June 9th. Female Snapping Turtles (Chelydra serpentina) are busy burying eggs.

 

 

 

 

 

Belted Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon), far across the marsh.

 

I'm pretty sure these are juvenile European Starlings (Sturnus vulgaris).  They were acting like young birds, begging for food.

 

 

 

Multiflora Roses (Rosa multiflora) smell great.

 

 

 

A female Four-spotted Skimmer (Libellula quadrimaculata).

 

 

 

June 12th.  A second Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) family has joined the first at Cranberry Bog.

 

Goslings in the original family are starting to show adult feather coloration.

 

The new family at left; the original at the right.

 

The original family.

 

I'm not sure what's going on with the new "family", but I'm going to guess that it's a composite.  Three obvious goslings in the middle, bracketed by two seeming adults.  But are they really adults or simply older goslings from a different clutch.  Their cheek patches aren't quite white.  (I've read that in some waterfowl, parents will sometimes leave their goslings with another family to raise while they head further north for the summer.)  The geese at both ends are clearly adults - but of which goslings?  Who knows.

 

 

 

A Halictid Sweat Bee (Agapostemon virescens) on Spotted Knapweed (Centaurea maculosa) with Lesser Stitchwort (Stellaria graminea).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium sp.).

 

 

 

 

 

June 13th.  A short walk over Lyman Viaduct.  Common St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum).

 

A nifty little Bush Kaytidid (Scudderia sp.) nymph.

 

 

 

 

 

Deptford Pink (Dianthus armeria).

 

 

 

Blue Toadflax (Linaria canadensis).

 

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) is in bud.  A Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus) peeking out from behind one.

 

Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora).

 

June 15th.  Swamp Azalea (Rhododendron viscosum).

 

Note the reddish sticky hairs (and the small flies stuck on them) on the floral tubes.

 

A distant male Wood Duck (Aix sponsa).

 

June 16th.  A short walk west from River Road to check on the Partridgeberry (Mitchella repens). Flowers were slightly past prime.

 

 

 

Hairy twinned flowers will be replaced by bright red twinned berries.

 

Black Medick (Medicago lupulina).

 

A brief afternoion stop at Cranberry Bog.  It's getting hard to tell which Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) family is which.  I think this is the original group of five goslings, all about ther same age and rapidly developing adult plumage.

 

This appers to be the recenly arrived family with goslings of different ages.

 

Again, the first family with obvious signs of shedding their gosling down.

 

June 18th.  Carolina or Pasture Rose (Rosa carolina) with...

 

...a small female Syrphid Flower Fly (possibly Toxomerus geminatus).

 

June 19th.  Another Rosa carolina, this time minus a fly.

 

Deer Flies (Chrysops sp.) came with the warm, humid weather that started yesterday.  Fancy metallic eyes, and pointed piercing beak.  Blades inside the beak act like a reciprocating electric carving knife.

 

Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) laying eggs.

 

Beardtongue (Penstemon sp., likely to be P. digitalis).

 

 

 

Nifty clouds briefly rolled by.

 

 

 

June 20th.  Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius).

 

 

 

This is a bird I've photograpohed before - with a wound in his neck.  Hard to be sure, but a) he's still alive so must be feeding, and b) it doesn't look as raw and red as before so hopefully healing.