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
