6-30

6-30
Water Hemlock, AKA Spotted Cowbane, is in flower. This plant is poisonous if ingested.
Rough Hedge Nettle is also in flower.
And among the moths flying last night was a Tufted Bird-dropping moth.
John

Water Hemlock or Cowbane

Water Hemlock leaves

Rough Hedge Nettle

Tufted Bird-dropping moth

6-29

6-29
Marsh Bellflower and Blue Vervain, both plants of damp areas, are in flower.
In dry areas, Spiked Lobelia is opening its pale blue flowers.
And last night the very showy Common Lytrosis moth was attracted to my lights. Sugar Maple is one of the larval host plants for this species.
John

Marsh Bellflower

Blue Vervain

Spike Lobelia

Common Lytrosis moth

6-28

6-28
Cowwheat is in flower. This flower of dry woods is a member of the Figwort family.
Wild Lettuce is also in flower.
Last night Pink-barred Pseudeustrotia moths were airborne. Larval hosts for this species are dock, smartweed and goldenrod.
And a Gypsy Moth caterpillar was out and about. Oak and other deciduous trees and shrubs are food for this introduced pest. Adult female gypsy moths are white and nearly flightless. Males are brown and capable fliers.
John

Cowwheat

Lettuce

Pink-barred Pseudeustratia moth

Gypsy moth caterpillar

6-27

6-27
A moth called the Basswood Leafroller was active last night. Despite its common name Oak and Rock Elm are lsited as larval host plants along with basswood.
The nicely marked little beetle known to scientists as Dircaea liturata came to my lights. It is thought that larvae of this species may feed on beech.
Red Milkweed Beetles were also about.
And a single Aster flower marked the coming Aster flood. Perhaps a white wood aster?
John

Basswood Leafroller

Dircaea liturata beetle

Red Milkweed beetle

Aster

6-26

6-26
Sharp-lined Yellow Moths were flying last night. The larvae of this species generalize, feeding on a variety of trees and shrubs, and like most generalists they are common.
Mottled Tortoise Beetles are feeding on bindweed false bindweed, sweet potato and other Morning Glories.
And Dwarf Enchanter's Nightshade is in rather unspectacular flower. This is a plant of damp, shady places. Its tiny flowers would be easy to overlook.
John

Sharp-lined Yellow moth

Mottled Tortoise beetle

Dwarf Enchanter's Nightshade

6-25

6-25
The long-stalked round flower umbels of Bristly Sarsaparilla dot open woods and clearings. Dark purple berries will eventually form.
Yellow Sweet Clover is also in flower. When crushed and dried this plant smells sweet like new mown hay.
Maleberry's globular white flowers dangle in leafless clusters from twig tips. Maleberry is a small shrub, 2 - 10 ' high.
And garden escape Day Lilies - so called because each flower is open for one day - are brightening roadsides and meadows.
John

Bristly Sarsaparilla

Yellow Sweet Clover

Maleberry

Day Lilies

6-24

6-24
The aptly named Butter and Eggs is in flower.
A leaf beetle, Blepharida rhois, was hard at work on Sumac leaves. Sumac, Poison sumac and Smoke Tree are listed as host plants for this beetle. Of those only sumac is found locally.
And Common Evening Primrose is brightening riverside thickets, ditches and weedy areas.
John

Butter and Eggs

Leaf beetle

Common Evening Primrose

6-23

6-23
Meadowsweet is starting its flowering season.
The tiny white twig hugging flowers of Winterberry, AKA Black Alder, are also opening. The brilliant red-orange berries of this shrub will hang on long into winter.
And a damselfly known as the Ebony Jewelwing is flying. The mat black wings, emerald body and fluttery flight of these delicate insects make them easy to identify.
John

Meadowsweet

Winterberry

Ebony Jewelwing Damselfly

6-22

6-22
The nodding waxy flowers of Shinleaf are starting to open.
The garden escape, Thermopsis villosa, pops up occasionally. This one was in a thicket along the West River.
And a dead Sea Lamprey floated in shallow waters displaying its concentric circles of rasping teeth and its piercing multi-pointed tongue. The parasitic eels spawn in early summer and then die.
John

Shinleaf

Thermopsis

dead Sea Lamprey

concentric circles of rasping teeth of sea lamprey

6-21

6-21
Thimbleweed, AKA Tall Anemone, is starting to flower. This plant can have either greenish flowers that are 3/4 - 1 inch wide or white flowers 1 - 1 1/2 inch wide.
Rough Avens with its very abbreviated white petals is also in flower.
The purple blotch leaves and dense pink flower spikes of Lady's Thumb brighten ditches and waste places.
And a Tiger moth, probably Williams' Tiger, was flying last night despite the thunderstorm!
John

Thimbleweed

Thimbleweed close up

Rough Avens

Lady's Thumb

Tiger moth - Williams' Tiger Moth

6-20

6-20
Jewelweed, AKA Spotted touch-me-not, is starting to flower. This is a plant of damp shady places. It is also a favorite food of White-tailed Deer.
Common Milkweed is also in flower as is Common elder. The purplish-black berries of Common Elder are used for jelly and wine.
John

Jewelweed

Jewelweed

Common Milkweed

Common Elder

6-19

6-19
Common St. John's Wort is opening a few flowers. This is an alien species and one of 8 yellow St. John's Worts that can be found in the northeast.
Moneywort is also in flower. Moneywort is in the Loosestrife family, one of many yellow loosestrifes.
Square-stemmed Monkey-Flower is starting to color wet areas.
And at Townshend Dam the Bald Eagle nestling is exercising its wings while perched on the lip of the nest! It should fledge soon!!
John

Common St. John's Wort

Moneywort

Square-stemmed Monkey-flower

Eaglet exercising its wings

6-18

6-18
One of the Dogwoods is in flower along the West River. Probably Pale Dogwood.
A moth called the Snowy Urola was flying last night.
The invasive, Purple Loosestrife is opening flowers, and Black-eyed Susans aren't far behind. This one was half open this morning.
John

Black-eyed Susan

Dogwood

Snowy Urola moth

Purple Loosestrife