August 6th. Evening-Primrose Moth (Schinia florida) tucked into an Evening-Primrose (Oenothera biennis) flower.

 

That's where you'll find them resting in the daytime, often as a mated pair. Females lay their eggs there and the larvae feed on developing seeds.

 

 

 

 

 

A Halictid Sweat Bee (Probably Augochloropsis metallica) working Evening-Primrose too.

 

Bumble Bees (Family Bombidae) cause rips in the delicate Evening-Primrose flowers. Hmm, I just noticed what I think is the nymph of a Leaf-footed Bug (Family Coreidae) at the top of the photo.

 

Flat-topped White Aster (Doellingeria umbellata).

 

 

 

Poison Ivy (Toxocodendron radicans); oh, and a Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon).

 

Fragrant Water-lilies (Nymphaea odorata).

 

 

 

 

 

Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata).

 

Two Great Blue Herons (Ardea herodias) this morning. This one on the south side...

 

...and this one on the north side.

 

It soon moved to the top of a Wood Duck nest box and began grooming. Note the bit of fluff in its beak.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 7th. A different Evening-Primrose Moth (Schinia florida). (Yesterday's had a slit right forewing.)

 

August 8th. Already 79 degrees at 7AM. (86 by 9AM). Nasty humidity. Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus).

 

Perhaps a young bird? I can barely see any white at the tips of its tail feathers. (In fact, I may just be seeing the wood background.)

 

An older Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis) in a typical pose.

 

They're territorial and "hawk" (fly out when they see prey, then return to favored perches).

 

A young male Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) on the beaver dam where they often rest.

 

 

 

Just one Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) this morning and it was keeping to the shade.

 

Mowers got most of the Common St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum) a month or so ago, but a few flowers made it on secondary growth.

 

Bumble Bee (Family Bombidae) on Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis).

 

August 9th. Big surprise when I approached the Route 85 trailhead parking area.

 

Thankfully, most of the trucks were able to turn around and head back to a site on Route 85 where a bridge over Raymond Brook is being rebuilt. (The school bus is a camper owned by a couple riding the trail.)

 

Just one Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) today.

 

An adult Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus).

 

A male Spicebush Swallowtail (Papilio troilus), gathering minerals which it will pass to a female during mating.

 

The minerals are his "nuptial gift" and will be incorporated into the eggs.

 

Hard to see, but his proboscis is probing in the trail surface.

 

A male Red-spotted Purple (Limenitis arthemis astyanax). This specimen shows traces of the white wing bands of the White Admiral, the northern subspecies (Limenitis arthemis arthemis). In Connecticut, the two subspecies sometimes intergrade.

 

See the Carpenter Ant (Camponotus sp.) harassing it?

 

Some hints of white bands on the underside of the forerwing too.

 

An afternoon stop at Cranberry Bog. Halloween Pennant dragonfly (Celithemis eponina).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An "ancient" male Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis). Still flying quite well.

 

What's this seeming hunk of trash on Spotted Joe-Pye-Weed (Eupatorium maculatum)?

 

It's a Camouflaged Looper (Synchlora aerata) caterpillar which attached bit of its host plant blossoms to it's back

 

Each time the caterpillar sheds its skin, it has to apply new flower bits. Head and 6 true legs at the left.

 

A Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) and two species of Skipper (Family Hesperididae) on Joe-Pye-Weed.

 

 

 

Peck's Skipper (Polites peckius).

 

I believe this is a Tawny-edged Skipper (Polites themistocles).

 

Fiery Skipper (Hylephila phyleus).

 

Summer Azure (Celastrina neglecta).