17-AUG-2011
DSV control
A work party spent one morning removing DSV from an area near the Interpretive Centre. This is the result of their work. The plants were bagged because the seed pods are ripening and beginning to disperse, therefore bagging them contains the spread.
17-AUG-2011
New England Aster
A few of these beautiful plants were beginning to flower, yet another sign of autumn's approach.
17-AUG-2011
Signs of autumn
Nannyberry fruit and leaves turning red.
17-AUG-2011
Treehopper (Enchenopa) laying eggs
I have always found these treehoppers on Nannyberry (Viburnum lentago), but assume they use a variety of shrubs. They are cryptically coloured and shaped, making them hard to find. Today I decided to look for the egg masses instead and this worked as I found several adults near the egg masses, and this one in the process of laying eggs. They usually deposit 4 to 6 or more white clusters that look like little white blobs on the stems. The covering hardens and forms a protective cover, although I noticed that some seemed to have been opened.
17-AUG-2011
Wood ducks
Two males in eclipse plumage have been in the pond for at least a week. Also in the pond today were a couple of Black ducks.
12-AUG-2011
Hover fly (Eristalis sp.)
The back side of this hover fly abdomen looks like that of Eristalis dimidiata, but as I didn't see the fly, can't be sure. Nonetheless, it is a good photo to illustrate how much like a bee most Eristalis species of hover flies are!
12-AUG-2011
Vespid wasp
Barry took this fine shot of a wasp nectaring on goldenrod. It looks like this is one of the Vespid wasps, a family that includes yellowjackets, hornets, potter wasps, etc. and they can be difficult to ID unless you also see their face, but even then....!
12-AUG-2011
Crabronid wasp
These small wasps are pretty common around the garden. Crabronids are called digger wasps for the obvious reason that most of them nest in underground burrows.
12-AUG-2011
Black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes)
We've had lots of black swallowtail caterpillars at the garden this year, and hope that they all survived so that they can turn into these beautiful butterflies!
12-AUG-2011
Black and yellow orb weaver (Argiope aurantia), female
Now is the time to look for these large female orb weavers. If you look closely, you may also find the tiny male hanging out nearby!
16-AUG-2011
Two caterpillars
These two were photographed on goldenrod. I have seen them elsewhere, and they look familiar, but I can't put a name to them. Perhaps Diane can help.
16-AUG-2011
Goldenrods in the Old Field habitat
The goldenrods were full of bumblebees, Bicyrtes (sand wasps), and a variety of other insects nectaring.