In general, butterflies have been few and far between this year. Many people have noticed, and there is speculation on causes from the unusually cold spring all the way to the nefarious “climate change.” So far I’ve only seen one of these in my yard. (And yes, that’s Poison Ivy that the Fritallary is resting […]
Author Archives: Matthew
Comet NEOWISE
I can only barely see this comet with the naked eye, and I would never have been able to find it without the help of binoculars. An image of the comet I obtained, and also an image of the Moon and Venus from the morning before.
Virginia Ctenucha
Good luck pronouncing the name of this moth. The black wings are usually covering up the beautiful metallic blue body; fortunately he was stretching when I took this photo.
Eastern Kingbird
These birds are masters of hovering in mid-air, waiting for a tasty insect to come along.
Spined Soldier Bug
This is the Spined Soldier Bug, but in the nymph stage. A very colorful nymph! It was resting, and perhaps feeding, on my zinnias. Unlike some stink bugs, this species is considered to be beneficial, and when it feeds on plant nectar it is non-damaging to the plant.
Painted Turtle
This painted turtle rose up out of the seed-strewn edge of Bath Pond for some fresh air.
Bronze Copper
First time I’ve photographed or identified this butterfly. Interesting colors, with the underwing slate-gray to almost white with black spots, while the topside is the name-sake “bronze copper” with stronger orange at the edges of the hind wing.
Northern Parula
A nice capture of this handsome bird.
Cygnets
The Trumpeter Swans nesting at Bath Nature Preserve have hatched three cygnets!
Least Flycatcher
Flycatchers are some of the hardest birds to identify because many of them look quite similar. Least Flycatcher is set apart by the white eyering, which is not a common feature with flycatchers.