 |
| King's Hairstreak - May 23, 2021 |
Related Posts:
- Kisatchie NF 2020 summary:
https://falloutbird2014.blogspot.com/2021/05/kisatchie-national-forest-including.html
.
.
.
.
.
*********************
This post covers observations from the numerous trips I made to Kisatchie National Forest Catahoula Ranger District and Winn Ranger District during spring-summer of 2021. The areas covered on these trips are primarily in Grant Parish, but with some of southern Winn Parish also represented. The majority of areas visited were in the Catahoula Ranger District (Grant Par.), but also include significant areas within the Winn Ranger District (Grant and Winn Pars.). The National Catahoula Wildlife Management Preserve is a large area within the NF, divided between the Catahoula and Winn RDs, and Grant and Winn Parishes. Many of my trips to the NF included spending time in the NCWMP. Nearly all of the Winn Parish areas I visited (mentioned above) were in the western part of National Catahoula WMP. Most of my time in NCWMP was spent in its Grant Parish portions.
.
 |
| Green Anole - FS Rd 120 bridge on upper Fish Creek - 6/13/21 |
.
Here are some habitat shots before continuing:
.
 |
| FS Rd 131 after control burn - 3/15/21 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 131 - 4/2/21 |
.
 |
| edge of Bear Creek bottoms at WMP boundary, Bear Creek Rd near BH Corley Rd - 5/23/21 |
.
 |
| woods along FS Rd 178 where a controlled burn was conducted earlier this year |
.
 |
| Lincecum Village Rd - 5/23/21 |
.
 |
| Lincecum Village Rd - 5/23/21 |
.
 |
| Hwy 472 campground/hunter check station - 5/23/21 |
.
 |
| woods at corner of FS Rds 556 and 151 - 5/23/21 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 556 - Hurricane Laura damage |
.
 |
| FS Rd 556 at pond on east of of railroad tracks - 5/23/21 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 556 - 5/23/21 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 556 - pond between US-167 and railroad tracks - 5/23/21 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 558 at first creek west of US-167 -- 6/13/21 |
 |
| FS Rd 558 ~0.4 miles east of FS 155 is a great butterfly spot when popular nectar sources such as Blazing Star and Narrowleaf Mountainmint are in bloom. -- 6/13/21 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 558 - creek bottoms immediately east of FS 155 -- 6/13/21 |
.
 |
| Iatt Creek just outside the WMP/KNF boundary on FS Rd 558 - 6/13/21 - Though not included on lists of observations from NCWMP/KNF, I usually take time to bird and butterfly-watch when I'm on this 0.7 mile stretch of road where it passes through a gap in the NF. |
.
 |
| FS Rd 558 west of Iatt Creek - 4/2/21 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 530 west of Iatt Creek in Winn Parish - 4/2/21 - lots of damage from Hurricane Laura and Winter Storm Urie |
.
 |
| east of Iatt Creek near FS Rd 530 - 4/5/21 - Winn Parish |
.
 |
| FS Rd 556 west of US-167 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 145 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 120 between LA-472 and FS 145 -- one of several small streams - upper forks and tributaries of Fish Creek - along this stretch of road -- 6/13/21 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 120 between LA-472 and FS 145 |
.
 |
| upper Fish Creek at FS Rd 120 between LA-472 and FS 145 - 6/13/21 |
.
 |
| woods near upper Fish Creek and FS Rd 120, an area where I searched unsuccessfully for King's Hairstreaks - 6/13/21 |
.
 |
| C078E off Lofton Rd NE of Pollock - 6/15/21 - Swainson's Wablers heard here |
.
 |
| Lofton Rd - 6/15/21 |
.
 |
| one of the small streams along Lofton Rd |
.
 |
| Big Creek from north bank at end of KNF part of Big Creek Dam Rd - 6/15/21 |
.
 |
| Big Creek bottoms - 6/15/21 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 197 - 6/15/21 |
.
 |
| Stuart Lake Rd - 4/20/21 |
.
 |
| woods along Stuart Lake Rd - 4/20/21 |
.
 |
| Stuart Lake Rd - 4/20/21 -- This was a good place to find Bachman's Sparrows in past years; none heard/seen here this year. |
.
 |
| FS Rd 146 (Eastern Meadowlark territory) - 4/20/21 |
.
 |
| Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden - 4/20/21 |
.
 |
| ditto |
.
 |
| South Tower Rd - 4/20/21 |
.
 |
| forest damaged by arson - South Tower Rd - 4/20/21 |
.
 |
| Socia Branch - 4/20/21 |
.
 |
| Socia Branch - 6/15/21 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 119 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 119 - Red-cockaded Woodpecker territory |
.
 |
| FS Rd 119 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 120 south of LA-123 |
.
 |
| large beaver pond at corner of FS Rds 120 and 103 north of LA-123 -- The next couple of miles west down 120 (next 11 photos) is one of the areas I frequented most. |
.
 |
| FS Rd 120 in the Fish Creek bottoms |
.
 |
| These woods in the Fish Creek bottoms, like so many places, sustained a lot of damage during Hurricane Laura. |
.
 |
| Fish Creek (on the list of Louisiana Scenic Rivers and Waterways) at FS Rd 120 |
.
 |
| Fish Creek at FS Rd 120 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 120- a tributary of a tributary of Sandy Branch - 5/25/21 |
.
 |
| creek bottom woods around Sandy Branch - a productive location |
.
 |
| creek bottom woods around Sandy Branch |
.
 |
| Sandy Branch (a tributary of Fish Creek) - I believe the name of this creek is Sandy Branch, though I am not certain. For convenience sake, I'll be referring to it as Sandy Branch in this blog (it's certainly an appropriate name). |
.
 |
| woods along Sandy Branch |
.
 |
| Sandy Branch |
.
 |
| Sandy Branch at FS Rd 120 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 145 in the Fish Creek bottoms - The bridge over Hurricane Creek, a small stream at the other side of this stretch of creek bottoms, was out, the road blocked off. |
.
 |
| Fish Creek at FS Rd 145 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 128 - 8/6/21 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 169 near FS 128 in the John's Hills area - 8/6/21 |
.
 |
| FS Rd 568 - 8/8/21 |
****************
My first trip to Kisatchie National Forest during 2021 was on March 15. I started at FS Rd 568, then passed south through NCWMP (Bear Creek Rd, BH Corley Rd, FS Rd 178, Lincecum Village Rd, FS Rd 131), then on through the middle of KNF (FS Rds 131, 128, 169, 120, 119, North Tower Rd, Dyson Creek Rd, South Tower Rd), and ended at the Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden on Work Center Rd near the Catahoula Ranger District HQ. Birding and butterfly-watching was mediocre, but produced some interesting observations.
I heard my FOS Yellow-throated Vireo this day (FS Rd 120 at Sandy Branch bottoms). Other recent spring arrivals included Northern Parula, White-eyed Vireo, Purple Martin, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher.
.
 |
| Purple Martins at nest "gourds" at the butterfly garden - 3/15, Work Center Road |
.
The butterfly highlight on 3/15 was seeing several Sleepy Duskywings. Duskywing species were out in good numbers--the only type of butterfly that was common that day. Juvenal's Duskywing was the species most often IDed. However, many of the duskywings simply got recorded as "duskywing sp." as they weren't seen clearly enough to be IDed at the species level. There were likely additional Sleepys among these un-IDed duskywings.
.
 |
| Sleepy Duskywing nectaring on white violets (Viola sp.) - FS Rd 120 near FS 169, 3/15 |
.
 |
| Juvenal's Duskywing - 3/15, FS Rd 131 |
.
 |
| Red-banded Hairstreak nectaring on Eastern Redbud at butterfly garden |
.
My father is a turkey hunter, and following tradition I tagged along with him on some of his scouting trips to National Catahoula WMP and adjacent parts of KNF this spring. I went with him on the morning of April 2 and the afternoon of April 5.
Our impression is that Wild Turkeys are scarcer in these woods than they used to be, while hunters are more numerous. We did manage to hear three gobble on the morning of 4/2, all in Winn Parish portions of NCWMP. We found no turkey sign (tracks, scat, scratching) on either day. I didn't see or hear any more turkeys in KNF after that.
On 4/5 we stumbled across a lot of butterflies at the end of the drivable part of FS 530 east of Iatt Creek in Winn Parish. There were dozens of Little Wood-Satyrs, more than a few Zebra Swallowtails, three Southern Pearly-eyes, and a Silvery Checkerspot, among other things, all seen within a couple of hundred feet of where we parked.
.
 |
| Zebra Swallowtail - 4/5/21 - near FS Rd 530 east of Iatt Creek in NCWMP (Winn Parish) |
.
 |
| Little Wood-Satyr - 4/5/21 |
.
 |
| Silvery Checkerspot, a personal first for NCWMP - 4/5/21 - Rosemary Siedler and Craig Marks each keep track of what butterflies have been reported in each parish in Louisiana. This appears to be the first Silvery Checkerspot that they're aware of being reported from Winn Parish. This is probably more an artifact of scant surveying for butterflies in the area rather than representing actual rarity of this species here. |
.
 |
| Southern Pearly-eye - 4/5/21 |
.
 |
| April 5 butterfly hotspot |
.
 |
| April 5 butterfly hotspot |
.
A major point of interest for me this spring and summer was locating two species--one bird, one butterfly--that seemed to have vanished from their usual haunts since last year. These are Bachman's Sparrow and Barred Yellow. Both are species that were commonplace in much of KNF in Grant Parish during the previous year(s), but which I soon noticed were lacking on my 2021 visits. The February 2021 ice storm and subsequent period of subfreezing temperatures that kept the ice around for several days is what I believe caused their disappearances.
Because I'm late in publishing this blog post, I can update this info. There have been a few reports this summer of Bachman's Sparrows in Grant Parish. So, hopefully things are not so dire as previously assumed. However, despite continuing to try for them, I still haven't found any there myself this year. Worth mentioning though, is that while participating in a butterfly count on 7/18, I heard three Bachman's singing in Kisatchie NF in Natchitoches Parish. Other observers had been reporting them in that part of the NF this spring and summer as well.
I thought I saw one Barred Yellow flit past while I was checking in at the entrance to Little River WMA (eastern Grant Par.) back on April 11, but I could have been mistaken as I haven't seen one since. This species was abundant in Kisatchie NF in Grant Parish and southern Winn Parish the past couple of years, and were present in some other locales in Grant (including Little River WMA) that I visited during that time as well. They've been absent in all locations on my numerous trips this year. With any luck, some survived the February freeze and have multiplied over the spring and summer flights. If so, I should have started seeing them as their numbers rose and they repopulated their old haunts. However, as of posting this on October 31, I still haven't found any Barred Yellows, even once Little Yellows became common in the places where both species of yellow were common last year. I'm not feeling optimistic.
.
 |
| Barred Yellows were abundant during 2019 and 2020. - photo: male Barred Yellows puddling at junct. of FS Rds 131 and 128 - July, 2020 |
.
Another goal during 2021 was to locate additional colonies of King's Hairstreak and to check in on known colonies of this species. These tiny butterflies depend on Sweetleaf, a spindly bush that typically grows along forest creeks, as their larval host plant. Their flight season in this region is mid-May to mid-June. Find locations with enough Sweetleaf, visit them during this time, and maybe, if you're lucky, you'll find King's Hairstreaks.
Last year I located a good grove of Sweetleaf along a small creek near FS Rd 145 and found King's Hairstreaks to be present on two visits there in late May (1 on each visit). I returned to that location this year on May 23 and found two KHS, and again on June 13 when I found one still on the wing.
.
 |
| The first of the two King's Hairstreaks at the second-year location - FS Rd 145 - 5/23/21 |
.
 |
| ditto |
.
 |
| The second of the two King's Hairstreaks found at the second-year location - FS Rd 145 - 5/23/21 |
.
 |
| grove of Sweetleaf at the second-year King's Hairstreak spot near FS Rd 145 - 5/23/21 |
.
This year I checked a location in creek bottom woods near the junction of FS Rds 120 and 169 where a party of observers found King's HS last year. Unfortunately I found none there on my visit.
I scouted several other locations with good amounts of Sweetleaf this year, and found King's Hairstreaks at two of them. One of these new locations is at another small stream on FS Rd 145 (a mile or two, as the crow flies, from the location I found last year). I found two King's Hairstreaks at this new location on June 13. The other new location was along Socia Branch, a tributary of Big Creek NW of Pollock. I found one KHS there on June 15. I looked in several more locations with good amounts of Sweetleaf during their flight season but found no King's HS at any of them. All of the locations where I searched for KHS (successfully and unsuccessfully) were in Grant Parish.
An attempt to search an area with lots of Sweetleaf on FS Rd 530 west of Iatt Creek on NCWMP in Winn Parish was thwarted by a fallen tree blocking this dead-end road a couple of miles before the target area.
.
 |
| King's Hairstreak - one of two at the new FS Rd 145 location -- 6/13/21 |
.
 |
| King's Hairstreak - second individual at new FS Rd 145 location - 6/13/21 |
.
 |
| King's Hairstreak at Socia Branch - 6/15/21 |
.
 |
| grove of Sweetleaf / new King's Hairstreak spot in woods near FS Rd 145 - 6/13/21 |
.
 |
| Sweetleaf grove / new KHS spot on Socia Branch |
.
Another butterfly highlight during this time was finding my lifer Northern Pearly-eye, seen while visiting my second-year King's Hairstreak location on May 23. Other observers had found this species at this and other locations along FS Rd 145 last year.
.
 |
| Northern Pearly-eye - FS Rd 145 - 5/23/21 |
.
I saw good numbers of butterflies on NCWMP on June 13, including lots of Zebra Swallowtails. August 8 was another fruitful day for butterflies in and around NCWMP; I saw decent numbers--lots at my FS Rd 558 hotspots--and added Palamedes Swallowtail, Gray Hairstreak, and Monarch to my checklist of butterflies seen on NCWMP. The northern parts of the Grant area of the NF have in general provided decent butterfly-watching this year. This contrasts with areas in the southern half of Grant (or basically south of LA-123), where butterflies have been worryingly scarce during many of my visits this year. (*edited on 10/28/21* Butterflies were abundant at the butterfly garden and in adjacent parts of the NF in this southern area on 10/18. That post is coming shortly.)
.
 |
| Zebra Swallowtails nectaring on Pycnanthemum - FS Rd 558 on NCWMP, 6/13 |
.
Every spring these woods ring with a rich variety of birdsong, with several warbler species--Hooded and Pine in particular--contributing a lot of the music. Louisiana Waterthrush and Northern Parula are commonly heard in their more niche habitat along the streams. One species I've been trying for years to confirm on the NCWMP is Swainson's Warbler. Finally, on May 23 I heard and saw one singing beside Lincecum Village Road.
.
 |
| Swainson's Warbler (singing in video below) - Lincecum Village Rd, 5/23 |
.
.
Also interesting was hearing Worm-eating Warbler singing at a new location, also along Lincecum Village Rd, that day. Generally speaking, the habitat on NCWMP does not seem to be what this species is looking for, as I rarely find Worm-eating Warblers there.
However, both Swainson's and Worm-eating Warblers can be found more frequently in other parts of KNF in Grant, especially in the southern part of the parish. I heard multiple individuals of both species around Lofton Road and C078E in the tract of KNF immediately NE of Pollock on 6/15. I also heard Worm-eating Warbler at FS Rd 197 (off Hardwater Lake Rd east of Fishville) that day.
White-breasted Nuthatches, which can be hard to find in many parts of Cenla, are not uncommon in the area of KNF covered in this post. I encountered the species in several locations there, mostly on NCWMP and elsewhere north of Fish Creek, on a few dates this spring-summer.
.
 |
| White-breasted Nuthatch - near FS Rd 145, 5/23/21 |
.
Though birds and butterflies get the most attention in these blog posts, I am interested in all sorts of organisms. Fish are one group that I've had a life-long interest in. When possible, I watch for fish from bridges and streambanks, especially in waterways where the water is relatively clear so that ID (at least for more recognizable species) and photography might be possible. I'm particularly interested in what species inhabit small upland streams.
.
 |
| Striped Shiners (spawning?) at a small spring-water tributary of Sandy Branch - 5/7/21 |
.
 |
| same Striped Shiners |
.
(video: Striped Shiners - 5/7/21)
.
(video: Striped Shiners - 5/7/21 - what I assume is spawning behavior)
.
 |
| Striped Shiner spawning location - 5/7/21 |
.
 |
| Striped Shiners - 5/7/21 |
.
(video: Striped Shiner (foreground) and sucker sp. - 5/25, tributary of Sandy Branch. I do not know what kind of sucker this is, but if I had to guess I'd say it MIGHT be a Creek Chubsucker.)
.
Redfin Shiners seem to be a common species in upland streams in Cenla. The male's coloration is quite eye-catching; you can spot them from a distance in clear water. I've seen the species on multiple occasions in the Fish Creek system in KNF.
.
 |
| male Redfin Shiner - 5/25, Sandy Branch at FS Rd 120 bridge |
.
I haven't fished much in recent years, though I do always have a current freshwater fishing license to access state WMAs and in case I do feel like wetting a hook. However, this summer I decided to go fishing in some of my birding etc. places--there's only so much you can find out about what fish are present by standing around looking at the water!
For KNF, I did this at Socia Branch, a tributary of Big Creek, on August 24. Striped Shiner, Longear Sunfish, and Bluegill were no surprise--species I'd seen from above here before--but a handsome Redspotted Sunfish was a new addition to the list of fish I've found in KNF.
.
 |
| male Longear Sunfish - 8/24/21 |
.
 |
| Redspotted Sunfish - 8/24/21 |
.
I caught one sunfish that confused me. Thanks to inaturalist, I now can be pretty sure that it is a "Greengill" Sunfish, a hybrid of Green Sunfish and Bluegill. Before this I didn't even know that "Greengill" Sunfish was a thing!
.
 |
| "Greengill" Sunfish - 8/24/21 |
.
Below are lists (with additional photos) for birds, butterflies, mammals, Herps (amphibians and reptiles), fishes, Odonata (damselflies and dragonflies), and "wildflowers" that I observed/detected in KNF (Grant and Winn) during March-August, 2021:
****
Birds (March-August, 2021):
Wood Duck
Wild Turkey
Mourning Dove
Yellow-billed Cuckoo
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
.
 |
| Ruby-throated Hummingbird - C078E (off Lofton Rd, NE of Pollock) - 6/15 |
.
Chimney Swift
Great Egret
Cattle Egret
Green Heron
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Cooper's Hawk
Mississippi Kite
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Barred Owl
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (early spring)
Red-headed Woodpecker
Red-bellied Woodpecker
Downy Woodpecker
Red-cockaded Woodpecker
Hairy Woodpecker
Pileated Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (Yellow-shafted)
American Kestrel
Eastern Wood-Pewee
Acadian Flycatcher
Great Crested Flycatcher
Eastern Kingbird
White-eyed Vireo
Yellow-throated Vireo
Red-eyed Vireo
Blue Jay
American Crow
Carolina Chickadee
Tufted Titmouse
Purple Martin
Barn Swallow
Ruby-crowned Kinglet (early spring)
White-breasted Nuthatch
Brown-headed Nuthatch
Winter Wren (March 15, FS Rd 568)
Carolina Wren
Blue-gray Gnatcatcher
Gray Catbird
Brown Thrasher
Northern Mockingbird
Eastern Bluebird
Wood Thrush
American Goldfinch (early spring)
Chipping Sparrow
.
 |
| Chipping Sparrow - 4/20/21 - Work Center Rd |
.
Eastern Towhee
Eastern Meadowlark (FS Rd 146)
Brown-headed Cowbird
Orchard Oriole
Yellow-breasted Chat
Worm-eating Warbler
Louisiana Waterthrush
Black-and-white Warbler
Swainson's Warbler
Tennessee Warbler (April 20, Stuart Lake Rd)
Kentucky Warbler
Common Yellowthroat
Hooded Warbler
.
 |
| Hooded Warbler - FS Rd 197 (east of Fishville), 6/15 |
.
Northern Parula
Pine Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) (early spring)
Prairie Warbler
Summer Tanager
Northern Cardinal
Blue Grosbeak
Indigo Bunting
Butterflies (March-August, 2021):
Silver-spotted Skipper
.
 |
| Silver-spotted Skipper - FS Rd 128 - 8/6/21 |
.
Hoary Edge
.
 |
| Hoary Edge - FS Rd 128 - 8/6/21 |
.
Northern Cloudywing
.
 |
| Northern Cloudywing - Stuart Lake Rd, 4/20/21 |
.
 |
| Northern Cloudywing - FS Rd 558 - 5/23/21 |
.
Confused Cloudywing
.
 |
| Confused Cloudywing - 5/25, FS Rd 119 |
.
Sleepy Duskywing
Juvenal's Duskywing
Horace's Duskywing
.
 |
| Horace's Duskywing - 5/25, FS Rd 119 |
.
Wild Indigo Duskywing
.
 |
| Wild Indigo Duskywing - FS Rd 556 - 5/23/21 |
.
Common Checkered-Skipper
.
 |
| Common Checkered-Skipper - 5/23 - intersection of FS Rd 559 and 155 on NCWMP. This was my first checkered-skip. of 2021. |
.
Clouded Skipper
.
 |
| Clouded Skipper - FS Rd 558 - 8/8/21 |
.
Swarthy Skipper
.
 |
| Swarthy Skipper - FS Rd 556, 5/23 |
.
Southern Broken-Dash
.
 |
| Southern Broken-Dash (one of the most abundant butterflies in these woods) - FS Rd 556 |
.
Northern Broken-Dash
Dun Skipper
Little Glassywing
.
 |
| Little Glassywing - FS Rd 558 - 8/8/21 - These are one of the most abundant butterfly species in the area covered in this post. They were especially common on 8/8/21. |
.
Whirlabout
.
 |
| Whirlabout - FS Rd 558 - 8/8/21 - It seems like it's been a good year for Whirlabouts. |
.
Fiery Skipper
.
 |
| Fiery Skipper - FS Rd 558 - 8/8/21 |
.
Southern Skipperling
.
 |
| Southern Skipperling - FS Rd 120 at Sandy Branch - 8/6/21 |
.
Zebra Swallowtail
.
 |
| Zebra Swallowtail nectaring on Narrowleaf Mountainmint (Little Glassywing in lower right corner) - 6/13, NCWMP, FS Rd 558 |
.
 |
| Zebra Swallowtail with damaged/missing "tails" - 6/13, FS Rd 558 |
Giant Swallowtail
Spicebush Swallowtail
.
 |
| Spicebush Swallowtail nectaring on Buttonbush - FS Rd 556 pond - 8/8/21 |
.
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail
.
 |
| Eastern Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on Blazing Star (Liatris) - FS Rd 558 - 8/8/21 |
.
Pipevine Swallowtail
.
 |
| Pipevine Swallowtail - 5/23 |
.
Palamedes Swallowtail
.
 |
| Palamedes Swallowtail nectaring on Liatris (This was my first record of Palamedes Swallowtail for NCWMP; they are fairly common farther south in Grant Par.) - FS Rd 558 - 8/8/21 |
.
Cloudless Sulphur
.
 |
| Cloudless Sulphur nectaring on Joe Pye Weed - FS Rd 120 - 8/6/21 |
.
King's Hairstreak
.
 |
| King's Hairstreak - 5/23/21 |
.
Red-banded Hairstreak
.
 |
| Red-banded Hairstreak - FS Rd 128 - 3/15/21 |
.
Gray Hairstreak
Summer Azure
.
 |
| Summer Azure - Socia Branch - 5/25 |
.
Eastern Tailed-Blue
.
 |
| Eastern Tailed-Blue - Socia Branch - 5/25 |
.
 |
| Eastern Tailed-Blue - FS Rd 558 - 8/8/21 |
.
Variegated Fritillary
.
 |
| Variegated Fritillary - FS Rd 172 |
'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple
.
 |
| 'Astyanax' Red-spotted Purple - FS Rd 558 - 6/13/21 |
Phaon Crescent
Pearl Crescent
Silvery Checkerspot
Red Admiral
.
 |
| Red Admiral - 4/5/21 |
.
American Lady
.
 |
| American Lady - 6/13 |
.
 |
| American Lady - 5/25, FS Rd 120 |
.
Question Mark
Goatweed Leafwing
Northern Pearly-eye
.
 |
| Northern Pearly-eye on Sweetleaf - near FS Rd 145 - 5/23/21 |
.
Southern Pearly-eye
Little Wood-Satyr
.
 |
| Little Wood-Satyr - FS Rd 556 - 6/13/21 |
Carolina Satyr
.
 |
| Carolina Satyr - butterfly garden - 3/15/21 |
.
Gemmed Satyr
Common Wood-Nymph
.
 |
| Common Wood-Nymph - FS Rd 145 - 6/13/21 |
.
 |
| Common Wood-Nymph - X FS Rds 556 & 145 - 8/8/21 |
.
.
Moths:
Moths are a large, varied, and complicated group to ID and keep track of and any effort I'd make at listing moths here would be messy at best. However, I do have a few moth photos from these outings that I've included below.
.
 |
| *possibly* Discolored Renia - 6/13/21 |
.
 |
| dead Luna Moth - 6/13/21 |
.
 |
| *possible* Inconsolable Underwing - 6/13/21 |
.
 |
| *possible* Inconsolable Underwing - 6/13/21 |
.
 |
| "tiger moth" sp. - 6/13 |
.
Mammals (March-August, 2021):
Fox Squirrel
.
 |
| Fox Squirrel - FS Rd 558, 5/23 |
.
White-tailed Deer
.
 |
| White-tailed Deer - 6/13 |
.
Northern Raccoon
Coyote
feral hogs
*tracks/other signs*: Virginia Opossum, Nine-banded Armadillo, American Beaver
.
Herps (March-August):
Fowler's Toad
.
 |
| roadkill Fowler's Toad - FS Rd 558, 6/13/21 |
.
Spring Peeper
Cajun Chorus Frog
Cope's Gray Treefrog
Green Treefrog
Blanchard's Cricket Frog
American Bullfrog
Green (Bronze) Frog
Southern Leopard Frog
Green Anole
.
 |
| Green Anole - near FS Rd 145, 5/23 |
Little Brown Skink
Common Five-lined Skink
Common Gartersnake
Northern Cottonmouth
.
 |
| Cottonmouth - 5/25 |
.
Pond Slider
.
Fishes (March-August, 2021):
Redfin Shiner
.
 |
| female Redfin Shiner - Sandy branch, 5/25 |
.
 |
| male Redfin Shiner - Sandy Branch, 5/25 |
Striped Shiner
.
 |
| Striped Shiner in pink-and-black spawning colors - a tributary of Sandy Branch at FS Rd 120, May |
.
 |
| Striped Shiner - Socia Branch - 8/24/21 |
.
shiner/minnow (Cyprinid) spp.
Creek Chub
*tentative ID Creek Chubsucker* / or "sucker sp."
.
 |
| *tentative ID* Creek Chubsucker - tributary of Sandy Branch, 5/25 |
.
 |
| sucker sp. - tributary of Sandy Branch - 5/25 - Visible at the same time as the tentativily ID-ed Creek Chubsucker pictured above. Perhaps this larger individual shown here is a an older or male of the same species as the smaller, more boldly marked "Creek Chubsucker" seen with it. The smaller one was in calmer, silt or sand -bottomed water just a few feet upstream from the swifter gravel bend in the gully where this "sucker sp." was hanging out. This fit the description of female positioning/male territory just before spawning (inaturalist.org species info for Western Creek Chubsucker). |
.
 |
| sucker sp. - tributary of Sandy Branch, 5/25 |
.
Blackstripe/Blackspotted Topminnow
.
 |
| Blackstripe/Blackspotted Topminnow (maybe Blackspotted) - Socia Branch - 8/24/21 |
.
Western Mosquitofish
Longear Sunfish
.
 |
| male Longear Sunfish - Socia Branch - 8/24/21 |
.
 |
| female Longear Sunfish - Socia Branch - 8/24/21 |
.
Redspotted Sunfish
.
 |
| Redspotted Sunfish - Socia Branch - 8/24/21 |
.
Bluegill
.
 |
| female Bluegill - Socia Branch- 8/24/21 |
.
Green Sunfish
.
 |
| Green Sunfish - a tributary of Saddle Bayou at FS Rd 558 |
.
"Greengill" Sunfish (Bluegill x Green Sunfish hybrid)
.
 |
| "Greengill" Sunfish - Socia Branch - 8/24/21 |
.
Largemouth/Spotted Bass
darter sp. (Bluntnose Darter???)
.
 |
| darter sp. - Socia Branch - 4/20/21 |
.
 |
| darter sp. - Socia Branch - 4/20/21 |
.
Odonata (March-August, 2021):
Ebony Jewelwing
.
 |
| Ebony Jewelwing - 5/25, Socia Branch |
.
Blue-tipped Dancer
.
 |
| Blue-tipped Dancer - 5/25, Socia Branch |
.
spreadwing sp.
damselfly spp.
Arrowhead Spiketail
.
 |
| Arrowhead Spiketail - 5/25, Fish Creek at FS Rd 145 |
.
Swamp Darner
Mocha Emerald
.
 |
| Mocha Emerald at Sandy Branch - 5/25/21 |
.
Blue Dasher
Blue Corporal
Eastern Pondhawk
.
 |
| Eastern Pondhawk - Socia Branch |
.
Golden-winged Skimmer
.
 |
| Golden-winged Skimmer - 5/25, Fish Creek bottoms along FS Rd 120 |
.
Slaty Skimmer
Great Blue Skimmer
skimmer sp.
Banded Pennant
Carolina Saddlebags
.
 |
| Carolina Saddlebags - 5/23 |
.
...and probably others
Wildflowers (March-August, 2021) - Just some of the many species/taxa seen; mostly listed from memory, and presented in no particular order.
Common White Milkweed
Redring Milkweed
.
 |
| Redring Milkweed - woods near Socia Branch, 5/25 |
 |
| Redring Milkweed - ditto |
.
Orange Milkweed
.
 |
| Orange Milkweed - FS Rd 120 - 5/23/21 |
.
Green Antelopehorn Milkweed
.
 |
| Green Antelopehorn - 5/23 |
.
Sourwood
.
 |
| Sourwood - FS Rd 120 at beaver pond, 5/25 |
.
Sweetbay
.
 |
| Sweetbay - 5/25, woods near Sandy Branch and FS Rd 120 |
 |
| Sweetbay - same tree and date as above pic. |
.
Eastern Redbud
Mountain Azelea
Flowering Dogwood
.
 |
| Flowering Dogwood - 4/2/21 |
.
Red Buckeye
Coralbean
mountainmint spp. (Pycnanthemum), including what I assume are Narrowleaf Mountainmint and Whiteleaf Mountainmint.
Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia sp./spp.)
numerous other types of Asteraceae, including, I think, Bidens and Helianthus
Violet spp. (Viola), including Birdsfoot Violet, one or more of the other blue/purple species, and one or more of the white species.
.
 |
| Birdsfoot Violet - 3/15, FS Rd 169 |
.
 |
| white violet sp. - FS Rd 120 - 3/15/21 |
.
groundsel sp./spp.
woodsorrel spp. (Oxalis)
Canadian Wood Betony
.
 |
| Canadian Wood Betony - 4/5/21 |
.
beardtongue spp.
.
 |
| beardtongue sp. - Stuart Lake Rd, 4/20/21 |
.
colicroot sp.
Venus' Lookingglass
Scutellaria spp.
.
 |
| ?Scutellaria sp.? - FS Rd 120, 5/25/21 |
.
 |
| ?Scutellaria sp.? - FS Rd 120, 5/25/21 |
.
wild petunia sp. ()
numerous and various Fabaceae spp.
Purple Passionflower, aka: Maypop (Passiflora incarnata)
Polygala sp./spp.
.
 |
| Polygala sp. - 5/23/21 |
.
Brazilian Verbena
Buttonbush
American Waterlily
Coreopsis sp./spp.
Blue Waterleaf (Hydrolea obovata)
"marsh mallow" sp. (Hibiscus)
Prunella sp.
Yucca sp.
.
 |
| Yucca sp. - 5/25, FS Rd 119 |
.
Orange Fringed Orchid (Platanthera ciliaris)
.
 |
| Orange Fringed Orchid - FS Rd 568 - 8/8/21 |
.
blazing star sp. (Liatris)
ironweed sp. (Vernonia)
Joe Pye Weed
"bee blossom"/False Gaura sp. (Oenothera)
Mimosa
Helenium sp./spp.
...and certainly many others...
********
As always, if you spot any incorrect IDs or have suggestions for those that I'm unsure about, feel free to comment and let me know.
****************
