Goshen CMBO ~ Birds & Butterflies

I have always enjoyed going to the Goshen CMBO to see the birds and butterflies.  Normally, I visit there in June but this year time got away from me.  Today after work I was able to stop by.  Must say I was very disappointed to see how the grounds are overgrown and haven't been maintained.  This year there are no hummingbird feeders with Ruby-throated Hummingbirds flying into feed. And I saw very few butterflies as compared to prior years.  The Barn Swallows are sitting on nests.  At the pond the Pickerel Weed have Broad-winged Skippers as they do every year.  Also on the Pickerel Weed was a Smeared Dagger Moth caterpillar. The only other butterfly I saw was a Gray Hairstreak Butterfly.

Corolla, NC ~ Currituck Lighthouse & Heritage Park

There are 3 lighthouses on the island so today's trip was to the one nearest to where we are staying.  The Currituck Lighthouse is built of brick and opened in 1875.  There wasn't time to climb the lighthouse because we also wanted to explore the grounds of the Heritage Park.  We walked out one of the trails to the Currituck Sound.  Along the trail we saw Eastern Kingbirds, Gray Catbirds, Marsh Wrens plus lots of different dragonflies.  Once out at the Sound we saw Least and Spotted Sandpipers feeding at the muddy edge of the water.  Flying across the water were several Bank Swallows catching some insects.

Barn Swallow

Spotted Sandpiper

Eastern Pond Hawk Dragonfly

Common Blue Damselfly

Goshen CMBO

Off to the Goshen branch of the CMBO to see what's going on there.  Last year I found good numbers of birds and butterflies each time I visited there.  Since I am not yet having much luck with the butterflies in my yard I though maybe I'd have better luck elsewhere.  The first birds I spotted were Barn Swallows.  There were some by the front door on a ledge and then to the side under the eves I found a pair building a nest.  How cool to watch them build.  Off they go to a source of mud and back they come with the mud on their beck, then they put it onto the sides they've already done.  Then they also bring back some mud that has some straw mixed in to give the nest some strength.  Very amazing.

Barn Swallows nest building

As I walked around the building I saw some American Goldfinches, some Mockingbirds, Carolina Wren and a Brown Thrasher and only one butterfly -American Lady.