July 15th. Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus).

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Fragrant Water-lilies (Nymphaea odorata), yellow Bullhead-lily (Nuphar vareigatum), and Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata).

 

Green Frog (Rana clamitans). Note the Millipede under its foot.

 

Nifty eye.

 

 

 

July 16th. A male White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) showing new antlers in velvet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A female Common Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) dragonfly...

 

 

 

 

 

..and a male Common Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) dragonfly.

 

 

 

Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia).

 

Rather bedragled looking Indian-pipes (Monotropa uniflora), a parasitic flowering plant that lacks chlorophyll.

 

An afternoon stop at Cranberry Bog. Adult Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) and their seven goslings.

 

 

 

Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus).

 

Skipppers (Family Hesperiidae) like it.

 

I won't try to identify...

 

...but there appear to be two species...

 

...maybe three.

 

A brief stop at the pond east of River Road. An older male Common Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) dragonfly.

 

Wing venation is incredibly complex. I can't imagine the genetic program that implements it in development.

 

An even older male Common Pondhawk (Erythemis simplicicollis) dragonfly. Most of the pruinose dark blue is gone.

 

July 17th. Asiatic Dayflower (Commelina communis).

 

A female syrphid Flower Fly (Toxomerus sp.).

 

Female fly eyes do not meet at the top of the head.

 

I've been noticing these white blobs on leaf stems lately.

 

I touched it and it moved a bit. Looks like a Northern Flatid Planthopper (Flatormenis proxima) nymph, covered in waxy filaments as a disguise.

 

Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina) on the path toward the trail bridge over the Blackledge River.

 

A Thick-headed Fly (Family Conopidae, Physocephala tibialis)...

 

...in the embrace of a Goldenrod Crab Spider (Family Thomisidae,Misumena vatia).

 

Sorry I couldn't get a good shot of the spider's abdomen which is typically white with pink stripes.

 

American Copper (Lycaena phlaeas).

 

 

 

An Ambush Bug (Family Reduviidae, Phymata sp.). Raptorial front legs to capture prey which it then stabs with its beak and sucks dry.

 

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) at the pond just east of River Road.

 

I count seven Wood Duck (Aix sponsa) ducklings.

 

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria or L. virgatum).

 

A male Ebony Jewelwing damselfly (Calopteryx maculata).

 

July 18th. New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis).