June 22nd.  Summer is here.  Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) has caught a very large catfish!

 

 

 

 

 

Down the hatch!

 

 

 

 

 

Common Grackle (Quiscalus quiscula).

 

Geese and goslings crossing the trail to the channel side.

 

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca).

 

 

 

June 24th.  East of Route 207.  Hedge Bindweed (Convolvulus sepium).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pickerel Frog (Rana palustris).

 

Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta).

 

Pupa under a loose web of silk (hardly a cocoon) on a Tulip Tree seedling.  Will rear to see what it is.

 

June 25th.  Pollenia labialis is a Calliphorid fly that forms mating "leks" in the same sunny spots along the trail each summer.  Today I saw the first gathering of this year.  For the full story of these interesting and harmless flies see: http://www.performance-vision.com/airline2012/airline-summer-12c.htm#flies

 

 

 

An immature male Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) flitting between lily pads, gleaning insects.

 

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) on a favorite grooming perch.

 

Flower Fly (Family Syrphidae) on Timothy Grass (Phleum pretense).

 

 

 

June 26th.  White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus).  I wonder if this is the deer that looked so pregnant several weeks ago.

 

Canada Lilies (Lilium canadense) have made a comeback after being devastated by the imported Lily Leaf Beetle a couple of years ago.

 

 

 

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura) still on its rudimentary nest.

 

June 27th.  A sole flower of Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) after the only other plant was mown recently.

 

Fruits of Morrow's Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) are ripening.

 

A Large Lace-border (Scopula limboundata).

 

A Three-spotted Fillip moth (Heterophelps triguttaria).

 

Bumble Bee on Common Mullein.

 

Red Baneberry (Actaea rubra).

 

Sedges in Raymond Brook Marsh.

 

Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata).

 

 

 

 

 

Swamp Candles or Yellow Loosestrife (Lysimachia terrestris), far across the marsh.

 

June 28th.  Wet morning after a rainy night.  Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria).

 

Carrion-flower (Smilax herbacea) fruits are developing.  When ripe they will be almost black.

 

Oddly colored leaves of Tall Meadow-rue (Thalictrum polygamum).

 

Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura).

 

June 29th.  Queen Anne's Lace or Wild Carrot (Daucus carota).

 

 

 

 

 

Showy Tick Trefoil (Desmodium canadense).

 

 

 

Limber Honeysuckle (Lonicera dioica) fruits have matured.

 

A tiny beetle on milkweed, looking from a distance much like a piece of caterpillar frass (= poop).

 

It's a Scriptured Leaf Beetle (Family Chrysomelidae, Pachybrachis sp.).