June 17th. Dark and showery day. I took a short walk at the pond east of River Road.

 

A Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) on the south side of the trail.

 

Pasture or Carolina Rose (Rosa carolina).

 

 

 

 

 

Evening Lychnis (Lychnis alba).

 

 

 

The Great Blue Heron moved out into deeper water. The next few pictures show how the bird stretches forward and back as it tries to confirm a target.

 

Every move taken very slowly.

 

False alarm. Head and neck back high.

 

Maybe something?

 

Nope.

 

Ah, now its got a target.

 

Strike and success!

 

Pretty sure it was a bullfrog.

 

Down the hatch.

 

Note the bulge in the neck as the frog takes it's last journey.

 

Later, at Cranberry Bog, Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) gathered under a tree. Sheltering from the intermittent rain?

 

They started down towards the water. (Note, I stayed far away.)

 

At least 22 in this photo, including several goslings not yet in adult plumage.

 

Four swam out. Note the lack of major wing feathers as molting continues.

 

As usual at this time of year, willow shrubs near the parking area are infested with Imported Willow Leaf Beetles (Plagiodera versicolora). This image shows typical larval skeletonizing of the leaves...

 

...while this and the next photo show adult feeding damage.

 

 

 

June 18th. Just as I was focusing on a perched dragonfly, this Cedar Waxwing (Bombycilla cedrorum) swooped in and tried to grab it. Lucky for the dragonfly, the bird missed.

 

Hmm, was this pose meant for me?

 

Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium) has just started to bloom.

 

 

 

This is why the common name describes it as spreading.

 

Morrow's Honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii) berries are turning red, but birds won't touch them until Fall.

 

Highbush Blueberries (Vaccinium corymbosum) will take awhile to ripen soon. Birds get most of them before I can get a taste.

 

A cloudy afternoon walk over the Lyman Viaduct. Lots of flowers in that stretch so open to the sky.

 

Common St. Johnswort (Hypericum perforatum).

 

Two  Bush Katydid nymphs (Scudderia sp.).

 

Lots of Bumble Bees (Family Bombidae) working the flowers.

 

Lots of Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) in bloom. First blooms I've seen this year.

 

Yellowish flowers are older, starting to fade.

 

 

 

Incredibly complicated flower design.

 

Bumble Bees (Family Bombidae) love it.

 

 

 

A Halictid Sweat Bee (most likely Augochloropsis metallica).

 

Wow.

 

A Weevil. No common name that I could find. Looks like Odontocorynus umbellae.

 

 

 

Red Milkweed Beetle (Tetraopes tetrophthalmus). Hold one up to your ear and hear it squeak!

 

A Flower Longhorn Beetle (Family Cerambycidae; subfamily Lepturinae) just taking flight.

 

A Long-jointed Darkling Beetle (Family Tenebrionidae, Arthromacra aenea). The long terminal antennal segment is distinctive.

 

Looks like a Leaf Beetle; family Chrysomelidae. I've put in an ID Request to BugGuide.net

 

BugGuide came through. It's a Spot-necked Kuschelina (Kuschelina sp. probably K. gibbitarsa).
See: https://bugguide.net/node/view/107352

 

June 19th. The last day of Spring, 2025. White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) far across the marsh.

 

"Stinkpot" or Common Musk Turtle (Sternothaerus odoratus) covered in algae.