As always, Blue Mash (field sections) were full of wonderful field/edge 
birds yesterday-- indigo buntings, bluebirds, brown thrashers, 
goldfinches, common yellowthroats, chats, etc. But for those of you who 
regularly bird at Blue Mash, we thought you might be interested in an 
update on the butterflies and dragonflies there:

Blue Mash Nature Trail, Laytonsville, MD, July 1
nectar sources included: common milkweed (peak bloom), Canada thistle, 
fleabane, ox-eye daisy, dogbane, Virginia mountain mint, white clover, 
Queen Anne's lace
Butterflies:
black swallowtail
e. tiger swallowtail
spicebush swallowtail
cabbage white
clouded sulphur
orange sulphur
e. tailed blue
summer azure
variegated fritillary
great spangled fritillary (numerous)
pearl crescent
common buckeye
common wood nymph (numerous)
monarch
silver-spotted skipper (numerous)
wild indigo duskywing
sachem
crossline skipper
little glassywing
dun skipper

Odonates at Blue Mash ponds (as seen from outside the fence)
eastern forktail (perched on a dead gray treefrog)
black saddlebags
eastern amberwing
Halloween pennant
12-spotted skimmer
common whitetail
widow skimmer
slaty skimmer
blue dasher
eastern pondhawk

Denise & Rob Gibbs