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 of the day, 18 species in all, including 6 species of swallowtail:
- Black Swallowtail
- Pipevine Swallowtail
- Tiger Swallowtail
- Giant Swallowtail
- Spicebush Swallowtail
- Zebra Swallowtail
- Pearl Crescent
- Silvery Checkerspot
- Red-spotted Purple
- Eastern-tailed Blue
- Question Mark
- Eastern Comma
- Hackberry
- Northern Pearly Eye
- Little Wood Satyr
- Cabbage White
- Fiery Skipper
- Little Glassywing
I missed the Giant Swallowtail and the Eastern Comma.
I had forgotten what a good place Tyson is—must renew my membership.