Concealer Moth (Eido trimaculella), #1068
Barry photographed this very pretty grey moth on dog-strangling vine in the Ash Woods and Diane supplied the ID for us.
21-JUN-2013
Large yellow underwing (Noctua pronuba)
Found at night when out mothing. I went for a walk around the garden, while the others checked the sheets, and saw the eyes of this moth glowing orange in my light. It is on a vetch plant.
21-JUN-2013
Scarab beetle (Dichelonyx sp.)
This beetle, which is likely Dichelonyx albicollis (but yet to be confirmed to exact species), also came to the sheets, when we were mothing tonight. It is another new species for our insect list.
21-JUN-2013
False darkling beetle (Dircaea liturata)
Tonight, Barry, Diane and I went mothing at the FWG. There were few moths to see, but lots of beetles, including quite a few of these false darkling beetles, in the Family Melandryidae. They have a very distinctive shape and pattern, and are typically only found at night, where they readily come to lights, as we discovered. They feed on fungi amongst a few other things. This is another new species for our FWG list.
19-JUN-2013
Cranberry Girdler (Chrysoteuchia topiarius), #5391
A pretty little moth, also known as the topiary grass-veneer, it is in the Crambidae Family. Beautifully photographed by Diane.
19-JUN-2013
Grasshopper ( Melanoplus), juvenile
Looking golden in the afternoon sun, is this little grasshopper, photographed by Diane.
19-JUN-2013
Pinks (Dianthus)
A gorgeous big cluster of Dianthus in the Backyard Garden, photographed by Diane. Not a native species, but one that has become well-established over time in natural areas, where it can be found in small, scattered populations.
19-JUN-2013
Iris
This pretty blue iris grows near the pond in the Backyard Garden section of the Fletcher Wildlife Garden. Diane says she saw a hummingbird nectaring at it. In the past, swallowtails and other insects have also been found using iris for nectar.
19-JUN-2013
Hairy beard-tongue (Penstemon hirsutus)
Diane photographed this native plant at the garden, where it grows in the Butterfly Meadow.
19-JUN-2013
Katydid, juvenile
Juvenile katydids both look like, and don't look like, the adult version. Barry took this photo of the youngster.
19-JUN-2013
Mallard family
OK, so this was not in the FWG amphibian pond! I went down to the Arboretum, and found this one family in the stream that flows out of the FWG, so I reckoned it was OK to include this lovely family.
In the FWG, house wrens are feeding young, ditto the tree swallows, and song sparrows. All seen carrying food. The phoebes appear to have fledged and flown, as there was no activity around the nest. Other birds seen/heard today include common yellowthroat, yellow warbler, chipping sparrow, green heron, american kestrel, gray catbird, house finch, great crested flycatcher, american robin, common raven, turkey vulture (flying over), american crows, american goldfinches, and, a very nice surprise: looking up I saw a gorgeous great egret, pure white against the blue sky, fly over the old field.
19-JUN-2013
Four-spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata)
A truly handsome skimmer, quite golden when fresh, but turning browner as it ages. This one cooperatively perched, as they often do. There were also good numbers of eastern forktails both around the amphibian pond and elsewhere in the garden.
