August 26th. At Cranberry Bog in late afternoon, a Locust Borer (Megacyllene robiniae) on Goldenrod (Solidago sp.).

 

Some years ago, I put together a FlickR Album of Bees, Wasps, and their mimics: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanmalcolm/albums/72157688338793725/

 

Northern Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus).

 

At the pond east of River Road, a Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta) and a Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus).

 

Another Painted Turtle.

 

Three young Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) - two red-eyed males and a female.

 

 

 

Green Heron (Butorides virescens).

 

 

 

 

 

Fragrant Water-lily (Nymphaea odorata).

 

August 27th. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) atop the south side Wood Duck box at Raymond Brook Marsh.

 

Just one Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) at the pond east of River Road.

 

Look closely. There are 6 Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) in this photo.

 

Six Painted Turtles (Chrysemys picta)...

 

...and six more nearby.

 

Next stop Cranberry Bog. An ancient Blue Dasher dragonfly (Pachydiplax longipennis). Wings tattered.

 

Another one nearby.

 

I wonder where this Bumble Bee (Family Bombidae) got the dark colored pollen.

 

A Mason Wasp (Ancistrocerus sp.).

 

Digger Wasp (Scolia dubia).

 

 

 

Another Locust Borer (Megacyllene robiniae) on Goldenrod (Solidago sp.)...

 

...or perhaps the same beetle as yesterday. (There only seemed to be one around on both days.)

 

Sweet Peas (Lathyrus odoratus) continue to bloom.

 

August 28th. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius), Great Egret (Ardea alba) and several Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos). Lousy picture. Sorry.

 

One of the Cormorants at the pond east of River Road. The other one there too, plus Wood Ducks in the distance.

 

In mid-afternoon, I took a long walk west from Depot Hill Road in Cobalt - well into Portland. This is the Middle Haddam Road crossing.

 

Rock cut along the way. Most of the vegetation is invasive Mugwort. Thankfully some Goldenrod too.

 

 

 

Now for the "wildlife"! A Daddy Longlegs (Opiliones sp.).

 

Fun facts about Harvestmen (the generic term for Opiliones): https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mcvmagazine/issues/2024/jul-aug/profile.html

 

The ubiquitous Multicolored Asian Lady Beetle (Harmonia axyridis). About the only Lady Beetle we see lately. I'll spare you the story of why.

 

A nymphal Jagged Ambush Bug (Phymata pennsylvanica), pale and with only wing buds.

 

Another nymphal Ambush Bug has grabbed a Bumble Bee by the tongue.

 

Here's an adult; head at the right.

 

This Goldenrod Crab Spider (Misumena vatia) captured a large Bumble Bee.

 

Ailanthus Webworm moth (Atteva aurea).

 

A Locust Borer (Megacyllene robiniae) at the left, but the star of the show is the Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops) at the right.

 

They were considered rare in the 2007 Connecticut Butterfly Atlas and only possibly "resident", but I've seen them several times this year.

 

With the body tilted forward and the hindwings tilted up, the false eyes and antennae are thought to divert bird attacks away from the vital body.

 

 

 

A male Northern Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus). Males have a yellow face and curled antennae.

 

The abdomen is distorted by the presence of several Stylopid female ectoparasites. Their life histor is bizarre. Read about them here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stylopidae

 

A large Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica). Thankfully, they're pretty docile.

 

 

 

Banded Net-wing Beetle (Calopteron reticulatum).

 

Pokeweed (Phytolacca americana) fruits are ripe.

 

Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cabbage White (Pieris rapae).

 

Crown-vetch (Securigera varia).