Little green heron

This little green heron has been frequenting the wetland, but every time I approach it flies off into the trees.  This afternoon I decided to follow and look for it.  The photo is not the best, but the best I coulld do under the circumstances.  The entended neck is another camouflage trick.

Camouflage

If I had not seen this common green darner land, I doubt that I would have seen it at all.

The mantid resembles the wild senna pod.

Even a frog can be hidden in plain sight.

But the common whitetail dragonfly must find it hard to hide anywhere.

Today

Song sparrow

Peck's skipper

Sachem pair

Snout.  This and a Cloudless sulphur were new butterflies for the month of August.  26 species seen.

Good riddance

The man from the watershed came and pulled out much of the purple loosestrife that was growing in the meadow.  This is an invasive that we do not want.

The grounds crew cut down the Bidens which had seeded itself in the tree patch in the meadow.

Storm coming?

Yesterday I spied these two in the wild senna.

And he still has his head.

Also saw this yellow bear caterpillar, but had to return today to get a photo of it.

Looked in the senna where there were two yesterday, and today there was one.  But did see a green one in a nearby senna plant.

There were a few sprinkles, and it looked like another storm might be coming, so I went on home.  There was 2 1/4 inches of rain in the gauge this morning.

"A" Mushroom

I was alerted to the mushrooms growing in "A" courtyard.  This is how they start out.

This is at its prime, with a beautiful pattern on the top.

There is a slow decline.

Until its demise.

Goldenrod

Whoever said that Goldnrod causes hayfever?  If the pollen is carried in the air what are the bee, the ailanthuis webworm moth and grapevine skeltonizer doing on this goldenrod?

And a lovely variegated fritillary.

Variegated fritillary above.  New species for August.

Gray hairstreak is another new species for August.

It must be Thursday

You know it is Thursday because the lunch menu is outdoor grill specialities!

Seen close by on the butterfly bush was this lovely painted lady.

In the Japanese garden it is fun to look for toadstools.

In the wetland was this tattered blue dasher dragonfly, undoubtedly in its last days.  Also seen flying off was a little green heron, but alas no photo.

A fall webworm nest.  Signs of the changing season.

A Visit by the Bee Man

Our beekeeper visited today and showed us this dark queen in one of the hives.

The queen is marked with yellow, as this is the color of the year.

Here is the queen with her yellow dot.

Back in the hive she quickly disappears.

A queen cup is found in one of the hives - just practicing no new queen needed yet.
The bees are doing very well, including the 3 hives with new queens raised this year.

P.O. Progress

Took a walk after dinner to see the progress at the new apartment being created from the old post office building.

Hidden

Hidden away on the Maris Trail is this wonderful stand of cardinal flower.  We have one little one growing in the front meadow, and wouldn't it be wonderful to see them in the wetlands next year!

Here is a mated pair of damselflies - probably the common bluet.

This female eastern tailed-blue butterfly is anything but blue.  As in the bluets above, the male has the beautiful blue color, and the female is dark.

Another blue male is this pondhawk dragonfly.  This female is green, and blends in nicely with the green grasses.
Below is one of the pollen collectors seen flying about the boltonia flowers.

Mantids!!!

Mantids were everywhere, and they especially like the wild senna.

This looks like one very fat mama.

This is something I had never seen before.  Apparently there are three males trying to mate with this larger female.  Hot competition to be eaten alive!

Deer Herd

First we spotted the buck at the end of the meadow.

Soon there were three.

Now we see five deer.

Six deer.  Everybody's here.

And now we're outta here.

What big eyes you have!

This giant silkworm moth, a prometheus moth, was found by one resident in the "B" parking lot.  It looked somewhat worn and did not appear able to fly.  Some moths do not even eat in the adult form, but all they do is mate and die.
But those big eyespots on the underwings are meant to scare you away.  It would usually have just the upper wings showing and would blend into the tree bark, or whatever it landed on.  Only when it is disturbed would it flash those "eyes".