Report from my turf

Time to update you on Lovell. The migrating waterbirds have moved on to Canada, but others breed here:

A solitary Double-crested Cormorant has been hanging around

and most surprisingly a loon, usually only found on much much bigger water bodies, here amongst the spatterdock and dragonflies:

Off the water, the songbirds are here. Merlin and I heard 19 species in 20 minutes in my backyard on May 25. Migrants like the indigo bunting and the scarlet tanager breed here too:

and something has built a clever nest in a cleft in this huge rock:

Reptiles and amphibians are out and about:

Butterflies and moths are emerging:

That is not pollen, but its own hairy orange legs.

As are mayflies and tiger beetles:

Wildflowers appear deep in the woods, before the tree foliage blocks out the sun. Here is a Rose Twisted Stalk, with the tiny midges that pollinate it hovering nearby:

And finally, mammals. Deer, bear, and moose are around, though none have posed for me. But this beaver did:

May in Maine.