May 29th. A Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) taking Serviceberry (Amelanchier sp.).

 

Rudolph?

 

Down the hatch.

 

 

 

 

 

A young Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) hopping about the nest hummock.

 

 

 

"Mom" was nearby but not responding to the chick's begging.

 

A Spotted Turtle (Clemys guttata), the first I've photographed on the trail.

 

 

 

An Assasin Bug (Family Reduviidae).

 

 

 

An Orb-weaving Spider (Araniella sp.).

 

May 30th.  Can't get enough of those Route 85 trailhead ornamental Iris.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

White-tailed Deer buck in velvet (Odocoileus virginianus) on the Colchester Spur.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Froth produced by Spittlebugs (Family Cercopidae) serves to protect them from predators.

 

 

 

Peeling away the froth revealed a newly emerged adult Spittlebug (also called a Froghopper).  To the lower left, you can just detect the cast nymphal skin amid the froth.

 

Ox-eye Daisies (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum) are blooming.

 

 

 

A female Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) dragonfly.

 

An older female Eastern Forktail (Ischnura verticalis) damselfly.

 

June 1st. Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris).

 

June 2nd. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius).  A favorite perch on a foggy morning.

 

 

 

Nearly ripe Serviceberries (Amelanchier sp.)...

 

...turn purple when fully ripe - if birds let them get that far.

 

Yarrow (Achillea millifolium).

 

Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta).

 

Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus).

 

This female Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) has a beakfull of insects.  The largest is a dragonfly nymph.  Some of the smaller ones appear to be ants.

 

She was flying back and forth across the trail, perch to perch, trying to entice her young to fly up to meet her.

 

No luck.  The young ones stayed down low in the scrub near the nest site.

 

The start of an attack on a female Polistes wasp.  She missed.

 

Still persistently calling her chicks.

 

Another type of Oak Gall, the Wool-sower Gall.  This gall on White Oak (Quercus alba) is made by a Cynipid Wasp, Callirhytis seminator.

 

June 3rd. Another Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris).  This one illustrates "nipped in the bud."  Some insect took a nibble out of the bud before it opened, damaging three of the five petals.

 

 

 

What's that crawling on the flower?

 

 

 

It's a Katydid nymph (Family Tettigoniidae).