August 22nd. Ground fog ahead of a hot and humid day.

 

 

 

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

 

 

 

A short Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis); second growth after mowing.

 

August 24th. Great Ragweed (Ambrosia trifida).

 

Green flowers are loaded with wind borne pollen.

 

Eastern Cottontail (Sylvilagus floridanus). Time for a thorough scratch...

 

...and no wonder. I see four ticks on its right ear. I'm sure the left ear has them too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's rare to see a Red Squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) along the trail, or anywhere in my experience locally.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 25th. Another hazy morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A brief walk on the Colchester spur near Sunshine Cycle. Very little blooming but found one stalk of Butter-and-eggs (Linaria vulgaris).

 

On to the short trail leading to the Blackledge River Bridge that carries the Air line Trail. Eastern Tailed Blue (Everes comyntas). You can see the tails which function as decoy antennae. You can see this on't wing has been nipped right beside the tail.

 

The blue is on the male's upper wing surfaces.

 

A Stink Bug (Family Pentatomidae), probably feeding on Queen Anne's Lace seeds.

 

 

 

An Ebony Bug (Family Thyreocoridae, perhaps Corimelaena pulicaria). As a kid, the
Field Guides I used called these Negro Bugs. Ebony is better.

 

August 28th. An immature Green Heron (Butorides virescens) at Raymond Brook Marsh.

 

 

 

 

 

August 29th. "Busman's Holiday". Skipped the trail because of rain and went to Rocky Neck State Park this morning. The Great Egret took four small fish in the five minutes or so that I was watching. (I only missed the splash on the fourth one.) Lots of other subjects too: https://www.flickr.com/photos/stanmalcolm/albums/72157715756420961

 

August 31st. The usual morning Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias).

 

A Flycatcher, maybe Alder Flycatcher (Empidonax alnorum).

 

 

 

 

 

Eastern Phoebe (Sayornis phoebe). Thanks Paul Colburn for the ID help.

 

 

 

Across Route 85 from the trail parking area. Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis).

 

Rabbit's-foot Clover (Trifolium arvense).

 

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota) still blooming, though most are showing seed heads now.

 

 

 

 

 

The best part of my excursion across the road were plants growing through cracks in what was once the cement floor of a gas station's garage. This is Strawberry (Fragraria virginiana).

 

Note the long tendrils seeking out other cracks in which to establish new plants.

 

I love the abstract quality of these photos provided by nature on a man-abandoned "canvas".