March 29 – My Nature Journal
March 29, 2026 Nature Journal
Juvenal’s Duskywing Butterfly
Erynnis juvenalis
Juvenal’s Duskywing butterflies are brown butterflies that closely resemble their related duskywing cousins, Horace’s Duskywing (Erynnis horatius) and Zarucco Duskywing (Erynnis zarucco). The three species can be really hard to tell apart, especially since individual butterflies can vary in appearance.
I think this is a Juvenal’s Duskywing for two reasons.
First, because the lake I was walking around when I saw this butterfly is in the middle of large oak, hickory, and pine forest and this species tends to like oak forests. And second, because of its size. Juvenal’s Duskywing butterflies are larger than either Horace’s or Zarucco duskywings.
It’s really hard to convey scale in photographs like this, but I mentally compared the size of this butterfly to the size of other butterflies I’ve seen and this one was bigger. I could be wrong but I’ve identified this as a Juvenal’s until proven otherwise.
Yellow and Black Flat Millipede
Apheloria virginiensis
I see these Yellow and Black Flat Millipedes pretty often. They come out in large numbers after a rain, or in cool, humid conditions. And they really draw the eye, thanks to their bold coloration, large size, and startling number of legs.
These creatures look like some kind of alien creature but really, millipedes have been crawling around Earth for millions of years. They are detritivores and eat organic material in the leaf litter.
Yellow and Black Flat Millipedes are totally harmless if left entirely alone. But dog owners should keep their dogs well away from these invertebrates. Yellow and Black Flat Millipedes manufacture cyanide as self-defense against being eaten. Their bold, contrasting colors represent the visual warning to the other creatures of the world that these millipedes should not be trifled with.
Green-winged Teal
Anas carolinensis
Green-winged Teals are one of those wild animals that I can’t stop photographing every chance I get. I love the beauty of the males’ plumage and the subtlety of the females’ feathers.
This time, I caught the male in the process of stretching his wing, which shows the soft-looking, bright-white patch of feathers that can normally only be seen when the birds are in flight.
This kind of extra value keeps me coming back for more.
Mallard
Anas platyrhynchos
I really couldn’t resist capturing this moment when both a drake and hen Mallard tipped up while foraging for food. I watched for several minutes as they repeatedly tipped tail-up, feet waggling in the air, then flipped upright.
I like watching ducks in general—any species and any time. But I especially enjoy watching them when they’re active.
American Wigeon
Mareca americana
Today’s Nature Journal Snapshot
|
Time of Day |
Late morning to early afternoon |
|
Setting |
Large lake |
|
Temperature |
57° F / 14° C |
|
Weather |
Mostly sunny with broken clouds |
|
Humidity |
22% |
March 29, 2025 Nature Journal
Pond Turtle
Family Emydidae
Today’s Nature Journal Snapshot
|
Time of Day |
Around noontime |
|
Setting |
Grassland meadow and small pond |
|
Temperature |
76° F / 24° C |
|
Weather |
Sunny |
|
Humidity |
50% |
