Sept. 16, 2012 - Dunning Lake Photos

Goldfinches are molting into their drab non-breeding plumage. This one showed up in our yard with a light-colored spot on its head. A lack of pigmentation in some or all of the feathers of a bird is called leucism. The spot on the head does help to identify this individual bird, however.

GoldfinchAmericanleucisticDunningLake20120902

Here’s an interesting looking moth that was attracted to our porch light. It’s called a Pondside Pyralid Moth. I always wondered why moths, which fly around at night, needed to be so colorful. Then I realized that their intricate patterns help them to blend into their surroundings and hide from predators when they are resting during the day.

MothPondsidePyralidElophilaicciusalisDunningLake20120823

Ovenbirds are common in our woods. We hear them calling all the time in the spring and summer. But they don’t like to come out in the open so it can be difficult to see them. I was pleased to find this one because it seemed quite willing to pose for me as it searched on the ground for some insects.

OvenbirdDunningLake20120831

All the water lilies on our lake have now faded away but here’s one I photographed a few weeks ago. There is a damselfly resting on it. That might be a Skimming Bluet but you would need a better view of it to be sure.

WhiteWaterlilyDamselflymaybeSkimmingBluetDunningLake20120712

We have this little stone owl sitting on our deck and an Autumn Meadowhawk dragonfly decided it was a good place to take a rest and sit in the sun.

MeadowhawkAutumnstoneowlDunningLake20120909