May 11th. Lovely spring pastels as the trees leaf out.

 

 

 

 

 

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius). I wonder if this is the male I call Wishful Willy that seems to have abandoned a half-built nest east of Route 207 when he wasn't able to attract a mate.

 

 

 

He was pretty casual about humans passing by.

 

A male Eastern Kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus).

 

Crab Apple (Malus coronaria).

 

 

 

An afternoon walk east from Route 207. No changes at the Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) nest.

 

 

 

Tree Swallow still on guard above its nest.

 

 

 

Purple Trillium (Trillium erectum) still hanging in there.

 

 

 

Eyelash Cup fungus (Scutellinia scutellata). No doubt where it gets its common name.

 

On a dead branch in a wet trailside ditch.

 

Pink Lady's-slipper orchids (Cypripedium acaule) are in bud, though I saw far fewer than expected.

 

 

 

Note last year's tall bloom stalk, open to disperse the tiny seeds. Does the extra height better catch a breeze?

 

Northern Black Racer (Coluber constrictor constrictor). Fast, and rattles its tail in dry leaves, perhaps to deflect attention from the head.

 

Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis) showing flower buds on separate stalk.

 

Flowers will be white.

 

Violets (Viola sp.).

 

 

 

May 13th. At Raymond Brook Marsh, a Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) checking out potential nest holes.

 

 

 

A male Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia).

 

Wishful Willy, the male Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius), is back on his starter nest east of Route 207.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Nothing new at the occupied nest "next door".

 

Just the usual repositioning periodically.

 

 

 

Another male Yellow Warbler (Dendroica petechia) posed while I waited for action at the heron nest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 14th. A dreay 40 degrees and damp after overnight rain. Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) hunkered down on the nest. No sign of Wishful Willy.

 

More Baltimore Orioles (Icterus balbula) this year than I ever recall seeing.

 

 

 

 

 

Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) perched on the nest hole tree trunk.