Blue

As I was out walking I saw

A blue azure butterfly

A blue dasher dragonfly

A blue jay

A blue flower

Under a blue sky.  How can anyone be blue!

Just wondering

I've been just wondering if there are any more angels out there.  There was one very generous parson who started a fund to clean up the mess at the end of the meadow.

Now Andrea is looking for some others to make a donation to Foulkeways (tax deductable) so that this project can be completed now.  Administration has contacted someone who will do this, but they need some additional funds.

So if you wish to contribute to the "Foulkeways Woodland Fund" please contact Andrea.

Wetlands progress

Toth Brothers has dumped the soil ammendment into the wetlands area and will soon incorporate this into the existing "soil".  Then it will be ready for the planting on June 9th.

In case you missed it.  There is one yellow flower in the middle of all those daisies.  This is a coreopsis, the first of the season.  And the penstamon and tradescantia look lovely in the back meadows.

This ebony jewelwing was spotted in a patch of sunlight on the Loop Trail.  It is a male, who will be looking for a female, and she is not as colorful as he is.

Fox

Many of us have seen the fox, but Bill was lucky enough to see it as it was eating a squirrel and to get photos of it. 

Thanks for sharing them with us.

Catching Up

Just a few things for the last few days that I didn't get to post.

Here is our favorite red-tailed hawk being told to get out of here by one of the smaller birds.  If they did not protest I often would miss the hawk, and it is usually after bigger prey rather than other birds.

Here is pollen in a puddle making interesting swirls, but I hate it when it coats the car, and makes us sneeze.

I saw this eastern kingbird near the wetland to be, and later saw two.

A beautiful iris was behind the greenhouse.

Norristown Park

This morning we went to Norristown Park to look for birds.  The weather was not favorable, as it was very humid, overcasr, and then partly sunny and warm.  So we did not see any migrants.

The great blue heron is almost always seen at the pond. 

And the woodchuck is another dependable sight.  We saw two on this trip.

The tree swallows were everywhere.  This one nesting in the martin house.  We saw them in the bluebird houses and even one in the wood duck house.

The mother wood duck and her babies were in the pond and have no further use of the house.

The photo of the day was of this yellow-shafted flicker.  It is not very often that you see how they got their name.

Beautiful day

Couldn't ask for a more beautiful day for the Wimbledon match.

There's a baby robin in that nest on the light in G.

Saw this Mourning Cloak butterfly in the courtyard at Central to your left as you go up the tunnel.  I had to wait a while before it opened its wings.

This is what the mourning cloak looks like with its wings closed.  Worth the wait, wasn't it?

Yesterday

This is the larvae of the giant leopard moth which was strolling along the pavement outside my brother's apartment.

The tradescantia is blooming in the meadow.

This garter snake was seen on the Loop Trail.

This beautiful common whitetail dragonfly was seen by the Penn-Gwyn bridge.

Peace Valley Seeing Red

We saw this beautiful red cardinal.

A lovely house finch.

A spectacular red-bellied woodpecker, who is almost all red-headed.

A red admiral butterfly, who really looks more orange at times.

A red-spotted purple butterfly, which is named from the pattern below, not this glorious black and blue upper side.

Well this woodchuck isn't red, but I bet you would be seeing red if he was eating up all your birdseed.

Peace Valley Birding Trip

One of the first birds spotted was this yellow warbler by the bridge.

In the bird blind we saw this swamp sparrow.

Not to be confused with this song sparrow, seen later.

We spotted this female grosbeak, but not the male.

And a green heron also seen from the bird blind.

Bluebird dinner

Here comes dinner.

Getting closer.

Anyone hungry down there.

Here it is.

In goes the parent.

Out again and on it goes.

Maris Trail

The Maris Trail is a "rough" trail here at Foulkeways. 

The entrance is by the pile of wood chips and the sign.  Turn to your right and follow the trail until it intersects with the Loop Trail, where there is a sign "bear crossing", and two benches on the Loop Trail.  There are no benches on the Maris Trail.

This lower part of the Maris Trail has been covered with wood chips by members of the Grounds Committee.

Beware of exposed roots when you walk the Trail.  It is always best to walk with someone.