Sumer is Icumen in

Hot and humid this morning; Sumer is Icumen in.

And summer flowers are a comin' in. Most notable is the Wild or Swamp Rose which is, after the Rose Mallow, our most striking wildflower. Hawkweed are also in full flower as are the boring, common White Clover which is everywhere. There are many small flowers including Blue or Old-field Toadflax, Least Hop Clover (with tiny yellow flower heads), one of the pretty pink Morning Glories (Hedge Bindweed I think), and one or another of the peppergrass species.

This morning's Murder of Crows was again directed at a Red-tailed Hawk -- probably the same bird as yesterday. However the dead squirrel was gone without a trace. Either the hawk retrieved it or it was a bonanza for a Raccoon or some other scavenger.

Not sure of the status of the Hampton Bays Common Ravens but Mel Cowgill writes that there has been nesting at Brookhaven National Laboratory (Mel is 'guest scientist' at the lab). The Ravens, already one of the world's most widespread species, are actually spreading to the south -- a reversal of the usual pattern which has been south-to-north for many years now.

Eric Salzman