June 19th. Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) have a nest on a large tree.

 

 

 

Deptford Pinks (Dianthus armeria) are just beginning to bloom.

 

 

 

 

 

Halictid Cuckoo Bee (Family Halictidae).

 

Hover or Flower Fly (Family Syrphidae. Toxomerus sp.).

 

 

 

Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium).

 

New life is springing up around last fall's beaver-downed maple.

 

Whorled Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadrifolia) has also just begun blooming.

 

 

 

June 20th.

 

A Beardtongue (Penstemon sp.).

 

 

 

 

 

Morrow's Honeysuckle (Lonicera morowsii) twin berries are coloring up but won't be attractive to birds for many months.

 

Gypsy Moth (Lymantria dispar) caterpillars are succumbing to disease (probably Bacillus thuringiensis) in large numbers.Three dead and dessicating caterpillars at the upper left compared to one living specimen at the lower right.

 

Virtually all caterpillars I observed in an area defoliated last year are dead this year; a break for the trees though much of the caterpillars' feeding has already taken place.

 

A Forest Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria) has more blue color than the more common Eastern Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma americanum).

 

Also, where the Eastern Tent has a solid white strip down its back, the Forest Tent has a series of segmental markings somewhat resembling the prints of high heeled shoes (or so I was taught many years ago).

 

A female Common Whitetail dragonfly (Plathemis lydia).