Butterflies are Flying!

Today I spent the mid-day hours cruising some very sandy and dusty pine barrens.  I don't think my car or optics will ever forgive me.  It was worth it.  I found a couple of year birds and three year Leps!

The first was a bug that I wasn't sure I would find in Cass County - Olympia Marble - , and I didn't.  I found three individuals about .25 miles out of Cass County in Hubbard County.  What a spectacular bug!  - It hangs out in sandy pine / oak barrens and is quite a looker -

Olympia Marble - Euchloe olympia

Once I swung back into Cass County I found some new "blue" butterflies.  The first one flew in through the sunroof and out the rear window.  This bug was VERY difficult prey for my camera!

Spring Azure - Celastrina ladon marginata

This next blue butterfly almost went unidentified as I thought it was just another Spring Azure, but upon closer examination I discovered it was a very different bug indeed!

Silvery Blue - Glaucopsyche lygdomus

Today the Mustard Whites were out in big numbers.  I would estimate 50+ bugs seen through out the day!  Most were along McKinley Rd anywhere the road came close to a wetland.  Here is a shot of one nectaring on a Willow blossom.  

Mustard White - Pieris napi

Spring Night Sounds

Tonight, I went down to the dock to enjoy the sounds of a beautiful spring evening.  After about thirty minutes I went back to the house and decided to do some digging on the Macaulay Library to confirm a couple of the things that I had heard.  Here are my favorites:

First the frogs...

Chorus Frog - These have been amazingly loud in the vernal pools near the house, and were easily heard from the dock tonight.
Leopard Frog - Last night was the first time this year I had heard this very eerie sound.  Brings to mind alien communications - unfortunately the recording doesn't do it justice.
Wood Frog - This frog sounds to me like it is choking.
Spring Peeper - Perhaps because of the name - every spring I think that this will be the first frog that I hear - alas it is usually the third or fourth - this year the third coming in just ahead of the Leopard frog.

... then the birds.

Common Loon - the state bird.  Need I say more.
Wilson's Snipe one of my favorite animal sounds - this winnowing is produced by the wind running over the birds wings as it makes a rapid dive.
American Woodcock - Macaulay only had the peenting of this bird.  It also has a "dive sound" like the Snipe, but instead of a winnow it is a rapidly and intermittently accelerating twitter.  Very Cool!  - Get out to a grassy field just after dark and listen!
Virginia Rail - this bird was new to the Blackwater Birds list tonight.
Northern Saw-whet Owl - The broadcast call is usually heard on very dark nights around here.
Barred Owl - My favorite - this bird calls day and night here at Blackwater.

Ruffed Grouse - I discovered this year that Ruffed Grouse will "drum" well into the night.  I had thought it was something they only did on warm spring days.  Goes to show if you only go out on warm spring days you can make some silly assumptions about bird behaviors.

Now for a real experience try to get all of these playing at the same time.  Then you will know what it was like sitting on my dock tonight.  Although I didn't mention the Goldeneyes, Great Blue Heron, Canada Geese, and other birds that would have made this list far too long.

To get them all to play try right clicking the links and selecting "Open in New Tab".

Get outside at night and listen!

Good Birding!