Martin Burns WMA: Newbury, MA (6/24)
On Sunday the entire Walker clan spent the day out at the North shore. We started the morning on the Massachusetts Butterfly Club trip to Martin Burns WMA. We arrived a bit late so the group had already started out on their hike. But with all of the butterflies to distract them they didn't get far. As we rushed to catch up, I noticed a single Indigo Bunting perched at the top of a large tree. He was contently singing until he saw me and ducked back into the foliage.
We eventually caught up with the rest of the group just in time to see some nice Harris' Checkerspots. A pair was even hard at work perpetuating the species. The area was practically alive with all the activity. There were plenty of dragonflies and butterflies to train our binoculars on. And it was easy to see why since the summer flowers were in mid-season bloom. There was lots of Daisy Fleabane, Hop Clover, Dogbane, and Spurge along the trail. Investigating it closely, I found an ant on one of the Spurge blooms. It looked like he was sucking liquid (water or nectar?) off the flowers.
But, the insect weren't all that we found. My sister and I found an American Toad sitting in the shade of the flowers. This guy had to be the fattest toad that I have ever seen (for his size). Also, a bit later one of the hikers found a deceased Star-nosed Mole. We couldn't tell how it had passed but it was interesting to see this secretive mammal.
But, in the end the trip was about the butterflies. We had some really nice sightings including Great Spangled Fritillary, Spicebush Swallowtail, and Red Admiral
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Birds: Common Yellowthroat, Northern Cardinal, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tananger, American Goldfinch, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Towhee, Black-capped Chickadee, Cedar Waxwing, Prairie Warbler, Chimney Swift, Blue-wing Warbler
We eventually caught up with the rest of the group just in time to see some nice Harris' Checkerspots. A pair was even hard at work perpetuating the species. The area was practically alive with all the activity. There were plenty of dragonflies and butterflies to train our binoculars on. And it was easy to see why since the summer flowers were in mid-season bloom. There was lots of Daisy Fleabane, Hop Clover, Dogbane, and Spurge along the trail. Investigating it closely, I found an ant on one of the Spurge blooms. It looked like he was sucking liquid (water or nectar?) off the flowers.
But, the insect weren't all that we found. My sister and I found an American Toad sitting in the shade of the flowers. This guy had to be the fattest toad that I have ever seen (for his size). Also, a bit later one of the hikers found a deceased Star-nosed Mole. We couldn't tell how it had passed but it was interesting to see this secretive mammal.
But, in the end the trip was about the butterflies. We had some really nice sightings including Great Spangled Fritillary, Spicebush Swallowtail, and Red Admiral
-----
Birds: Common Yellowthroat, Northern Cardinal, Baltimore Oriole, Scarlet Tananger, American Goldfinch, Indigo Bunting, Eastern Towhee, Black-capped Chickadee, Cedar Waxwing, Prairie Warbler, Chimney Swift, Blue-wing Warbler
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Butterflies: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail - 5, Spicebush Swallowtail - 1, Cabbage White - 2, Eastern Tailed-Blue - 7, Great Spangled Fritillary - 10, HARRIS' CHECKERSPOT - 13, Pearl Crescent - 1 alive, 1 dead specimen, anglewing spp. - 1, Red Admiral - 4, American Lady - 3, Red-spotted Purple - 1, Viceroy - 1, Eyed Brown - 1, Little Wood-Satyr - 16, Silver-spotted Skipper - 16, cloudywing spp. - 1 , Juvenal's Duskywing - 1, duskywing spp. - 2, Least Skipper - 2, European Skipper - 3, Peck's Skipper - 1, Long Dash - 6, Little Glassywing - 2, Hobomok Skipper - 5
posted by Mike @ 10:46 AM
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