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Thursday, August 19, 2021

A quiet wet week with few butterflies

In early August, morning rain and some necessary appointments have limited and shortened my excursions into the Wounded Wetlands. Predictably, bird counts were low, averaging about 15 common species. We also escaped dual threats from tropical storms Fred and Grace. 

Most photos were taken in bad light due to cloud cover or very early observations.

This Belted Kingfisher was a surprise on August 5, the first County record for the fall migratory season. 




An adult Bald Eagle provided me with a distant early morning view:

In one frame it ventured into full sunlight:

These pre-dawn fly-over shots of a Pileated Woodpecker barely revealed its red crest:


Some mornings I returned with no images at all, so I must reach back a few weeks for some photos not shared in earlier posts:

On August 2, a Great Egret settled into the grass along the path, probably hoping to capture insects and lizards:


The Northern Cardinals were reclusive and not singing, but a juvenile male peered out at me on August 5: 

A Mourning Dove foraged on the gravel track:

A Great Egret rested in a treetop:

I obtained a better flight shot of a female Pileated Woodpecker back in July:

Loggerhead Shrike on July 19:

Our local Wounded Wetlands are bordered by residential properties. I fear that insecticides are having an adverse effect upon butterfly populations. Many residents are utilizing automated  backyard "mosquito misting systems." They dispense aerosols into the air "a few times per day" around the clock. 

Advertisers of these multiple continuous dispersion devices emphasize the dangers of insects in Florida and push them as effective in preventing insect-borne diseases. Most claim to use only pyrethrin, touted as a "natural" or "organic" product derived from chrysanthemumsWhile non-toxic to humans and pets, pyrethrins can be deadly to bees, butterflies, caterpillars and other insects which commonly visit residential gardens. Pyrethrins are relatively safe when applied to individual plants, but it is also used as an aerosol to "knock down" flying insects. 

Alone, pyrethrins are not very potent when dispersed in this manner. To make them more effective they may be mixed with other ingredients to increase effectiveness. For example, a "pyrethrin" aerosol may contain piperonyl butoxide (PBO), a toxic non-organic ingredient which retards the breakdown of pyrethrins. Some mosquito control systems advertise that they utilize innocent-sounding combinations of natural oils and unspecified EPA-approved control products. (Then there is the fact that many home and residential insecticides contain neonicotinoids... but that is another story. End of rant)    

Butterflies have been unusually scarce in numbers and variety. This is a Zebra longwing, the State Butterfly of Florida:

White Peacock:

A tiny Dainty Sulphur:

This Orange-barred Sulphur (Phoebis philea) is a very large tropical species with a wingspan of 2 3/4 - 3 1/2 inches (7.0--8.9 cm). It is fairly common in south Florida, but its habits of flying erratically and usually high in the trees makes it difficult to identify and photograph. This was my first image of one from a distance, visiting a Firebush (Hamelia patens), heavily cropped and over-exposed:

Often, before sunrise, I stop on a peninsula which thrusts out into the lake, listening for owls and nightjars and watching the morning light play over the clouds. It is interesting to see how the rising sun illuminates the clouds as it moves up towards the horizon. These two photos of the same clouds were taken 5 minutes apart, just before and after sunrise on August 11:


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Linking to:


Nature Thursday

Skywatch Friday

Weekend Reflections

Saturday's Critters

BirdD'Pot

Camera Critters

All Seasons

Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday)

Natasha Musing

Our World Tuesday

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Please visit the links to all these posts to see some excellent photos on display
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19 comments:

  1. Beautiful photos. I always enjoy your sky shots. Nice photos of woodpeckers in flight!

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  2. Pretty pictures as always. Real estate is apathy in every country. They invade natural habitats & wetlands and later incorporate deadly measures to curb critters of wetlands

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  3. Greetings and Salutations! Yes, mosquito spraying is going to cause a lot of damage to insects, fish, birds, reptiles, etc. This spraying will even affect our water system plus food industry. We are responsible for our choices. On a positive subject your sky photographs are Top Notch! I seeing the bird images too. Take care.

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  4. I really enjoyed your images, Ken. That's a pretty early Kingfisher!
    Like you, happy we missed Fred and Grace.

    Take care.

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  5. Hello Ken,
    I just loved the last tow sky photos, beautiful cloud reflections and colors.
    The cute Dove, the Pileated and Egrets are a few of my favorites today. Your Butterfly images are awesome! It is sad to hear they are spraying for insects, the side effects can be horrible for humans and the wildlife. Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a happy weekend! PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.

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  6. Great flight shots. The last two shots are breathtaking.

    My latest post:
    https://craniumbolts.blogspot.com/2021/08/off-season-visit-to-hoskote.html

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  7. I am in total awe if your flight images...especially the Pilated!!

    Stay virus free, be safe birding, and thanks for linking in!
    ~Anni @ I'd Rather B Birdin'

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  8. So many wonderful photos! Thanks for sharing them with us :)

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  9. I tried to get flight shots last weekend but no success. Your second eagle shot is fabulous! Thanks for joining in #Allseasons

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  10. Lovely birds, Beautiful fire bush blooms . Thanks for sharing with Garden Affair.

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  11. The shot of the pileated woodpecker in flight is positively stunning! Of course your shots always are!
    Thanks so much for sharing at https://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2021/08/a-few-from-archives.html

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  12. The butterfly photos are so pretty. I don't see many around here, but then I haven't started my flower garden yet, it may be a few years away. The photo of the woodpecker is just stunning Kenneth! :)

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  13. The butterflies in this post are different then any I have seen when we lived in NJ and then VA, Kenneth. And this year, I have not seen very may here in NH aside from some monarchs. The last 2 photos of the sun rise over the clouds were stunning, as always.

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  14. I've been out photographing butterflies but there are not as many this year.

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  15. Beautiful pictures of the different birds.
    I love the sunrise, very beautiful with the reflection.
    I wish you a nice weekend.
    Greetings Irma

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  16. You take the best bird photos! I always enjoy them.

    Thanks for sharing your link at My Corner of the World this week!

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