5-31

5-31
Ragged Robin and Grove Sandwort are in flower.
The little butterflies known as Prairie Ringlets are flying.
The fungus known as "Dryad's Saddle" and - more to my liking - "Pheasant's Back" is flourishing.
And under my barn, Phoebe eggs are becoming Phoebes: naked, helpless and bit reptilian, but, Phoebes.
John

"Dryad's Saddle fungus

Ragged Robin

Prairie Ringlet butterfly

Phoebe hatching

Grove Sandwort

5-30

5-30
Today the great, winged seeds of Silver Maple litter the ground.
Black Swallowwort's tiny dark-purple flowers lurk along roadsides. Swallowwort is invasive and has established itself securely here in Dummerston.
Last night impressively large Sphinx moths were flying. Among the larval host plants for this common species are ashes and lilacs. And a moth called the Rose Wing was also out and about … and seemingly having a 'bad hair' day. Larval foods for this species are Gooseberries, Russian Olive and Willows.
John

Waved Sphinx

The Rose Wing

Black Swallowwort

Silver Maple seeds

5-29

5-29
Today Clintonia - AKA Bluebead Lily - was in flower.
On shorelines, dragonfly nymphal husks festooned vertical surfaces. The aquatic nymphs leave the water, climb any vertical structure and lock onto it. The skin splits and the adult dragonfly emerges. For the first few hours they are flightless, vulnerable and heavily preyed upon by, among other things, goslings.
And a Russet Alderleaf Beetle - of the aptly named Calligrapha family - posed for multiple pictures. There are about twenty-seven Calligraphic species (this one is C. alni) in the northeast, a fascinating and beautiful array of life worthy of Tiffany's but available for anyone with a little time - and luck - to admire.
John

Clintonia

Dragonfly nymphal husk

Russet Alderleaf Beetle

Russet Alderleaf Beetle

5-28

5-28
Today Yarrow was opening a few flowers. Somewhat bedraggled Cow Vetch drooped in the fields. Hop Clover - one of three very similar Yellow Clovers - was coming on strong. And Silvery Cinquefoil - one of ten or eleven Cinquefoils listed in my field guide - was just starting to open; the underside of this plant's leaves are a beautiful silvery white. And in wet areas, the four petaled flowers of Red Osier Dogwood seemed to float above the new green of its leaves.
John

Dogwood

Silvery Cinquefoil

Cow Vetch

Hop Clover

Yarrow

5-27

5-27
Last night a Small-eyed Sphinx moth - here displaying one hind wing eyespot - was attracted to our lights. Larval foods for this species are cherry, hawthorn and serviceberry.
Yellow Hawkweed is opening a few flowers. Soon it will fleck fields and roadsides with gold.
Juvenal's Duskywing butterflies are airborne. These agile little insects are classed with the Spread-winged Skippers and appear a somber charcoal … until viewed closely! Larvae are oak specialists.
And this bristly caterpillar of a Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly was busily going places. Its host plants are violets. Eggs are scattered rather randomly in the fall. Newly hatched caterpillars overwinter. Only those lucky enough to find themselves near a patch of spring violets survive to continue this rather haphazard life cycle!
John

Small-eyed Sphinx moth

Yellow Hawkweed

Duskywing

Great Spangled Fritillary butterfly caterpillar

5-26

5-26
Today Birdseye Speedwell was in flower. There are eleven Speedwell species to be found in our area.
And these billowing green galls engulfed twigs and flowers on an Azalea. Unlike many galls which are caused by insects, these are the result of a fungus. Eventually they will turn white.
John

Birdseye speedwell

Azalea gall

Azalea gall

5-25

5-25
The paired yellow-green flowers of Solomon's Seal dangle from the leaf axils of the plant. Dame's Rocket - a garden escape - is opening a few flowers. A Six-spotted Tiger Beetle posed nicely for the camera. And a pocket sized Snapping Turtle seemed a bit timid when confronted with the toe of my shoe.

John

Solomon's Seal

Dame's Rocket

Six-spotted Tiger Beetle

Snapping Turtle

5-24

5-24
Today Birdfoot Trefoil, White Clover, Red Clover and Forget-Me-Not all could be found in flower. All are alien species.
John

Red Clover

White Clover

Forget-Me-Not

Birdfoot Trefoil

5-23

5-23
Today White Campion was starting to flower and will continue through to fall.
Also flowering a few flowers was Dame's Rocket (not pictured) a garden escape that has claimed roadsides and river banks.
John

5-22

5-22
Among the moths flying last night was the aptly named Lemon Plagodis. Larval food plants for this species are aspen, basswood, birches, black cherry, linden, maples and oaks.
Day flying Common Spring moths, larval hosts Black locust and honey locust, were flying today.
And Common Buttercups opened flowers. Buttercups are family Ranunculus, a diverse group represented by over 100 species in the northeast including Hepatica!
John

Lemon Plagodis

Common Spring Moth

Common Buttercup

5-21

5-21
A Lettered Sphinx moth was flying last night. Among its larval host plants are grapes and Virginia Creeper. An Apple Sphinx moth was also flying. Among its larval host plants are apples, blueberries and huckleberries.
In the fields today Wild Madder was starting to flower.

Along the West River American Redstarts were hawking insects … but not posing for pictures.

John

Lettered Sphinx

Apple Sphinx

Wild Madder

5-20

5-20
The fragrant pink flowers of Early Azalea could be found gracing the thickets today. Blue-eyed Grass brightened the fields. A moth called the Dogwood Thyatirid was flying last night. As you might expect, the larval food plant of this species is Flowering Dogwood. And in the Phoebe nest tucked up under my barn there are five eggs, a normal first clutch for this species. Often their second clutch will be just four eggs. While the female phoebe incubates the second clutch, the male teaches the just fledged first brood everything needed to survive as a phoebe.
John

Dogwood Thyatirid

Phoebe nest

Early Azalea

Blue-eyed grass

Big Pupa

I'm guessing this is the pupa of the hornworm which eats my tomato leaves?
I found it in the vegetable garden.
It moves!

Manduca?
Yes, i do have a lot of nicotiana (flowering tobacco) in the vicinity. Tobacco hornworm and tomato hornworm are closely related.

Cheryl Wilfong

5-19

5-19
Today Bunchberry was starting to open flowers. The whitish 'petals' are actually bracts. The tiny greenish-yellow flowers are in the center. Bunchberry is in the Dogwood family.
And an American Copper butterfly was taking advantage of the abundant strawberry flowers. Another name for the butterfly is The Flame Copper. Its host plants are Sheep Sorrell and Curly Dock.
John

Bunchberry AKA Dwarf Cornel

American Copper

5-18

5-18
Today a female Ruby-throated Hummingbird joined the male at my nectar feeder.
Starflower - oddly enough a Primrose family member - sparkled in the woods.
Pink Moccasin flowers could be found in optimal locations.
The pale magenta flowers of Common Fleabane turned their faces to the sun.
And along Black Mt. Road a porcupine fed on new tender growth in a roadside elm.

John

Starflower

Moccasin Flower

Common Fleabane