Back in Washington

This afternoon I arrived back in Washington, D.C., after a lovely trip to New Jersey and New York to visit family and have a bit of fun. While I was away, both weekends were relatively cool and dry. Even the hotter days during the last week were not as bad as the weather in Washington had been during the last few weeks. So that was a relief. I had ample opportunity for birding in a few of the better spots in central New Jersey, particularly Sandy Hook and the Great Swamp. The first trip brought me a life bird, the piping plover. (The latter link is to an USFWS page with interesting information and links, plus a slide show.) The walks also brought me some lifers for my growing interest in the lepidoptera and odonata orders. I recorded eight new butterflies and eleven new odonates, including my first damselflies. I can see why someone can become so intrigued by damselflies; all of them are dainty and the ebony jewelwing is particularly beautiful. There will be more posts about the trip later in the week.