This Week at Nixon Park - June 29 - July 6
This week I visited the meadow area that has grown to cover the old landfill site. Barn Swallows and Tree Swallows were hawking for insects, and there's a very active and vocal nesting community of Red-winged Blackbirds who, having spotted me at some distance, were not interested in posing.
Pearl Crescent, Monarch, Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, and Red-spotted Purple butterflies
Common Eastern Bumble Bee, This tiny metallic flyer is likely a member of the Cuckoo Wasp family, Western Honeybee
Tree Swallows, Barn Swallow, (more about Swallows here) Elusive meadow-dwelling female Red-winged Blackbird mentioned earlier, Song Sparrow, Robin, lurking Kingbird (a Tyrant), Spotted Sandpiper (although a summer resident, a relatively rare sight at the park)
Fragile Forktail, Stream Bluet, and a mating pair of Slender Bluet Damselflies
This week's Dragonflies - Female Eastern Pondhawk, Widow Skimmer, Halloween Pennant, Common Whitetail, Slaty Skimmer, and a Dragon Hunter; the first sighting of a species I have not seen at the park perviously (thus the not-so-great photo)
Calligrapher Fly, Red Milkweed Beetle, a well-hidden Carolina Grasshopper, European Mantis, Common Green June Beetle (the June-bug of cuteness fame)
Swamp Milkweed and pollinators), Wineberry, Spicebush, Great Mullein
Last but not least; our weekly Cottontail.
