August 1-7.

Tuesday, August 4: Flint Pen Strand

Even with some rain on Monday, water levels were still lower than they were last week. It wasn't as noticeable at the lakes or most of the marsh, but the places where I walked through shallow water last week were dry today.

However, there were more species of birds and butterflies than there were observed last week.

One notable addition was a flock of 12 Glossy Ibis. They were scattered in the marsh but flew up and united at a cypress tree. Eight of them are in the photo at the left while the others had to settle for an adjoining tree. The Little Blue Heron at the top right didn't seem very thrilled at their arrival, and it left shortly after.

Grasses and reeds are flourishing in the wetter parts of the marsh and the additional cover is attracting some birds that haven been absent recently. The vegetation around the gator hole in the northeast corner of the marsh harbored a Common Gallinule, Killdeer, and Limpkin in addition to a Tricolored Heron that was in the open by the water.

Many interesting little insects, and some not so little, were in the dense vegetation on the ridge through the middle of the marsh. The Green-faced Wasp at the top of the page was only the second one that's ever been recorded in the CREW area. It's in the process of taking off in the photo. The blue Long-legged Fly in the photo cooperated nicely by not flying away as soon as it was spotted.

Fourteen species of butterflies and moths were identified; plus, there were tiny grass moths that moved to quickly and disappeared on the underside of leaves before they could be identified. As usual, Gulf Fritillaries (51) and White Peacocks (29) were the frequently seen. Nice sightings because they aren't usually seen were a Black Swallowtail and a Variegated Fritillary.

Dragonfly and damselfly species weren't as numerous as the butterflies, but there were still some nice ones. There were more than three times as many Band-winged Dragonlets, mostly females, as there were of any of the other six species identified.

Wading bird numbers were up from last week. The list included Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, a Snowy Egret, Little Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, White Ibis, Glossy Ibis, and one Limpkin.

The Great Blue Heron chicks were branching just after sunrise. They are adult size now and will hopefully fledge sometime this week. But they seem intenton begging for food from adults for as long as they can. In the left photo, both of the chicks are standing tall away from the nest, but as soon as a parent approached with food, they both rapidly scurried back to the nest and tried to look as small as possible. The adult walked down the limb to the nest and stood as tall as it could, so in order to be fed, the chicks had to stand as tall as they could to reach the food. The taller of the two chicks got the majority of the food but the smaller one did get fed.

Both parents visited the nest, timing their visits so that they didn't coincide.

Friday, August 7: Pepper Ranch Preserve

Thirty-one species of birds at the start of August is a good number, and there were a couple more that my birding friend Tom Myles saw that I didn't.

The arrival of Barn Swallows was a surprise. At sunrise, a few were darting over Lake Trafford near the observation platform. Later in the morning another group, or maybe the same one, was foraging over the pastures in the preserve. They were quick and rarely flew in a straight line, so positive identification wasn't made until later at home when photographs could be analyzed when the swallows weren't in motion.

A lucky sighting was a Least Bittern in the tall grasses and reeds at the edge of Lake Trafford early in the morning. It flew into the vegetation and disappeared, but when it became visible when it began to move and forage.

The light just after sunrise was less than ideal, but there was enough to get a photo. When it stopped moving, it disappeared again.

A another lucky and fun sighting was a family group of Wild Turkeys, two hens and eight small poults. The group crossed the road just as I was ready to leave and once across, all but the heads of the two hens vanished in the tall pasture grasses. The poult at the right is hustling to keep up with its siblings.

Cattle Egrets and Boat-tailed Grackles tied for the most often seen birds. Ten Morning Doves and 10 Eastern Meadowlarks were the next most common.

Even with recent rain, water levels were much lower this week. The part of Marsh B on the south side of the road had completely dried up. Black Vultures were beginning to accumulate to clean up the mess of dead fish littering the mud.

Some of the low growing flowering plants were beginning to reappear in Field M after its mowing. The majority were either Richardia or Frogfruit with a few Spanish Needles starting to grow. The blooms drew a variety of insects. Six of the nine species of butterflies and moths were there as well as a nice mixture of bees and wasps. There was one new insect that was invisible to the naked eye because of its extreme miniature size.

The moth in the photo is a Coffee-loving Pyrausta Moth, which is tiny itself. It is just 1/4 inch in length with a wingspan a little over a half inch. It got its common name because the Wild Coffee plants are the hosts for its larva. It appears to be facing off with one of the flea beetle species (Glyptina spp). the beetle is only 1/16 of an inch in length. Next to the beetle, the moth looks like a giant. They are on the bloom of a Frogfruit.

My yard

It was bear week in the yard this past week. Last Friday night the juvenile female showed up. Sunday her brother and her mother were here although at different times, and Monday mother bear showed up twice, once in the early hours of the morning and a second time late that night. On Tuesday her son was back, and on Wednesday mother bear was here by herself.

With one or more bears here every night, Raccoons have almost disappeared. But in between the bear visits the Virginia Opossums, Cottontail Rabbits, and Southern Fly Squirrels appear and clean up anything that the bears might have missed or left behind.

Here are three bear videos. Mother bear is immensely larger than either of her offspring, and she seems much more laid back. Her third cub, the male with the limp, hasn't been on camera since the start of July.

Swallow-tailed Kite numbers have really dropped at the roost. Adults should have left and those still there are probably this year's fledglings. Seventeen were counted on Sunday morning and 27 on Wednesday morning. They all should be on their way to South American by next week.