Sailing Away ~ to Delaware

Cape May Lighthouse at sunrise

Today's adventures included a sunrise trip on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry.  I was meeting a friend for a morning of birding and some girl talk.  We had a good time and Bernie had looks at 2 lifers ~ Northern Harrier and Golden-crowned Kinglet.

Cape May Lighthouse with St. Mary's Convent Retreat House

My Yard ~ Ruby-throated Hummingbird

I thought I'd seen the last Ruby-throated Hummingbird for the season about 2 weeks ago.
Imagine my surprise and delight when this male arrived at my feeders this morning.  He fed off and on all day ignoring all of the great plants for the feeders.  I wonder how long he'll stay here.

My Yard

I'm happy that my yard still has some great color, flowers and some butterflies.  There are Black Swallowtail butterflies and caterpillars, Common Buckeye butterflies, Monarchs, American Lady butterfly, Cabbage Whites, Orange Sulphur butterflies and Sachem Skippers.  All to soon the warmer days will be colder and the gardens will die back for another year.

Beth's Patch #100

Tonight, my area of birding "Beth's Patch" which includes the front and back yard along with the beach and bay in front of my house reached a milestone.  The Great Blue Heron flew in around sunset and stayed to feed along the edges of the bay.  This bird was number #100.  Two Mute Swans that flew over about 2 weeks ago were Beth's Patch #99.

My Yard ~ Monarch Emerging

Today we had a Monarch enclose from the chrysalis.  It is getting late for a Monarc to emerge and fly 2000+ miles to Mexico to overwinter.  It is amazing to see the crumpled butterfly emerge and watch the wings being pumped up and then dry.  A miracle from God.

Yard Birds

Some birds that visited the yard this past weekend  included:

Palm Warbler

Carolina Wren

My Yard ~ 12 Butterfly Species

How wonderful it was to have a nice sunny day that helped to bring out lots of butterflies.  I know that they'll soon be gone and want to take the time to enjoy them while they are here.  There were Sachem and Fiery Skippers, Cabbage Whites, Orange Suphurs, Cloudless Sulphurs, Common Buckeyes and Monarchs, Red Admiral, American Ladies along with Pearl Crescent and Variegated Fritillary.

Cloudless Sulphur

Variegated Fritillary

Birding ~ The Meadows

This morning a text went out over a messaging service called Keekeekeer that an American Bittern had been seen at the Meadows this morning.  I have seen an American Bittern before at Forsythe but not great looks so I decided to take a trip over to see if I could find it.  Initial walk out the main path I came up empty but walking back I stopped to talk to some people who had been on the walk. They were in the general area of where the bittern had been so we started to look for it with our bins,  I wasn't having any luck so I decided to look behind me before leaving to go over to the Point.  There sitting out in plain sight on a mowed area was the Bittern.  It sat there watching us watch him for over 1/2 hr before I left.  When I entered him into ebird he was Life bird #373 for me.

Cape May Point ~ Lake Lily ~ Common Gallinule

Rare Bird Alerts sent me to Lake Lilly for this Common Gallinule.

My Yard ~ Monarchs in the Garden

Caterpillar feeding on milkweed

Many Monarchs in my garden in various stages.

Monarch caterpillar in "J"  position

Monarch Chrysalis

Monarch in the garden

My yard ~ 16 Butterfly Species ~ Yard Species #37

Today, I am off so worked out in the gardens.  It was a sunny day with warm temperatures.  The Monarchs exploded this afternoon with almost 3 dozen here.  Also have about a dozen Monarch caterpillars eating away on common and tropical milkweed, a few are in J positions plus we found 14 chrysalis after vacation. There are Black Swallowtails and BS caterpillars.  There are lots of fresh Common Buckeye, American & Painted Ladies, Cabbage Whites, Cloudless and Orange Sulphurs, Variegated Fritillary and Gray Hairstreak,  There are Red Admirals and Mourning Cloak nectaring on rotten fruit.  Fiery and Sachem skippers are here.  I have a FOY Ocola Skipper plus a first ever sighting of a Common Checkered- Skipper.  That is yard butterfly #37.  I am wondering what butterflies were here in the 3 weeks I was away??  How about when I am at work?   How many species am I missing??  Hopefully, next summer I'll be off more to find out.

Common Checkered Skipper ~ Yard Species #37

Ocola Skipper

Orange Sulphur Butterfly

Wordless Wednesday ~ Yellow-bellied Sapsucker ~ My yard

My Yard ~ Ruby-throated Hummingbird

I came home today to see this hummer feeding on my Mexican Sage.  This is the first year Jenny & I planted it though Leslie been planting in her garden for years,  It blooms forever, Leslie tells us, or at least to the first frost.  It's great for late hummingbirds which we hope to attract.  It took a beating over the weekend from the high winds of a Nor-Easter so next year we'll stake it as it grows.

Phoenix, AZ

Antelope Squirrel

Abert's Towhee

Cactus Wren

Peach-faced Lovebird

Phoenix, AZ

Coyote behind yard

Collared Dove

White-crowned Sparrow