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Project Noah Nature School
The young rat snake often has this pattern which may act as a mimicking device to look like a young rattlesnake and fool possible predators. After just a few sheddings, the pattern disappears and a black back is dominant. In the eastern ratsnake (Pantherophis alleghaniensis) as well as the western ratsnake (P. obsoletus) the pattern can be seen, though barely, when the snake stretches it's skin.
It appears to be the pelvis and fused backbone of a bird. It also looks a bit large for a songbird, so perhaps some form of crow or pigeon maybe.
I believe the smaller of the two could be a Gypsy Moth caterpillar (Lymantria dispar), however, they aren't normally seen this time of year.
The bark suggests Honey Locust, which normally has thorns, but many cultivated varieties do not. The fruit and leaves are also typical of Honey Locust.
The small white pouches are egg sacs of a parasitoid wasp. The larval wasp hatch and feed on the caterpillar.
Most likely a Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Archilochus colubris)
Appears to be a red maple (Acer rubrum)
Sorry, I know the plant is a New England Aster (Symphyotrichum novae-angliae). Don't know about the insect, but it looks like a bee mimic to me.
That's a tough one. It could be a cultivar of Eastern Redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) or Arborvitae (Thuja sp.). Redcedar develops pale blue "berries" while Arborvitae develops small cones 1 - 2 centimeters.
Markings on the face, with white around the eye and cheek patch, as well as the spotty orange and black toward the rear suggest that it is a juvenile American Robin.
