September 2nd.  East of Cook Hill Road in Lebanon.  Viceroy (Limenitis archippus).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos) with acorn for scale.

 

 

 

 

 

Differential Grasshoppers (Melanoplus differentialis) were abundant.

 

 

 

Cooling its heels?

 

Butterfly-weed (Asclepias tuberosa).  The only plant I've seen of it on the Lebanon section.

 

 

 

 

 

Several small early Asters, some sporting tiny Shining Flower Beetles (Family Phalacridae).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum), notable for the way the paired leaves meet around the stem.  In the "Doctrine of Signatures", that was thought to be a divine clue to the plant's usefulness in mending broken bones.

 

Poke (Phytolacca americana) berries.

 

 

 

A Smartweed (Polygonum sp.).

 

 

 

Climbing False Buckwheat (Polygonum scandens).

 

September 3rd.  Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) perched in one of the dead trees typically filled with Tree Swallows at this time of day.  Swallows conspicuously absent.  (Thanks to Russ Smiley for the hawk ID.)

 

Young male (red eye) and female (white tear drop eye line) Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa).

 

September 3rd.  Late afternoon.  American Goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) feeding on wild lettuce seeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Downy Woodpeckers (Picoides pubescens) also foraging on lettuce.  This is the male.

 

See his tongue?

 

Close-up.

 

Female Downy.  (No red on the head.)

 

 

 

Winterberry (Ilex verticillata).

 

Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is among the first to develop fall colors.

 

 

 

A Bolete.

 

September 4th.  Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius).

 

 

 

Cooper.

 

September 5th.  Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius).

 

A pair of puffed Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura).

 

White Ash (Fraxinus americana) seed has somehow punctured a leaf in the understory.

 

September 9th.  Ground fog over the marsh.

 

 

 

 

 

Birch Polypores (Piptoporus betulinus).

 

September 11th.  Bald-faced Hornet (Dolichovespula maculata) nest at the base of a Red Maple tree immediately adjacent to the trail.  A couple of wasps visible guarding the entrance.

 

The low location is unusual and a risk for curious dogs and nearby humans.

 

I've asked Hebron Park & Rec to deal with it, though I don't envy anyone the task.

 

September 14th.  51 degrees.  Ground fog over the marshes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Closed Gentian (Gentiana andrewsii).