Summer insects - Part 5

Summer doesn't technically end until this Sunday, so here is one more batch of summer insects seen around the city.  I've had a really great time learning about insects new to me, as well as finding some of my favorites.

Twelve-Spotted Skimmer: 

I tried all summer to catch one of these perched. I saw plenty of them flying around me and hovering, but it wasn't until this last weekend that one obliged me and posed for some photos.

Check out the ragged wings.

Despite being in bad shape, this dragonfly seemed to have no problem flying and hawking insects.

 

Common Green Darner:

I think these are some of the most beautiful dragonflies. And they're about as big as my hand!

The harsh sunlight kind of washed out the vibrancy of the colors on this individual, but it's a rainbow of purple, blue, yellow and green.

Eastern Pondhawk:

This male kept resting in the sun on flat surfaces, making him easy to spot.

I like his overall chalky look, contrasted by his huge shiny eyes and minty green mouthparts.

Cicada Killer Wasp:

I've posted photos of Cicada Killers before, but I can't get enough. This female (below) has a damaged wing, but that didn't stop her from zipping around, keeping other wasps out of her territory.

She means business!

This is a different individual getting ready to enter her burrow.

Yellow-Collared Scape Moth:

This is a new insect for me. The scape moth is very small - maybe 1/2 an inch - and I only noticed it because it landed on a flower at my foot. The yellow collar appeared very bright in person.

Greater Oak Dagger Moth:

Unlike the scape moth, this dagger moth is perfectly camouflaged as it rests on the side of a stone marker. I might not have seen it if it hadn't been obscuring some text.

Silver-Spotted Skipper:

Skipper butterflies were numerous this summer, but this was the only Silver-Spotted I encountered.

American Lady Butterfly:

I couldn't get a photo of this butterfly with its wings open, but I think the undersides are more interesting anyway. The pattern is intricate and colorful.

Pearl Crescent Butterflies:

One of these butterflies is in better shape than the other, who has worn and faded wings.

Monarch Butterfly:

I made a point to count all the Monarchs I saw while out birding or walking. Sadly, I found very few this summer. This is a butterfly I grew up knowing as being numerous and widespread. Each one I find now is special.

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, Monarch populations have dropped by over 80% in the last twenty years. It breaks my heart to think we could lose this species in my lifetime.

The easiest and most immediate action we can take to help the endangered Monarch is to plant milkweed.

 

This article lists several more ways to save these butterflies as well as helping out our native insects.

 

Previously:

 

Summer Insects 

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

Molt time for hawks

It's mid-September, which tends to be the "quiet" time of year for our local red-tailed hawks. The breeding season is done, the youngsters have gone off on their own, and it's still too early for the next nesting cycle to begin. I like to think of it as vacation time for the hawks, and for me, as I take a little breather after an intense summer of hawk documentation.

I've not had any news regarding the Tompkins Square hawk fledgling who was/is staying at the Raptor Trust in New Jersey. As far as I know, it is doing well.

For now, I thought I'd post about molting. Starting in early to mid summer, the adult hawks begin their summer molt, where they shed their old feathers and grow a brand new set. This usually takes several weeks, and the hawks can look kind of disheveled as they go through the process.

This is Amelia in August. You can see that she's growing two new outer tail feathers (the little short ones), as well as a few primary feathers on her wings. Her head looks very white as she has lost many of her dark brown head/facial feathers.

This is Christo and Amelia in July. Amelia (right) doesn't look too bad, but Christo (left) has a raggedy looking head.

This is another shot of Christo in July where his face is molting quite a bit. All the little white splotches are downy feathers falling out. When he preened, it looked like he was snowing feathers.

To compare, this is how Christo normally looks in the spring. He usually has a neat and sleek appearance.

Here is Christo at his worst, LOL. He only has half his tail feathers (there are 12 in a complete set), there are gaps in his wings, and he looks very pale and almost sickly. Despite his appearance, he's perfectly healthy and functional.

This is Christo, again looking pale, and shedding some body feathers.

His head molt is more obvious in the sunlight. The area around his eyes looks messy.

He knows he's still handsome, though.

Adding to the spooky look, Christo shows us his nictitating membrane, allowing him to observe us through the glare of the sun.

This is Christo last year, mid-molt.

The resident female red-tailed hawk of Governors Island is a good example of a dramatic molter. This is how she normally looks:

And this is her mid-molt with feathers coming out of her face, back and wings.

By October, all the hawks should have all their brand new feathers, looking good once again.

Bird highlights of the week

Fall bird migration is underway, so we're starting to see a lot of new birds around the city. Below are some recent highlights from my outings.

This Mourning Warbler was just hanging out with the lunch crowd in Bryant Park in Midtown:

And this male Hooded Warbler attracted a lot of attention as he hunted insects in front of the NY Public Library on 5th Avenue.

For a tiny little guy, he really stood out with his bright yellow and black plumage.

I somehow managed to catch this Eastern Kingbird in flight as it chased flying insects.

A Northern Parula, one of my favorite warblers:

A Magnolia Warbler showing us its streaky flank:

A little Lincoln's Sparrow foraging in some grass:

This was my first sighting of an American Avocet in New York. This one was hanging out at Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge in Queens.

This little Semipalmated Plover was hopping around on just one leg, but seemed to be managing.

Greater Yellowlegs at Jamaica Bay:

And, believe it or not, my first Whimbrel:

I've seen more American Oystercatchers in the last couple of weeks than ever before. I love their calls - they always sound so excited.

This is my first Merlin of the fall season, who caught a bird (house sparrow?) and posed with its prey before taking off with it.