A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Farm Bill Biologist. Worked in natural resources at local, state, and tribal levels. B.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Management from LSSU.
Buchanan, MI
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Thank you both. Looking at both suggestions it's not the Reddish Potato Beetle. Clay-colored Leaf Beetle looks like a good bet.
Thank you. I don't have a photo of the underwing, so might be difficult to differentiate (based on your links). In the links, essex skipper is the only one to mention it in North America, so that seems more likely.
Yes, the bird in question was centered in the foreground. I guess I should have clarified that. Those markings you described are my reasoning for thinking it's a Thayer's. My understanding with the back is that color can vary, also the overcast does make it darker. From the research I have done, the wing tips are the most important marker on a Thayer's gull, and I feel like they are too dark, though they do look different than the herring wing tips. Unfortunately I did not notice this bird in the field, just seen in my pictures once home, so I don't have another look at it.
Thank you AshleyT. That what I was thinking. I thought it was a little large compared the pictures I've seen, but I have never seen one since they are relatively uncommon in my area.
That's exactly what I thought it was, thanks for the verification.
Thank you. Now that I think about it, I'm guessing both pictures are probably the same bird. Pictures were taken in roughly the same location, a few hours apart. One seemed smaller, and a different angle made me think it was a different species.
SugaoKC, I thought I knew insects as well, until I found this little guy and was thrown for a loop. Welcome to PN, hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Thank you ForestDragon. I didn't know what it was at first, and thought it was a mantid. When I figured it out, I didn't think to remove it.
