Have seen quite a few butterflies and moths in Fred Field (Green Way entrance) this week, including an Indigo Duskywing, black swallowtail, Red Admiral, sulphurs, Cabbage Whites and Hummingbird Clear-winged Moths.

The moths were by far the most cooperative, but it is their week.

This year, instead of our annual Moth Ball, we are having a special event on Monday night, Aug. 10, at 8 p.m., featuring:

    * special moth-attracting lights
    * a special moth-attracting rotten-fruit-and-stale beer concoction (taste tests available on request)
    * a little talk about why most moths are awesome
    * our traditional unconventional educational video
    * free S'mores. That's right. Free S'mores. Seriously.

Here's the listing:

S'mores and Some Moths at the Fell House
Monday, Aug. 10, 8-9:30 p.m.
Learn more about "night-time butterflies," see some amazing moths, and enjoy S'mores at the Fell House's fourth annual Moth Night. The free event, sponsored by the Fyke Nature Association and the Concerned Citizens of Allendale, is open to the public. The Fell House is located at 475 Franklin Turnpike in Allendale, N.J. Rain date is Tuesday, Aug. 11. To rsvp. e-mail Jim Wright at [email protected].

Several folks on this morning's Third-Tuesday walk got fleeting glimpses of what was assumed to be a clear-winged moth of the Snowberry or Hummingbird variety that something didn't seem right. The moth had two yellow bands on its abdomen.

Chris Takacs took the above photo, which confirmed some suspicions. I am thinking it's a Nessus Sphinx Moth who missed DeKorte Park's 4th annual Moth Night by half a day.

BTW, Moth Night was brought to you by National Moth Week, who proclaimed this year as the Year of the Hawkmoth (a.k.a. Sphinx Moth)-- which includes our buddy above.

Nessus moths have been seen only occasionally at DeKorte.

More about Nessus Sphinx Moths here.

Last night's fourth annual Moth Night in the Meadowlands was a big hit, with a record turnout to see night bugs with the Manhattan skyline in the distance.

The folks from National Moth Week provided the lights, sheets and expertise.

They also "painted"  several trees in DeKorte Park with a stale beer and fruit concoction that moths seemed to love.

The trees seemed to be the biggest moth attractant of the evening.

A few moth pix from last night follow. Check out the camouflage.

Marsh Warden Mike Limatola writes:

"I was doing some work around the barn at the Fell House last Tuesday when I heard this awful screaming sound near the rhododendron bushes by the front of the driveway. 

"I looked over and saw an adult rabbit charging at a Red-shouldered hawk that was on the ground right near the bushes.  The hawk jumped up as the rabbit approached and a baby rabbit, that the hawk had either caught or was right near, ran into the bushes. 

"The hawk landed a few feet away and the adult rabbit went after it again.  The hawk flew up and went into the bushes and the adult rabbit went right after it again.  "The hawk flew up into one of the hemlocks by the spring house and was jumping from branch to branch.  I went and got my camera and started taking pictures of it. 

"It called repeatedly and then flew into the back yard.  When I got home and loaded the photos, I saw a silver band on its right leg." 

The silver band means that it was Laura, our resident female Red-shoulder.

(Thanks, Mike!)