Diversity in Canatara!

From beach to forest, meadow and inland pond, Canatara hosts some diverse habitat allowing for a great variety of species. Earlier in the summer a Whimbrel stopped on the beach to "refuel" with invertebrates found in the sand. The curved bill assists in extracting food from the sand.

A White-rumped Sandpiper also took a break at the beach in mid-August! They nest near freshwater in the high arctic tundra. Migrants use almost any freshwater wetland with muddy margins, as well as sod farms and flooded fields, as long as water is 2 inches deep or less.

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/White-rumped_Sandpiper/id

Beach sand is not the typical location to find Viceroy butterflies. This one was getting minerals and salts from decaying scat. The black line, perpendicular across all 4 wings, separates this species from the more "famous" Monarch butterfly

My eye caught something shiny at the edge of the pond. It is the exuvia (exoskeleton) of a Common Green Darner. Dragonfly species will spend their early years under water at the nymphal stage. When they are ready to 'cast off' the last layer of the "exuviae", they climb out of the water, crawl out of their skin, dry off in the sun and begin to fly!

Bumble Flower Beetles get their name because of the buzzing sound they make when flying around flowers. Adults can live for 6 months. They eat nectar, flower sap and the juices from over ripe fruit such as peaches, grapes, apples and pears. The larvae feed on decayed plant matter. It was my first encounter with this species that looks a bit like the insect version of a teddy bear!

https://beetleidentifications.com/bumble-flower-beetle/

I love the big red eyes on this individual. I have not been able to identify the species, but I believe it is in the Blow Fly family.

Song birds have been feasting on caterpillars that can be found both in the meadow and in wooded areas. A Red-eyed Vireo caught a fuzzy caterpillar for breakfast.