I learned all kinds of new things yesterday.
It was nap time again for mom and her ducklings around noon again, and don’t worry, all 5 were still there. It’s just that this little pile o’cuteness on the river bank made the best photo. Also, chipmunks climb trees just fine, it turns out, a fact that I did not know until now. This little guy was about 8 feet up and passionately involved in some dispute with another chipmunk. Perhaps he just doesn’t want to do another album or he and a rival are vying for the affections of Brittany.
Swallowtails love the big blossoms on the tree between the beer garden and the parkway, which is now putting on an amazing show for eyes and noses. It’s a Japanese tree lilac (Syringa reticulata), which I didn’t know existed, and we have it to thank for now having both a legal (in the park) picture of a male Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) and a female Eastern Tiger, on the same plant! The females of this species may be yellow or black, which is called “dark morph”, and which I was stunned to learn.
Speaking of a male and female of the same species on the same plant, on the left below is a pair of silver-spotted skippers (Epargyreus clarus) on the same blossom! You may recall we last saw the male in the wildflower meadow earlier this week. On the right is a pink-edged sulphur (Colias interior) making me work again for another unimpressive shot.
Meanwhile, Red Spotted Purples (Limenitis arthemis) also continue to do their darndest to keep me from getting a halfway decent photo. Some critters are just camera shy, I guess.
Finally, after yesterday’s first successful fish picture, the other species in the pond appear to be lining up for their photo ops! On the left is probably a common goldfish, bred from Prussian carp (Carassius gibelio), which I did not know, and on the right, I really just don’t know. It looks just like a gray-green version of the goldfish on the left, but maybe an experienced angler can help us out, Steve.
Finally, some beautiful new blossoms are opening up, but we’re out of time and space, and so they will just have to wait until tomorrow.
Signs of Life in Estabrook Park 
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