Flight Happens

Common Loon / © Bryan Pfeiffer

May 18, 2013: A breakout day for flying things. It began on one of my guided bird walks to Berlin Pond: Virginia Rail at our feet. Yellow Warblers glowing above. Scarlet Tanager, in a naked white ash, fully framed in the spotting scopes. A Winter Wren exploding in song in full-frontal view on a log. And Common Loons investigating a nest site. We noted 64 bird species in total at Berlin Pond this morning. That list is below.

But insects also launched today. I noted nine butterfly species on the wing: Black Swallowtail, Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (photo below), Cabbage White, Spring Azure, Mourning Cloak, Eastern Comma, Green Comma and Dreamy Duskywing. Dragonflies matched with nine of their own: Springtime Darner, Dusky Clubtail, Twin-spotted Spiketail, Stream Cruiser (below), American Emerald, Beaverpond Baskettail, Uhler’s Sundragon, Eastern Forktail and a Bluet species. And the tiger beetle list included Six-spotted Tiger Beetle, Claybank Tiger Beetle and Twelve-spotted Tiger Beetle (below). Onward to the season of flight. Here are more big photos.

Canadian Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio canadensis) / © Bryan Pfeiffer

Stream Cruiser (Didymops transversa) / © Bryan Pfeiffer

Twelve-spotted Tiger Beetle (Cicindela duodecimguttata). / © Bryan Pfeiffer

Finally, here’s that bird list from Berlin Pond, Berlin, Vermont:

• Canada Goose
• Wood Duck
• American Black Duck
• Mallard
• Hooded Merganser
• Ruffed Grouse
• Common Loon
• Broad-winged Hawk
• Virginia Rail
• Solitary Sandpiper
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Mourning Dove
• Chimney Swift
• Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
• Downy Woodpecker
• Hairy Woodpecker
• Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)
• Willow Flycatcher
• Least Flycatcher
• Eastern Phoebe
• Eastern Kingbird
• Blue-headed Vireo
• Warbling Vireo
• Red-eyed Vireo
• Blue Jay
• American Crow
• Northern Rough-winged Swallow
• Tree Swallow
• Bank Swallow
• Barn Swallow
• Black-capped Chickadee
• Tufted Titmouse
• Red-breasted Nuthatch
• Brown Creeper
• Winter Wren
• Golden-crowned Kinglet
• Veery
• Hermit Thrush
• American Robin
• Gray Catbird
• Ovenbird
• Northern Waterthrush
• Common Yellowthroat
• American Redstart
• Northern Parula
• Magnolia Warbler
• Blackburnian Warbler
• Yellow Warbler
• Chestnut-sided Warbler
• Blackpoll Warbler
• Black-throated Blue Warbler
• Pine Warbler
• Yellow-rumped Warbler
• Black-throated Green Warbler
• Canada Warbler
• Chipping Sparrow
• Song Sparrow
• Swamp Sparrow
• White-throated Sparrow
• Scarlet Tanager
• Red-winged Blackbird
• Common Grackle
• Baltimore Oriole
• American Goldfinch