August 6th.  A brief afternoon stop at Cranberry Bog in East Hampton.  A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius)  stalking some morsel.

 

Still stalking.

 

 

 

(He missed.)

 

 

 

 

 

Sips of water to get the duckweed out of its beak?

 

 

 

 

 

Two merged families od Canada Geese (Branta canadensis).

 

Female Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) on Joe-Pye-weed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cabbage White, or European Cabbage Butterfly as I learned it in my youth (Pieris rapae).

 

Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus).

 

Asian Ladybird Beetle (Harmonia axyridis).  A nasty invasive responsible for extirpation of many native species by spreading a disease organism that it itself is resistant to.

 

A mated pair of Jagged Ambush Bugs (Phymata pennsylvanica).  The male is darker colored.

 

 

 

 

 

August 7th.  Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae) caterpillars are common now.  Hairs can give succeptible people a rash.

 

Horse-nettle (Solanum carolinense).  Beware the spiny stems.

 

August 8th.  Maturing male Wood Duck (Aix sponsa).

 

Invasive Tick Trefoil is bending down, narrowing the trail and ready to attach seeds to passing trail visitors and their pets.

 

Late morning and the Northern Water Snakes (Nerodia sipedon) were out warming up on edges of the trail.

 

This snake is still fairly young.  With age, the upper surfaces will be uniformly dark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ever heard the expression, "a bundle of snakes"?  Well, this is just two older (darker) adults but it looks like more.

 

The usual Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius), on the hunt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Round-headed Bush-clover (Lepedeza capitata).  Mostly buds showing here.

 

Tiny, the open flowers show their true pea-family affinity.

 

Indian-pipes (Monotropa uniflora) are a parasitic plant, lacking chlorphyll - thus the white to slightly pink color.

 

 

 

Great Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida) is blooming at the Route 85 trail head.

 

The tiny green flowers spread their yellow pollen in the air.

 

Northern Flatid Planthopper (Family Flatidae, Anormenis chloris).  I felt lucky to get this side view as typically they'll retreat to the far side of any stem they're on, minimizing their visibility.

 

August 9th.  Lots of (young?) Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica) where usually Tree Swallows dominate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A young Wood Duck (Aix sponsa; female maybe?) where I've seen other young Wood Ducks before.

 

A backlit doe White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) far across the marsh..

 

Woodland Sunflowers (Helianthus divaricatus).