The Sun is Gonna Find You, 7/04/11

Another good hot n humid day for a walk. Under the cool, dark shade of the overgrown river banks a Black-crowned Night-Heron, Nycticorax nycticorax, is seen loafing the heat of the day away. A dusk to dawn hunter, its days are spent in the shadows.  

(Click on image to see enlargement)

Black-crowned Night-Heron

The Double-crested Cormorant, Phalacrocorax auritus, is another bird that is a recent arrival to this area. A long, dark water bird, it hunts fish during the day. Being without water-proofed feathers, when in the water its body rides low to the surface. Groups of this bird can be seen perched in trees with their wings spread to dry their feathers for flight. 

(Click on image to see enlargement)

Double-crested Cormorant

The Spotted Sandpiper (Actitis macularius) a very common shore bird.  Can be found near any body of water across North America. Their long yellow bills are used to poke in to the mud to catch worms and insects.

(Click on image to see enlargement)

Spotted Sandpiper

The Reversed Haploa Moth, Haploa reversa, a member of the Tiger Moth family, which include the wooly bear caterpillars and some think it can forecast next winter's weather.  

(Click on image to see enlargement)

Reversed Haploa Moth

 A Black Swallowtail Butterfly (Papilio polyxenes asterius) sipping moisture from a deer track in the marsh mud.

(Click on image to see enlargement)

Black Swallowtail Butterfly

A Monarch Butterfly(Danaus plexippus) caterpillar feeding on a Milkweed plant. 

(Click on image to see enlargement)

Monarch Butterfly caterpillar

Mating Red Milkweed Beetles(Tetraopes tetraophthalmus)

(Click on image to see enlargement)

Red Milkweed Beetle