October at Nixon Park
October has been busy, but I have been able to keep up with my visits to the park. Here's what I've seen over the past month.
The climbing Eastern Musk Turtle, a crowd of basking Eastern Painted Turtles (extra credit of you can spot the lone Eastern Musk turtle), Pickerel Frog
The Great blue Heron, a picture of concentration hunting in the box elder tree that overhangs the small pond.
More of the Great Blue Heron(s) hunting on the banks of the small pond.
The Robins are making the most of a rich crop of porcelain berries
A couple of Ruby-crowned Kinglets, just a bit smaller than a Chickadee.
A large number of Yellow-rumped or Magnolia Warblers have shown up to spend the winter with us.
It's almost Woodpecker season. First an example of the abundant (and loud) population of Red-bellied Woodpeckers at the park, and a Downy woodpecker.
Common Yellowthroat, Carolina Wren, Black-Capped Chickadee, and Tufted Titmouse.
I was invited to visit our park with a group from the Delaware Ornithological Society led by Ian Stewart last Saturday. I got pictures of a Red-shouldered Hawk, Purple Finch and Cedar Waxwing and some others that are included in this post. Look at this checklist of 266 individual birds from 38 different species spotted in 2 hours 36 minutes. I am not really much of a birder, these folks saw much more than i usually do!
The last of this years butterflies, a Huron Sachem, Common Buckeye, Pearl Crescent, Eastern-Tailed Blue, and Clouded Sulphur.
Shadow Darner and Autumn Meadowhawk.
Pear Shaped Puffballs, and a closer look, Lions Mane, Common Puffball.
One morning I was passing by a stretch of the creek and heard a "kerplunk" - the sound of black walnuts falling in the creek. I figured it was the wind, but on closer inspection it was a Red Squirrel methodically working through the branches pushing black walnuts towards what I imagine it thought was the ground? I don't think Red Squirrels go swimming, but it wouldn't surprise me if they did.
There seems to be quite a few more Red squirrels around this fall.
Speaking of squirrels and black walnuts, this is the first black walnut I've spotted this fall that was stashed in the branches of an Amur honeysuckle by a Gray Squirrel (several were spotted last year). I've also noticed some newer-looking Gray Squirrel drays (or nests)
A Bramble Mason Wasp and Fraternal Potter Wasp.
The parasitic Scald Weed is in flower.
Black Haw berries are ripe.
Golden Alexanders, Obedient Plant, Shingle Oak Acorn, Annual Fleabane, and a Fleabane flower with a Broken-backed Bug.
Flies are important, varied, and abundant pollinators. It can be very difficult to identify them to species without caoturinng and killing them, so I will be satisfied with more general names. The first is a Black-shouldered Drone Fly, then a Tachinid Fly, an Aphideater, and finally a Limoniid Crane Fly.
