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Wednesday, April 9, 2025

Cloaks, admirals, and angles +

  

It warmed up quite a bit in Cotati today  at one point our outdoor thermometer was reading ~80°F (~26°C).  Butterflies were definitely taking advantage of the sun. 

Above, a Mourning Cloak (Nymphalis antiopa).

Next, a Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta):

 

And, a Satyr Anglewing (Polygonia satyrus):

 

Also, we checked on the Anna's Hummingbird fledgling.  Eric spotted it very high, about 50 feet up in a tree adjacent to the nest site.  Mom flew in a couple of times to feed the fledgling, but only about every 20 minutes (see below).  In between feeding visits from mom, the fledgling probed nearby buds and leaves and practiced short flights among the branches.

 
The female might feed the fledgling for 1-2 weeks after they've left the nest, but it will likely be harder for us to locate them as time goes on and they spend time farther from the nest site.
 

4 comments:

Mo Culpepper said...

Beautiful photos of.Springtime nature activities! Thanks, as always Jackie!

Sybold said...

Despite all we do, never-the-less life persists.
As always, thank you, Jackie.

Jackie Sones said...

Thanks for checking in and noticing spring!

Jackie Sones said...

Grateful, as always, for the opportunity to look around and to share local natural history observations. And thankful for others joining in! :)