June 14th.  Carolina Roses (Rosa carolina) putting on a nice display this year.

 

 

 

Whorled Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadrifolia).

 

 

 

 

 

Goslings invisible in the tall sedges, but their location is obvious.

 

Later, the family came out for a tour of the marsh.  One gosling found a bit of shade.

 

 

 

They're growing fast.  (See previous page for comparison.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

June 17th.  Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius).

 

 

 

A male Black-winged Damselfly (Calopteryx maculatum).

 

An afternoon walk east of Cook Hill Road in Lebanon. The marsh is still nearly dry but a few Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) were still around.

 

 

 

Lots of wildflowers and butterflies, starting with Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta).

 

 

 

Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) has started blooming...

 

...attracting Great Spangled Fritillaries (Speyeria cybele).

 

This fritillary is probably a male...

 

...picking up nutrients from animal dung.  These will be passed to the female with his sperm as part of a "nuptial gift" important for her fertility.

 

A Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) nectaring on Red Clover (Trifolium pratense).

 

 

 

Clover is really pretty close up.

 

What we see as a clover flower is really a cluster of much smaller flowers.

 

This is more obvious in Yellow Sweet Clover (Melilotus officinalis)...

 

...and the related Crown Vetch (Coronilla varia).

 

 

 

I saw several Monarch-mimic Viceroy butterflies (Limenitis archippus).

 

 

 

 

 

Territorial, so pretty easy to photograph: if you spook them, they soon return.

 

Juvenal's Duskywing skipper (Erynnis juvenalis) is also territorial.  This one was defending its territory by chasing Viceroys that came close.

 

Little Wood-Satyr (Megisto cymela).

 

Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta).

 

Cabbage White or European Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris rapae).

 

Water-hemlock (Cicuta maculata).

 

 

 

A wasp (Family Ichneumonidae?) on the Water Hemlock...

 

...and a Longhorn Beetle (Family Cerambycidae).

 

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis).

 

 

 

Fleabane (Erigeron sp.).

 

 

 

English Plantain (Plantago lanceolata).

 

Poor-man's Pepper or Peppergrass (Lepidium virginicum).

 

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata).

 

 

 

Yellow-based Tussock Moth (Dasychira basiflava).

 

Eastern Red Cedar (Juniperus virginiana).

 

June 20th.  Frostweed (Helianthemum canadense).

 

Common St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum).

 

 

 

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) on its nest.