June 21st. The first full day of Summer. Can anyone identify the bird that dropped this feather?

 

 

 

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius)...

 

...grooming.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A very noisy Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis).

 

Canada Lily (Lilium canadense) in bud.

 

Eastern Ribbon Snake (Thannophis sauritus).

 

Likely the same one I saw in roughly the same spot recently.

 

Hop Clover (Trifolium agrarium).

 

At Cranberry Bog, lots of Canada Geese (Branta canadenssis) in the shade.

.

Three more washing up.

 

 

 

Sweet Peas (Lathyrus odoratus).

 

Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus).

 

Proboscis deep in the flower.

 

The three Canada Geese all tidied up.

 

 

 

The resident Great Blue Heron with the damaged tongue sticking out through its throat.

 

June 23rd. Northern Water Snake (Nerodia sipedon) crossing the trail.

 

 

 

 

 

Cherry Gall Azure (Celastrina serotina).

 

June 24th. Agreeable Tiger Moth (Spilosoma congrua).

 

Deer Fly (Chrysops sp.).

 

Check out those fancy eyes, and the mouthparts that work like an electric carving knife, two blades sawing back and forth to drill through the skin.

 

June 25th. A fawn's tail by the doe's head, and shadow against her side.

 

The doe's rump at left, her shadowed head center, and the spotted fawn's back at the right.

 

Canada Lilies (Lilium canadense) are open or nearly so.

 

 

 

June 26th. Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta).

 

 

 

A very good year for Canada Lilies (Lilium canadense).

 

 

 

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) just opening at the Route 207 crossing. The flowers will only last until afternoon, replaced by new ones tomorrow.

 

Fully open with a Flower Fly (Family Syrphidae) feeding on pollen.

 

Another Flower Fly. I think this is a male Toxomerus sp.

 

Much of the pollen already eaten, but much clinging to the fly, perhaps to be transferred to another Chicory flower.

 

A flower with its pollen intact - though not for long.

 

A bit further east, opposite the pond, Swamp Honeysuckle - actually an Azalea (Rhododendron viscosum) - is blooming.

 

Four Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) on an island in the pond...

 

...with another goose about 20 feet to the right.