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May 17th. A male Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula).
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The female selecting nesting material.
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A male Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus) walking on water... well, a lily pad actually where the blackbirds hunt for bugs.
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A female Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) with nine ducklings. First I've seen this year and they look pretty young.
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With thanks to UConn's Dr. Sarah Taylor for the ID, this is Long-styled Sweet-cicely (Family Apiaceae, Ozmorhiza longistylis). The first record of it in Tolland County.
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An afternoon walk on the Amston end of the Colchester Spur. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)...
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...on the hunt.
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The strike!
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Pretty sure it missed.
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A small patch of Blue-eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium sp.) on the spur. Not a grass, but an Iris relative.
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Back on the main trail at Raymond Brook Marsh, Common or Philadelphia Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus).
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Larger Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor) has just started blooming.
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May 18th. The female Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) has moved to the north side of the marsh - with ten ducklings. (I thought I saw ten yesterday but couldn't get them all in one picture.)
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May 19th. I found the Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) nest right where I saw the start of it on May 9th, and near where I saw a female harvesting nest materials on May 17th.
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May 20th. Male Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) on the usual perch.
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The female Baltimore Oriole (Icterus galbula) was still busy selecting nesting material...
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...while the male foraged nearby.
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May 21st. A fallen Spongy Oak-Apple Gall made by a Cynipid Wasp, most likely Amphibolips confluenta.
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The wasp larva produces plant-like chemicals that cause an oak leaf to produce the gall structure in which the larva feeds...
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...and eventually pupates, later emerging as an adult...
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...similar to this one I photographed on April 15th of this year.
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It's a good year for these Mayfly (Order Ephemeroptera) adults.
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Terminal clusters of False Solomon's-seal (Smilacina racemosa). blossoms have started opening.
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May 22nd. I took this picture by accident while readying the camera for the next shot... but I like it!
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This belly deep Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) was what I was preparing to photograph.
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A smallish Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) heading for cover.
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