May is always a good month for birds, even in Wilmington where we miss most of the warbler migration.
Barn Swallows are doing acrobatics at Fort Fisher daily.
Painted Buntings are seemingly everywhere at the Basin Trail. This one has some serious jewelry.
I went up to get Luke back from school on the 6th and was able to stop at Mial Plantation on the Neuse River Greenway on the way. It was a little later in the day and most activity was muted, but I love that area anyhow.
There is a really thriving Cliff Swallow colony under the bridge and they were busy making repairs to previous year nests, gathering mud from the banks.
When they change the bird names from patronymics to descriptives I vote they use Bridge Swallow. Who was Cliff anyhow? joking....
Question Mark Butterfly.
Indigo Bunting
Blue-tipped Dancer - a new one for me!
Six-spotted Tiger Beetle! I need to get me a macro lens.
Acadian Flycatcher
White-eyed Vireo
Whimbrel back home at Fort Fisher.
A Sora trying to hide in the grass.
Diamondback Terrapin!
Spotted Sandpiper
Oak Hairstreak! Tiny thing but so cool looking when you get close enough.
A type of Prickly Pear Cactus.
Semipalmated Plover - When death comes from above, you need to keep an eye on the sky.
Carolina Saddlebags -
Bachmann's Sparrow - this is the second year we have had one singing in Carolina Beach State Park. Let's hope he finds a mate.
Blue Grosbeak
Blue Dasher
A Common Loon flying in circles over CB State Park was weird. It was hot out and it was panting with its mouth open to cool off.
Dunlins are looking snazzy now.
White Ibis - funny that these birds clad with white like to spend most of their time in the mud.
Seaside Dragonlet
Robber Flies having a weird sexual meal. Makes me thing of George Costanza in the Seinfeld episode where he tries to combine two of his favorite things at once, eating and sex.
When they moved off, I could get a better pic of their poor victim.
Semipalmated Sandpiper
Snowy Egret
Spotted Sandpiper
Red-winged Blackbird females are just as beautiful as the males.
Ruddy Turnstone
Glossy Ibis
Opossum - Did you know the Opossum found in the Americas is a separate and distinct species from Possum which is in Australia?
Pickerelweed
Yellow-bellied Slider
Indigo Bunting at Burnt Mill Creek - its good to see multiple males singing down at BMC.
Wood Duck - its tricky to get close to them but if you are slow and persistent they will eventually let you get in for a pic.
Yellow-crowned Night-heron
A Trogus pennator wasp I think...
Pileated Woodpecker at BMC.
I am getting the travel itch pretty bad... I do have a week long vacation in Maine coming up later in June.
