Another Milkweed Specialist

Like a ladybug/ladybird but considerably larger. Being orange and black no one should be surprised to learn  that I found it on milkweed today. It turns out to be a Swamp Milkweed Leaf Beetle (Labidomera clivicollis)

Tales From The Crypt(ozoological)

Say no more !

But that here is the ORIGINAL FeeGee Mermaid of P. T. Barnum infamy.

Surprise

Heading down Route 26S towards Portland this morning when we spotted this little feature and had to stop for 5 minutes at one of Maine D.O.Ts nicely maintained pulloffs. 

This then is Snow Falls and it's spectacular little gorge. Sorry the pics don't do it justice as you can't get a good impression how deep this gorge is especially seen from the footbridge .

Onward to Portland!

Whoopie! Loons!

We stopped at a roadside stand the other day advertising cakes, pies, and Whoopie Pies. They were all out of all of these but Mrs.B bought a jar of homemade preserves anyway. Passing today we were earlier and so stocks were still good. So we bought Whoopie Pies, a   Maine speciality of two sponges sandwiched with a cream filling. Today they came in chocolate or pumpkin pie. $2.50 each and leave your cash in the box fastened to the tree. You are on scouts honour for that. Seems they do a roaring trade and I'm not surprised.

Big ain't they?

Meanwhile the Loons are coming closer by the day and are finally just in range of the long lens. Only just but here we go. I hope to get better yet but I can't promise. They are birds and so don't ever cooperate.

Another New Dragon

It's always a little more difficult keeping the posts regular from vacation but I'm trying to keep reasonably up to date. And so after the weekends new Darner here is another new dragonfly for my list.

It is the White Faced Meadowhawk (Sympetrum obtrusum) 

We used to call meadowhawks darters back in the UK where the common darter and ruddy darter where the most numerous species on my pond back in Gloucester.

I also have this attractive little part ginger Bumblebee 

And, eating blueberries from the bush in front of the cabin yesterday, a Waxwing. I haven't seen one of these in years when they used to migrate in huge numbers to the north of England from Scandinavia.

The Twilight's Last Gleaming to The Dawns Early Light.

O.K I admit it's rather later than dawn's early light. So I slept in! I'm on my hols!

And it seems that most everyone else on the pond was weekending and so this late in the summer (and before the leaves change) it's pretty much deserted. All I hear are fish splashing and various as yet unknown birds. All I've actually had time to see yet are a couple of kingfishers and I can hear numberless Jays. Oh yes and I've heard a couple of Loons too from either end of the pond.

New, Live and Cooperative From Songo Pond

A nice big darner that seemed happy to pose on the deck.  They never cooperate like this at home. I do still need a positive ID though. I update when I get that.

ID UPDATE

I am very happy to report that this is indeed a new species for me. If appears to be the exclusively northern Aeshna interrupta, the Variable Darner