Beaten-up Black Swallowtail at Duffins Creek Marsh: August 2020

At first, Black Swallowtails are gorgeous.

Eastern Black Swallowtail in New England Aster
Eastern Black Swallowtail

Time, however, takes its toll and you can see the change in this individual:

Eastern Black Swallowtail
 Eastern Black Swallowtail

Other flyers:

Monarch
 female Blue Dasher dragonfly:
 female Blue Dasher dragonfly:
 female Blue Dasher dragonfly:
Yellow-collared Scape moth:
Eastern Forktail Damselfy

Thanks to Ken Sproule for assistance in insect identification.

I used to visit Duffins Creek Marsh frequently with my grandfather. It was quite a remote location in those days but now it is surrounded by subdivisions and concrete walking and cycling trails.

There are still birds however and their distance from me made me wish I had a long, long lens. You get the idea anyway from these photos:

Belted Kingfisher (female)
Mute Swan family
Common Tern with unidentified meal
Caspian Tern
Osprey
Osprey
Osprey

Views of the area:

Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario

Some botany:

Corn Gromwell (Stoneseed) Buglossoides arvensis
Corn Gromwell (Stoneseed) Buglossoides arvensis
Corn Gromwell (Stoneseed) Buglossoides arvensis
Field Sow-thistle (Sonchus arvensis)
Gray Dogwood (Cornus foemina)
Highbush-cranberry (Viburnum opulus)
Highbush-cranberry (Viburnum opulus)
Choke Cherry (Prunus virginiana)
Wayfaring Tree (Viburnum lantana)
Wayfaring Tree (Viburnum lantana)
Wayfaring Tree (Viburnum lantana)
Elecampane (Inula helenium)
Bird Vetch (Vicia cracca)
Bird Vetch (Vicia cracca)
Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)
Canada Thistle (Cirsium pratense)
Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron annuus)
Rose Hips
Black Locust (Robinia pseudoacacia)
Dark Green Bulrush (Scirpus atrovirens)
Yellow Bedstraw (Galium verum)
Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria)
Soapwort (Saponaria officinalis)
Star-flowered False Solomon-seal (Maianthemum stellatum)
Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea stoebe)
Ohio Buckeye (Aesculus glabra)
Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica)
White Mulberry (Morus alba)
Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium)
Ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea))

NATURE POETRY

Through all the long midsummer day,
The meadow-sides are sweet with hay.     – John Townsend Trowbridge (1827–1916) 

Miles Hearn

4 thoughts on “Beaten-up Black Swallowtail at Duffins Creek Marsh: August 2020

  1. ANNE E MARRIOTT

    We so enjoy your posts and I try to take some of my newfound knowledge with me on walks. Often while reading your posts and looking at the pictures, I see something and say to myself, “So that’s what that is!”

    Thanks so much for sharing with us.

    Reply
  2. Lynn Blaxley

    I totally agree with the comments above. Especially interested by the contrasting pictures of the black swallowtails.

    Reply
  3. Lisa Volkov

    Life is harsh These pictures, however, are beautiful! What a marvelous place. The insects are fascinating. The birds are special. The plant life is gorgeous. Thank you so much for this, Miles (and Ken)!

    Reply

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