We had a nifty First-Sunday Walk at DeKorte on Sunday, with 11 species of butterflies, 31 species of birds, and 36 varieties of humans.

Butterfly highlights included a Question Mark, a Horace’s Duskywing and a Mourning Cloak. Bird highlights included a (distant) Bald Eagle and  a Peregrine Falcon (while we were packing up).

(Thanks to Joe Koscielny for the non-human photos of the airborne egrets and the Question Mark butterfly with its wings open!)

Full list follows.

Continue reading →

This caterpillar is a Giant Leopard Moth caterpillar named Maria, after the NJMC staffer who found her. We are hoping that Maria (the caterpillar) pupates and becomes a Giant Leopard Moth. Congrats to Patrick Carney and Denise Farrell for answering correctly…)

Pix of Maria’s current house at DeKorte’s Science Center and what she might someday look like follow. Continue reading →