Halloween Spider

I was looking over my Bird of Paradise plants for frogs and I spotted this spider. I cannot identify it, but the hairy body may indicate a type of wolf spider. In any case it's a good spider for Halloween.

Buckeye

This butterfly was spotted a couple days ago. The eye spots are really something. My field guide reads that the Buckeyes move south in the fall and in Cape May, NJ the numbers rival the Monarch migrations. I only spotted one, but I was happy to have him stop in and feed.

Calendula

Wow! This will brighten up our grey weather. I keep a couple pots of this flower, also an herb. The color is great and the flower petals are edible. It does better out of the hot sun and is still blooming now.

Wildflower and Skipper

A skipper butterfly samples a roadside wildflower.

Another look at a Cuckoo

A yellow billed cuckoo spotted in September.

October evening sky

A flock of Canada Geese silhouetted on a recent evening sky. The cooler weather has given us some beautiful colors in the morning and evening skies.

Standing room only

This post used to support a nesting platform and was used many years by ospreys before a storm tore it down. It is now a favorite stopping place for many: ospreys with a fish, gulls, cormorants and this great blue heron hunched down in the cooler weather.

Looking Geese

More Canada Geese: beautiful birds with that broad white cheek. I love the little tilt of the heads ... keeping a good look out.

Tree Swallow Migration

I ventured the whole length of the island yesterday and they were everywhere. From north to south and out over the causeway, in fields and yards and at the water's edge. It was an incredible sight. The swallows are heading south to their winter home in Florida.

Currituck Lighthouse with Geese

Canada Geese fly north with Currituck Light in the background. The sudden cold weather has the geese moving and me retreating.

Not a Bee

Often mistaken for a honey bee, this is the Drone Fly and he likes nectar. An easy way to identify is to look for a "waist". The honey bee has one, the fly does not.

October Geese

A closer look at some Canada Geese flying past.

Tawny Emporer

Don't you just love the name for this butterfly?

Monarch

Orange winged beauty.

Whirlabout

This little guy is a skipper. I'm seeing lots of skippers in the yard. My field guide reads that skippers and true butterflies are the two superfamily divisions of butterflies. The name Whirlabout is given for the flight pattern. It makes me think of the mystical Whirling Dervishes.

Currituck Sound Rush Hour

Flying fast and honking, these Canada geese are on a late afternoon run.

Wood Nymph

According to the National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Butterflies (thanks for that handy reference R&J!), this is the largest wood nymph, the only one east of the Mississippi and prefers rotting fruit. Maybe it was after the rain split tomatoes in the garden.

Painted Lady

An eyecatcher, this butterfly is found all over the world and in my front yard.

Moon over Penny's Hill

Last night's full moon as it seemingly lifts over the dune of Luark's (Penny's) Hill.

Beautyberry

This is a native shrub, and true to it's name the berries are a fantastic color.

Autumn Crocus

What a color for the fall! These blooms would fit right in with a spring palette.