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May 18th. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) on the hunt at Raymond Brook Marsh.
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A White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) far across the marsh. Same animal as seen yesterday, I'd guess.
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A walk west from Grayville Road to Judd Brook to see the orchids blooming near there. Wild Geraniums (Geranium maculatum) in full bloom now.
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Common Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus).
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Note the early instar Katydid (Family Tettigoniidae) nymph at the top.
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One of two Juvenal's Duskywing Skippers (Erynnis juvenais) I saw along the way.
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Nodding Trillium (Trillium cernuum).
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Finally, the Pink Lady's-slipper Orchids (Cypripedium acaule).
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May 23rd. False Solomon's-seal (Smilacina raacemosa) is in full bloom.
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Pink version of Morrow's Honeysuckle (Lonicera morowii).
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Pink Azalea or Pinxter-flower (Rhododendron nudiflorum) is now past prime.
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Pink Lady's-slipper orchids (Cypripedium acaule) are still doing well.
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The yellowish-green "peas" at the top are Pollinia, massed balls of pollen.
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Ornamental Iris at the Route 85 trailhead.
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Wool Sower Galls on White Oak (Quercus alba), made by the Cynipid wasp Callirhytis seminator.
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Clavate Tortoise Beetles (Family Chrysomelidae, Plagiometriona clavata).
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An Inchworm caterpillar (Family Geometridae).
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This is a Fall Cankerwom (Alsophila pometaria), unique in having a small pair of prolegs on the fifth abdominal segment.
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Another inchworm; this one is the caterpillar of The Half-wing moth (Phigalia titea).
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Not a lepidopteran caterpillar; rather the larva of a Sawfly (in the hymenopteran Family Tenthredinidae).
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Snipe Fly (Family Rhagionidae, probably Rhagio sp.).
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Nifty spider on Ox-eye Daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum).
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I would expect this to be a Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon), but it seems too slender and with no sign of patterning. Instead perhaps a smallish Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor). In spring, they sometimes venture up into shrubs, hunting birds.
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