July 12th. An afternoon walk in light rain east from Depot Hill Road in Cobalt, CT.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Red-Shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) on a power line. Thanks Russ Smiley for tips on ID from the calls..

 

 

 

Calling to another bird not far away.

 

The call was distinctive: https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Red-shouldered_Hawk/sounds

 

 

 

 

 

A large Green June Beetle (Cotinus nitida) on Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris).

 

 

 

 

 

The upperside is so soft and velvety looking...

 

...while the underside is very shiny.

 

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria), an invasive.

 

 

 

 

 

Bouncing Bet (Saponaria officinalis).

 

A rather bedraggled Crown-vetch (Securigera varia).

 

Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) is blooming.

 

A single plant of Dame's Rocket (Hesperis matronalis).

 

Evening Lychnis (Lychnis alba).

 

Butter-and-eggs (Linaria vulgaris).

 

Touch-me-not or Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis).

 

Selfheal or Heal-all (Prunella vulgaris).

 

Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis) on Mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris).

 

Lots of insects on Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota). This is an Ebony Bug (Corimelaena pulicaria). "Negro Bug" 60 years ago.

 

The bug's scutellum covers the entire abdomen, making it look like a beetle.

 

 

 

Bumble Bee (Family Bombidae) wet with light rain.

 

Oriental Beetle (Anomala orientalis).

 

Three Tumbling Flower Beetles (Family Mordellidae).

 

A Flower Longhorn Beetle (Family Cerambycidae; Subfamily Lepturinae; Metacmaeops vittata).

 

 

 

A different Flower Longhorn Beetle (Strangalia luticornis).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another specimen of the Flower Longhorn Metacmaeops vittata, darker pigmented than the one pictured above.

 

 

 

July 14th. Back at Raymond Brook Marsh. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias).

 

The usual Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus)...

 

...hung around to indulge in some grooming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

American Hazelnut (Corylus amaricana) nuts are deveoping under pairs of feathery bracts.

 

I peeled away the bracts to reveal a nut.

 

Just one picture of the 4 or 5 Northern Water Snakes (Nerodia sipedon) I saw this morning.