Howdee all,
Another month goes by...and it's time to move our Homey and head to Massachusetts for the month of August.
We will have to find another spot to walk..
Bluff Point
The month of August will probably go by in a flurry.
Last minute wedding list of things to do.
Before we know it -September will be here and Samarrah and her Jeff's wedding.
Happy Times!
Howdee all,
While at Salem Country Gardens I spotted this hummingbird looking critter..
I knew it wasn’t a hummingbird but wasn’t sure what type of Moth it was..
I did some reading online and think this is a
Hummingbird Clearwing
Hemaris thysbe and not gracilis or diffinis
Please let me know if I am wrong with my ID
Try as I might I just couldn’t get a good photo of this Moth..
Identification: Adult appearance is variable; Hummingbird mimic. The thorax is olive to golden-olive in color dorsally, yellow ventrally; abdomen is dark burgundy (sometimes almost black) both dorsally and ventrally, with light olive to dark golden patches dorsally. Wings mostly clear with reddish brown terminal borders and dark scaling along veins. While wing maculation is too variable to be 100% diagnostic, thysbe typically has thick terminal borders and the discal cell is typically covered or bisected by dark scales. However, thysbe can always be distinguished from gracilis and diffinis by two characteristics: 1) the lack of any banding on the lateral side of the thorax; 2) thysbe always has yellowish or pale colored legs.
gracilis has red-brown bands on the underside of the thorax, and the red upper surfaces of the legs. In the slightly larger species, Hemaris thysbe the underside of the thorax lacks the red-brown bands, and the upper surfaces of the legs are off-white. Also in H. thysbe, the outer edge of the forewing transparent area is irregular with red-brown projections emanating from the outer margin, particularly at mid wing
Howdee all,
When at Salem Gardens the other day..
I took a look inside a few flowers..
Pretty designs
Jeff and I leave CT on Monday and head to MA for the month of August..
One month until Samarrah and her Jeff's Wedding.
Yesterday my Jeff and I went to Samarrah’s fitting.
She looked so beautiful and happy.
I shed a few tears and had Samarrah in tears as well.
August will be a busy month with last minute preparations..
Happy Times!
Howdee all,
While flower shopping at Salem Country Gardens with the family I saw this little skipper.
Thanks Paul and James!
I copied the interaction here..
Social Media is AWEsOmE!
Claire Morgan, Chris Durden and 23 others like this.
Susan Ellis Isn't that Goldie, the first mate?:>0
Paul Miller female Zabulon (Poannes zabulon)???
Paul Miller Wait... I retract that. Are you in the Northeast? Could be Peck's Skipper (Polites peckius). :)
James R. Fleullan It is a Peck's Skipper.
Dawn Simmons Fine Thanks all! :) reading about them now
Mark Lynch we are inundated with them this year.
Donna Schulman Very pretty skipper. I have to relearn them every year!
Craig Glenn Firey?
Stephen Ingraham Great shot whatever! :-)
Dawn Simmons Fine Thanks Stephen - i am enjoying my new Panasonic lumix
Kevin Rushton There are so many kinds..
Maggie Smart · Friends with Kevin Rushton
Beautiful and love the colors!!!
Chris Durden *Polites peckius* - Peck's Skipper, mostly Northeastern but with a few relict populations in the Rockies.
Claire Morgan Beautiful.
So after checking online I am saying Peck’s Skipper as well
If you think differently please chime in.
Howdee all,
The word is out..Today was the day…
Bloggers spread the word….
Its all over facebook…
All I have to say is
Who needs Diamonds, when you can have Glass!
SWAROVSKI OPTIK NORTH AMERICA ANNOUNCES NEW ATX / STX SPOTTING SCOPES
"We at SWAROVSKI OPTIK NORTH AMERICA are really excited as we introduce these outstanding products to the North American market. Unsurpassed optical quality, ergonomic design and reliability – all features SWAROVSKI OPTIK is well known for, are now combined with a revolutionary technical concept. We really enjoy surprising our customers with innovative concepts which redefine the standards of our industry. This will offer our customers choices they have never had and give them a viewing experience like they have never seen before," says Albert Wannenmacher, CEO of SWAROVSKI OPTIK NORTH AMERICA.
A closer look here
Kim Kaufman on facebook
Kenn and I were fortunate enough to look through a piece of birding history yesterday afternoon. We met up with Clay Taylor, from Swarovski Optiks, and just hours before the world launch, Clay gave us the opportunity to try out Swarovski's brand new spotting scope! WOW....
Permission to use this photo by Kim Kaufman
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ABA President Jeff Gordon's post on the ABA Blog
First Look: Swarovski's New ATX Scopes & Digiscoping Accessories At Hungary's Hortobágy
Rather than the standard spotting scope/eyepiece configuration we're all accustomed to, where the eyepiece determines the magnification and zoom, there is now a system that more closely resembles a telephoto camera lens. You choose either a straight (STX) or angled (ATX) ocular unit and then attach it by means of a bayonet mount, again very like a camera lens, to an objective unit of which there are 3: a compact 65mm, an 85mm that is in the range of most larger spotting current spotting scopes, and a stonking big 95mm unit. All can be interchanged, producing scope combinations of different magnification, weight, and brightness
The advantages of such modularity are obvious. You can choose to emphasize small and light or big and bright or split the difference.
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Mike McDowell Writes..
I had the pleasure of trying out the new Swarovski ATX 25-60x85 spotting scope recently and put it up against the highly revered Kowa 883. My impression? In short, Swarovski has done it again. I found the new scope to be superior to the Kowa 883 in every optical characteristic; better color fidelity, brightness, contrast, resolution, and edge sharpness, making it the best optical performer on the market to my discerning eye. And yes, it uses Swarovision field-flattener lens technology.
Read Mikes Blog post here
For sale at Eagle Optics
Go to Eagle Optics to see the pricing on all the new Swaro scopes.
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Read 10,000 Birds post by Cory Finger
The Swarovski ATX and STX modular spotting scopes are, to put it as simply as possible, awesome. When they are first sold, which will occur in August at Birdfair, I imagine long lines of birders throwing cash at the Swarovski sales representatives
First of all, the biggest of the new scopes will boast a 95 mm objective lens. That is just insane. The amount of light this scope lets in is absurd. Second of all, the 95 mm scope zooms from 30X to 70X magnification. That is nuts. Third, the scopes are modular, which means that you can buy the full 95 mm scope and then just the objective end of the 65 mm scope and, if you want to use a scope for a trip and have to pack light, you can just swap out the big objective for the little one, a quick and easy operation. Not only that, but because the scope breaks down into two pieces it fits into what is essentially a binocular case, which makes figuring out how to pack it that much easier.
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Martin Garner writes
It wasn’t just one new monster type of scope, that would have been enough! No… a whole new system. The big word, buzz word is ‘modular’. Instead of changing the little lens, you change the big lens! I’ll talk about that again. And a third curve-ball, an amazing piece of kit for digiscoping with my DSLR camera body that takes photos/ video and telescopes to a whole new level. More for sure to come…
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So there ya go..
Read those posts..then save your pennies..
You will need a few..
I want this ..
I need lots more pennies..
maybe I can sell my diamonds …
Howdee all,
I have taken the Pledge
Will you?
August 24th to August 26th 2012
This is the first International event!
Take Part!
Please spread the word! Lets make this an amazing event!
Blog about the event! Talk about the event…let others know about this event!
Then….
Share your Birding adventures with others.
On August 24th to August 26th, 2012, birders across six continents will inspire a broader public appreciation for birds by bringing friends and other non-birders out to truly see and enjoy birds for the first time. These birders will share their efforts with the world through photos, videos, and stories on the Pledge to Fledge (P2F) website and social media channels. Be a part of P2F 2012 and make your “Pledge to Fledge” a new birder TODAY!
P2F is an international grassroots campaign to introduce friends and acquaintances to the vibrant pursuit and observation of wild bird species. It is a terrific opportunity to share your love for birding with others, and to help people discover the allure of birds while connecting with the natural world around them.
P2F is designed to help birders effectively recruit their non-birding friends, nurture them toward becoming a casual birder, and then, ideally, into a citizen concerned about bird conservation and the environment. YOU have the capacity to enhance the lives of birds and people alike – simply by sharing your enthusiasm for birds!
Here are a few suggestions of what an individual can do for the event
• Go Birding with friends, family and other non-‐birders at a local park or nature reserve.
• Host "feeder party" to let others witness your backyard buffet in action.
• Help a neighbor or friend set up a feeder station in his or her yard.
•Volunteer to read children's book at your local library (Example: Lynne Cherry's Flute's Journey, Jane Yolen's Bird Watch or Owl Moon).
• And
more…
Check out this PDF for suggestions for Bird clubs, Organizations, Nature Centers, Parks and Wildlife refuges.
On the website you will find ideas for Educators and Parents.
There is advice on How to Fledge a Birder
This is the pledge you will take at the website..
As a birder, I have savored the sights of nature’s most spectacular works of art. I have felt the pride of discovering a rare bird in my area. At times, my spirit has been soothed by the songs of our winged wonders. I wish EVERYONE could experience these joys.
By building public appreciation for local birds, communities can realize the intrinsic, aesthetic, and ecological value of birdlife and nature in general. This life-fulfilling appreciation also serves as the requisite foundation for bird conservation action.
With this in mind, I make the following ‘Pledge to Fledge’ . . .
“I pledge to actively share my enthusiasm for birds with non-birders by taking them into the field to show them birds and foster their own appreciation for birds whenever possible. I will strive to be friendly, patient, helpful, and welcoming when approached by ‘non-birders’ or asked about birds by acquaintances. I believe that individual birders, as part of an international grassroots movement, can effect positive and profound change for our shared birds and their future.”
So Join me and many others..
Every little bit helps…
Please check out The Global Birding Initiative (GBI)
The founders of Pledge to Fledge
The Global Birding Initiative (GBI) is being formed as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the growth and enjoyment of birding through education, sharing, and discovery by creating a dynamic birding network around the world!!!
GBI is an online hub for links to information about birding opportunities, festivals, conferences, associations, educational programs, and conservation efforts worldwide. By providing birders with accessible resources and opportunities to help them effectively share their appreciation for birds with others, GBI strives to creatively inspire global interest in birds, birding and, by extension, the natural world. In doing so, GBI encourages birders to generate participation in birding, engender appreciation for birds in individuals and communities around the world, and heighten awareness of bird conservation issues among the general public.
Through its flagship program, “Pledge to Fledge,” a grassroots birding outreach movement, GBI mobilizes birders throughout the world to share their appreciation for birds with others. GBI’s inaugural “Pledge to Fledge” Campaign is set to take flight on August 24th – 26th, 2012.
Howdee all,
Friday Kathie Brown took me to one of her local birding haunts in Colchester.
Ruby and Elizabeth Cohen Woodlands
She birds here when visiting her mother.
I was impressed by the huge field of wildflowers.
We saw many Monarch Butterflies flying over the field....I was only able to take this one photo..
Darn things wouldn’t cooperate!
Picnic tables to sit and relax…if you don’t mind sharing it with a Bluebird or Eastern Phoebe.
One of the two ponds on the property.
Are these a type of Lotus flower?
Oh ..we did go birding here, though I didn’t get many bird photos..
American Robin foraging.
The song of a Red-eyed Vireo had us into the woodlands in search of it.
We did find it along with a few mosquitos..so we headed back out into the hot sun.
Foraging Eastern Bluebird
Kathie and I walked across the street to the other pond and meadow.
I saw these pretty little flowers coming out from another lily type pad…
Anyone have a clue what they might be?
Vesper?
Kathie and her big lens
I took photos of Dragonflies and would really appreciate your help.
1-?
Its beautiful!
The checklist below is just species seen so you will only see the number 1 after the bird.
Kathie counts all the birds she sees and had the same birds but with actual number seen.
Cohen Meadows Nature Park, New London, US-CT
Jul 13, 2012 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Protocol: Traveling
1.0 mile(s)
Comments: <br />Submitted from BirdLog NA for iOS, version 1.4.4
23 species
Wild Turkey 1
Double-crested Cormorant 1
Great Blue Heron 1
Turkey Vulture 1
Mourning Dove 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker 1
Downy Woodpecker 1
Eastern Phoebe 1
Great Crested Flycatcher 1
Red-eyed Vireo 1
Blue Jay 1
Tree Swallow 1
Barn Swallow 1
Eastern Bluebird 1
Wood Thrush 1
American Robin 1
Gray Catbird 1
Cedar Waxwing 1
Common Yellowthroat 1
Chipping Sparrow 1
Song Sparrow 1
Red-winged Blackbird 1
American Goldfinch 1
