Dragonfly and Butterfly Venture to
Beaver Lake & Beaverdam Knoll, Asheville, NC
Saturday July 11, 2009
I thought 8 AM would be a little early, but it gave us the chance to see several species of dragonflies before they warmed up. The golf course pond produced several Banded Pennants as well as good views of both Eastern and Fragile Forktails. A surprise (not of the dragonfly type) was an immature Cliff Swallow that was feeding with Tree, Barn and Northern Rough-winged Swallows. Blue Dashers were probably our most common dragonfly species, but flashy ones like Widow Skimmer, Green Darner and Black Saddlebags are always nice to see. A Prince Baskettail was patrolling the edge of Beaver Lake where a very chocolate colored dragonfly was just too far to get a proper id. The pond at Beaverdam Knoll had some bluets that again defied any conclusive id. Maybe I can work on them again later this week. Butterflies were more apparent, despite having a very poor year so far. A beautiful male Black Swallowtail was feeding on the Verbena and a female Wild Indigo Duskywing was egg-laying on some Baptisia or False Indigo. Overall it was a very nice day- warm and very pleasant indeed.
| Damselflies: | Birds | |
| Bluet sp | Mallard | Northern Cardinal |
| Variable Dancer | Great Blue Heron | Red-winged Blackbird |
| Blue-tipped Dancer | Green Heron | Common Grackle |
| Fragile Forktail | Broad-winged Hawk | Brown-headed Cowbird |
|
|
Red-shouldered Hawk (Heard) | House Finch |
| Mourning Dove | American Goldfinch | |
| Dragonflies: | Chimney Swift | |
| Common Green Darner | Ruby-throated Hummingbird | |
| Prince Baskettail | Belted Kingfisher | |
| Banded Pennant | Downy Woodpecker | |
| Slaty Skimmer | Northern Flicker | |
| Widow Skimmer | Eastern Kingbird | |
| Blue Dasher | Blue-headed Vireo | |
|
|
Blue Jay | |
| Common Whitetail | American Crow | |
| Black Saddlebags | Tree Swallow | |
| Barn Swallow | ||
| Butterflies: | Northern Rough-winged Swallow | |
| Eastern Black Swallowtail | Cliff Swallow | |
| Eastern Tiger Swallowtail | Carolina Chickadee | |
| Cabbage White | Tufted Titmouse | |
| Orange Sulphur | White-breasted Nuthatch | |
| Eastern Tailed Blue | Brown-headed Nuthatch | |
| Great Spangled Fritillary | House Wren | |
|
|
Carolina Wren | |
| Anglewing sp | Blue-gray Gnatcatcher | |
| Red-spotted Purple | American Robin | |
| Silver-spotted Skipper | Eastern Bluebird | |
| Wild Indigo Duskywing | Gray Catbird | |
| Sachem | European Starling | |
| Dun Skipper | Song Sparrow | |