Ruby-throated vs Black-chinned Hummingbirds

Every fall I watch for vagrant hummingbirds at our feeder. On 27 August 2018, this there appeared this noticeably white-breasted hummer. A grayish crown, grayish ear patches, and a long, slightly down-turned bill are all field marks of a Black-chinned Hummingbird. I rejected this identification because Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are by far the most abundant hummingbirds and because this bird’’s wing feathers are the wrong shape for a Black-chinned.

Black-chinned Hummingbird wings, like on this bird we saw on 12 August 2018 in Denton County, Texas, have curved, sickle-shapped outer primaries. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds have more or less straight primary feathers. So its back to the rare hummingbird lookout. One of these days… Our Texas bird, by the way, was hawking for flying insects, one of which is remarkably in focus in the last photo.

Little Blue Heron

During our recent Texas trip, we listed several immature Little Blue Herons. The first photo, taken on 10 August 2018, investigated the banks of the Elm Fork of the Trinity River in Denton County below the Lewisville Dam. The second hunted for minnows at the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge in Tarrant County, Texas, on 11 August 2018. As they age, these white birds become dark blue. Rogers and Smith (2014) assure us that Little Blue Herons are opportunistic feeders, consuming small fish, amphibians, and aquatic and terrestrial invertebrates.

Red Saddlebags

Red Saddlebags are common in Texas. We took the top photo at the Knob Hill Bike Trail in Denton County on 12 August 2018. The species is also fairly common in Minnesota, at least in the southern part of the state. We took the lower photo on 22 August 2018 in the Carleton College arboretum. 

Spot-winged Glider

I was surprised at the number of Spot-winged Gliders we saw during our August Texas trip. This photo was taken on 12 August 2018 at the Knob Hill Bike Trail in Denton County. Spot-wingd Gliders are found across much of the United States—except for the Northern Plains and Rockies. They are also observed south to Argentina and have scattered records north to Alaska. I have a previous record from Minnesota. Spectacular migratory flights are often reported (Paulson 2011).

Roseate Skimmer

Our last Texas hike during our recent visit was to the Knob Hills Bike Trail north of Roanoke, in Denton County (12 August 2018). We saw several species we’ve listed on previous expeditions and on this trip. A red dragonfly with purple sides is probably a Roseate Skimmer. We also saw one in Costa Rica. Roseate Skimmers are widespread—they are found across much of the southern United States south to Costa Rica and Cuba —and readily spread into new locations. They are tolerant of a wide variety of habitat and water conditions.

Checkered Setwing

On our last afternoon in Texas, 12 August 2018, we briefly explored the Knob Hill Bike Path in Denton County. In a opening in the dry brush, we found a lovely, small, yellow-spotted dragonfly making sorties from piles of brush, a behavior typical for the species. The black patches in this Checkered Setwing are the key to its identification. Checkered Setwings are found in Texas,  the Southwest and adjacent Mexico.

Cyrano Darner

One of the great advantages of searching for dragonflies with your son is his vision. David, driving, spotted this darner as it flew across the road and perched in nearby shrubbery. We were in the Fort Worth Nature Center and Refuge in Tarrant County, Texas, on 11 August 2018. This Cyrano Darner, a first for me, is also found in Minnesota, and most of the eastern United States and Canada. 

Cyrano Darners presumably get their name from their projecting forehead. They stick to wooded areas, and fly along woodland edges, paths, and, in this case, roadsides. This species is known to take larger prey than other darners.  If you look closely, note that this Cyrano Darner is consuming an Eastern Pondhawk!

Monarch Butterflies

Yesterday, 22 August 2018, Erika and I discovered thousands of Monarch Butterflies in the Carleton College arboretum in Dakota County, Minnesota. Although it was almost noon, the butterflies appeared to be roosting at the edge of an oak forest on the west edge of the prairie. Some of them were mating. As we walked down the path, hundreds flushed in front of us. We have never seen such a concentration of butterflies. The scene reminded us of photos of monarchs wintering in Mexico. Getting a photo of the swarm proved impossible, and I never thought of trying to take a video. This concentration of butterflies does not appear to be a local aggregation, since K. C. Jensen recently reported large numbers of Monarchs in Brookings, South Dakota.

Scissor-tailed Flycatcher

We added few new birds to our year list during or quick trip to Texas this August. We did capture a few images of young Scissor-tailed Flycatchers at LLELA (Denton Co.) on 10 August. The adults have such long, graceful tails compared to the immatures. I often wonder why these flycatchers, whih specialize in eating grasshoppers and beetles, are common only in thee southern Great Plains. Perhaps they require more trees and shrubs than are afforded by the northern prairies.

Springwater Dancer

Due to the dark spot near the end of the abdomen, we identified this damselfly as a Springwater Dancer. We found it at the Lewisville Lake Environmental Learning Area (LLELA) in Denton County, Texas on 10 August 2018. We found it at a wet meadow, which should be perfect habitat for this species. They are often found along roadsides. Assuming we are correct in our identification, this record is a first on Odonata Central for Denton County.