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The Resilient Mourning Dove

Posted by Gary on October 7, 2017 in Birds

This bird is widespread in North and Central America preferring open habitat where it thrives on farmlands, fields and forest openings. It even does well in urban areas.

Its cooing is often mistaken for an owl call. It is mostly the males that call courting the girls. Its primary diet is seeds and it often will scuff up seeds to fill its crop and then fly to a perch to digest the cache.

There are over 350 million of this game bird and despite hunting pressures that take over 20 million doves annually, its population remains stable. This is due to its prolific breeding.

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The Wasp Moth

Posted by Gary on October 6, 2017 in Insects

Here is an interesting creäture. At first glance it looks like a large, dangerous wasp. It is not. It is an oleander moth, also called the polka-dot wasp moth. Resembling a wasp is a survival mechanism. Birds seeking insects to eat will avoid the it like the plague. While most moths are active at night this species is active by day when it travels from blossom to blossom sucking nectar from each flower’s nectary.

This moth is known as a Caribbean insect, but is found as far north as Florida. It can be a bit of a pest devastating oleander trees. There are other species of moths that mimic wasps throughout the world.

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Sleeping Bee

Posted by Gary on October 5, 2017 in Insects

I came across a wild aster this morning and found a bumblebee clinging to one of the small flowers, motionless as if frozen in time. Was it dead? Was it sleeping?

Did you know that bumblebees sleep in flowers? If the bee does not find its way back to its nest before the cool evening sets in, it will seek flowers to sleep in. This one may not have been able to find a large flower to rest in, leaving it exposed to a chilly night clinging to this blossom.

Bumblebees are docile creatures so unless you are disturbing their nest, they will not bother you. They do sting If provoked and can sting multiple times, but I have had them land on me without aggression. These bees nest in the ground and the queen will hibernate in her underground nest through the winter.

There are over 250 different bumblebee species and they are important pollinators of the flowers we love and are vital in agriculture. Many species of bumblebees are declining and some are even endangered. While there are a lot of suspects in their decline, it is poorly understood. Like butterflies, bumblebees benefit from flowers you plant in your yard.

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The Delaware Skipper

Posted by Gary on October 4, 2017 in Insects

While photographing a wild aster a Delaware skipper landed on a flower, much to my delight. Like butterflies and moths, skippers are in the lepidoptera family of insects. There are many species of skippers; most of them are small and usually dull colors of orange-brown and tan.

Most skippers resemble a F-22 Raptor jet fighter. These insects hold their forewings and hindwings at different angles. Skippers have hooked antennae similar to the tip of a crochet hook.

The skipper flit from flower to flower, landing for a moment to suck the plant’s sweet, nourishing nectar. Gardeners often plant asters to attract butterflies and to help honeybees and bumblebees survive.  And there is something peaceful about watching these insects going about their daily routine. It is very calming.

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The Fast Food Gull

Posted by Gary on October 3, 2017 in Shore Birds

Also exploring the shore line at Sunken Meadow State Park Beach on New York’s Long Island were hundreds of ring-billed gulls. Mature ring-billed gulls have gray wings with black wing tips with spots of white, a white body and a distinctive black ring around the tip of its yellow bill.

Some gulls were scavenging the wrack for marine life to eat. Many stood at the edge of the beach where waves washed the surf often depositing snails, crabs and other salt water creatures that the gills snatched up. Others floated in the onshore breeze just above the rolling waves snatching fish from the water.

These gulls are notorious for hanging out at fast food restaurants begging for tidbits and cleaning up after people. They are also attracted garbage dumps where they rummage the piles of trash for food. These sites with the plethora of food is partly why, the ring-billed gull secure in its population.

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