May 15th, continued. A short walk at the pond east of River Road. Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis).

 

Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis).

 

Bastard Toadflax (Comandra umbellata).

 

 

 

A Damselfly (Order Zygoptera). Looks like a "teneral" (newly emerged and not "colored up" female).

 

It landed on my hat.

 

May 16th. Burning Bush or Winged Euonymus (Euonymus alatus) in bloom. The "wings" are the corky flat extensions on the stems. Note the ant.

 

A Carpenter Ant (Camponotus sp.)

 

Pink Azalea or Pinxter-flower (Rhododendron nudiflorm) at peak bloom.

 

 

 

Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor).

 

 

 

 

 

Yarrow (Achillia millifolium) just about to bloom.

 

Highly invasive Autumn Olive (Elaeagnus umbellata).

 

Of the three Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) nests east of Route 207, only one had a bird perched on it this morning.

 

I saw a Bald Eagle fly over the pond, not stopping though.

 

A Great Blue Heron at the pond just east of River Road. (I really like this picture.)

 

 

 

 

 

A male Snipe Fly (Family Rhagionidae, Rhagio sp.).

 

 

 

May 17th. Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron speciosus).

 

One of the Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) families at Cranberry Bog. Five goslings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May 18th. Tree Swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) perched a few feet from the wood duck nestbox...

 

...watching...

 

...a bird in the doorway.

 

Late morning. At the pond east of Route 207, only one occupied Grest Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) nest. (What I've dubbed Nest 2.)

 

Have the other nests been abandoned or are the adult females out hunting? This same occupancy was viewed the last time I was there, two days ago.

 

May 19th. Ten little ducklings, but what kind are they?

 

Ah, the caught up to Mom, a female Hooded Merganser (Lophodytes cucullatus).

 

 

 

 

 

A Spicebush Swallowtail (Papillio troilus) I found on the ground. I suspect it was caught out in the overnight cold.

 

 

 

I left it on a leaf where I thought the sun might hit it later.

 

An adult archips leafroller; specifically a Black-patched Clepsis (Clepsis melanleucanus).

 

A Mayfly (Order Ephemeroptera) on my truck's door handle.

 

 

 

A different Mayfly.

 

East of Route 207, only one Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius) on a nest. I have to conclude that the two other nests have been abandoned.