A Busy Morning at Tinicum

I spent this very warm morning at John Heinz NWR at Tinicum where there was a great deal of activity to be seen. Breeding birds were very evident with American Robins seen carrying mud to their nests as well as flying away from their nests with fecal sacs. Baltimore Oriole, Gray Catbirds and Eastern Kingbirds were busy bringing in food for their young chicks. Red-winged Blackbirds were tending to their young while young Northern Rough-winged Swallows, Tree Swallows and Yellow Wablers had all fledged.  One of the many highlights included a female Wood Duck leading her brood of 18 (yes eighteen!) chicks (above) across the impoundment, to safety in a stand of spaderdock.

There was a female Orchard Oriole (above right – note the dark gray bill) repeatedly bringing food to her hanging nest, where at least one nestling was on the edge of the nest (above left – note the pale gape on the bill) flapping its wings. An couple of hours later it was seen 100 feet from the nest being attended to by its mother – it had just fledged!

Birds were not the only fauna sighted. There was a Groundhog and one of her offspring running across the dike road. A group of 5 Painted Turtles (above) crowded onto a small log near the boardwalk to sun themselves.

The majority of the butterflies were Red Admirals (above), though there were good numbers of Cabbage Whites and Orange Sulphurs about as well.

Dragonflies were represented by Green Darners, Red Saddlebags and a male Common Whitetail (above).