billhubick's Favorites

Probably the same individual photographed at this location (Dampierre Park, Carmel Valley Village) on the 23rd (by me) and 24th (by D. Roberson). Today there were at least three clubskimmers interacting just downstream from the footbridge over the river, close to the parking lot (all three seen simultaneously). Interactions looked territorial/aggresive; lots of chasing, often out of sight but the assumed territory owner always returned subsequently. Presumably all were males.

Pocomoke River State Park, Maryland. It’s about 3” and bluish-green. This may be the first indicated presence of this species in Maryland (I have lived here my whole life, and have never met a creature I didn’t stop to observe, and had never seen this one). I saw five total live specimens between approximately 11:30 PM and 12:30 AM. The eastern bark centipede was previously confirmed from Virginia southward.

Seen with Matt Hafner while working through a flock of warblers, both Myrtle and Palm were in the mix, Matt called Myrtle and I call Palm(based on the back end of the bird - yellow under tail coverts and the tail pumping, and Matt's call was based on the obvious forward part of the bird). Quickly we realized something was off, including rust tones in the cap. Photos taken with a Nikon Elf through a pair of 8x42 Pentax. Matt forwarded the pictures to Micheal O'brien who reached the same conclusion we had. Matt wrote a paper regarding the observation, although I am not sure it was ever published.

So cool to finally find this cool & very localized k-rat after so many attempts. Never seen a k-rat with such crazy ears before!
Foraging under very dense chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum) chaparral, as is typical of this species
Note huge (!), rounded ears, quite narrow face with almost no bulging in between the eyes (as is typical of D. venustus/agilis/simulans group), and darker grayish brown coloration (compared to D. heermanni)

Saw several individuals at this site, an impressively large taxon (I reckon third in size for the CA k-rats after D. ingens and D. deserti)

Shocker! Very rare for Md coastal plain. After I heard about 1 being seen out in the marsh, I spent many hours over a few days doing a very targeted search for one, and was shocked to find one. I suspect there may be a very small population of them around Jug Bay.

I'm uncertain on the ID for this worn butterfly, but there is much less orange on this butterfly than I would think for a Gabb's. Complete red rows on white background. Black antennae rules out Variable.

Despite being in the dung fly family, is said to be a predator of the biting midge Culicoides variipennis.

New species for MBP!

Thanks to Chris Angell at BugGuide for the ID: https://bugguide.net/node/view/1966754

Rock Creek Stream Valley Park, S. of Twinbrook Parkway x Veirs Mill Road, Rockville, Montg. Co., Maryland; Kensington quad