News from the Friends of Reinstein

Nature Sightings

Dragonflies and butterflies are very active during this summer heat wave. Flattail dam provides a great opportunity to see many dragonflies, including blue dasher, eastern pondhawk, widow skimmers, 12-spotted skimmers, black saddlebags, common whitetail, eastern amberwing, and more. In sunny areas of the trails you may see monarch butterflies, eastern comma, red admiral, and tiger swallowtail butterflies in flight. Monarch caterpillars and milkweed beetles are nibbling on common milkweed leaves. A doe with twin fawns has been seen regularly on the trails. Bucks are growing velvet antlers, some being reported with six points already. Our wildflower gardens are showing off lovely colors with this sunny weather. Bee balm is bright red, attracting ruby-throated hummingbirds and photographers. Wild bergamots pale purple flowers attract a variety of small insect pollinators. Black raspberries are also close to being ripe. Keep a lookout for hummingbird moths visiting flowers and American toadlets and leopard froglets leaving the ponds. Listen for the buzz of cicadas in the trees.