Day 15: It's a superman, it's a plane, no it's an indigo bunting!

My repertoire of bird calls has a lot of room for improvement, but I was happy to recognize an indigo bunting singing first thing in the morning. They continued to sing into the day: some marking territories and others practicing. Juvenile birds have squeaky, unsure songs that don't succeed in attracting mates initially.

We caught a female at the end of the day. They aren't brightly colored like the males, but with age they gain more blue as their levels of estrogen and testosterone balance out. 

Beside the bunting and a handful of wood thrush, today's nets were slow. The sky wasn't empty though, a crop duster works in nearby fields most weeks. 

A pretty puff ball mushroom sprouted near our setup site. 

Insects were out and about as always.

Wolf spider

Sawfly larvae overrunning a dogwood tree

A wasp nest right off of the trail, the size of a human head. 

A dragonfly with the wingspan of a small tree.