March 30, 2021

I traveled to various areas in Sussex, Southampton and Suffolk today principally focusing on odes.  The weather was cool initially but warmed quickly with sunny conditions and light winds. Breeding birds were noted arriving in greater numbers since late last week with the White-eyed Vireos and Ovenbirds noted at many sites and my FOS Northern Parula, Barn Swallow and Rough-winged Swallows noted along the way.

	Suffolk	Southampton			Suffolk
Robust Baskettail	Very Common	Common		E. Tiger Swallowtail	8
Blue Corporal	7			Zebra Swallowtail	1
Common Whitetail	1			Falcate Orangetip	14
Harlequin Darner	6			Juvenal’s Duskywing	7
Citrine Forktail	2			Brown Elfin	1
Fragile Forktail	6			Azure Species	3
Common Green Darner	1

March 28 & 29, 2021

On both Sunday and Monday I visited Powhatan County, Virginia.  The weather was overcast with wet conditions on Sunday and sunny and mild on Monday.  A variety of species demonstrated themselves on both occasions making for an enjoyable walk.

Butterflies on Monday:

Falcate Orangetip                     9
Eastern Comma                        2
Question Mark                          5
Anglewing sp.                            3
Clouded Sulphur                     22
Azure species                            5
Gray Hairstreak                        1

The only odonates IDed were two (2) Fragile Forktails.

March 27, 2021

I visited Sussex County today in search of early birds and hopeful first of year odonates.  The weather was cooperative with temperatures ranging from 49-71 degrees and skies mostly clear when I ended my effort at noon.

Highlights for the day were an Ovenbird, White-eyed Vireo and continuing Virginia Rails (4).  Odonates also proved cooperative with the following observed:

Robust Baskettail                    13
Blue Corporal                            4
Southern Spreadwing              2
Citrine Forktail                          6
Fragile Forktail                          4

I also had my first of year Black Racer.  

Butterflies observed were:

Question Mark                          5
American Snout                        2
Juvenal’s Duskywing                4
Falcate Orangetip                    5
Brown Elfin                               1
Summer Azure                         X
Spring Azure                            X

March 3, 2021

I traveled to Sussex County this morning in search of Spring.  While the effort, as far as early breeding birds, was mostly unsuccessful I did encounter a couple of bird species migrating and a few insects emerging and being active.

The most unexpected migrant of the day was an immature Northern Red-tailed Hawk (abieticola) observed circling and moving north.  I reached out to Brian Sullivan for his input as the immature of this subspecies can be challenging to segregate from borealis but this individual had a heavy belly band, spotted leg feathering, spots on lower belly to under tail coverts, a few heavier splotches on upper chest and underwing coverts more heavily marked than borealis.  Another enjoyable observation was hearing Tundra Swan calling overhead and then finding them as they traveled north.  A pair of Wood Duck searched for nest cavities for their upcoming brood attempt and Pine Warblers were singing almost ubiquitously at every mile.  Lastly, I had at least four (4) calling Virginia Rails.  They were present last year during migration at this site.  (I now wish I had visited the site in winter).

 

A surprise for me was finding what I think is an early Oblique-lined Tiger Beetle (Cicindela tranquebarica), some ground dwelling bees- Plasterer Bees (Colletes inaequalis) and a recently deceased Short-tailed Shrew (Blarina brevicauda).