Steele Creek Park Recent Sightings: January 27, 2012

1/19 – Jeremy saw 4 Wild Turkeys, a Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Hairy Woodpecker along the edge of the golf course. The hawk had captured a bluebird.

1/25 – Near the wetland I found a Hairy Woodpecker, a Hermit Thrush and a Yellow-rumped Warbler. I haven’t seen many Yellow-rumps this winter. They are generally a fairly common winter resident but not found during the summer months in the park. A Black Duck was on the lake. These look similar to a female Mallard but are darker and have a more yellowish bill. They are only seen occasionally in the park.

1/26 – Hikers reported seeing six snakes basking along the Lakeside Trail. They thought they were Queen Snakes and Northern Water Snakes.

1/27 – There was a chipmunk near Shelter C. A Great Blue Heron was in the creek near Shelter D. Crocuses are blooming on the Arboretum Trail. 

I am happy to be back working at the park and look forward to resuming these reports.  If you wish to have any sightings to be included in these reports please send them to me.

A photo collection of species in the park can be seen at http://www.flickr.com/photos/27634081@N06/collections/72157625977000522/ 

Larry McDaniel

Assistant Park Naturalist

Great Blue Heron

 

Steele Creek Park Recent Sightings: January 20, 2012

1/17 – Don saw a Sharp-shinned Hawk near the golf course.

1/19 – A walk this morning at Rooster Front turned up a few winter birds. A Brown Creeper, a Winter Wren and a Hermit Thrush were all found near the wetland. The Puttyroot (orchid), also known as Adam and Eve, is leafed out in one of its usual spots in Hemlock Hollow. The leaves will die back before the plant flowers in May and June.

Larry

 

Puttyroot

 

Steele Creek Park Recent Sightings: January 14, 2012

1/5 – Seven Gadwalls were on the lake.

1/10 – Jeremy reported seeing the Snow Goose, a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, a Brown Creeper and a Savannah Sparrow.

1/11 – A Box Elder Bug was in the Nature Center and a Spring Cankerworm (moth) was at the Civitan Shelter. Both were photographed.

1/12 – Two Gadwalls were on the lake.

1/14 – Some insects can be found throughout the winter. Some of these are indoors. Stink bugs and lady bugs are a couple that are seen frequently. Some moths, including the Indian Meal Moth are known for holding up inside homes and buildings like the Nature Center. I found a stink bug, a couple of lady bugs and an Indian Meal Moth in the Nature Center today. All were photographed (below).

The stink bug was identified at BugGuide as a Halyomorpha halys – Brown Marmorated Stink Bug. This may the species I have been seeing a lot of in the past year. I had been thinking it was something in the genus Euschistus, such as Dusky Stink Bug. H. halys is Native to Japan, Korea, and China, and is spreading in North America. It was first identified in 2001 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, but is believed to have been introduced into the U.S. as early as 1996.

In the United States, it has been reported as causing damage to apples, Asian pears, peaches, cherries, corn, tomatoes, peppers, soybean, and ornamental plants (particularly butterfly bush, and Princess tree).

Larry

Eastern Boxelder Bug

 

Stink Bug

 

Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle

 

Spring Cankerworm

 

Indian Meal Moth

 

 

Steele Creek Park Recent Sightings: January 5, 2012

1/1/12 – Rick Knight and Roy Knispel saw a cormorant on the lake during the Bristol Christmas Bird Count.

1/3 – Jeremy saw 12+ Ring-billed Gulls on the lake. Jeremy, Don and I saw an immature white morph Snow Goose. It flew from the lake and landed on the golf course. That is a first for the park species for me and only the second record for the park. Don was here to see the first in 2000.

1/4 – The Snow Goose was still here and a number of area birders came to see it.

Larry

Steele Creek Park Recent Sightings: December 28, 2011

12/20 – Two female Hooded Mergansers and an American Black Duck were on the lake.

12/23 – A Great Blue Heron flew over the lake. Some Cedar Waxwings were near the Civitan Shelter.

12/28 – There was a Hermit Thrush near the wetland below the dam.

Larry

 

Hermit Thrush

 

 

Steele Creek Park Recent Sightings: December 15, 2011

12/9 – Four Buffleheads were seen on the lake by Don.

12/10 – Six Ruddy Ducks were seen on the lake by Don.

12/14 – A Brown Creeper and a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker were near the Nature Center.

12/15 – A Pied-billed Grebe and 4 American Coots were on the lake. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet (photo), Golden-crowned Kinglets and Yellow-rumped Warblers were near the Nature Center.

Larry

Ruby crowned kinglet

 

Steele Creek Park Recent Sightings: December 9, 2011 – Larry’s Back!!!

11/30/11 – After being gone for six months I am happy to be back at work and look forward to continuing these reports. A female Green-winged Teal and six American Coots were on the lake. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, some Golden-crowned Kinglets and some Cedar Waxwings were near the Civitan Shelter.

12/4 – Eastern Box Elder Bugs have been common this fall. I’m seeing quite a few on the Nature Center.

12/5 – A Brown Creeper (bird) was near the Nature Center. A Linden Looper was on the Civitan Shelter. This is one of the species of moths that can be found on warmer nights throughout the winter. They are attracted to lights.

12/7 – A new addition to the park has been a group of white Muscovy Ducks. They are not wild or native to the area.

12/8 – A male Bufflehead (duck) was on the lake. I included a poor photo.

Larry McDaniel

Muscovy Ducks

 

Eastern Boxelder Bug

  

Bufflehead

 

 

 

Steele Creek Park Recent Sightings: April 29, 2011

Recent sightings at Steele Creek Park in Bristol, TN include:

4/26 – A Silvery Blue (butterfly) was near the dam. The photographed sighting established a Sullivan County record for the species. Don Holt found them in the park about 10 years ago but had no photos. At the wetland I saw two muskrats and heard a Scarlet Tanager.

4/28 – Jeremy saw a Magnolia Warbler by the Nature Center. I saw a Green Heron and Purple Martins at the lake. A Great Crested Flycatcher was near shelter A. A Palm Warbler, a Baltimore Oriole and a White-dotted Prominent (moth) were by the Nature Center.

4-29 – There was a blue/green parakeet (Budgie) near the Nature Center. It was an escaped pet. A Yellow-throated Vireo was near shelter A. A Great Crested Flycatcher was near shelter C. A Gray Catbird was near the Nature Center. 

Larry McDaniel

 

Silvery Blue

 

Gray Catbird

 

Baltimore Oriole

 

White-dotted Prominent Moth

Steele Creek Park Recent Sightings: April 26, 2011

Recent sightings at Steele Creek Park in Bristol, TN include:

4/17 – A male hummingbird was at the Nature Center. On Rock Cut Trail I heard a Worm-eating Warbler and a Hooded Warbler.

4/18 – A Sleepy Duskywing (butterfly) was on the Rock Cut Trail.

4/20 – Eight Blue-winged Teals were at the lake edge. I had my first Gray Catbird and Northern Parula of the year. A Transfigured Hydriomena Moth was on the Nature Center. 

4/22 – Near the wetland I found Yellow-throated Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Wood Thrush, BLUE-WINGED WARBLER, Northern Parula, Louisiana Waterthrush, Hooded Warbler and Indigo Bunting. A Bull Frog was calling at the wetland. Near the Nature Center there were Eastern Kingbird, House Wren and Cedar Waxwings. Michele Sparks and I saw an Osprey and several Bank Swallows flying over the lake. We got great looks at a Northern Parula at the Nature Center.

4/23 – Red Admiral, Monarch and Silver-spotted Skipper were first of the year species of butterflies for the park. A Lettered Sphinx Moth was at the Nature Center.

Larry McDaniel

 

Sleepy Duskywing

 

Blue-winged Teals

 

Transfigured Hydriomena Moth

 

 

Lettered Sphinx Moth

Steele Creek Park Recent Sightings: April 15, 2011

Recent sightings at Steele Creek Park in Bristol, TN include:

4/2 – Two female Ring-necked Ducks were on the lake. The first Broad-winged Hawk I’ve seen this year and a Sharp-shinned Hawk were flying over the knobs.

4/4 – A cormorant was still on the lake since late March. A Yellow-rumped Warbler was singing near the Nature Center. A Palm Warbler was near Shelter A. A Tiger Swallowtail was on the beach.

4/6 – The four female wigeons first seen here on March 31st were still on the lake. Two cormorants and seven coots were on the lake.

4/8 – Purple Martins and Barn Swallows are here. I’m seeing Falcate Orangetips (butterflies).

4/9 – Six Blue-winged Teals (4 males), two female American Wigeons and a cormorant were on the lake. A Yellow-throated Vireo was singing near the Nature Center.

4/11 – I spotted a Cave Salamander in a crevice outside of the cave. Green Frogs are calling. I saw my first of the year Spotted Sandpiper, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Louisiana Waterthrush. West Virginia Whites (butterflies) are active. At the Nature Center I saw some neat critters including a Furrow Orbweaver (spider), a mayfly and an Angle-lined Prominent (moth).

Larry McDaniel

 

Furrow Orbweaver

 

Mayfly

 

Angle-lined Prominent Moth