Several additional plants began to flower in the last few days: Verbascum thapsus (mullein), Catalpa speciosa (northern catalpa, cultivated only), Sambucus canadensis (black elderberry), Agropyron repens (quack grass).

This appears to be a banner year for Penstemon digitalis in the UWGB Cofrin Arboretum prairie. They are numerous and robust and in peak flower now.

Fireflies or lightning bugs (Lampyridae) common now; I didn't record the first date I saw them, but I think it was about one week ago. Town of Cooperstown, Manitowoc County (Joel Trick).

The above note is very interesting. Lightning bugs appear in my neighborhood (Allouez, Brown County) in many years in late May or early June. It has been my observation that they are strongly inhibited by rainy and cool weather, and May and most of June would certainly qualify in that area this year. We saw lightning bugs on May 20 in far southwestern Wisconsin (Grant county), but still have not seen them in our neighborhood (Gary Fewless).

Phleum pratense (timothy) and Geum aleppicum (yellow avens) in flower (anthesis) UWGB.

Cool weather continues in northeastern Wisconsin with highs of 71 F and lows of 49 in Green Bay for each of the last two days. Rhinelander's highs were in the 60's and the low was 39 F on the 26th.

Cirsium arvense (Canada thistle) in flower, City GB

Heliopsis helianthoides (false sunflower) and Melilotus officinalis (yellow sweet-clover) in flower, UWGB.

Tragopogon pratensis (lesser goat's-beard) in flower, Allouez.

Rubus allegheniensis (blackberry) in flower, Florence Co.

A cold morning in the north--Rhinelander reported a low temperature of 36F (Green Bay's low was 47).

The rainy weather of May and the first half of June has kept many rivers high and potentially dangerous for boaters and others spending time on and near the rivers. There have been several fatalities already this year in Wisconsin streams.

Mosquitos are more abundant than they have been in the the last couple of years, but not particularly bad (in my experience) in northeastern Wisconsin (others have reported heavy mosquito populations, but over the long run, this year doesn't seem extreme to me).

After a couple of days in Florence County, I have seen very little damage to the forest from the forest tent caterpillars (we tend to note only when they are abundant and omit comment when they are not). As a consequence, the "friendly flies" that parasitize the forest tent caterpillars are also not abundant. Both species may yet make a showing if conditions are favorable.

Medicago sativa (alfalfa) and Bromus inermis (brome grass) in flower, Allouez.

Baptisia alba (white wild indigo) and Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose) in flower UWGB.

First day of flower for Convolvulus arvensis (field bindweed), Allouez, and Carduus nutans (nodding thistle).

Geum triflorum (prairie smoke--planted individuals) is in fruit.

While I was out of town for a few days the following species began to flower (since June 9) on UWGB: Crataegus crusgalli (cockspur hawthorn), Lithospermum officinale (common gromwell), Robinia pseudoacacia (black locust), Galium mollugo (white bedstraw).

I have seen very few Tiger Swallowtail butterflies in northeastern Wisconsin this year.

Iris pseudacorus (yellow iris), Zizia aurea (golden alexanders), Hieracium aurantiacum (orange hawkweed), Lotus corniculatus (birdfoot trefoil), Sanicula gregaria (clustered black snakeroot), Heuchera richardsonii (prairie alumroot), Osmorhiza claytonii (sweet cicely), Chrysanthemum leucanthemum (ox-eye daisy), Achillea millefolium (yarrow) first day in flower, UWGB.

Geranium maculatum (wild geranium) and Hydrophyllum virginianum (Virginia waterleaf) are among the most conspicuous flowering plants in Mahon woods, UWGB.

Populus deltoides (cottonwood) is dispersing its seeds now. This is the "cotton" from which it derives its common name.

Any guesses on the 3 flowers shown above? One is easy, one medium difficulty and one difficult, not necessarily in the order shown.

Rubus occidentalis (black raspberry), Heracleum lanatum (cow parsnip), Vicia cracca (cow vetch) in flower, UWGB.

Mosquitos just now getting obnoxious on UWGB, and only in the wetter woods.

Dactylis glomerata (orchard grass) in flower (anthesis), Allouez.

Acer saccharinum (silver maple) dropping mature fruit, Allouez (some immature fruits were dropped earlier).

Lonicera dioica (red honeysuckle) in flower and Osmunda cinnamomea (cinnamon fern) dispersing spores, Ashwaubenon.

Potentilla simplex (common cinquefoil) in flower, UWGB.

Potentilla argentea (silvery cinquefoil) in flower, DePere (on barren sites in full sun this species may flower at least a week earlier than in lawns, grassy roadsides, etc.).

This is the first day that I've seen Oxalis stricta (wood sorrel) in flower on UWGB's Cofrin Arboretum (some flowered earlier near buildings). There is widespread flooding of local streams following the recent rains (1.6 inches in the last two days on land that was already thoroughly saturated).