Butterfly Garden Season Ends

The Observatory manages butterfly gardens at Kiptopeke State Park and at Jamestown Marina/Billsburg Brewery, which is pictured here. By mid-December most blooming plants have finished, though at the Marina Garden, Golden Alexander and Obediant Plant are still blooming as of Dec 17th. The dead vegetation is left in place until March, to harbor winter sparrows and finches.

The Marina Garden has a small table and 3 benches, including a kid-friendly low one. The hummingbird feeder in the photo will remain out for most of the winter at the Marina as hummingbirds are possible. The gardens produced a wide variety of species in 2021, including a very rare Lace-winged Roadside-Skipper at the Marina. Caterpillars for Black Swallowtail, Sleepy Orange, Monarch and Variegated Fritillary were found in 2021. Visitors enjoyed the garden daily.

Brian Taber

Kiptopeke Hawkwatch Ends Season

 Hey birders,

Somehow it's the end of November. That northwest wind is chilly and I had to dig deep to find my winter gloves, goofy hat and extra hoodies. I'm not sure where the time went; It seems like only yesterday when I was welcomed to the Eastern Shore by John and Martina with accompanying tall thunder clouds, a warm bay to swim in and tanagers and orioles and flycatchers and lots and lots of warblers.

Then the raptors came …and what an unforgettable experience. I'm so glad I was able to share so many with the fabulous birders and visitors up on the hawkwatch platform. Each one of you helped me through the long, long days, spotted birds out in the blue, brought me sweet potato biscuits, shared fabulous stories, even shared local IPAs…and accepted me into the Kiptopeke family.

And the raptors kept coming. Smashing overhead at a hundred miles an hour. Gliding on stiff wings several kilometers above us. Rising up on thermals. Each day different…not really knowing what to expect.

Now the last few raptors are passing me; the occasional red-tail, a red-shoulder, of course a Harrier not following the rules…. Bald Eagles are setting up breeding territories; A red-shouldered hawk screams at the marauding crow flock; and I'm sure that male Peregrine must need a break from another pigeon meal. The last of the big robin and blackbird flocks are almost gone.

I don't think I can pick out one memory …more a kaleidoscope of images that blur from one to another, spanning the season; those Merlins dashing through the book ends; the kids holding the binoculars the "wrong way"; another Swainson's Hawk; screaming "Golden Eagle" as the first of the season soars above flat top; 1200 hawks in a day, learning that binoculars can be a fashion accessory …and the peaceful solitude first thing in the morning as a gray ghost flaps over.

Well I'm off to carry on the bird evangelism elsewhere. Off to do bird surveys near Flagstaff, AZ and Las Vegas, NV.  Please don't take Kiptopeke for granted. Tell your friends; bring those kids with the young eyes; consider volunteering on the platform; contact the State Park System and let them know how important the hawkwatch is; and more than anything, enjoy those hawks!  If you want to say hi or stay in contact, my email is birdidiot@gmail.com. I'm going to be leading a couple of bird tours to Veracruz next fall; one is full but …. Just contact me.

Final tally at the end of the season:  total raptors 19,350

Osprey 4,039

Bald Eagle 797 a new season record

Golden Eagle 8

Northern Harrier 673

Sharp-shinned Hawk 4,260

Cooper's Hawk 1,412

Northern Goshawk 1 

Broad-winged Hawk  1,336

Red-tailed Hawk 508

Red-shouldered Hawk 97

Swainson's Hawk 3

American Kestrel 4,098

Merlin 1,395

Peregrine 670

Mississippi Kite 4

Happy birding,

Steve Dougill

(Photo is with the coveted Wild Turkey Trophy for the Kiptopeke Challenge Special Venue!)

Monarch Migration Program

 Monarch migration and Monarch tagging is underway on the eastern shore of Virginia. As of 11/10, I have tagged 415 Monarchs for their migration to Mexico. Most have been tagged in Kiptopeke State Park, with a few being tagged in the Eastern Shore of Virginia National Wildlife Refuge. In these locations, Monarchs have been feeding on narrowleaf sunflowers, blue mistflower, and goldenrod species. The best location for tagging and finding Monarchs has been in Kiptopeke State Park within the Sunday Fields. Unfortunately, the Sunday Fields are also home to Monarch predators, I have seen four praying mantis’s feeding on Monarchs, one which was tagged previously that day. I only have a couple weeks left in my two months stay here on the Eastern Shore and I hope to see and tag many more Monarchs!

Allison Sheldon

CVWO Monarch Biologist

Heermann's Gull

This 1st cycle Heermann's Gull was found at the Hopewell Marina on October 27th by Allen Bryan. I was lucky to see it late that day, resting alone on a log on the far shore, often with its head tucked. Many others later photographed it as close as the parking lot. The closer photo is by  Deborah Humphries on  October 31st.  In August, a Herrmann's in similar plumage was photographed at the Jamestown Ferry, about 30 miles down the James River from Hopewell...possibly the same bird?

In 2021, Heermann's were recorded in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, New Jersey and Rhode Island...an amazing array of observations, which included adult, 1st cycle and 2nd cycle birds. Heermann's normal U. S. range is the west coast.

On November 4th, a winter plumaged adult Heermann's was photographed in Virginia Beach, where an adult was recorded on May 11 as Virginia's 2nd record...could it be the same bird?

Brian Taber

Kiptopeke Hawkwatch

 Hey birders ….

It's not over until it's over! The raptors are still moving over, maybe at a more relaxed pace now and in lower numbers than during the peak a few weeks ago …but we're still having a lot of fun. Instead of Merlins zipping over and disappearing in a second we've been getting longer views … well that's a relative word with these gems as they are fast fast fast. Still, I'll take all I can get of these amazing birds. Sharpies are fluttering over just above the platform, turning their whole body on the side to look down at us. These little accipiters are topping the charts right now and typically are the commonest birds but the larger and steadier Coops are still giving pause and reflection. I can't count how many times an accipiter has changed back and forth between a coop and a sharpie as it approaches head on …what a great learning experience!

Old friends like the Osprey are still putting in an appearance. Often now they seem more hurried, flapping south instead of their long effortless glides of September. It's always a thrill when harriers flap over, typically low now, and typically at a totally different flight angle to the main flow. The rich pumpkin oranges and brown hues of the young birds remind me it's almost Halloween. Really, I've been here almost two months…  and how can we get more goulish than the gray ghost. A few male harriers are still being seen but maybe they will stop come all hallows eve.

The change now though is the focus on the larger birds. Red-tailed and Red-shouldered hawk numbers are picking up and we just wait for sunny days with a little less wind to see small groups thermalling up. My advice is to inspect the vulture groups carefully as the other birds clue in on their superior ability to find and ride thermals. Often you will spot other raptors in their midst; a couple of buteos thermalling in and out of the larger, blacker vultures; a small sharpie spinning in tight circles at the top; and if we're lucky, go up even higher and there might be a Peregrine lazily circling looking down on all those Feral Pigeons.

Bald Eagle numbers are picking up …those huge wide barn door shaped wings hardly moving in the wind.  But you need to check them carefully. A few days ago I spotted one that was flying a little differently: thinner, longer wings in a dihedral. I got everyone on the bird and as it came closer we could see the distinctive discreet white patches at the base of the primaries and a white tail band.  Wow. An immature Golden Eagle. I'm so glad it was refound a few miles to the north feeding on a deer carcass close to (but not too close to) Highway 13. 

It's also the time of year when diurnal songbirds and waterfowl are passing in big numbers. Clouds of Myrtle Warblers chip and seep overhead. Blackbirds chup as they cruise over in mixed flocks.  Sparrows and thrashers are all around. Cormorants are forming long lines. Distant ducks are skimming the Bay. It won't be long until the Tundra Swans go over in line after line. It's really an exciting time.  It's the time for the unusual raptors… maybe this will be a Rough-legged year. Maybe even a Goshawk.  I'm just imagining a Short-eared Owl clearing the tree line and skimming the platform, it's yellow eyes fixed south.

Total birds by October 26 …17,246

Osprey 3892

Bald Eagle 475

Northern Harrier 527

Sharp-shinned Hawk 3653

Cooper's Hawk 1172

Red-shouldered Hawk 30

Broad-winged Hawk 1308

Red-tailed Hawk 159

Swainson's Hawk 2

Golden Eagle 1

American Kestrel 4001

Merlin 1333

Peregrine 641

Mississippi Kite 4

Steve

Kiptopeke Hawkwatch

 Hey birders,

So what's a typical day like up on hawk watch recently?  Well, if you've been there you can skip to the end, but I'm sure a few of you haven't made it down yet, so read on.

I normally arrive just as it's getting light: it's a calm time when I hear the chips and seeps of warblers passing overhead and tree swallows are starting to lift off, often drifting around in clouds that look like smoke.  I fall into the daily routine of setting up the data entry tablet, cursing at it several times as I wait for forms to load, updating the totals board …. and then starting to look north for raptors.

It's sharpie sunrise …  the hour when these small accipiters start flying on snappy wing beats while Ospreys flap with determination above and the tally increasing in ones and twos.  Maybe ten in the first hour, maybe thirty in the next.

Soon visiting birders and park campers start turning up and are often treated straight off to a small silhouette passing overhead … or maybe a marauding Merlin dashing by.

A little later, numbers of raptors are picking up and I'm having difficulty keeping up with the data entry, chatting with people and remembering to stay hydrated or eat.  Birds come in pulses and it's exciting to see a lone raptor and then suddenly notice that it's accompanied by more and yet more, as they appear out of the clouds.

I try and keep the enthusiasm levels high on the platform giving updates on how many birds passed that hour, handing out unabridged humor on unsuspecting visitors and generally participating in the general geeky bird talk that we are all so comfortable around.  It's a fun, inclusive atmosphere where most people really get into the spirit and add to the energy.

When the Kestrel cocktail hour hits in the late afternoon I'm exhausted.  Most of us suffer from "raptor neck" from looking high up all day long and I think sometimes we should all participate in a massage circle.  My eyes are tired and I'm ready for supper.  However, I'm also ready and excited to do it all over again the next day, and the next … all the way to the end of November.

Tally so far at the halfway mark of the counting season:  total raptors 14,106

Osprey 3,629

Bald Eagle 329

Northern Harrier 383

Sharp-shinned Hawk 2,436

Cooper's Hawk 652

Broad-winged Hawk  1,235

Red-tailed Hawk 99

Red-shouldered Hawk 8

Swainson's Hawk 2

American Kestrel 3,302

Merlin 1,221

Peregrine 567

Mississippi Kite 4

Happy birding,

Steve

Kiptopeke Hawkwatch

 

Hey Birders,

Wow, sometimes those raptors are hard to identify.  In fact, sometimes you just have to accept it that those falcons crashing by at a million miles an hour just didn't give you enough of a look to choose between Merlin or kestrel, especially on an overcast day when colors fade to silhouettes, and silhouettes fade to blurs.  Sometimes those pesky accipiters are flying directly overhead  seem to show equal numbers of characteristics for both sharpies and coops.  You're split and everyone has a different opinion as to the identity based on values they put on identification.

My job here as a hawk counter means I need to work hard and assign an ID where possible.  If you are up on the platform with me I will explain my reasoning and thought processes … now there's a dark tangled web indeed …. and we get to a stage where we can identify most of the birds.  Birding really builds on experience and repetition.  Did I say repetition.  I'll say it again: Repetition.  I was reminded by a fantastic birder very recently to keep looking at the bird, even after you know what it is.  It's the best opportunity to see a known species in different conditions, it's flight styles and habits / quirks as it gets further and further away.  How else are you going to be able to identify those distant specs with certainty?

Someone is always going to have better bins than you, maybe a more elaborate lense on a camera … maybe better eyesight.  But nothing beats practice and patience.  I've been doing this thing called birding since I was five years old, starting with a pair of plastic binoculars out of a spy kit….  Now they are Zeiss, but wherever I go in the world there are soooo many birds that remain unidentified.  I give you a toast to uncertainty.  Cheers.

Tally so far at end of first week of October:  total raptors 10,839

Osprey 3268

Bald Eagle 309

Northern Harrier 325

Sharp-shinned Hawk 1041

Cooper's Hawk 495

Broad-winged Hawk 1153

Red-tailed Hawk 87

Red-shouldered Hawk 4

Swainson's Hawk 1

American Kestrel 2633

Merlin 1032

Peregrine 329

Mississippi Kite 4

Steve

Kiptopeke Hawkwatch

 Hey birders,

I've been lucky to work at the two largest hawk migration sites in the world: Veracruz in Mexico, and Eilat in Israel. While the numbers at Kiptopeke can't compete we had an absolutely amazing day of hawk watching, counting close to 1200 birds and the excitement rivaled any day I've experienced.  I thought it would be fun to share a snippet of a big day from these three sites.

Close your eyes and imagine a coastal plain with snow capped volcanoes rising high to your left.  We're looking north and there is a continuous stream of raptors all the way from the horizon, disappearing into the distance behind. Birds are 50 wide by 30 tall as far as the eye can see,  mostly Swainson's Hawks but with smaller broad wings and TVs mixed in. The Rio de Rapaces, or River of Raptors is flowing like a conveyor belt from one vortex to another: birds arriving at the bottom and rising up in clouds of swarming crowds of 10,000 strong before streaming off at the top …heading south, always south. That's Veracruz for you. Where else can you see a couple of hundred thousand raptors in a day?

How about the southern tip of Israel. Up in the desert mountains above Eilat we look down on the Red Sea as line after line of massive Steppe Eagles pass below us without a flap on flat wings. They've crossed the Sarah desert on their way to Central Asia and Eastern Europe.  There are vultures too, and harriers …here comes a Snake Eagle, there's an Imperial Eagle. As the thermals increase, the birds climb and so we follow the mountain road higher to stay with the stream that continues well into the afternoon …did we just count 50,000 birds?

Here on the Eastern Shore it's the falcons that rule. There really aren't many places where the variety of raptors are so mixed. Merlin after Merlin skimming the treeline as they take little more than a second to wizz by. Taking out a dragonfly, smashing into a kestrel, the Merlins force their presence and take no quarter.  You had to be there to experience the energy last week …Visitors were enthralled and kept staying longer and longer. The volume and energy kept rising and rising with new folks adding to it.  I've never experienced anything quite like it. I am hoping we have more falcon frenzies like that. What a buzz. It's so much more than just numbers.

Tally so far at end of week 4:  total raptors 5859

Osprey 2368

Bald Eagle 199

Northern Harrier 148

Sharp-shinned Hawk 153

Cooper's Hawk 141

Broad-winged Hawk 776

Red-tailed Hawk 65

American Kestrel 1397

Merlin 496

Peregrine 102

Mississippi Kite 2

Happy birding,

Steve

Kiptopeke Hawkwatch

 Hey birders …..

All sorts of raptor mayhem happened this last week; did you catch any of it?  Osprey after Osprey were playing follow the leader in a long line way above our heads; Merlins were wizzing by catching dragonflies and terrorizing kestrels; Broad wings were forming kettles of more than a hundred birds and spiraling up into the clouds.  But the main story was the new birder and scientist converts.  No flat earth here.

I know of at least three kids who will now be getting bins for birthday / Christmas and several others who want to be scientists.  It's so fun to see the kids come alive when we involve them in the hawk count.  Thank you so much to those of you who lent us bins (we need more!!)…it makes such a difference to expose a new world to these kids and their parents.  I have them spotting birds and then entering it into the tablet where they can see their contribution live on the web.  Some of the smaller kids were linking hands and flapping their "wings" while running about as Eagles.  One little kid just laughed all the time constantly saying "biscuits."

So I've been kept pretty busy  counting the raptors while evangelizing birds and conservation, changing my style between the kids and adults; between new birders and experts.

My favorite thing to happen though was catching up with a birding buddy I grew up with in London, UK and who now lives locally in Richmond.  It had been way too long and it was fun to chat about old birding adventures when we were teenagers … but that's another story or two.

A special thank you to Andy, a visiting raptor raver from PA.  He bought a fake garden great horned owl, I mounted it on a pole and we got our first raptor strike….Who else but an energetic Merlin.

Hey, next Saturday it's the Kiptopeke Challenge.  My team is the Eagle Eyes.  I was going to call it the Garbled Modwits but I didn't know how silly was acceptable …

Anyway, if you're headed to the Eastern Shore on Saturday, spend some time up on the platform with me and help us spot some birds.  You can practice what you learned in last week's Blog.  You could also help out CVWO by contributing some cash or electronically via the web site.  It's the annual fundraiser … but for us on the hawk platform it's always a FUNraiser.

Tally so far at end of week three: 4,768  total raptors

Osprey 2,050

Bald Eagle 180

Northern Harrier 123

Sharp-shinned Hawk. 19

Coopers Hawk 95

Broad-winged Hawk 688

Red-tailed Hawk 60

American Kestrel 1,100

Merlin 369

Peregrine 70

Mississippi Kite 2

Happy birding,

Steve

International Hawk Migration Week

 International Hawk Migration Week is Sep 18-26...coordinated by our partner Hawk Migration Association of North America, where we send our hawkwatch data. The goal is to raise awareness for hawk conservation. Hope people can make it out to their favorite site!

Brian Taber

Kiptopeke Hawkwatch

 

Hey birders …..

So you want to see hawks, well here are some tips on how to enjoy hawk watching,:

1.  location, location, location.  Well this is an easy one as you have a great site close by called, you guessed it, Kiptopeke.

2.  Timing.  I suggest day time 

3.  Timing (part 2).  Seriously, we are getting into the peak of migration from the middle of September to the middle of October.  We will be getting big flights of falcons zipping by and who doesn't like falcons … apart from all those migrating songbirds and dragonflies … and shorebirds … and ….

4.  Bring a kid or a birder under aged 30 with you.  If you don't have kids, or close family who fit this description, then rent one.  This is super important as you need a pair of young eyes to spot those specks.

5.  Floaters that go consistently north - south are in fact birds

6.  Beware of dragonflies and butterflies.  We all get caught out.  What looks like a tiny very distant raptor could be a large butterfly circling past your nose at close quarters.

7.  Get up to speed on all the ways to distinguish the accipiters apart.  It doesn't matter if you can't ID them, but at least you can join in on the discussions with everyone one else who also can't ID them.

8.  A comfortable chair is a must.  I was hoping to be provided with a lazy boy but one can only wish.  

9.  Those of faith or atheists alike, pray for clouds.  We need a backdrop to see those tiny specks against.  A cloudless blue sky might be nice for a picnic but we're here for more than a sandwich.

10. Remember to bring your bins.  Sometimes it might seem like a waste of time when the birds are passing way high overhead but at least you can look like you're seeing the birds.  Just make sure you're pointed in roughly the same direction as everyone else.

It's really a lot of fun and I have loved the opportunity learning from everyone,  hearing birding stories and geeking out with fellow bird nerds. Kiptopeke is really a friendly place and a great opportunity to learn the hawks and other migrants   Hanging out at the hawkwatch platform all day has brought some surprises.  Perhaps the biggest one so far happened this last week when Tracy from Virginia Beach and I were watching what we thought was a distant osprey before I noticed a long tail, then a white head and belly … and then the gigantic pointed wings...black as night.  Who would have thought a Frigatebird!  Amazingly though, this is the second one to have been seen from the platform.

Tally so far at end of week 2: 1454 total raptors:

Osprey 943

Bald Eagle 118

Northern Harrier 30

Sharp-shinned Hawk 1

Cooper's Hawk 32

Broad-winged Hawk 87

Red-tailed Hawk 32

American Kestrel 164

Merlin 23

Peregrine 21

Happy birding,

Steve

Kiptopeke Hawkwatch – Week 1!

 Hey birders…

Steve Dougill here. I'm the 2021 Hawkwatcher at Kiptopeke State Park for CVWO!

After a week at Kiptopeke, I can't think of a place I would rather be right now. Each day has been different, the winds have changed, a cold front passed …. and I have visited with a fantastic group of local birders who are so welcoming and entertaining; fun tourists with story after story; and inquisitive kids with sharp eyes that are able to pick out tiny bird specks in a cloudless sky.

 

The main transient this week was the Osprey, with 448 being counted. Their characteristic long drooping wings in a "M" shape as they settle in for a long glide from the horizon to the far distance. Many birds were super high, probably close to 3,000 ft up, and only visible with bins as a speck….  now is that a floater, or some dirt on my lens, or a close dragonfly …. or an Osprey? Take your eyes off them and they are lost.

 

I felt like I passed my first test this week: I called out a distant broad-wing hawk. Although very high I could see the tight circles this bird was making as it rose up, up, up (small raptors make tighter circles than larger ones) and the long broad wings with the wrestlers’ lack of neck and big head …  no colors as it was a black speck. Steve, a regular on the hawk watch platform, maneuvered his ten pound lens into position and after some rapid fire caught some amazing details on this adult bird with the banded tail and distinctive under wing pattern. Phew, got that one right!

 

With the tail end of the hurricane that hit New Orleans, we saw some impressive diurnal song bird movements. Eastern Kingbirds were in a hurry to miss the cold front and I counted more than 5,000 in loose flocks streaming over one morning with about a thousand Bobolinks and 400 Purple Martins. In the middle of one flock were 3 Dickcissels giving their characteristic sharp electric buzz calls. An early Common Loon flew over very high, 2 American Avocets passed over high, and the most unusual visitor was a bird from the west: a young Rufous / Allen's hummer briefly at the hummingbird feeder. Thank you to Martina for keeping it stocked and clean! I promise I didn't pack it all the way from Oregon.

 

I have two requests. First, please come and visit the hawk watch. It's where the cool kids hang out (or at least the border geeks), it's fun and the birds are moving. Second, do you have an old pair of bins you can donate? I would love to have some optics to share with the kids / public so they can experience the birds. I've been handing over mine then snatching them back to quickly ID a rapidly vanishing bird …  and then wiping off thumb prints from my nice Zeiss lenses …  oh well…  what we do for birds huh?

 

Tally so far at end of week 1:

Osprey 448

Bald Eagle 63

Northern Harrier 13

Cooper's Hawk 20

Broad-wing Hawk 38

Red-tailed Hawk 25

American Kestrel 49

Merlin 9

Peregrine Falcon 3

Many more to come. 

 

Happy birding,

 

Steve Dougill

2021 Kiptopeke Hawkwatcher

 

 

Monarch Drama

 CVWO Vice-president Dave Youker made this observation in his yard recently and sent along this fascinating photo and snapshot of behavior. He had seen several dead Monarch caterpillars and then located the culprit. Spined Soldier Bug is a generalist predator. This nymph form is something for homeowners growing milkweed to watch out for. I hadn't heard of this before.

Brian Taber

Unusual Azure

 We know how organisms can display individual variation, usually a slight, but interesting, difference from the "normal" versions. But...oh my goodness...this butterfly is truly remarkable! Thanks to Sue and Tom Crockett for sharing this observation with the Observatory. Their find was made on June 24, 2021 while conducting the George Washington's Birthplace annual butterfly count in Essex County, on the Northern Neck. They showed the photo to butterfly expert Harry Pavulaan, who identified it as a Summer Azure, which is the only azure species flying here during this time period. I searched for similar photos and didn't find any, so if anyone has some, please share to taberzz@aol.com. The large dark markings are truly bizarre and make a beautiful, striking image. I've included a photo of a lightly-spotted "normal" Summer Azure I took last month, here in James City County, as a comparison. Brian Taber

Discover the CVWO Butterfly Garden

Last Fall when I moved to Williamsburg I was thrilled to discover Monarchs, swallowtails, sulphurs and a variety of other butterflies in just my own yard and garden. I spent the winter in anticipation of more to come in the Spring. My garden, as it turns out, is a slow bloomer. My fingers are crossed for a strong showing.

(All photos by Deborah Humphries, unless otherwise marked.)

But the CVWO Butterfly Garden at Jamestown Marina, which is a short jaunt from my house, is exploding with all the right stuff, right now. I have gone there nearly every day, twice most days, for the past month — cataloging and experiencing a crash course in Lepidopterology of butterflies. Particularly when Brian Taber is there to guide and expand on the nuances of each species. 

At last count, there were 31 species in the month of June. It is a rare treat to learn the butterflies, anticipate the nectar source blooms and check the host plants for eggs and larvae in one place. With resident experts at the ready it’s an all-in-one experience. 

A selection of species appearing in the garden on any given day (in June) were:

 

 Spicebush Swallowtail 

 

Summer Azure 

 

Question Mark 

 

Wild Indigo Duskywing (typically not seen 'till July) 

 

Sachem Skipper

 

Delaware Skipper (photo by Brian Taber)

Least Skipper

 

Fiery Skipper

There are Monarch and Sleepy Orange larvae on their respective host plants as I write.

There are a myriad of dragonflies (I will spare you the list for now) as well as every imaginable pollinating bee and flying insect (they will ignore you!) The area surrounding the garden is filled with exceptional birds including Osprey, Great Blue Heron, nesting Mockingbirds (they are the true owners of the garden in case you think otherwise), Blue Grosbeak, Summer Tanager, Pileated Woodpeckers, Eastern Bluebirds, Orchard Orioles and American Goldfinches to name a few. Eagles, hawks and vultures are overhead often. 

We can expect sulphurs, fritillaries and more swallowtails as July progresses. It truly is hard to leave as you simply do not know what might fly in next. 

 — I am Guest blogger, CVWO volunteer and butterfly newbie Deborah Humphries