July 30th.  An afternoon visit to the heron roost marsh east of Cook Hill Road in Lebanon. Herons have fledged, probably long ago, but there was still a lot to see along the trail margins.

 

A female Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) on Joe-Pye-weed.

 

A single plant of the pretty but invasive Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria).

 

Joe-Pye-weed (Eupatorium sp.) in bud...

 

...but being visited by a striking blue-eyed bee.

 

Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense).

 

 

 

Lots of Monkey Flower (Mimulus sp.) along the marsh edges.

 

 

 

A Lobelia (Lobelia sp.).

 

A female Wedge-shaped Beetle (Family Rhipiphoridae, probably Macrosaigon limbata) on Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum).  Macrosaigon larvae are parasitic on wasp larvae.

 

Butterfly-weed (Asclepias tuberosa), more often seen as a garden ornamental.

 

 

 

Woodland Sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus).

 

A pair of Ambush Bugs (Reduviidae, Phymatinae, probably Phymata sp.).  Note the heavily armored and spined grasping front legs.

 

An Appalachian Brown (Satyrodes appalachia).  I also saw a Red Admiral, a Monarch (first of the year), and a Banded Purple.

 

A Japanese Beetle (Popillia japonica) on Smartweed (Polygonum sp.).

 

A Robber-fly (Family Asilidae).

 

Ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia) is just about to start shedding its poillen on the wind.

 

July 31st.  Mid-afternoon at Cranberry Bog in East Hampton.  Two families of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) paddling around.

 

A male American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis).

 

Lots of dragonflies around...

 

...including this male Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis)...

 

...and this female Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina).

 

 

 

 

 

Another female Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) on Joe-Pye-weed.

 

Lots of other insects on Joe-Pye-weed, including this skipper, perhaps Peck's Skipper (Polites peckius).

 

 

 

 

 

A nice patch of Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) also attracting insects.

 

Another skippper (Family Hesperididae).  I won't guess which one.

 

A Great Golden Digger Wasp (Sphex ichneumoneus).

 

 

 

A Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) on Queen-Anne's Lace.

 

 

 

Knapweed (Centaurea sp.).

 

Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus).

 

Narrow-leaved Vervain (Verbena simplex).

 

Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis).

 

This is also an Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis).  They're highly variable; and they're rapidly displacing our native species.

 

Looks like Raspberries to me.

 

August 1st.  A geometrid moth (Family Geometridae).

 

August 2nd.  A beautiful summer afternoon on the trail.

 

Activity on the Colchester Spur near the old United Distillers building (now Colchester Contruction).

 

A crane was placing half of a brick-faced prefab building.

 

All set.  I'd guess this structure has something to do with plans to tap nearby wells to supply the Amston community.

 

Butter-and-Eggs (Linaria vulgaris).

 

An adult Flatid Planthopper (Family Flatidae).

 

I'm pretty sure this is a Cherry Gall Azure (Celastrina serotina).  It's taking nutrients from dry horse manuer, suggesting that it is a male.  Males pass these nutrients to females in their spermatophore, a nuptial gift.

 

A Questionmark (Polygonia interrogationis).

 

Several kinds of bee taking poillen from Goldenrod.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A large Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa sp.), distinguished by the shiny dorsal abdominal surface among other things.  This one was ignoring the faded Evening Primrose blossoms and apparently feeding (somehow) on the flower petioles.