Birds and Butterflies

Here are two of the frequent visitors to our street.  The Ibis in front is an adult and the one behind is an older juvenile as he still has some of his brown feathers.  Almost every day between four and twelve Ibis are digging in the lawns around the house here.  
They are certainly keeping everything aerated.  Southeastern NC is about as far north as you will see these birds.

I have been making frequent walks behind the Ft. Fisher museum.  This pathway goes between a lot of Live Oaks and marshes and I frequently see bluebirds and woodpeckers there (if there are no crowds).  There was a flock of juvenile Ibis there one day and I caught this picture just as they were taking off!

The Red-headed Woodpeckers have been a fairly frequent visitor this  year and yesterday there were at least two if not more.  They are not one of the more common woodpeckers but they certainly are beautiful!

Another of the Red-headed Woodpeckers.

The Eastern Phoebes are now migrating through.  This picture was taken down by the Ft.Fisher Ferry where they congregate usually on the fence.

I caught this Phoebe on the fence down by the museum.  There were several there.

I was surprised yesterday on my walk as for the first time I saw warblers down by the museum walk -- four different kinds even so they are obviously migrating through.

This is a Pine Warbler.

This is a Palm Warbler -- you can see the  yellow under his rump.  I am always calling him by the wrong name even though I know better!  There were Yellow-Rumped Warblers there as well but I didn't get any pictures of them (and I probably have enough pictures of them anyway as they are sooo common down here).

I think this is a Magnolia Warbler which has been reported down here by others.  Someone else thought it was an immature Pine Warbler but I willl stick with immature Magnolia Warbler because of his very bright  yellow chest and the white line under his chin.  I couldn't get a view from the back.

This is a Northern Flicker I saw the other day at Greenfield Lake.  I have never seen one of these in a tree before as they are usually foraging on the ground.  From others, I understand they are migrating through now as well.

I am  not seeing the variety of butterflies I saw last year -- don't know whether it is too early or too late!  This is a very frequent visitor -- the Gulf Fritillary but in an unusual place -- sitting high on a tree.

This is a Cloudless Sulfur which is the butterfly that gives them their name.  They are all over the place down here but liked him on the purple flowers.

This is a Common Buckeye, also very very common in the grass and on the flowers down here.d

Lastly, a Phaon Crescent which is a very small butterfly that flits through the grass outside the house.