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August 15th. The only Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) plant remaining at Raymond Brook Marsh.

 

 

 

 

 

Downy Serviceberry or Shadbush (Amelanchier arborea) berries are starting to ripen.

 

 

 

My favorite Serviceberry picture, titled "Rudolph, the red-nosed Waxwing" from early years of this website.

 

A one bunny morning. Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus).

 

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

 

Lots of Fragrant Water-lilies (Nymphaea odorata), of course.

 

An afternoon walk east from Depot Hill Road in Cobalt.

 

Bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana) in the trailside drainage ditch.

 

 

 

A bedraggled Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) on Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria).

 

Looks like Peck's Skipper (Polites peckius) on Red Clover (Trifolium pratense).

 

Least Skipper (Ancyloxypha numitor).

 

Hedge Bindweed (Convolvulus sepium). Can also be pink.

 

Touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis).

 

Wandlike Bush-clover (Lespedeza intermedia).

 

 

 

Two-spotted Scoliid Wasp (Scolia dubia).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Also a Goldenrod Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus).

 

Green Stink Bug nymph (Chinavia hilaris).

 

Carolina Grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina).

 

A female laying eggs in the trail surface. I can't imagine them surviving.

 

A Flea Beetle (Family Chrysomelidae, Disonycha sp.) in the forest of my forearm.

 

A brief stop at Cranberry Bog where I was surprised to see a Great Egret (Ardea alba) along with the usual Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius).

 

What a treat. I can recall seeing only one or two this far from the shore.

 

The heron chased the egret a little bit away...

 

 

 

...then started hunting where the egret had been.

 

 

 

 

 

Success! It caught a fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Down the hatch!