This Indigo Bunting was found in mid-August of this year at Little Creve Coeur Ecological Area in St. Louis County, MO. This is either an immature male or an adult male that quickly molted into nonbreeding colors.
Indigo Bunting – Nonbreeding Male
Tag: Bill Duncan
Saddleback Caterpillar – 2023
We had a great time this past Saturday when the WGNSS Entomology and Nature Photo Groups got together for our great caterpillar hunt at Pickle Springs C.A. in Ste. Genevieve County, MO. Of course I was primarily looking for the Limacodidae – the slug moth caterpillars. We’ve had better results with the slugs, but we did find five species over the course of the day, including a spun-glass slug (Isochaetes beutenmuelleri) and this saddleback (Acharia stimulea). Unfortunately, I was the only one to see this one as I spent some time by myself in the late afternoon looking through hundreds of young oak trees at Hawn State Park.
As always, we did find a few other species of interest, unexpected things and, as of now, unidentified creatures. I will be posting more from this trip in the near future.
I decided to go for stacking this nice saddleback. With so many details and intersecting lines, I knew this might be a risky attempt. I think they turned out pretty nice.
As much as I like the convenience and price of my wireless Godox flash system, it does come with some aggravations. One thing that frustrates me is the ease in which the controls can be inadvertently changed when carrying the system around on a strap. Then, the flash doesn’t work and I have to take the time to figure out what happened and make the necessary adjustments. Or, after powering the transmitter and flash down, the settings in one or the other change for some reason.
Another thing that drew my attention when putting these stacks together is the variable light output when taking a stack of images like these. Despite everything in the camera and flash units being on full-manual control, the illumination provided by the flash varied noticeably from one image to the next. This is something I never noticed when using my Canon branded speedlights. Thankfully, the differences between exposures, in the slivers that are used to make up these final images, is not noticeable at all. So, maybe I’m complaining about nothing.
Here is the first stack, also featured at the top of the post. The head of the caterpillar is facing you but is not visible as it is covered in the protective hood. Additional protection is also afforded by the obvious sharp tubercles that can break off into any would-be predator, injecting toxins that burn and irritate, an experience that I think is very similar to that of brushing up against nettles.
The next stacked image is an overhead view. I am putting this one in as a full-sized jpeg file. So, be sure to click on the image to see the details up close! The remnants of the mucous-like silk they secrete as the glide about the leaf surface can be seen towards the bottom of the image.
Dickcissel – RMBS 2023
Dave and I found this cooperative female Dickcissel at Heron Pond in Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary in August of 2023.
Red-fringed Emerald (Nemoria bistriara)
Sarah and I found this very little guy on a cat trip at Onondaga Cave State Park in Crawford County, MO in early September, 2023. Click here to see photos of the adults.
Virginia Snakeroot (Endodeca serpentaria)
Virginia snakeroot (Endodeca serpentaria) is an easily overlooked cousin of the much more familiar Dutchman’s pipevine (Aristolochia macrophylla). Belonging to the Aristolochiaceae (birthwort) family, both species host the pipevine swallowtail butterfly. The Aristolochiaceae family is composed primarily of tropical woody vining species. Virginia snakeroot is an exception in the family, being neither tropical, woody nor a vine. This species is a low and slow growing herbaceous perennial native to Missouri and is a really nice find.
More Northern Flicker Nest Photos
Here are some more photos of the nest I shot this spring that I thought I would share.
Osmia taurus – Taurus Mason Bee
Casey and I found these mason bees in mid April this year at Hughes Mountain N.A. I had no clue what these were but was intrigued to “discover” a new-for-me bee so early in the season. Unfortunately, I was to find out it is yet another introduced species. Apparently these were first found in Maryland in the 1970’s and have spread west since then.
Eastern Bluebird Nesting Season – 2023
The Bluebirds had another great year. I was much to busy to do the typical monitoring I normally like to do, but they did have three clutches this year with a total of 12 fledged birds (3, 5 and 4 eggs in 1st, 2nd and 3rd nests). Immediately after putting up the nest box in early March, a pair took control and made their first nest. After completing this, I cleaned the box and began a daily routine of removing nesting material from the non stop Eurasian Tree Sparrows. I removed nests 1-2 times per day, often removing up to eight inches of nest and sometimes with an egg or two. They were relentless. This went on for at least six weeks. I was wondering why the Bluebirds didn’t come in and take over so I could have a break when I finally decided to have a look in the Wren box, which they did use in a previous year. Yep, inside I found five young chicks (nest 2). I took advantage of this and was able to take a few photographs that I am sharing here. They then went back to the Bluebird box for their third nest. These chicks fledged a couple weeks ago.
I knew the ETS would be back to this box in a heartbeat like they do every late summer and fall, so I removed the Bluebird box for the season. I think three clutches for the season is great, although it wouldn’t have surprised me to see that the Bluebird pair might try for a forth. But, I think it might be better not to push the female too far and let her build some fat for the winter.
2022 Kansas Trip – Black-necked Stilt
Sedge Wren – August, 2023
I’ve photographed Sedge Wren on numerous occasions and it never gets old. These guys seemed more numerous than I ever remember in eastern Missouri this year. This past Saturday I spent a few hours at BK Leach and Riverlands Migratory Bird Sanctuary and found more than 40 during my travels, including sure pair territories. I’m glad the grasslands are to their liking this year. No Marsh Wrens, however.
A Thousand Acres of Silphiums 