June 6th.  A female Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) perched in Alders atop the old beaver lodge.

 

 

 

Ah, her nest is below and to the right.

 

Here she's on the nest.  See the tail feathers?

 

Deptford Pinks (Dianthus armeria) began blooming today.

 

A Flower Fly (Family Syrphidae).  Many are bee or wasp mimics.

 

In the afternoon, I visited the Lebanon section and walked in to the heron roost. Young Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodius) are hardly distinguishable from the adults now.

 

Three birds in this nest.

 

Four in this one.

 

June 8th.  Foggy morn.

 

 

 

Late afternoon from roughly the same spot; pretty clouds and a hint of thunder.

 

June 11th.  Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) has started to bloom.

 

It blooms from the bottom up.

 

Clammy Azalea or Swamp Honeysuckle (Rhododendron viscosum).

 

The Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) nest is backlit in the morning; almost impossible to see anything.  With some software tweaking of this image, I can make out three or four chicks.

 

Light was right in the afternoon and the adult birds oftwn returned with food.  The chicks were chattering almost constantly.  In this video, Mom returns first, and sings; her mate arrives with a big green caterpillar seconds after she departs.  View full screen!

 

It looks to me as if the adults have recently attempted to stitch leaves to the upper nest, more effectively hiding the opening and chicks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mom brought a large green Katydid...

 

...then dove into the nest among the chicks to perform some house cleaning.  Poop removal must be a high priority in a nest like theirs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What a stare!

 

 

 

 

 

As I watched the Orioles, a pair of Cedar Waxwings swooped down to the Morrow's Honeysuckle berries, tested them and moved on.  Not ripe yet.  (Lousy picture, I know, but I was lucky to get even that.)

 

A lone Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) in bloom.  Most have been crowded out by maturing shrubs along the trail margins.

 

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) buds should open soon.

 

June 12th.  Fragrant Water-lilies (Nymphaea odorata) have just started blooming.  The spider at left is a bonus...

 

...as is the Veliid water strider on the right side of this flower.

 

A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius).