Tree Climbing 101

Up, up and away!!...

 "Some people call me a woodchuck, or whistle-pig, but I'd rather be a GROUNDhog!"....

Butterflies and Beetles

Red-banded Hairstreak

This small butterfly (upside-down) just sat on the leg of the deck chair today. We didn't know if it was wet in the rain or perhaps caught in a web....

 In this picture you can see there are 4 "tails" on the bottom of the hindwings. (Near top of pic, may want to enlarge)....

 Here's a regular view of the chair to show it's size (less than an inch)...

 It finally started to walk around and then flew up into the magnolia tree...

 Six-spotted Tiger Beetle

One of my favorites. It was at Chelsea farm office (as are the rest of the pictures) in late May. You will sometimes see them on a path or walkway in front of you and as you get too close, they fly up ahead....

Tiger Swallowtail 

This Tiger Swallowtail  looked a little strange and too dark....

 It opened it's wings and we could see there's another sighting with a pigment problem like the grackle! An area of black on the front of the forewings near the body shouldn't be there. Female Tigers can be yellow, but many are the darker form that's black! This one probably couldn't decide what she wanted to wear, so modeled both colors!!....

Mystery Beetle 

We saw this unusual iridescent beetle on the brick porch. It was more colorful in person and was also a cloudy day. When standing above it, it was mostly green and the sides looked almost purple....

 So far it's been IDed as probably a member of the Scarab Beetle family, smaller but similar somewhat to the June Bug....

One of the people who received it's picture is a dear friend, Mary, who is a retired biology teacher and works part time at the Park. I've known her since 7th grade! She was a few years above me and went off to U of MD. Would you believe she sent the beetle's pic to the retired Dr. who was

Chairman of Entomolgy at MD when she and I were there and also when my daughter attended???!!!  Mary said he's never seen it and will check his texts and other files!!!

Goose Family 7-13-12

The Chelsea goose family, all grown up, spent all day on a little beach of the pond. If you didn't know who they were by the numbers, you wouldn't recognize them. Maybe we'll see them fly some day!......

Mystery Bird

This unusual colored bird first appeared on 6-28-12. It stopped by the deck with other birds to eat some Animal Cracker crumbs. It looked like a juvenile grackle, but has the white tail stripe....

 Here it's following (part of) an adult grackle.....

 It was seen again on July 1. It begged for some suet, but wasn't served by that adult!

 Back on the deck checking for crumbs. So far we don't have an exact ID. It could be a grackle with slight mutation or a Eurasian species. Possibly it's parents might be relatives of some of the foreign black and white crows that do the Windex commercials, and they sent juvie on a trip for summer break!

Pictures were sent to some ornithologists and the favored conclusion is that this is a juvenile grackle with Leucism. This is a condition occurring in birds and animals where some of the pigment cells lack their color.

Loch of the Lowes, 7-7-12

Isla, Laddie, and chick, Blue 44.....

Woodpeckers

The fledging/foraging season started earlier this year. Here are a pair of downy woodpeckers. Juvie male is waiting while Mom gets suet from below.....

 "Feed me, Mom!"......

 Here is an adult wannabe red-bellied woodpecker. Probably a male, as it's getting red feathers on front of head already! (will have red all down the back of head also when mature) The females will have grey in front and red on top and back of head......

 Little downy waiting her turn after juvie red-belly....

 Juvie R B......

 Father's Day is never over! Juvie waits above the suet for a tidbit.....

 "Don't tell, but I can feed myself!".....

 Adult ready for takeoff.....

 It was so crowded with many kinds of birds at the suet feeders, that Dad red-belly took about 3 large chunks of suet and placed them on a branch. He and youngster at upper right then feasted from their dinner bucket!...

 Today, July 9, finally got a clear picture of food exchange between Dad red-belly and juvie, while a second juvie (top, left) patiently waits....

HAPPY 4TH !!

This was taken about 9:48 PM- - - No editing, except cropping edges.