Archive for July, 2007

Tyson

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

Last Thursday (July 26) afternoon Jim Z. and I went to Tyson Research Center.
We saw only a few birds: Turkey Vulture, Eastern Bluebird, Indigo Bunting (only two or three individuals seen, but many heard singing), American Goldfinch, a mystery passerine that we couldn’t get our glasses on. We heard a Carolina Wren.
Butterflies were the stars [...]

An hour in Tower Grove Park

Tuesday, July 31st, 2007

I took a vacation day on Monday, July 16, and spent an hour in Tower Grove Park’s bird garden.
There wasn’t much activity. Cicada Killers drifted over the grass at the entrance to the bird garden, making me wish I hadn’t worn shorts and flip flops. After taking some photos of the wasps, I sat [...]

Cloudywings

Saturday, July 14th, 2007

Update, July 31, 2007: I showed the photo to Jim Z. last Thursday, and he said that it’s a Southern with a darker than usual face. He had had only a brief view in the field. Digital cameras are truly a butterflier’s friend.
I’ve been on the web looking at photos and reading descriptions of [...]

Beyond the backyard

Monday, July 9th, 2007

On Saturday morning, July 7, Jim Ziebol and I took a quick trip to Horseshoe Lake to see the Neotropic Cormorant Frank Holmes had found there several days earlier.
It was good to get out after weeks of not venturing beyond city parks and the backyard.
We got to Horseshoe Lake around 8:20. Shortly after turning on [...]