September 15th.  An afternoon walk east from Cook Hill Road in Lebanon to the power lines.  Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa).

 

 

 

Most of the Bull Thistles (Circium vulgare) were gone to seed, a few still blooming.

 

 

 

 

 

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota).

 

 

 

 

 

Ant on Queen Anne's Lace.

 

Wasp, ditto.

 

Nice to see a Monarch (Danaus plexippus).

 

 

 

 

 

...and its near mimic, a Viceroy (Limenitis archippus).

 

A Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia).  In fact, not common at all in Connecticut but listed as a "vagrant", meaning they migrate north into the region in warmer months - more often along the coast - but do not survive our winters.  This one has survived bird pecks to its hind wings.

 

 

 

Most likely a female Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice), or perhaps a hybrid with an Orange Sulphur.

 

Pearl Crescents (Phyciodes tharos).

 

 

 

Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) were active on goldenrod and other flowers.

 

This bee is on invasive Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia japonica).

 

A Yellowjacket wasp (Vespula sp.).

 

Another Vespid wasp, this one a male (note the curled antenna tips).

 

I'm guessing that this is Midwestern Tickseed-sunflower (Bidens aristosa).

 

Several species of medium to small Asters blooming.

 

One of the Smartweeds (Polygonum sp.).

 

Another Aster.

 

Turtlehead (Chelone glabra).

 

Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) berries.

 

Ferns still looking good.

 

 

 

Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) is among the first leaves to turn color as fall approaches.

 

 

 

September 17th.  Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) at Raymond Brook Marsh.

 

 

 

Female Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos).

 

September 19th.  Asters.

 

Dew on backlit spiderwebs with Tick Trefoil seeds.

 

 

 

 

 

Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa).

 

 

 

Asters.

 

September 21st, early afternoon at Cranberry Bog inj East Hampton.  Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale).

 

 

 

 

 

Turtlehead (Chelone glabra).  And that will do it for Summer, 2016.