and the flats Whimbrel
written by Drew Weber
Not quite as cooperative as the Buff-breasted Sandpiper, the Whimbrel enjoyed skulking, always on the opposite end of Avocet Point where we were. This was my PA state bird #277. Whimbrels are common along the coast and the only place to reliably find them on migration in PA is at Presque Isle State Park. 
The large shorebirds are much less common than peeps and yellowlegs so they are always a treat. The only other of the larger shorebird I'd previously seen at the flats was a Marbled Godwit a couple years ago. 
Buff-breasted Sandpiper on the flats
written by Drew Weber
Conejohela Flats once again produced some good shorebirds for me. A previously reported Whimbrel was still hanging out on Avocet Point and was the first bird we saw. And right in front of it was a juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper. The thing I really love about some juvenile shorebirds is their complete lack of wariness around people. While I was taking pictures, it kept walking closer and closer until I couldn't focus on it, only about 10 feet away.
A rare and irregular migrant in most of Pennsylvania, Buff-breasted Sandpipers are generally seen in fall, between the 3rd week in August and the 3rd week in September. These are mostly juveniles. Adults are much less common and pass through a few weeks earlier.
Occasionally the Buff-breasted Sandpiper would stretch up and look around, presumably alerted by something. Its normal behavior though was very active foraging, running around and probing for prey. At one point it pulled up a two inch worm and chowed down on that.
For a higher quality video, go to Youtube.
Wheel Bug: a Bee Killer
written by Drew Weber
Today in the garden, I found a wheel bug (Arilus cristatus) that had just caught a bee in the backyard. I got a few pictures, click on them to see the larger images. A wheel bugs catches its prey by plunging its beak into them and holding them with legs. It the injects them with an enzyme that paralyzes them and begins dissolving them drinking up the victims body fluids.
A bite from a wheel bug can be pretty nasty and can take months to heal. Some say it hurts 10 times worse than a hornet sting. I would recommend staying clear of them and letting wheel bugs roam your garden and eat up your 'pest' insects.
Charlie Moores at 10000 Birds also caught something similar when he was in Toronto. Check it out on his post.
Lepidopteracide
written by Drew Weber
I was walking around my butterfly bush/sneezeweed/salvia garden and I happened across an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail, caught in a spiderweb. The spider was already working on the swallowtail so I quick got my camera to document the process. The second time I went out the butterfly was gone, stored away for later eating. I searched for it quite a bit without any luck.
Our favorite apps
birding shirts
Authors
