known as a sun pillar, and it’s created by the presence of ice crystals in the atmosphere between the sun and the photographer. This is known as a lower pillar because the beam is coming from below the sun (normal pillars rise up from the sun when it has just dropped below the horizon). Continue Reading »
