July - Moths, Butterflies, Amphibians, and Birds - Upstate NY

In July, Ann and I went upstate to visit friends and to do a little camping. We started out visiting our friend Loretta in Columbia County. After a few nights there we went onto Pat and Ron in Essex County in the Adirondacks. Then we camped for a couple of nights at Meacham Lake in Franklin County, still in the Adirondacks. Then it was west for one night in Watertown in Jefferson County before returning to Loretta's for a day or so of drying out our tent and then home to New York City.

Of course, everywhere we went we spent a lot of time outdoors - when it wasn't raining. In Columbia County we spent a morning at the Wilson M. Powell Wildlife Sanctuary. With all the rain in July there were many mushrooms throughout the woods, though the birds were somewhat scarce. In another post I hope to put up some pictures of the fungi, once I get more of them identified. A highlight here was a worn Luna Moth, the first I have seen in years.In Essex County we visited White Pine Camp, one of the old Adirondack Great Camps and one that had served as the summer White House for Calvin Coolidge for a year or two in the 1920s. We also briefly visited Bloomingdale Bog. Later from our base at Meacham Lake, Ann and I birded Madawaska for boreal birds. We saw a couple of Gray Jays and heard Black-backed Woodpecker and White-winged Crossbill. Later in the day we saw a couple of White-winged Crossbills on Oregon Plains Road near Bloomingdale. Our quick trip over to Watertown was so that we could spend a morning at the Perch River Wildlife Management Area before heading back south. Below are a few pictures from the various stops.

Luna Moth - 07/19/2017 - Wilson Powell Wildlife Sanctuary

Twin-spotted Sphinx moth - 07/22/2017 - Jay, NY

Appalachian Brown - 07/19/2017 - Wilson Powell Wildlife Sanctuary

Northern Pearly-eye - 07/26/2017 - Madawaska

Pearl Crescent - 07/28/2017 - Perch River WMA

American Toad - 07/22/2017 - Bloomingdale Bog

Northern Leopard Frog - 07/28/2017 - Perch River WMA

Caspian Terns - 07/28/2017 - Perch River WMA

Gray Jay - 07/26/2017 - near Madawaska

White-winged Crossbill - 07/26/2017 - near Bloomingdale Bog