The rains did cool things off for a few days. It was only 58 degrees here on Monday morning, 9/10/18. With that front, the male Ruby-throats moved on south, leaving just the juveniles and females behind. Despite the constant chasing, they are gaining weight. What a little potbelly! In between feeding at the Jewelweed and salvias, they will even check out the dripper baths to get in a quick splash.

Ruby-throated Hummingbird 9-12-18 Ruby-throated Hummingbird 9-16-18

A few migrants have been coming through as well. Nashville Warblers, American Redstarts and Chestnut-sided Warblers have been at the Bubbler.

Nashville Warbler 9-12-18

American Redstart 9-10-18

Chestnut-sided Warbler 9-10-18

A Red-eyed Vireo spent quite a bit of time checking out ways to access the water, as if committing it to memory.

Red-eyed Vireo 9-10-18
 

It got pretty warm again and things quieted down. Only the usual suspects were around, like American Goldfinches. If not just one youngster, there would be a few. There's safety in numbers!

American Goldfinches 9-6-18

Some days it seemed like every time I checked a bird, it was a goldfinch, until yesterday. Even though it was a very warm day at 89 degrees, there was a lot more bird activity in the woods. I found five warbler species from about 10 am to 4:30 pm. "Not a goldfinch!" But, can you tell which one IS the goldfinch and identify the other two? THIS is the ultimate challenge of fall birding when the warblers are in their drab, protective colors to blend in with the changing leaves.

American Goldfinch, Bay-breasted and Blackburnian Warblers 9-17-18

If you guessed the bird on the left, you are correct. That one is the American Goldfinch. Next is a female Bay-breasted Warbler and to the right of that one is a female Blackburnian Warbler. It takes a lot of studying and yearly review to separate these birds from one another in their fall plumage. 

Here is the Bay-breasted Warbler. I think there was more than one individual around partly due to behavioral differences. The bird in the threesome above didn't blink when it came time to jump into the water. The bird below never got in.

Bay-breasted Warbler 9-17-18

This female Golden-winged Warbler was hesitant each time I saw it. So, even though it approached the Bubbler several times throughout the day, I believe there were not several birds but just this one shy individual who kept circling around the woods and checking it. The little beauty was not quite brave enough to get in. 

Golden-winged Warbler 9-17-18 Golden-winged Warbler 9-17-18

There have been a few more butterflies around. A Clouded Sulphur rested on the leaf of a Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum). 

Clouded Sulphur on Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) 9-10-18

A Cloudless Sulphur was nectaring at the Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) in the garden. Wow, talk about camouflage. This butterfly and plant were made for each other. It's difficult to see unless one follows it flitting about before it lands. It looks so much like another leaf.

Cloudless Sulphur on Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) 9-11-18

An Eastern Question Mark butterfly is much more obvious when its wings are open than when they're closed. In the second photo, one can see the silvery white 'question mark' on the hindwing which gives this butterfly its name. (My thanks to Wendy Williams who caught my initial misidentification of Eastern Comma!)

Eastern Comma 9-17-18 Eastern Comma 9-5-18

Here is a page that compares the Eastern Comma and Eastern Question Mark Butterflies: Side-by-side comparison

There are also other interesting caterpillars about, like this Banded Tussock Moth. Oh, there's so much to see out in the world of nature! I'll keep you posted on happenings here at Shady Oaks.

Banded Tussock Moth caterpillar 9-10-18