August 5th, continued. Red Eft, the immature land form of the Eastern Newt or Red-spotted Newt (Notophthalmus viridescens).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Five Wood Ducks (Aix sponsa) at the pond east of River Road.

 

Make that six Wood Ducks.

 

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus) far across the pond.

 

 

 

 

 

East of Depot Hill Road in Cobalt, a Silver-spotted Skipper (Epargyreus clarus) on Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria).

 

 

 

 

 

Tiger Lilies (Lilium lancifolium).

 

 

 

Tiger Lilies amid Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota) seed heads. I like this picture.

 

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) blooming but less than a foot tall. Doing its best after being mowed.

 

Tumbling flower Beetle (Family Mordellidae) at left; an Andrenid Bee at the right, possibly Andrena nubecula).

 

A male Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice).

 

 

 

 

 

August 6th. Smoky haze from Canadian wildfires was thick today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A short afternoon visit to Cranberry Bog. Honey Bees (Apis mellifera) on Spotted Joe-Pye-weed (Eupatorium maculatum).

 

 

 

Spotted Touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis).

 

Dodder (Cuscuta gronovii) is a parasitic twining vine lacking leaves or Chlorophyll.

 

It has tiny, waxy, white flowers.

 

Sweet Pea (Lathyrus odoratus).

 

 

 

Eastern Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa virginica). They're huge and have a shiny black abdomen. Quite docile. They tunnel in wood.

 

 

 

 

 

At Lyman Viaduct, Round-headed Bush-clover (Lespedeza capitata).

 

 

 

 

 

Northern Paper Wasp (Polistes fuscatus) on Goldenrod (Solidago sp.).

 

 

 

The yellow face defines it as a male.

 

A Mason or Potter Wasp (probably Eumenes fraternus).

 

 

 

 

 

Eastern Yellowjacket (Vespula maculifrons).

 

 

 

August 7th. The usual Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodius).

 

Male Wood Duck (Aix sponsa).

 

Back by the heron which hadn't moved.

 

A really tiny Bumble Bee (Family Bombidae) on Goldenrod (Solidago sp.).

 

Three Wood Ducks at the pond east of River Road.