summer visitors

A new summer visitor: Blue-gray Gnatcatcher joined the Northern Waterthrushes (plural because there were several this morning) and the Royal Terns on the creek.

At least three noisy Osprey have been circling over the land, calling, chirping and whistling and gliding circles around each other. To what purpose? Young birds socializing? Learning to ride the updrafts? A fourth bird -- apparently an adult -- appeared to join them but later moved across the creek clutching a good-sized fish -- perhaps a half-grown Bluefish (Blue Snapper season is upon us). The Purple Martins have been active and noisy for the past few days; I think the cause is the emergence and first flights of the young which are now catching insects but also perching here and there on dead tree branches to catch their breath before re-launching their aerial hunting efforts.

This hasn't been a great year for butterflies but I've seen half a dozen Monarchs so far this year which is a happy piece of news. Also, in the last couple of days, a Red-spotted Purple, a skipper (Dion Skipper?) in the marsh and a couple of striking dragonflies, notably a clear-winged specimen with a black stigma and yellowish on the leading edge. The dragonfly looked like it ought to be easily identifiable but I'm still struggling with the odonates.

I thought that Sandy has wiped out all our Wood Sage (or Germander), a small marsh edge plant with delicate, lipped pinkish flowers. Amazingly, I found an extensive stand of this remarkable native wildflower blooming in the woods north of the house. A small aster or sunflower type with bright yellow star flowers and filament-like leaves proves to Whorled Coreopsis or Coreopsis verticillata.

Eric Salzman