Monarch Butterfly-land

 

One of my Nantucket delights is seeing Monarch butterflies almost every day. These monarchs have escaped the paper wasps and yellowjackets which favor monarch caterpillars, or the ants and tachinid flies.  Birds in the northeast steer clear because of toxic compounds in milkweed which they have absorbed. From July 12 to 21, they were all about.

• July 17: At Esther's island
• July 18: Eel Point
• July 19: home
• July 20: the Creeks and the Life Saving Museum
• July 21: home

Eastern Wild Indigo,
Baptisia Tinctoria

July continued with Yarrow and St. Johnswort along the verges. Sickle-leaved silk grass appeared in the moor roads along with the yellow bushes of Eastern Wild Indigo, baptisia tinctoria. By late in the month the hints of August were showing themselves. On July 24, there were early Sea lavender blooming and samphire at Masquetuck. There was the immanence of Sweet Pepper, clethra alnifolnia. But I haven't yet seen a Wood Lily this year.

Hudsonian Whimbrel

Pectoral Sandpiper

Sanderling and Ruddy Turnstone

Semipalmated Plover

Hudsonian whimbrels were active in the tall grasses across Polpis Harbor from Masquetuck. I saw a solitary and pectoral sandpiper at Sesachacha, as well as 5 immature black-crowned night herons at Cain's Pond. There seem to be many more laughing gulls this year cruising the Bluff. I have been constrained from kayaking to Quaise Pointand Pocomo Meadow because of my back injury. I did walk from Wauwinet to Coskata Pond along the Harbor, with a dozen or more semipalmated plovers, 9 piping plover, 3 spotted sandpiper and a passel of least terns. Kingbirds, barn swallows and song sparrows also love that area. The road to Coskata Woods is cut off to jeeps now.

On July 29, at Norwood Farm, I had another near-disaster while searching for Cranes-fly orchids near the Norwood Oak. I had entered a low area near the pearly everlasting and got turned around. Luckily I was able to get myself out and find the path again. My last white-fringed orchid hunt wound up with my calling for help when I got lost in high bush and had trouble getting out!

So many mushrooms with the July Rain, now up to 2.7 inches. When I post to iNaturalist, there are fewer reviewers than for butterflies or flowers.

The Grandchildren arrive on Sunday.

Buck Moon

Cain’s Pond Sunset

Early July

 

Swamp Azalea

We arrived on island by July 1. I was laid up with a herniated disc that I got moving heavy luggage during our bike trip in Switzerland. We are absorbing Josh's prostate cancer indication. Nina Fredland is here in Sconset burying her husband Curt's ashes. Curt and Carolyne are tending to their daughter's liver transplant this summer. The Weymar's lost a tremendous amount of bluff this winter and are putting their house on the market. I am reading the collected poems of Louise Gluck. This list doesn't include wars in Iran and Ukraine and the war on immigrants.

Yet the world is in summer, rich and green. How can I not delight in Lightning bugs and fireworks on the beach on July 4? Or the ever different sunrise, and the Northern harrier hunting on the bluff. And a Whale spouting offshore!

There have been extremes of heat and rainy wind. But that sets the wild grapes fluttering the wind. The arrowood viburnum seems done, but the scent of swamp azalea lifts all spirits. The population of osprey at Sesachacha seems at an all time high. I now regularly see 6 fishing at once. Sesachacha is my first outing when I can walk again. I am rewarded with a chuck-will's widow.

Colicroot

Closer to home, there is light blue sky at the horizon, sky blue above, teal green sea below. By July 8 I am able to walk to the erosion project and back. On July 10 I venture out to the Windswept Cranberry Bog...oh the swamp azalea scent! There is a veritable grove of mullein out by Stump Pond, and some blue vervain in the bog. The colicroot field is in bloom. The red-eyed vireo is a dependable greeter, as is the pine warbler at the mouth of Stump Pond.

On July 11, I hike the Milestone Bog. Unfortunately Nantucket Conservation Foundation has mowed the colicroot field there. No thistles, either. Three red-tailed hawks love the snags. A painted turtle is in the path. Yarrow and Milkweed are blooming and the Steeplebush (Spirea tomentosa) is starting to bloom. Common St. Johnswort is blooming.

Sabatia

Virginia Meadow Beauties

On July 12, I head out to Norwood Farm, where the yarrow is blooming and the St. Andrew's cross is getting ready. There is now some water in the ponds, and Virginia meadow beauty blooming at the edges. It is very quiet...not the usual chorus of bluejays and towhees. The turtles are sunning themselves at Norwood Pond, sundews are growing in the cracked mud, small copper butterflies are flitting. The Sabatia is blooming at Almanac Puddle, along with a field of virginia meadow beauties and golden hedge-hyssop. Maybe it will continue to grow back to Almanac Pond?

Sundew

Norwood Pond

An early walk on July 13 at Squam Farm is gladdened by the scent of swamp azalea and the sight of the Dew on the grasses. A Common Wood Nymph butterfly jogs ahead and an Eastern milk snake slithers away. There are common St. Johnswort, oxeye daisy, and the first chicory

Nantucket is still in a Stage 2, Significan drought. Lawn watering limits are in effect.

• March rain  1.81
• April rain .30
• May rain .44
• June  rain .23
• July    1.54 (as of 7/14)

How can a familiar place seem so new? At Squam Swamp on July 15, I took the deer path/hunters' trail to the left of marker 2 and walked a new part of the swamp. The Squam Swamp Brook is filled with water (maybe the result of the recent rains? Last August it was dry.). Running freshwater streams are rare on Nantucket. Red-eyed vireos, great crested flycather and chickadees congregate near the water. There are meadows of ferns: the New York Fern and some Dioptera wood fern and netted chain ferns near the wetter vernal pools. There are mushrooms after the rain, including: burnt-orange bolete, Orange Spindle, Russula paludosa (Hintapink). Only a few stray red tupelo leaves. The path rejoins the main path at marker 3. Magical to walk a new path in a well known landscape.

Squam Swamp Brook

Ox-eye daisies and a few remaining Quaker ladies along the main path, but no Indian Pipes (my target species). The meadows of cinnamon ferns are nearby. Beechnuts already set. A frog plopped into the water at marker 13, and a garter snake slithered away. At least 6 red-eyed vireos sang their persistent songs as I walked. I don't think they followed me. They were almost as numerous as the towhees.

William Blake "Auguries of Innocence "

To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour.

Norwood Oak

Small Copper

Milk Snake