all sorts of flutterbys

The Eastern Kingbird, a regular visitor in the past week or two, was on site this morning at the top of the dead Red Cedar on the far side of our pond buzzing away like an electric charge. When I showed up on the opposite bank, he/she/it took off and did a loop-di-loop high over the creek where the Purple Martins sometimes find insect prey. What the Kingbird found instead was a Ruby-throated Hummingbird which immediately went after the bigger bird with all the vim and vigor that the mighty mite possesses. Usually it's the cantankerous Kingbird that chases other birds; this time, he/she/it was the chased!

In the flycatcher category, Eastern Phoebe is still around but the Great Crested Flycatcher is nowhere to be found. On its way to Latin America I suppose. The end of August is a good time for migrating flycatchers; I've already seen one Wood-pewee and hope to find some of the challenging Empids soon.

The Mallard with her late brood of ten is still frequenting our pond, the Wild Turkey raft, perhaps slightly diminished in numbers, is still wandering about and the Goldfinches, several at a time, are still stalking up on the thistle seeds making a colorful display of black-and-yellow birds, green plants, purple flowers and feathery thistle seeds.

Black Swallowtail butterflies have suddenly appeared in just the past couple of days. A migration or a local hatch?

Eric Salzman