This Week at Nixon Park - July 22-29
Relentless sweltering sun, glowering storm clouds, heavy curtains of rain, gentle perfumes and shocking odors; every corner green and humming. Summer in all its intensity holds nothing back.
A molting Painted Slider shedding scutes to accommodate growth. A bullfrog in the grass.
This yearling buck has already grown some velvety spike antlers. A tiny Oval Ambersnail.
A Hibiscus Turret Bee, Common Eastern Bumble Bee on a Self Heal Flower, Metric Paper wasp drinking from a tiny puddle caught in the fold of a leaf. Anothe Common Eastern Bumble bee on a Carolina Horse Nettle.
Mallards, Wood Thrush, Red-winged Blackbird, Song Sparrow, Mourning Dove, Robin, Catbird.
The Kingbird family we've been watching this month is still together (see this and this)
The Green Heron chicks have fledged this week and are taking short flights around the ponds.
Huron Sachem, Monarch caterpillar, Least Skipper, Silver-spotted Skipper, Zabulon Skipper, Monarch, Pearl Crescent.
Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly, Blue-fronted Dancer.
Organ-pipe Mud-dauber Wasp daubing mud on the edge of the pond, Milkweed Bug bugging milkweed, Juvenile Six Spotted Fishing Spider, Red-footed Cannibal Fly (also known as a Bee Panther) preying on a European Hornet, Clouded Plant Bug.
Wild Leek flower, Chocolate Tube Slime mold, Indian Tobacco, Hedge Bindweed flower, Common Jewelweed flower, with a profile shot, Spotted St. Johns Wort, Swamp Chestnut Oak.
