Recently at Nixon Park - Early September
"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds" from "Self-Reliance" - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Trying to publish a weekly review of what I've seen at the park doesn't seem to work as well as it once did. Let's try "recently" rather than a stricter schedule and see how that goes.
Painted turtle pile-up (no turtles harmed in making this picture), Solitary painted turtle, another view of our tenacious friend just prior to backflip.
Fore and aft view of two Common Eastern Bumble Bees, Ceretina (tiny carpenter bee) in flight, Denticulate Longhorn Bee, Eastern Carpenter Bee, Modest Masked Bee on a Great Blue Lobelia, Ligated Furrow Bee.
Great Blue Herons continue to show up. They spend a lot of time preening using the friable powder down on their chest with a specially adapted fringed claw on their middle toe. The photo in flight was taken while watching a second Great Blue in the pond, so there's more than one frequenting to park.
These photos are not very good, but I was excited to add another bird species to the park list when I spotted this relatively rare Northern Waterthrush along the creek.
The area where I spotted the Northern Waterthrush is a favorite bathing spot for birds, a juvenile Bluebird and Goldfinches were enjoying a quick dip.
A juvenile Carolina Wren and juvenile Bluebird.
This is the fuzzy gall formed by the Oak Flake Gall Wasp, Gold-marked Thread-waisted Wasp, Widow Yellowjacket, Mexican Grass-carrying Wasp, Northern Paper Wasp, Hump-backed Beewolf, Guinea Paper Wasp, Parancistrocerus histrio (a potter wasp).
So far I've observed over thirty species of wasps at the park, each fascinating in their own right. I'll write more about them soon.
I wrote at length about butterflies called Skippers earlier this week, here are some of the other types found at the park. Two looks at the gorgeous Variegated Fritillary, a Red Admiral, and an Orange Sulphur.
A long-legged fly with remarkable neon-bright eyes from the Dolichopodidae family, Squash Lady Beetle, Asian Lady Beetles, End Band Net-winged Beetle, and a Common Picture-winged fly (what must an uncommon one look like!)
The more you look, the more there is to see. I didn't go out of my way to observe the insects above, just kept my eyes open.
Umbrella Magnolia, Wide Leek, Burr Cucumber, Sycamore, White Wood Aster, Wood Nettle
