Tag Archives: eastern forktail damselfly

Arboretum: Swallowtails and Bulb Flies

I found two eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies (Papilio glaucus) on a mulch bed at the Arboretum last week. They appeared to be basking in the sun. At times, both would shiver their wings. I assumed one of these butterflies was a male and the other female but, judging from the lack of blue chevrons on their hindwings, they both appear to be male.

Eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies
Eastern tiger swallowtail butterflies

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Ward’s Pond: Robins and Robber flies

On my walk around Ward’s Pond last week, I saw a pair of hungry baby robins eagerly awaiting food from their parents.

Baby robins in nest
A pair of baby robins

The Pond’s boardwalk, which had been shut down for years, has been re-opened. According to the July 22 edition of Boston’s City Record, the 250-foot boardwalk was damaged by storms in 2010. Its restoration by the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, to the tune of $111,000, was funded through FEMA’s Disaster Recovery Assistance Fund and the Mayor’s Capital Plan.
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Arboretum: Skippers, Skimmers, and Killers

I paid a visit to the Arnold Arboretum on Sunday, the first day after the end of our long heat wave. Insect life was abundant.

I found five species of butterflies, three of them skippers. A least skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor) was roaming near the meadow. This skipper is mostly orange with thick black borders on its hindwings.

Least skipper butterfly
Least skipper

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Urban Nature Walk: Bussey Meadow

On Sunday, Jef led a small group of us on an urban nature walk. We started at the Bussey Brook Meadow and moved on to the Arnold Arboretum, ending at the Forest Hills gate. Mosquitoes hounded us, especially in the Meadow.

Jef called the meadow a European wildflower garden. We saw some periwinkle-colored chicory flowers (Cichorium intybus) and bird’s-foot trefoil flowers (Lotus corniculatus) with orange streaks on bright yellow. These were among the many wildflowers native to Europe.

Chicory flower
Chicory flower

Bird's-foot trefoil flowers and flower buds
Bird’s-foot trefoil

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A Walk in the Arboretum

I took photos of a wealth of natural life at the Arnold Arboretum yesterday. Among the birds, dragonflies, frogs, and plants, only one of the subjects was accessioned: Wilson’s spiraea (Spiraea wilsonii).

Wilson's spiraea flowers
Wilson’s spiraea

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Forest Hills Cemetery on a Spring Day

Yesterday was the last in a long streak of sunny and dry days in Boston. I visited Forest Hills Cemetery to see what I could find.

I saw this eastern forktail damselfly resting on a reed at the edge of Lake Hibiscus. Damselflies rest with their wings closed or only slightly open. According to A Field Guide to the Dragonflies and Damselflies of Massachusetts, eastern forktails emerge early in the spring and are very common in this area.

Eastern Forktail Damselfly resting
Eastern Forktail Damselfly

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