April 24th. An early afternoon walk east, then west of Grayville Road in Hebron.  Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris) in full bloom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale).

 

 

 

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) continues to make a nice show, though I doubt it will last more than a couple of days.  Already petals are falling from some flowers and rain is expected for the next two days.

 

 

 

 

 

Four species of Violets (Viola sp.) blooming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rue-Anenome (Thalictrum thalictroides).

 

 

 

 

 

Wood Anemone (Anenome quinquefolia).

 

Buds start out pink and mature to white.

 

 

 

Trout-lilies (Erythronium americanum) hanging in there...

 

...but some have been pollinated and seed pods are beginning to swell.

 

Tiny moth resting on Multiflora Rose.  I'll need help ID'ing it.

 

Blackflies (Simulium sp.) are out and biting.

 

A quick stop east of Route 207 for Red Trillium (Trillium erectum) photos.  I found only two flowers so far, in an area that used to produce many.

 

 

 

Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata), a pervasive invasive.

 

April 26th.  A misty-rain afternoon walk west from Bull Hill Road over the Lyman Viaduct and through several rock cuts.

 

Lots of plants tucked into pockets of the rocks.

 

I'm pretty sure this is Early Saxifrage (Micranthes virginiensis), a plant I've never noticed before.

 

 

 

Lots of fern fiddleheads...

 

...opening into fronds.

 

An Earthstar fungus.  (I won't guess species.)

 

Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) under a log.  (I gently replaced the log after taking this picture.)

 

I found lots of interesting things under the bark of decaying logs.  This Sowbug (Class Isopoda) was my first find.

 

Next, a Click Beetle (Ampedus sp., probably A. nigricollis).

 

After being disturbed, it feigned death ("Thanatosis").  Ignored, it would right itself by snapping its body in such a way that it would pop up in the air.

 

 

 

 

 

A Darkling Beetle (Family Tenebrionidae, Alobates pennsylvanica).  Nearby I found several Bombardier Beetles but they were to fast for pictures.

 

Two beetle larvae.  The one at the lower left is a Wireworm, larva of a Click Beetle (Family Elateridae).  The one at the upper right is a Flat Bark Beetle larva (Family Cucujidae).

 

Termites!  (Order Isoptera).  Large brown heads on soldiers; the rest workers.

 

 

 

A Litter Moth caterpillar (Family Noctuidae; Subfamily Herminiinae) overwintering under bark.  Probably Zanclognatha sp. 

 

 

 

April 28th.  Fiftyseven degrees and overcast, but not raining for a change.  Spring greens at last.

 

 

 

Serviceberry or Shadbush (Amelanchier sp.).

 

 

 

Plenty of dewey spiderwebs,