2018

Jordan Dam Critters

The monarch butterflies are migrating and this morning at the dam I had more than a dozen flit past me, all heading south.

The veins are so well defined on the wings of this common buckeye butterfly.

And, so, when is a butterfly, not a butterfly?

For the answer: study these next two photos…

When the flying insect is a grasshopper. How about the elegance in those wings!!

Jordan Lake Dam update, 5 photos 09/28/2018

I realized this evening that I have been concentrating on water, water, flooding water everywhere.

So, let’s catch up with some of the other events in the Jordan Lake Dam Neighborhood.

While trying to catch the fog lifting above the long leaf pine meadow, a flock of double-crested cormorants graced the rising sun.

A fledgling bald eagle, one of this year’s babies, seemed to challenge the sun and flew into the east.

Here is an adult bald eagle, very intent on something way across the main lake, near where the Haw River joins the Middle Creek.

If her stout beak had not protruded way past the clump of leaves where she perched, I would have missed the female belted kingfisher.

And then there are the small winged creatures, like this common buckeye butterfly, that try to sense if I am to be avoided or dismissed.

Elegant, graceful, simply beautiful, Great Egret

Eastern Kingbird fledgling – yelling for a parent to feed him.

the Common Buckeye butterfly

A Silver-spotted Skipper butterfly sharing a button bush blossom with some Eastern Bumblebees.

All these insects, along with the Common Buckeye are important pollinators.