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| Cardinal Flower - off FS Rd 120 in creek bottom woods near Fish Creek and Panther Bayou - 10/9/21 |
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Related Posts:
- Kisatchie NF in Grant and Winn Parishes, spring-summer 2021:
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This post covers two birding and butterfly-watching outings to Grant Parish (mostly to Kisatchie National Forest) during October, 2021. I had planned to make this an October-November post, but I ended up not visiting Kisatchie NF during November.
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Kisatchie NF (including National Catahoula Wildlife Management Preserve) - October 9, 2021
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I started by birding FS Rd 568, then went to NCWMP and birded along FS Rds 556, 558, and 155...
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| FS Rd 568 |
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| FS Rd 556 |
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| intersection FS Rds 556 x 145 |
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| FS 556 |
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| pond on east side of RR tracks - FS Rd 556 |
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| ditto |
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| pond between RR and US-167 - FS Rd 566 |
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| FS Rd 558 (west of US-167) - The east end near US-167 was being grated, the rest had already been grated; road's right-of-way had been cleared of veg. and flattened. Once I got to the intersection of FS 558 and 155, there was a stream of log trucks coming and going using 558. Logging going on somewhere to the west apparently. |
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| FS 558 at first creek west of US-167 (~1.1 miles) |
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| creek bottoms east of intersection with FS 155 |
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| intersection FS 155 and 558 - a good butterfly spot; often one of the better spots to listen for birds as well, thanks to proximity to creek bottoms |
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...Then south down 155 to 120, 120 east to US-167...
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| Saddle Bayou bridge / FS Rd 155 immediately south of NCWMP |
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| Saddle Bayou - The streams that FS 558 crosses between US-167 and FS 155 are tributaries of Saddle Bayou. Saddle Bayou itself flows into Iatt Creek a little ways west of here. |
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| looking downstream |
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| creek bottom woods along Saddle Bayou -- Last year, Hurricane Laura really did a number on hardwoods all across the region. |
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| 120 |
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...Here the road leaves the NF for a ways, passing rural residences near Williana as Mosley Road, before entering the NF again just east of LA-742. I continued east/southeast on FS 120, through upper and middle parts of the Fish Creek watershed, ending my birding at the junction with FS 103.
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| FS Rd 120 east of LA-472 |
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| woods near upper Fish Creek along FS 120 |
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| upper Fish Creek at FS Rd 120 - |
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| 120 |
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| 120 |
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| FS Rds 120 x 145 |
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| 120 |
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| Sandy Branch |
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| 120 at 169 |
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| FS Rd 120 at Fish Creek |
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| Fish Creek at 120 |
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| Fish Creek |
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| creek bottom woods along FS 120 / Fish Creek |
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| Panther Bayou at FS 120 / Fish Creek bottoms |
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| pond at corner of FS 120 and 103 |
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However, to get back to US-165, I continued on down the rest of the length of FS 120.
Songbirds were mostly in mixed flocks scattered here and there through the woods. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet with one such flock along FS Rd 556 was my FOS for that species. I found a second Ruby-crowned along FS 120 at Sandy Branch/FS 169. Otherwise, there really wasn't a presence of "winter" birds. Gray Catbirds seemed to be moving through, as I heard five over the course of the day, four of those along FS 120 between FS 145 and FS 103.
I found a roadkill Rough Green Snake at the intersection of FS Rds 556 and 145 on NCWMP. I believe this is the first time that I've found this species on the WMP.
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| roadkill Rough Green Snake - intersection of FS Rds 556 and 145 |
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| Pond Slider - pond by RR |
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| Pond Slider - Panther Bayou |
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Butterflies were present in good numbers in some areas once the day started to warm up. A Common Wood-Nymph (in my experience, a somewhat uncommon species in Grant Parish) was sunning at the intersection of FS Rds 556 and 145. Skippers and Carolina Satyrs were stirring at this spot as well.
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| Common Wood-Nymph - FS Rd 145 x 556 |
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There were good numbers of butterflies at the junction of FS Rds 558 and 155 (a sunny spot that often has good nectar sources), including a Monarch. Little Yellows were numerous along the section of FS 120 east of LA-472. Butterflies were numerous in the Fish Creek bottoms, with several skipper species busy at the roadside Blue Mistflowers and other nectar sources.
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| Common Checkered-skipper - FS Rd 120 at Fish Creek |
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| Tropical Checkered-Skipper - FS Rd 120 near Fish Creek |
. Autumn wildflowers put on a colorful show (lots of golden-yellow and pink and purple).
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| Blue Dasher against a backdrop of flowers - pond/RR trx |
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| false foxglove sp. |
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| "beeblossom"/false Gaura sp. |
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| Virgin's Bower - FS 558 at creek east of 155 |
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| Lobelia sp. (Downy Lobelia?) |
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I found five Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) plants in three separate areas.
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| Cardinal Flower - Saddle Bayou |
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| Cardinal Flower - upper Fish Creek |
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| Cardinal Flowers at Fish Creek |
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| Cardinal Flower - woods near Fish Creek (there was another one near this one) |
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I observed a Cloudless Sulphur nectaring on one of these last Cardinal Flowers--this might be the first time I've actually watched a butterfly nectar from one of these flowers. Given that Cloudless Sulphurs are attracted to red flowers, it's not surprising that they'd be interested in this plant.
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| Cloudless Sulphur nectaring on Cardinal Flower |
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Bird Lists - 10/9/21:
FS Rd 568 (KNF Winn Ranger District)
8:14am; 25 mins; 0.8 miles
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Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Red-cockaded Woodpecker - 1
Pileated Woodpecker - 1
Eastern Wood-Pewee - 1
Blue Jay - 5
American Crow - 2
Tufted Titmouse - 3
Brown-headed Nuthatch - 2
Carolina Wren - 2
Brown Thrasher - 1
Pine Warbler - 1
Northern Cardinal - 2
NCWMP (portions of FS Rds 556, 558, 155)
8:49 am; 2 hr 25 min; 6.5 miles
65-70s F.; sunny; calm/some light breeze
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Turkey Vulture - 1
Eastern Screech-Owl - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 4
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Pileated Woodpecker - 5
Blue Jay - 17
American Crow - 7
Carolina Chickadee - 8
Tufted Titmouse - 9
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1 (FOS; heard at FS Rd 556)
Brown-headed Nuthatch - 2
Carolina Wren - 17
Hooded Warbler - 1 (calling, heard-only)
Pine Warbler - 9
Northern Cardinal - 7
pass. sp. - 5
Kisatchie NF Catahoula Ranger District - FS Rd 155 (most of time spent in Saddle Bayou bottoms)
11:27 am; 20 mins; 1 mile
Turkey Vulture - 2
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 2
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Pileated Woodpecker - 1
Blue Jay - 3
American Crow - 1
Tufted Titmouse - 2
Gray Catbird - 1
Brown Thrasher - 1
Pine Warbler - 1
FS Rd 120 (KNF Catahoula RD)
11:48 am; total time: 2 hr, 29 min
total distance: 6.8 miles
- west of US-167: 17 mins; 1.9 miles
- east of LA-472, up to private land around Caney Branch: 44 mins; 2.6 miles
- east of FS Rd 145, up to FS 103: 1 hr, 28 min; 2.3 miles
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Wood Duck - 2
Great Blue Heron - 1
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 8
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Pileated Woodpecker - 5
Blue Jay - 15
American Crow - 9
Carolina Chickadee - 8
Tufted Titmouse - 5
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Carolina Wren - 7
Gray Catbird - 4
Hooded Warbler - 1
Pine Warbler - 2
Northern Cardinal - 8
Butterflies:
10/9/21
Kisatchie National Forest (Grant Parish), all locations
Including areas on NCWMP (FS Rds 556, 558, 155) and KNF off-WMP (FS Rd 120 from 155 to 103)
Common Checkered-Skipper - 3
Tropical Checkered-Skipper - 8
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| Tropical Checkered-Skipper - 120 |
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check.-skipper sp. - 13
Clouded Skipper - 7
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| Clouded Skipper |
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Fiery Skipper - 3
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| Fiery Skipper nectaring on Blue Mistflower |
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Whirlabout - 8
Least Skipper - 1
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| Least Skipper - FS Rd 120 at Fish Creek - 10/9/21 |
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Northern Broken-Dash - 1
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| Northern Broken-Dash - Fish Creek bridge |
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Dun Skipper - 1
skipper sp. - 7
Giant Swallowtail - 2 (+1 outside of NF near Williana)
Cloudless Sulphur - 13
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| Cloudless Sulphur nectaring on morning-glory - pond by RR on NCWMP |
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| Cloudless Sulphur |
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| Cloudless Sulphur nectaring on Cardinal Flower - woods near Fish Creek off FS 120 |
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Little Yellow - 43 (common once I got to the part of FS 120 east of LA-472)
Sleepy Orange - 3
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| Sleepy Orange - intersection FS Rds 558 x 155 |
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Gulf Fritillary - 5
Variegated Fritillary - 1 (intersection of FS 120 and 145)
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| Variegated Fritillary - FS Rds 120 x 145 |
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Pearl Crescent - 26
Common Buckeye - 4
Question Mark - 1 (between Fish Creek and Panther Bayou in creek bottom woods)
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| Question Mark |
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| Question Mark |
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Carolina Satyr - 13
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| Carolina Satyr - FS Rds 556 x 145 |
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Common Wood-Nymph - 1 (intersection of FS 556 and 145).
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| Common Wood-Nymph - FS Rds 145 x 556 |
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Monarch - 5
? butterfly sp. (poorly seen) - 5
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| Saddle Bayou bridge |
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Grant Parish - 10/18/21
On October 18 I made another trip to Kisatchie National Forest in Grant Parish. However, before visiting the National Forest I made a stop at Bodie's Landing, located on the Grant Parish side of Little River downstream from LA-8. Here, I saw my FOS Red-breasted Nuthatch.
Bodie's Landing
Stationary count; 8:47am; 30 mins.
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| Little River / Bodie's Landing |
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Mourning Dove - 1
Killdeer - 2
Red-shouldered Hawk - 1
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1
Downy Woodpecker - 2
Pileated Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 2
Eastern Phoebe - 1
Blue Jay - 2
American Crow - 2
Carolina Chickadee - 2
Tufted Titmouse - 1
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 1 (FOS)
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| Red-breasted Nuthatch |
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Carolina Wren - 2
Brown Thrasher - 2
Pine Warbler - 1
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 1
Northern Cardinal - 1
Indigo Bunting - 1
After that I went to Kisatchie National Forest. I began at the Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden, located south of LA-8 on Work Center Rd near the Catahoula Ranger District HQ. I walked the garden, mostly for birds at that time of morning before butterflies became active, before setting off on on foot down the trail/dirt road that surrounds the open tract of pines southwest of the garden. While at the garden I saw my FOS Greater White-fronted Geese; a flock flying northeastward.
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| Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden |
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| butterfly garden |
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| butterfly garden |
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Once on the trail, butterfly activity began to pick up and the focus became both birds and butterflies.
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| hitting the trail |
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| They were mowing under the pines while I was there. The south 2/3 was already mowed, but the north portions were still weedy. |
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I heard two more Red-breasted Nuthatches while out there, and found my FOS House Wren, Sedge Wren, and Swamp Sparrow.
Several butterfly species were common-to-abundant out on the trail, including Common Buckeye, Pearl Crescent, and Gulf Fritillary. I saw two Dainty Sulphurs, my firsts of the fall.
Other wildlife seen on the trail included a Hispid Cotton Rat and two White-tailed Deer.
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| White-tailed Deer |
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| White-tailed Deer |
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Once back at the garden, butterfly activity had picked up and several species were out in good numbers. I saw my first Long-tailed Skipper of the fall.
This wasn't the end of the day's birding/butterfly-watching attempts: I took South Tower Rd north to Dyson Creek Rd, drove North Tower Rd to FS Rd 119, and spent a little while on foot at FS Rd 119 at Socia Branch, but bird activity was slow after leaving the garden and butterflies were hit-and-miss. The highlight was my FOS Golden-crowned Kinglets, at South Tower Rd. Some Tropical Checkered-Skippers at FS Rd 119 were a new butterfly species for the day.
KNF - Catahoula Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden & Work Center Rd area
approx. 2.5 miles on foot; 9:35 am; 4 hr, 20 min.
Birds:
Greater White-fronted Goose - 71 (FOS - flyover at garden)
Mourning Dove - 1
Ruby-throated Hummingbird - 1 (fem./imm. type at garden)
Black Vulture - 2
Turkey Vulture - 2
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| Turkey Vultures on old firetower on Work Center Rd |
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| ditto |
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Cooper's/Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1 (seen hunting B-h Nuthatch group out on trail)
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| My initial impression was that it was a female Sharp-shinned Hawk. However, other birders have seen the photo have suggested both Cooper's and Sharp-shinned. |
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Red-bellied Woodpecker - 6
Red-cockaded Woodpecker - 2
Pileated Woodpecker - 1
Northern Flicker - 4
American Kestrel - 2
Blue Jay - 4
Carolina Chickadee - 3
Tufted Titmouse - 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch - 2
Brown-headed Nuthatch - 11
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| Brown-headed Nuthatch at the butterfly garden -- Three or so groups were roaming the pines (one group dropping by the garden). |
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House Wren - 4 (FOS - 3 out on trail, 1 at garden)
Sedge Wren - 1 (FOS - singing out on trail, weedy area under pines)
Carolina Wren - 6
Gray Catbird - 1
Brown Thrasher - 6
Northern Mockingbird - 2
Eastern Bluebird - 5
House Finch - 1
Chipping Sparrow - 10
Swamp Sparrow - 3 (FOS - trail)
Eastern Towhee - 2
Eastern Meadowlark - 1
Common Yellowthroat - 3
Pine Warbler - 6
Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) - 8 (all in a group at garden)
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| Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) |
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Northern Cardinal - 2
Indigo Bunting - 4
passerine sp. - 3
South Tower Road (north of LA-8 from KNF CRD HQ)
Golden-crowned Kinglet - 2 (FOS)
Butterflies:
10/18/21
KNF - trail surrounding the block of open pines SW of butterfly garden
10:36am-1:10pm
Common Checkered-Skipper - 5
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| Common Checkered-Skipper |
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check-skip. sp. - 1
Clouded Skipper - 1
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| Clouded Skipper nectaring on lobelia sp. |
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Whirlabout - 2
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| Whirlabout |
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skipper sp. - 1
Cloudless Sulphur - 1
Little Yellow - 2
Dainty Sulphur - 2 (my first of the fall)
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| Dainty Sulphur - trail SW of garden |
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| Dainty Sulphur |
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Gulf Fritillary - 16
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| Gulf Fritillary |
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Pearl Crescent - 26
Phaon Crescent - 1
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| Phaon Crescent |
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Common Buckeye - 48
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| Common Buckeye |
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| Common Buckeye |
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Carolina Satyr - 5
Monarch - 4
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| Monarch |
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? butterfly sp. - 5
10/18/21
KNF - Catahoula Hummingbird & Butterfly Garden
1:15pm-2:55pm
Long-tailed Skipper - 1
Common Checkered-Skipper - 4
Fiery Skipper - 11
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| Fiery Skipper |
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Ocola Skipper - 1
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| Ocola Skipper |
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skipper sp. - 1
Palamedes Swallowtail - 2
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| Palamedes Swallowtail |
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Cloudless Sulphur - 8
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| Cloudless Sulphur |
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Sleepy Orange - 7
Little Yellow - 1
Red-banded Hairstreak - 2 (3 earlier while walking the garden before doing the trail; not many butterflies out yet at that time)
Gulf Fritillary - 8
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| Gulf Fritillary |
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| Gulf Fritillary |
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Pearl Crescent - 2
Phaon Crescent - 3
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| Phaon Crescent |
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Common Buckeye - 11
Carolina Satyr - 4 (10 earlier)
Monarch - 1
Some Wildflowers:
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| Lobelia sp. (Downy Lobelia?) |
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| tentative ID: Giant Blue Sage |
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| aster sp. |
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| tentative ID: Narrowleaf Sunflower |
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| Blue Mistflower |
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| tentative ID: Sharp Blazing-Star |
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| Frost Weed |
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| tentative ID: Blackjack (Bidens pilosa) |
As always, if you spot any incorrect ID or have suggestions for those that I'm unsure about, feel free to comment and let me know.
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