My Yard ~ Late Butterflies

 Today was a nice sunny day after 4 days of cloudy, cool weather - mid 60's with winds 10-145 MPH.  I put up the feeder pole and put out several feeders for the birds.  I bought a platform feeder and a squirrel proof feeder and filled them with a mix of safflower seed and sunflower chips.  I added a Niger sock for the goldfinches and a peanut block in a cage.  I am hoping the squirrels aren't able to get onto the pole as there is a baffle.  First bird we saw on it was a white-breasted Nuthatch.

Then as I was sitting and enjoying the feeder from the back deck an Eastern Comma came to visit - new yard butterfly #31.  I decided to check all of the gardens and found another new yard butterfly #32 Eastern-tailed Blue.  Also present were Cabbage White, Orange Sulphur, Painted Lady, and Fiery Skipper.  A bit later there was a Monarch heading South.

Eastern-tailed Blue

Fiery Skipper

Orange Sulphur

Cabbage White

I also saw some cabbage whites, another orange sulphur, another fiery skipper and a meadow fritillary while taking a walk in my community..

Wetlands Institute, Stone Harbor, NJ ~ Birds

 Today's a day to sort through pictures and try to ID some of the birds or butterflies I wasn't able to ID initially.  I am doing pretty good at the ID's so far and confirming my ID with other more knowledgeable than I.  Here's a Pectoral Sandpipers from April of 2022 along with a Tree Swallow and Osprey.

Tree Swallow

Pectoral Sandpiper

Osprey

My Yard ~ Bald Eagle

Bald Eagle flying overhead while Jenny & Jayne were visiting and looking at my back gardens. Yard Bird #35

 

Lancaster County ~ Leaf Peeping

 Wonderful day out with a friend enjoying the colors of Fall.  I have missed the change of seasons while living in NJ.

My Yard ~ White-throated Sparrow

 

White-throated Sparrows came buzzing through on Monday. I wonder if they'll hang around? Yard bird #34

My Yard ~ Butterflies

 Sad to say but the butterflies in PA are gone so much sooner than the butterflies in Cape May but that's the difference in Cape May being a milder climate.  The  hardiness zone at my old house was 7b but here at my new home it's 6b. I have no idea how my plants will fare this winter as it's colder here but I'll know next spring.  I had 4 species visit the yard on Sunday.  My plants are still blooming so there is nectar here for them.

Monarch on lantana

Painted Lady on pansies

Sachem on zinnia

Cabbage White on Caryopteris

Cape May ~ Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers

 It's always great to be in Cape May in the Fall during migration.  These sapsuckers were at a home where I was staying.