A Few More Insects and Canada Day Outing

 Some more sightings of the few insects that are around this year.  Been tough to find much of anything!

Common Sootywing at Reid CA

Delaware Skipper at McKeough

Grey Comma at McKeough

Eastern Tailed-Blue at McKeough

I have given up on hairstreaks for this year!

At Reid, I found another Chinquapin Oak.  It is a small tree that I walked by many times before.

On Saturday, Canada Day, I decided to check out Clear Creek park and the old quarry.  It was too early as I travelled south, so stopped by Keith McLean C. L. to look around first thing.

The only migrant shorebirds were three Least Sandpipers.  A summering Redhead duck was present.

Most notable was a confused Tundra Swan.  Should not be around here this time of year!  It appeared to wander around aimlessly.

As expected at Clear Creek, things were sparse, but I did find a couple items of interest.

Highlight was an early Comet Darner. It was not really on my radar at this point, but I will take it!

Usually I expect them about mid-month.  This one obviously just emerged.

Most common ode was Azure Bluet.  They were all over the place.

A few Violet Dancers were seen, as expected.

At the edge of the pond, I found these bluets which appear to be Slender, an uncommon species here.  Unfortunately I did not spend enough time with them, and could not get in a good position to get proper photos.

Calico Pennant is quite common at the old quarry.

Among the common odes was Twelve-spotted Skimmer, but only one or two!

To cap things off, I walked the old cemetery trail.  Some of the Bury family is buried here, the earliest settlers in the area.  The graves date from c. 1850.

It is a short, but pleasant trail to walk.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail