Friday, August 23, 2019

Eastern Tailed-Blue butterfly



Eastern Tailed-Blue butterfly (Cupido comyntas) perched on a smartweed (Persicaria sp.).  Faint orange spots at the bottom of the hindwing.  Warren County, August 21, 2019.

According to Belth's Butterflies of Indiana, the Eastern Tailed-Blue is "The most frequently encountered blue butterfly in Indiana."

Link to Cupido comyntas:

Pearl Crescent


Pearl Crescent butterfly (Phyciodes tharos).  Warren County, August 21, 2019.

According to Belth's Butterflies of Indiana, the Pearl Crescent is "abundant statewide in virtually any open habitat where asters grow."



Thursday, August 15, 2019

Fowler's toad


Fowler's toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) at Kankakee Sands Nature Preserve, on the trail that goes up the sand hill next to the bison viewing parking lot.  Lots of these little toads were hopping around here.  Newton County.  Photo taken August 14, 2019.




Cottonweed


Cottonweed (Froelichia floridana) at Kankakee Sands Nature Preserve, Newton County.  This is on the sand hill next to the bison viewing parking lot.  Photo taken August 14, 2019.


Link to Froelichia floridana:

Sunday, August 11, 2019

Barn swallow nest



Barn swallow nest, under the eaves of the nature center building at Versailles State Park, Ripley County, August 8, 2019.

There were several more active nests at this building.  Barn swallows were seen flying around here, flying to and from these nests.

Link to Barn swallow (Hirundo rustica):

Link to Versailles State Park:

Wabash River, August 3, 2019.


A nice view of the Wabash from the pedestrian bridge at Lafayette, looking upstream.  Photo taken August 3, 2019.

Link to Wabash River levels:

Cedar waxwings were perched on tree branches on the right side of the river and flew out over the water hawking for insects, then returning to the branches.

Link to hawking in birds:

Link to video of cedar waxwings hawking:




A huge school of hundreds of carp were seen just looking down on the river from this vantage point.  Carp were big, each about 2 ft. long, floating close to the river surface.  

Disonycha flea beetle


Flea beetle, Disonycha sp.  Photo taken earlier this year, May 22, 2019, downtown Lafayette.