Birding is winding down a bit, but everything else is picking up. I'm also writing this from a new location, where I'll hopefully find some more interesting additions. I'm definitely happy about the good views of the carnivorans, both of which were seen on the side of the road. Red Fox is one I missed last year, and I'm glad I spotted one lounging around with its sibling on the side of the road.
Mammals:
10. Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) (Lister)
11. Common Racoon (Procyon lotor)
Birds:
I've been seeing redstarts for the past week or two, just forgot to list it
123. American redstart (Setophaga ruticilla)
Seen at Meadowbrook Park
124. Warbling Vireo (Vireo gilvus)
125. Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens)
126. Nashville Warbler (Leiothlypis ruficapilla)
127. Blackburnian Warbler (Setophaga fusca) (Lifer)
128. Field sparrow (Spizella pusilla)
129. Blackpoll warbler (Setophaga striata) (Lifer)
130. Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus)
Picked up at crystal lake park
131. Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus)
132. Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum)
Saw the watersnake at Kickapoo state park.
Reptile:
5. Common Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon) (Ssp. Northern Watersnake (N.s. sipedon))
Herptiles:
10. Common Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon) (Ssp. Northern Watersnake (N.s. sipedon))
Fish:
Also from Kickapoo. Lots of interesting fish there, these are just the easier ones to find.
3. Longear sunfish (Lepomis megalotis)
4. Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)
5. Redear sunfish (Lepomis microlophus) (Lister)
Insects/Invertebrates:
A whole lot of insects (And other arthropods)
51. Pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
52. Common eastern bumble bee (Bombus impatiens)
53. Fragile forktail (Ischnura posita) (Lifer)
54. Triangulate combfoot (Steatoda triangulosa) (Lifer)
55. Spotted pink lady beetle (Coleomegilla maculata)
56. Putnam’s jumping spider (Phidippus putnami)
57. Bold jumping spider (Phidippus audax)
58. Margined calligrapher (Toxomerus marginatus)
59. Bluegrass billbug weevil (Sphenophorus parvulus)
60. Eastern black carpenter ant (Camponotus pennsylvanicus)
61. Big-headed ground beetle (Scarites subterraneus)
62. Striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma vittatum)
63. Eastern pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis)
64. Narrow headed marsh fly (Helophilus fasciatus)
65. Common thick-leg fly (Tropidia quadrata) (Lifer)
66. Common striped woodlouse (Philoscia muscorum) (Lifer)
67. Rathke’s woodlouse (Trachelipus rathkii)
68. Orchard orbweaver (Leucauge venusta)
69. Pygmy backswimmer (Neoplea striola) (Lifer)
70. Common picture-winged fly (Delphinia picta)
71. Four-spotted sap beetle (Glischrochilus quadrisignatus)
72. Banded pennant (Celithemis fasciata) (Lifer)
These lists are already a bit longer but I'll update them when I get back.
A week ago, I made a short four-day trip to the Southern tip of Illinois, including a quick family-related detour in St. Louis on the way back. Along the way, I picked up a good handful of lifer herps and inverts, and some lifer birds.
Birds:
Seen in the flooded fields earlier, forgot to list
133. Semipalmated Plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) (Lifer)
Seen on the drive down to Dixon Springs
134. Black Vulture (Coragyps atratus)
135. Great Egret (Ardea alba)
Seen at Mermet Lake, along the waterway at the western end of the lake
136. Prothonotary Warbler (Prothonotaria citrea) (Lifer)
137. Yellow-billed Cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) (Lifer)
138. Cliff swallow (Petrochelidon pyrrhonota) (Lifer)
139. Purple Martin (Progne subis) (Lifer)
140. White-eyed Vireo (Vireo griseus) (Lifer)
141. Carolina Chickadee (Poecile carolinensis)
142. Mississippi Kite (Ictinia mississippiensis) (Lifer)
Seen at Heron Pond Forest Preserve
143. Pileated Woodpecker (Dryocopus pileatus)
144. Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra) (Lifer)
Seen at Giant City state park
145. Kentucky Warbler (Geothlypis formosa) (Lifer)
146. Acadian Flycatcher (Empidonax virescens) (Lifer)
Reptiles:
Seen (And nearly stepped on) at Heron Pond. Venomous, I know, but it was sitting along some stepping stones across a washed out area, and I spotted it sitting two stepping stones away from where I was. I opted to get my shoes slightly wet through the washed out area instead.
6. Northern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) (Lifer)
A juvinile and adult seen in the leaf litter at the Indian Creek Trail at Giant City state park. The juvinile is certainly striking with the blue tail and black and yellow body.
7. Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) (Lifer)
Seen at Powder Valley Concervation Nature Center near St. Louis. I saw the ring-necked snake slither away into some leaf litter, and the Ratsnake I once again nearly stepped on as one raced across the paved pathway.
8. Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus) (Lifer)
9. Western Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus) (Lifer)
Amphibian:
Seen in a rock crevice between boulders on the Giant City Nature Trail at Giant City State Park
6. Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) (Lifer)
Herptiles:
11. Northern Cottonmouth (Agkistrodon piscivorus) (Lifer)
12. Common Five-lined Skink (Plestiodon fasciatus) (Lifer)
13. Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri) (Lifer)
14. Ring-necked Snake (Diadophis punctatus) (Lifer)
15. Western Ratsnake (Pantherophis obsoletus) (Lifer)
Fish:
Caught by flyrod at Dixon Springs State Park
6. Creek chub (Semotilus atromaculatus) (Lifer)
7. Green sunfish (Lepomis cyanellus) (Lifer)
8. White crappie (Pomoxis annularis) (Lifer)
Caught by net back at Kickapoo state park back home
9. Blackstripe topminnow (Fundulus notatus) (Lifer)
10. Western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis)
11. Black crappie (Pomoxis nigromaculatus) (Lister)
Insects/Invertebrates:
Many of these were seen around the forests and trails during the trip, some were seen around the cabin rental at night and on a black light moth setup, still more remain unidentified.
73. Blue dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis)
74. Variable dancer (Argia fumipennis) (Lifer)
75. Blue-fronted dancer (Argia apicalis)
76. Black-and-gold bumble bee (Bombus auricomus) (Lifer)
77. Orange sulphur (Colias eurytheme)
78. Long-tailed giant ichneumonid wasp (Megarhyssa macrurus) (Lifer)
79. Sylvan jumping spider (Colonus sylvanus) (Lifer)
80. Margined leatherwing soldier beetle (Chauliognathus marginatus)
81. Little wood satyr (Megisto cymela) (Lifer)
82. Gray hairstreak (Strymon melinus) (Lifer)
83. Three-spotted fillip (Heterophleps triguttaria)
84. Nursery web spider (Pisaurina dubia) (Lifer)
85. Yellow-collared slug moth (Apoda y-inversa) (Lifer)
86. Bathroom moth fly (Clogmia albipunctata) (Lifer)
87. Eastern yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons)
88. White-banded fishing spider (Dolomedes albineus) (Lifer)
89. Ebony jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata)
90. Spicebush swallowtail (Papilio troilus) (Lifer)
91. North american wheel bug (Arilus cristatus)
92. Great blue skimmer (Libellula vibrans) (Lifer)
93. Spotted wood fly (Somula decora) (Lifer)
94. Horned passalus beetle (Odontotaenius disjunctus) (Lifer)
95. Leaf-footed bug (Acanthocephala terminalis) (Lifer)
96. Eastern tent caterpillar moth (Malacosoma americana) (Lifer)
97. Woodland malaria mosquito (Anopheles punctipennis) (Lifer)
98. Metallic wood-boring beetle (Acmaeodera tubulus) (Lifer)
99. Stilt-legged fly (Rainieria antennaepes) (Lifer)
The Larue Pine Hills were fascinating in their own right, but dissapointingly unproductive. Heron Pond Forest Preserve did not result in as many herps as I expected either, but in both cases I think it had much to do with it being overcast and colder weather, as as once it warmed up and the sun stayed out at Giant City, the herps were more abundant. Overall, it was a good trip, and the unique geology and ecosystems within the parks were worth the trip alone. For being so nearby, I'd certainly like to make a return trip during the peak herp season sometime and explore the reigon a bit more.
.
