Welcome to the Vinalhaven Sightings Report

July 1^st - 31^st, 2026

Thanks to MCHT and U! U are appreciated here!

 

‘Partially’ Completely

Also - Happy Birthday Asa!

Wilson's Storm Petrel

 

Highlights – Humpback Whales, Black Bear, White-sided Dolphin, Wilson’s Storm Petrel, Razorbill and young, White-horned Horntail, Wolf Spider (with babies!), Pine Borer Beetle, a few mushroom photos– lots of critters, more on shrooms later…

 

Business: vinalhavensightings@gmail.com  

 

Not sure why the Humpbacks got put closer to the bottom of this post - here's a clip to keep you interested...from Micah Philbrook, Owl's Head Fisherman. Thanks for sharing Micah!

More humpback stuff and clips in a little bit...

Dye Makers Polypore
photo by Kris Osgood

The email address two steps above (and maybe a little to the side) is the place to send sightings, stories, email addresses, questions – you name it! The official VSR address is the place to send things to share! So share!

 

Eider and chicks

Big, Bold Thanks to those who’ve shared in this VSR and a pre-emptive thanks to those who’ll share in the future! So thankful, always thankful…

 

Tiit trick – click the photos to enlarge!

 

photo by John Drury

Bob thing – are you finding yourself with a thirst for more VSR but can’t figure out how to fill that cup and wet that whistle? How about heading to the bottom of this post? Links to all historic posts can be found at the bottom of each post! So convenient! So thirsty!

 

humans looking at dolphins from the Skua
Photo by John Drury

Wanna see cool stuff? Then get on the Skua!  - Captain John Drury is ready to take you on a pelagic adventure in August (or September!) aboard the Skua! This VSR is smattered and splattered with photos John sent in from recent trips, as well as some photos I took aboard the Skua last month.

 

not totally sure whats going on here

Things just get better in August with Greater Shearwaters, Phalaropes, Storm Petrels, Jaegers and so much more showing up! Email john at johnbdrury@gmail.com to make your reservation today! And look for photos from the Skua throughout this post!

 

pine sap - parasitic plant

Vaca-delay - this VSR may feel slightly, a little ‘long overdue’, but even the baldest of VSR editors take a vacation every now and then, and that has been the cause of the delay. And yes, it was quite relaxing and got to see some really nice people. Now, let’s get down to some sightings –

 

Sightings! – Black Bear! Wowzers!

 

Isabelle Gaston (via Crickett Warner) shared these two clips of a Black Bear that tripped a game camera in the White Islands back in June. Check this out…

Amy Palmer fixed the uploading, she's my hero!

 

…This is the second Black Bear observed in the Fox Islands in recent history. This bear eventually made its way to Vinalhaven Island (proper) and was spotted by none other than Richie Carlson (congrats Richie!) along North Haven Road in the Crockett Cove/Perry Creek area. This was in early-mid July. The bear did a ‘smellfie’ with the camera before heading out of the White Islands. Take a look…

 

That was weeks ago, and from my understanding no other sightings have happened on Vinalhaven since Richie’s ... and now last week a Black Bear did turn up on the ‘wellness trail’ by Penbay in Rockport. Maybe the same one?  A Black Bear swimming would be one of the ultimate ferry ride sightings. Great White Shark is another in that category (check!) …Humpback Whales are another (nice job Mathews!). More on whales after a few bugs…

 

 

white horned horntail
photo by George Kendrick

Something’s buggin’/arthropodin’ me - George Kendrick sent in this photo of a ‘White-horned Horntail’ (Urocerus albicornis) while on a stroll at the Huber Preserve. Take a look at that ovipositor!

 

wolf spider with youngster
Photo by Julia Morgan

Julia Morgan sent in this photo with the message ‘Thought you might enjoy this mama wolf spider covered with spiderlings that I spotted on Round the Mountain Road the other day.’ You thought right Julia! Great shot and Thanks for sharing!

 

pine borer beetle
photo by Linnell Mather

Linnell Mather had a Pine Borer Beetle hop onto her truck at the Lumber yard. Yike! Maybe not the best place for a Borer of any kind! Thanks for sharing – fun photo!

 

 

 

humpbacks from Skua
photo by John Drury

Humpback Whales! – From the ferry! And around Greens Island (thanks Elaine Alden via Beth). And from the Skua (of course!).

 

Well, hopefully you’ve heard about ‘em– and even better if you’ve seen ‘em! – but there have been some Humpback Whales around and they have been putting on some shows!

 

video by Micah Philbrook

instagram : @micahmphilbrook

he's always posting great stuff

Schools of Atlantic menhaden, aka Pogies (aka fishies) have made their way in and around Penobscot Bay (and close to shore for much of the greater Gulf of Maine I suppose) and boy do they attract predators!

 

Porpoise, Seals, Birds, Sharks and … Humpback Whales!

 

Micah Philbrook, fisherman out of Owl’s Head, was kind enough to share some videos he took of a particular humpback that was breaching and tail slapping as the ferry sailed by – take a look!

 

Whale Tail
photo by Jen Mathews

Jen Mathews (I would say ‘MCHT’s own’ before her name, but she’s totally ‘her own’ Jen Mathews, if you know what I mean) was on the ferry cheering when the tail slapping occurred. Here’s a couple of shots from the other direction!

 

Humpback tail slapping
photo by Jen Mathews

 

Thanks Jen! Great Shots!

 

Also, crew from Hurricane Island (www.hurricaneisland.net) were heading to the mainland and were entertained by the (same?) Humpback whale breaching by Rockland Harbor. Melina Piper was kind enough to send in this video a breach and the crowd reaction. Quite a crowd pleaser this one was!

 

video by Melina Piper

Thanks Melina! Cool last name too!

Humpback Breach, Gulf of Maine, 2006

So why Breach? And what’s up with that tail slappin’?

Propelling oneself completely (or ‘mostly’ completely?, ‘partially’ completely?) out of the water by the force of one’s tail takes a lot of energy, or so I’ve heard. Sand doesn’t it take a lot of energy to use your massive pectoral flippers to push your hind quarters out of the water so you can slap your tail?  What’s up with that? Many reasons for a whale to breach or tail slap (or flipper slap for that matter), here are three of them…

 

lobtailing, or tail slappin'
gulf of Maine, 2006

(1) communication. A big splash, the big splash, aka ‘Big ‘ol Splash’, any big splash creates sound waves that can travel great distances through the water.

 

humpback whale tail
with Barnacles and seaweed 
growing on it
Monterey Bay, CA 2026

(2) promote healthy skin via parasite removal. We here at the VSR advocate for both ‘healthy whale skin’ and ‘parasite removal’ so this (2) is a no-brainer to get behind. Here’s a photo of a whale tail that I took in Monterey Bay, CA two weeks ago – look at those rings where barnacles were! Parasites, I tell yah….

 

partially complete breach
Gulf of Maine , 2006

(3)
Social and play behaviors. I used to work on a whale watch – cool tours, bad company (and I don’t mean the song, or the band, or the album). It was fun when two whales would get together and breach in unison, with what appeared to be ‘excitement’ at being together. Or young ones that seemed to jump for joy, over and over again. I’m not that into belly flopping (in the traditional sense) but this looks like it could be fun….

 

Razorbills - 2 adults, 1 chick
Photo by Jordan Ryan

Razorbills – Olivia Dreier went for a ride on the Skua and sent in this wonderful photo (taken by Jordan Ryan) of two Razorbill adults and a single youngster. One of those adults was a male (for sure), since in the Razorbill world it’s the male of the parental partnership that takes over parental duties once a Razorbill chick has fledged. The second adult is likely …. just another adult that happened to be close by. Slim chance that is the female associated with the chick – that’s not the way Razorbills roll…. traditionally….

 

 airborne white-sided dolphin
photo by John Drury

White-sided Dolphins – John Drury also sent in these photos of a session the Skua had with a group of about 80 White-sided Dolphins about a mile north of Seal Island!

 

right next to the Skua
photo by John Drury

Tunas were also seen that day, and John mentioned that when the dolphins appeared they were originally identified as Tuna. You know it’s a good boat ride when you tunas and dolphins are present!

 

petrels be going through a molt

Wilson’s Storm Petrels – Alright, so I know we are all ‘suckers for tubenoses (for sure)’. Tubenoses being the group of pelagic birds. And we talk about tubenoses we are, of course, talking about birds in the order Procellariiformes. The order Procellariiformes was named by German anatomist Max Fürbringer in 1888. The word comes from the Latin word procella, which means a violent wind or a storm, and -iformes for order.

 

gang of storm petrels
photo by John Drury

There are 4 families of Procellariiformes - the albatrosses, the petrels and shearwaters, and two families of storm petrels. While John has seen some Greater Shearwaters already this summer, it’s the Wilson’s Storm Petrels that have taken over much of Penobscot Bay!

 

From the ferry, a boat or the porch at Pocus Point, Wilson’s Storm Petrels have taken the pelagic world by storm, and sightings have been consistent and numerous.

 

cool jelly - from Skua
photo by John Drury

Tubenoses? Oh yeah – so tubenoses can drink salt water! They essentially have a desalination plant in their skulls and will shake their heads (at times vigorously) as then beads of salt are released. Salt comes out of the tubes. Totally tubular.

 

Tubenoses also have a sense of smell -which not all birds have by any means. Actually, it’s largely by smell that these Wilson Storm Petrels locate food – flying and weaving through headwinds and a cacophonic cornucopia of smells.

 

cool jelly - purple flavored
photo by John Drury

Being rather small – no judgment – if the food they find is even a little below the surface it may be out of reach (out of beak?) for these dudes. That’s when the Storm-petrels start tapping and slapping their little footsies on the water, creating small currents and upwelling, big enough to bring their prize to the surface for the pickin and mackin’!

 

Thusly, storm petrels are sometimes referred to as ‘Jesus-birds’ (not by me), as they extend their wings while tapping the surface of the water - essentially 'walking on water'. I don’t know where I land on this one, but I do know I don’t really care. Cool adaptations are cool adaptations.

harlequin duck
photo by John Drury

 Harlequin Duck at Little Roberts

Peregrine Falcon - photo by John Drury

Peregrine at Diamond Rock

   

Okay - It’s time to get this one up and posted.

 

So here are some limited editions…

 

what do you think BTS stands for?

Scary…

 

We will return at our regular scheduled time as August progresses.

 

With old friends who are young.

 

 Hope you have a safe time,

 

And maybe we see you out there!

 

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth

Welcome to the Vinalhaven Sightings Report

July 5th, 2026 – Edition

Tip o’ the hat to the Maine Coast Heritage Trust

 

‘Breakdown, Return, & Slurp’

 

 

Highlights – Luna Moth, Spiders and baby birds!, Visiting a milkweed patch, plant stuff, Mushrooms, otter digs, and so much more!

 

Business: vinalhavensightings@gmail.com

 

Hey – got some nature sightings/stories or photos you want to share? Well, send them to the address above and all your wildest dreams will come true. As long as they are not too wild.

 

otter digs - can you dig it?

Official VSR Email list – send in your email to get on the list! And get an email announcement whenever a new VSR is posted. It’s fun, easy, and makes it so you don’t have to think so hard. ‘It hurts to think!’ – Incredible Hulk

 

Looking for more VSR? – Well, no one envies your situation, but if some deeper. inner force makes it so you must access to ‘VSRs of the past’ than go no further than the bottom of this post! Links to many years of VSR posts can be found there – have at it!

 

 

 

Giant Lichen Orb Weaver
photo by Beth Gilford

Sightings! – Beth Gilford snapped these shots of a Giant lichen Orb Weaver spider that was actively wrapping up some prey along the Huber trail recently.

 

orb weaver wrapping up prey
photo by Beth Gilford

Beth noted that the prey identification remained a mystery, but ‘larger than a June bug’ was the catchy phrase Beth threw down to describe. I don’t know – Cicada or something? Quality meal for down the road – ‘breakdown, return and slurp’ – classic descriptive Estonian phrase for ‘Spider digestive process’. One of many.

 

coral slime

(6/29) Beth also reported of a morning spent with young critters – a family of 4 Pileated Woodpeckers, 2 youngsters with fuzzy crests and being fed by ‘mom’. Family of 6 Red-breasted Nuthatches, as well as a session with recently fledged Eastern Phoebes and family.

 

wolfs milke slime

June was good for baby birdies, round two is well underway. Late June singing around island - Ovenbird, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Red Crossbill, Northern Parula, Black throated Green, Black-throated Blue, Blackburnian, Magnolia, and Yellow Warblers, Common Yellowthroat….

 

 

 

Luna Moth
Photo by Kris Osgood

Luna Moth - Kris Osgood was kind enough to send in this photo of a Luna Moth she spotted in late June. Word is it was her first time seeing a live one, and seeing a Luna moth is always exciting!

 

Luna Moths are ‘Giant Silk Moths’, along with Polyphemus and Cecropia moths. Fun fact – adult Lunas have no functional mouths/proboscis, we’re talking strictly ‘vestigial’ when it comes to mouthparts. So there is no confusion as to what they are here to do - that moth is looking/smelling for ‘love’, looking to pass its genes, looking for Lunas in all the wrong/right places.

Thanks for sharing Kris!

 

dear remains
photo by Javier Penalosa

While we are thinking insects – if somehow you can stay up late enough during the summer to actually see darkness, then think about putting yourself near a field at dark and watch the Lightening Bugs/Fireflies put on a show! Gotta earn that one – Pat Paquet made the effort recently and was impressed with the show. And you know how hard it is to impress Pat!

 

Funky redirectional
photo by Lisa Nanny

‘Funky Redirectionals’– Lisa Nanny sent in this observation, story and photo of a wonderful ‘tree redirectional’ from along VLT’s Storybrook Trail. Here we go …

 

‘Friday on the Storybook trail I was curious to learn nature’s explanation for this formation. What I learned is this is a kind of “layering” as the result of an injured sapling decades ago. Once stabilized, the tree senses gravity and redistributes its growth hormones causing the stem to reach upward toward the light. After decades, it has created a smooth curve in the trunk.

 

Very cool when left alone, nature takes care of itself!’

milkweed

Thanks Lisa! Cool observation and write up. We at the VSR are big fans of the ‘redirectionals’ on the Vinalhaven trails – seems like every preserve has at least one trunk, shelf mushroom, or sapling that has had to redirect itself for in the name of survival (or spore dispersal).

 

We invite you – yes, you specifically - to send in your photos of ‘funky redirectionals’ Thanks for sharing Lisa! That’s great!

 

 

yellow patches amanita button
photo by Kris Osgood

Gather ‘round for a little mushroom time – There’s a lot popping up in the woods these days, and we’ll jump into some of the larger ones you might come across.

 

Amanitas - Kris Osgood sent in this Amanita button of what looks to be a young Yellow Patches (sure, we’ll toss in some Latin – Amanita flavoconia). Amanita shrooms rise up from a mycorrhizal fungus that’s in the ground and helping trees grow.

 

yellow patches
post-button phase

When they first rise, Amanitas don’t look much like ‘mushroom’ mushrooms, or the mushrooms they will become. Instead, Amanitas break through the ground in a protective covering – much like an eggshell protecting a yolk! – and at this stage they are often called ‘Amanita buttons’.  

 

Doesn’t take much before the Amanita mushroom within the protective covering breaks through. This may result in the protective covering breaking into flakes which then remain scattered across the cap of the shroom. As is the case with Yellow Patches.

 

Tawny Grisette
rises from a sack

Or, as in the case of the Grisettes, the shroom may make a clean break through the covering, resulting in a flakeless cap and a stipe/stalk that appears to be rising out of a hole in a sack! Take a look!

 

striate and smooth
tawny

Grisettes are a favorite group of similar looking Amanitas that are somewhat numerous on the trails right now.  There are three flavors of Grisette – the tawny, the regular, and the strangulated – and all three species have striate edges that stand out. Striate in that the few centimeters around the edge of the cap looks a little like a ruler, marking where the mushrooms’ gills reach the edge. Easier seen than described – look at the photo next to this writing!

 

Tawny Grisette and sack

Been seeing two Grisette species – let’s start with the Tawny Grisette - Amanita fulva – my all-time favorite mushroom (lots o’ personal history with this one). Mycorrhizal with the spruce, ‘just another amanita essential for the forest to grow’.

 

strangulated

One of my favorite things about Grisettes – (and  Amanitas and mycorrhizal mushrooms in general) is that after a few years (or less) of noting where mushroom species are seen, one can get a ‘feel’ for where the fungus that makes the mushroom lives, and thus a ‘fungal tracking’ world has opened up. We live in a fungal world, and the Amanita portion of this world is so cool, it can be worth ‘getting to know your neighbors’.

 

strangulated much?

Strangulated Grisette – Amanita ceciliae - this is the species of Grisette where scales/flakes of the protective covering remain on its cap. The result is a fine mix of striation and flakiness (sounds like some of my friends).

 

strangulated 

Grey cap rather than Tawny, Strangulated Amanitas have good, subtle look for an Amanita. What’s more, Grisettes break the ‘Amanita mold’ (not the actual mold that attacks Amanitas) a little – Grisettes have no veil around the stipe/stalk, where a veil is often mentioned as a characteristic to look for on an Amanita.  I’ve been ‘corrected’ by ‘knowledgeable’ people that Tawny Grisettes are not Amanitas, even though they are. Sometimes it’s impressive how few words it takes to learn that someone is talking beyond their knowledge base. Yes, personal history here – Grisettes are Amanitas! And they are Hot! Spread the word!

 

lilac brown bolete

Couple of fun Boletes in the Basin. While clearing out tick habitat on the trails off Wharf Quarry Road, crossed paths with a Lilac-brown Bolete (Tylopilus eximius). This chunker of a Bolete was just getting going size wise – as it grows it will become more and more robust.

 

lilac brown bolete

The lilac brown bolete is another shroom that is a bloom of a mycorrhizal fungus living in the ground. The fungus is attached to tree roots, and a mutualistic exchange happens between fungus and root – the fungus gets sugars from the tree and the trees gets nitrogen, phosphorus and other essentials that the fungus readily absorbs from the ground.  Fun to think of what’s happening below every tree you walk by.

 

Dark Bolete

Dark Bolete – Tylopilus porphyrosporus – hadn’t seen this one in a while – dark stipe, dark pores and dark brown cap. Always a pleasure though! This one had been macked on pretty heavily by slugs. Gotta get up early to beat the slugs…

 

fairy stool

Coltricia polypores – Coltricia is a genus of Polypore fungi that bloom with stiped/stalked shrooms that can be seen in trails. In fact, I can’t remember ever seeing a Coltricia polypore even a few inches off the trail. Trail shrooms.

 

cinnamon fairy stool

Coltricia are interesting in that they ‘stick it to the polypore mold’ (not a mold that attacks polypores), as in they are mycorrhizal rather than decomposers. Polypores are famous for shelf fungus that can last years and turn the heartwood of trees into mush. Decomposers one and all – except for the Coltricia! Way to be yourself!

 

cinnamon fairy stool
young and old

There are two species of Coltricia that I’ve been seeing on the trails these days – Coltricia cinnamomea (Cinnamon Fairy Stool) and Coltricia perennes (Fairy Stool). Look for their circularly mesmerizing blooms in the trails – and if its cinnamony looking it’s the Cinnamon flavor, yellow its yellow flavored. With me?

 

fairy stool

Lots of shrooms out there and more to come! If you get a shroomy photo you like, one that you’d like to share, then send em in! Shrooms are very photogenic; some will literally bring you to your knees.

 

 

milkweed below the rock

Milkweed session - always been a sucker for Milkweed (joined the MW fan-club in 1988!), and so when a new patch pops up on a preserve they’re always noted as a place to take a break by, eat lunch by, or simply veg out by (off the clock of course!). Milkweed patches are special, and so are you.

 

milkweed and monarch

This particular patch is in the first field off the Wharf Quarry Road trail and has only been around for a handful of years. I know this because what used to be there was European Barberry, a whole bunch of it that had been planted way back when and then spread around the area.

 

Northern Crescent male

Well, about 10 years ago an effort was initiated to ‘rehabilitate’ the barberry and while I can’t say one thing directly led to another, there is now little to no barberry to deal with (and less each year) and a big ol’ patch of milkweed in the same spot. To quote Jimmy Pesto Jr - ‘I have a calculator, you do the math’.

 

face to face with a northern crescent

The patch was super lively and active, so I decided to sip on a little water while sitting on a big rock and see what buzzed by. Lepidopteras (butterflies and moths) were the main distraction on the Milkweed flowers, which are amazing in their own rights. It must have been hard for the Lepids to resist – I feel like I could smell the Milkweed from the trail – so strong and pleasant, like the heat got the scent machine cookin’ – baked milkweed smells great!

 

northern crescent female

Northern Crescents were the most numerous butterflies observed that day – with both males and females in attendance – sucking on plenty of nectar and chasing each other around in classic Crescent frenzy style. Small flashes of orange ‘dancing’ from flower to flower or mosh pitting it in midair with another Crescent – it’s a thin line between sweet and rough.

 

Atlantis Fritillary

Slightly larger - The mid-range sized flashes of orange were also a couple of Atlantis Fritillaries, which were also tapping into the sweet nectar of the weedmilk!

 

face to face with an Atlantis Fritillary

Atlantis Fritillaries are separated from other similar sized Fritillaries (Aphrodite and Great Spangled) by markings on the underside of their hind wings. What you are looking for is the cream-colored band towards the outer edge of the undercarriage of the hind wing (you with me?).

The thickness of this band

, along with the black dots within the band (the dots touch white ovals that extend into the cream band – you still with me?) tell you it’s an Atlantis Fritillary. Your eyes are bound to tell you it’s a lovely butterfly, and your eyes would be right.

 

monarch

Adult Monarchs really ‘bring the orange’, and there were one or two of them flitting around the milkweed that particular afternoon. This female Monarch may have been laying eggs, but I didn’t catch a close look to see. As a rule, I don’t go into Milkweed patches. Too much life to impact, and really, my knowing if a Monarch is laying eggs or not is not necessary…

 

monarch caterpillar

Somebody laid eggs - … Especially since there were Monarch caterpillars feasting on the milkweed itself! I don’t see Monarch Caterpillars too often – (maybe I need to start going into Milkweed patches – not necessary!) – so finding a couple from my seat as I was ‘sippin’ the hydration’ (For the Hydration!) was kind of a thrill.

 

monarch mackin'

By now, we all are probably familiar with the connection between the Monarch caterpillar eating Milkweed which is poisonous – Don’t eat it unless you are a Monarch – and the Monarch adults being poisonous/tasting bad/burning sensation if eaten, so predators ‘leave them alone’ to a certain extent.

 

not milkweed or monarch
deflated Jack

In reality, not all Monarchs are poisonous, but enough are to make critters think twice about going after one if their mouths/throats ever been ‘Monarched’ before! Back in the summer of ’97 on Hog Island in Muscoungus Bay, I found myself eating a sandwich and watching a Merlin falcon hunting a Milkweed patch. The Merlin caught and then macked on Monarch after Monarch after Monarch. I think I watched it eat 5 or 6 – completely wiped out the population that was at the patch at that moment. So, apparently they tasted fine to the Merlin, or maybe the predator was hungry enough that painful food was acceptable. My hummus sandwich tasted good too, but they always do. I’m also a sucker for hummus, pickles, mustard and cheese sandwiches.

 

crappy photo of pine sap 
old and new
in the Basin

Nature being nature – So Monarchs and their ‘poisonousness’ inspires a whole world of mimicry; Mimicry is where a species evolves superficial traits of another dangerous/poisonous/etc. species and then benefits from being mistaken for the mimicked species. Within Monarch inspired mimicry, the most famously noted ‘other species’ is the Viceroy butterfly, which is amazingly similar in pattern and color to Monarchs, but does not eat Milkweed (eats willows and poplars) and thus, no Viceroy is poisonous. Not poisonous, but also not messed with because of its mimicry. I mean, ‘not messed with’ other than Merlins, and Corvids, and ……

 

face to face - northern crescent

There is a thought out there that all orange butterflies are benefiting from mimicry of Monarchs. All I know is that we all benefit from seeing the orange – any orange in nature is cool. Kinda glad the mimicry isn’t with a color like a ‘puke green’ or something. Also think it would be cool, since butterflies are actually pretty gross –

 

Here’s something I wrote about butterflies a few years back –

https://www.mcht.org/story/butterflies-are-gross/

 

 Sky Lobsters! (Thanks AD!) – a thrill at the patch (for me) was the 5 Hummingbird Clearwing Moths that were in view at one time. Can’t say I’d ever seen that many at one time before – can’t say I’d ever seen two at once – and it see them on this ‘new’ Milkweed patch was truly a thrill.

 

Moths in general, like the Luna above and these Clearwings here, tend to take a back seat in awareness and appreciation to Butterflies (sometimes referred to as ‘day moths’), but in reality the diversity, adaptations and overall number of species of moths in North America is impressive. Moths are cool!

 

And one of the coolest groups is the Clearwing moths. Here’s a bunch of photos of them sippin’ nectar with their proboscis while hovering. So cool.

 

And speaking of Hummingbirds! – This female Ruby-throated Hummingbird swung by for some nectar while I was sippin’ the H2O – this patch would have been a great place for a hummingbird to have a nest nearby.

 

Bottom line – milkweed is dreamy. Catch some of the action when you can!

 

Hey – this has gone on long enough!

 

Hope you enjoyed and hope to see you out there!