June 17th. An early afternoon walk between showers.Deptford Pinks (Dianthus armeria) have begun to bloom...

 

 

 

...as has Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium).

 

A Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) chick balances above the nest in heavy breezes.

 

Dad was in a nearby tree.

 

Now two chicks balanced above the nest.  (Note the two beaks.)

 

Mom (above) with a large spider in her beak and Dad perched a few feet above the chicks, perhaps tempting them to fly?

 

Dad flew down to deliver a morsel...

 

...followed by Mom with her spider.

 

June 18th.  The two Oriole chicks were still around, though further away from the nest.

 

Dad delivering food.

 

 

 

The more adventurous of the two chicks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One chick fledged, flying to a tree about 100 feet away.

 

The other chick hung around the nest for another hour...

 

...then flew to a branch several feet away.

 

 

 

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus).

 

 

 

Water Hemlock (Cicuta maculata).

 

Back to the trail for an evening walk through the marsh.  Yellow Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis).

 

Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta).

 

Eastern Ribbonsnakes (Thamnophis sauritis).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Up periscope!  Northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon).

 

 

 

June 20th - the last day of spring.  Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) are checking out the nest holes again.  Will they raise another brood?

 

In the far distance, a White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) doe feeds on the lush vegetation of the marsh.

 

A green Frog (Rana clamitans) checks out an earthworm...

 

...then strikes!

 

Back to the marsh in mid-afternoon.  Rough-fruited Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta).

 

A Flower Fly (Family Syrphidae), one of many insects feeding on Yarrow flowers.

 

A Long-horned Beetle (Family Cerambycidae).

 

Covered with pollen...

 

...as was this unidentified beetle.

 

A Stilt Bug (Family Berytidae).

 

A Buckeye (Junonia coenia).  A first sighting on the trail.  They cannot survive our winters but migrate in from the south.  More common along the coast.

 

A Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus) on the first open blossoms of Milkweed.

 

This looks like a Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta),

 

An immature male Common Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis).  (Immature males have a green thorax.  As they mature the thorax color changes to match the powder blue abdomen.)

 

Ants tending their Aphid "herd" on Milkweed.

 

In return for protection from predators, the Aphids exude a sweet liquid "honeydew" from abdominal structures.  The ants imbibe this, as is happening in this photo.

 

Blue Toadflax (Linaria canadensis).

 

English Plantain (Plantago lanceolata).

 

Whorled Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadrifolia).

 

Backlit leaves of Sumac (Rhus sp.).

 

Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaenifolium) contrasted with Royal Fern (Osmunda regalis).