Friday Night Campout

I camped at Perry Lake on Friday night with an old college buddy.  Between beers and recounting old college stories, I watched and listened for new species.   I was rewarded with a Bonaparte’s Gull, Spotted Sandpiper, and a Cricket Frog.  The next morning started with a hunt for morel mushrooms.  No mushrooms were found, but I did hear a singing Northern Parula and saw Cliff Swallows.  The best find of the morning was a calling Fish Crow, which is not normally seen this far North.  Saturday afternoon and Sunday were spent searching around my yard and Shawnee State Fishing Lake.  I found some very interesting insects as well as Lark and Vesper Sparrows, a Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, and an Upland Sandpiper.  This brings by year total to 202 species.      

A Black Moth (Grapevine Epimenis) is usually found in woodlands and likes to use grapevines as a host plant.  I found three of these feeding on my flowering Aristocrat Pear tree.