May 3rd. Crab Apple (Malus coronaria) is starting to bloom.

 

 

 

 

 

Wood Strawberry (Fragraria vesca).

 

Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea) just starting to bloom.

 

Sessile Bellwort or Wild Oats (Uvularia sessilifolia). Um, it's not an oat; not even close.

 

 

 

Jack-in-the-pulpit (Arisaema atrorubens).

 

 

 

One of the two Mourning Doves (Zenaida macroura) I see in roughly the same spot each day.

 

 

 

 

 

Yellow Warbler (Septophaga petechia).

 

Two male Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) atop a wood duck house.

 

 

 

The whirlpool is still running.

 

 

 

The water level on the south side of the marsh has dropped more than a foot in the past several days...

 

...leaving vast shallow areas of aquatic plants exposed...

 

...and no water at all flowing through the destroyed beaver dam at the west end of the marsh.

 

The bridge over Raymond Brook at Old Colchester Road is to be rebuilt. Work started today, drilling holes at the four corners of the bridge to determine the depth to bedrock.

 

Scrunched up Dusky Slug (probably Arion subfuscus) I found under a piece of trash I was taking away to discard.

 

 

 

May 5th. Two male Red-winged Blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) showing off for a female.

 

Looking.

 

She was not impressed.

 

May 6th. Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia). The black spot on its breast is definitive, along with the song.

 

 

 

My morning Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura).

 

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) at the low water south side of the marsh.

 

Leaves of the first Pink Lady's-slipper orchid (Cypripedium acaule) I've seen this year.

 

The first Eastern Tent Caterpillar (Malacosoma americana) nest of the year.

 

You can see how it's built in layers as the caterpillars grow larger.

 

East of Route 207, Grapes (Vitus sp.) are about to flower as the leaves begin to unfurl.

 

One of the common Mustards (Brassica sp.).

 

 

 

I'm pretty sure this is Swamp Buttercup (Ranunculus caricetorum).

 

Purple Dead-nettle (Lamium purpureum).

 

 

 

Just a nice clump of Violets (Viola sp.).

 

A female Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris) nectaring at High-bush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum).

 

I took a lot of pictures to get these two barely adequate ones.