Hot August days provide the best conditions for all of the fluttering creatures of summer at Schlitz Audubon. New fledglings are testing out their wings for the first time, butterflies and bees of all varieties are hovering and feeding on native plants, and a myriad of dragonflies can be seen zipping over the prairie and ponds. Some bird species, like the American Goldfinch and the Cedar Waxwing are still flying around, gathering nesting material to create their nests. They are some of the later nesters we have around here. And as some wildflowers are reaching their peak for the summer, we have new wildflower species just beginning their showy days. Visit this weekend and see how many fluttering wings you can find!
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Archilochus colubris, feeding on Button Bush at Schlitz Audubon.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio glaucus, butterfly on Button Bush at the Center.
A green sweat bee (agapostemon) resting on a leaf.
A green sweat bee (agapostemon) on Culver’s Root with a bumble bee.
American Goldfinch, Spinus tristis, at Teal Pond.
A young Common Yellowthroat, Geothlypis trichas, near Teal Pond.
Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus, on Culver’s Root.
Orange Belted Bumblebee, Bombus ternarius.
Gray-headed Coneflower, Ratibida pinnata, blooming near Teal Pond.
Teal Pond.
Although the next three creatures do not “flutter,” they are active in August, and were observed on my walk in the woods.
Gray Treefrog, Hyla versicolor, up close and personal.
Green Frog, Lithobates clamitans, sitting on the edges of Boardwalk Pond.
Painted Turtle, Chrysemys picta, basking at Boardwalk Pond.
