July 26th. A young Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus) seen through a small break in the trees not far west of the Route 85 parking lot.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The usual Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) grooming.

 

Three young Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa).

 

Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) a bit east of Old Colchester Road.

 

 

 

Last week I was at our New Hampshire summer cottage where I took way too many Common Loon pictures.
I put up a FlickR album of the photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanmalcolm/albums/72177720334865318

 

July 27th. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) far out in the marsh.

 

American Hazelnut (Corylus americana). Hmm, the bluish white speck at the bottom center is a Green Lacewing egg.

 

Sweet Pepperbush (Clethra alnifolia) is in full bloom.

 

 

 

Not much happening at Old Colchester Road. Maybe now as the work week has begun.

 

Teenage Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) in their usual spot.

 

Yesterday, my daughter Jillian found Spotted Lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula) nymphs on an Ailanthus tree (also called Tree of Heaven, Ailanthus altidsima) in her yard - and a couple even somehow got into her house. She killed all she could and filled out a sighting report for CT DEEP. So today I walked a section of the trail in Cobalt where I knew there were mature Ailanthus Trees. Sure enough, I found a late instar nymph.

 

Read all about them and the devastation they have caused elsewhere here: https://portal.ct.gov/caes/caps/caps/spotted-lanternfly---slf

 

In short, these invasive insects are very bad news.

 

Here's what the tree looks like with seedpods.

 

 

 

Better news, Wild Red Raspberries (Rubus idaeus) are in fruit everywhere.

 

 

 

At the same stretch of trail west and east of Depot Hill Road in Cobalt, I found a number of things including these European Cabbage White butterflies (Pieris rapae).

 

A Flower Longhorn Beetle (Family Cerambycidae, Subfamily Lepturinae) on Queen-Anne's Lace (Daucus carota).

 

Ivy-leaved Mourning-glory (Ipomoea hederacea).

 

Butter-and-eggs or Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris).

 

 

 

Carolina Grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina).

 

Bull Thistle (Circium vulgare) with various small Halictid Bees (Family Halictidae).

 

A Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) this time.

 

 

 

This Honey Bee tried to grab pollen from the Bumble Bee's hind leg pollen basket. It failed.

 

Great Spangled Fritillary (Speyeria cybele).